5 food prep tricks for a healthy week
TIME, no one has it. I hear this excuse from clients constantly; so much, that I put together five of my favorite food prep strategies to help my clients ease into a healthy eating routine and reduce their intake of processed and sugar-packed convenience foods or thoughtless high-calorie eats during the week.
1. Hard Boiled Eggs
High in protein and easily packable, hard-boiled eggs are perfect for anyone strapped for time. Pair two hard-boiled eggs with a piece of fruit for a quick breakfast or top your lunch salad with 1-2 eggs for 7-14 grams of satiating protein. All you need is 12-14 minutes to bring the eggs to a boil. Simple.
2. Chop veggies in advance
Preparing vegetables in advance so they are ready to eat at anytime is one of the most useful tips to stay on track with a healthy eating regimen. Buy bulk cauliflower, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, asparagus or whatever veggies look good at the store. Portion out 1-cup servings for the week to act as a mid-afternoon snack. Make sure to pair your veggies with protein (string cheese, hard boil egg, yogurt) or a source of fat such as almonds or hummus to keep your hunger at bay until you get home from work. Another option is to make a big chopped salad at the start of the week and keep it in the refrigerator. Every morning scoop out a portion of the salad then top it with protein (chicken, turkey, fish, tofu, beans) add some olive oil, and you've got a tasty and healthy lunch for the day.
3. Mixed Nuts
I love raw nuts for a go-to snack choice. My favorite nuts for weight loss are almonds, pistachios or walnuts. Make sure you portion out this snack in single serving sizes (1/4 cup i.e. 12-15 nuts) or you could do some major calorie damage by eating handfuls mindlessly. Pair 12-15 nuts with a piece of fruit and you have a great treat to satisfy mid-morning hunger without blowing your lunch.
4. Lean Proteins
To save yourself some time during the week, cook your favorite proteins in big batches. One really great option for cooking meat in batches is to use a Crockpot. I love making rotisserie chicken in my Crockpot and then shredding the finished product over salads, filling wraps, tossing it into stir fry's or using it to make low-fat chicken salad. Try this BBQ chicken recipe. The recipe calls for 1/4-cup brown sugar. I encourage people to either cut the sugar out completely or use a brown sugar BBQ sauce as opposed to adding straight sugar to the recipe. I also like this 3-ingredient Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Recipe to keep things easy.
5. Frozen Smoothie Bags
Throwing prepped frozen fruit into a blender and pressing start will save you more time and CALORIES compared to waiting in line at your favorite food truck for a basic greasy egg and cheese sandwich. Try starting your morning with a burst of vitamins by batch prepping single servings of fruits and/or vegetables into Ziploc bags. In the morning, simply toss one frozen package into the blender and add a liquid base such as organic nonfat milk, soymilk, almond milk or Greek yogurt. Need more protein in the morning? Add a scoop of one of my favorite protein powders: Garden For Life Raw Protein Powder, Vega Protein Powder, Whole Foods 365 Whey Protein Powder or Whey 2 Go Protein Powder. Here are some examples:
(Note that this serves one and ingredients should be washed, peeled and cubed prior to freezing. The cup of water/milk does not get added into the freezer bag.)
Banana Berry
1/2 banana
1 cup blueberries
1/2 strawberries
1/2 cup spinach
+ 1 cup coconut milk
Avocado
1/2 avocado
1 banana
1/2 orange
+ 1 cup of water
Grape Goodness
1.5 cup seedless grapes
1/2 banana
1/2 cup spinach
+ 1 cup water
Green Machine
1/2 cup spinach
1/4 cup kale
1/2 cup fresh parsley sprigs
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
+ 1 cup of water
Tropical Twist
1 cup pineapple
1/2 cup grapes
1/2 cup mango
1/2 cup spinach
+ 1 cup coconut water
Watermelon Razz
3 cups watermelon
1/2 cup raspberry
+ 1 cup of water
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