170915 - FYF - Food Facts w/ Coach Bri - Meal Planning
When I started to think about meal planning and prep, I was wondering why exactly it is so important. I thought of a quote with military roots, that I first heard as a new paramedic. The quote, sometimes called the 7Ps is, “Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.” Excuse the language. It’s easy to imagine how this might apply to my work as a paramedic, but why does this apply to meal planning and prep? I think about weeks when I don’t do meal planning and prep and how off my nutrition feels. During the work week I am too exhausted to do any complicated cooking (or really any cooking at all) so I find myself scrounging for some semblance of a meal. I usually end up eating less healthy on these weeks because I might run into the store to grab something and other random items make their way into my basket. This can all have a snowball effect if the food you choose upsets your stomach, makes it hard to sleep, or affects your performance in the gym.
However, on weeks that I do even the simplest meal prep and planning, I feel remarkably more organized, well-fed, and healthy. I personally struggle with finding the time to meal plan and prep, but when I do, my life feels so much better! I thought about how I manage to incorporate it into my life.
Keep it Simple
My first advice is to keep it simple. This is my advice for many things in life, but I think meal planning and prep can feel daunting before you even get started. It is easy to envision all the planning, list-making, shopping, washing, chopping, cooking and clean-up that will be going on and want to go sit on the couch instead.
Think about grabbing a couple veggies that you love (and are delicious roasted in the oven) from the produce section, and a couple different protein sources like chicken and pork. I love to roast a bunch of veggies and bake or grill some sort of protein. Both are easy cooking methods that require minimum preparation and clean-up.
Then I have either lunches or dinners ready to go. Roasted veggies are also great with eggs as scrambles in the morning. If roasted veggies/protein is not your thing, start with ONE recipe to cook up before your workweek to have ready to go for lunches or dinners. I think even one meal can ease the stress during the week.
Obviously, if you want to get more elaborate than this, that is great! You could think about cook ahead breakfast ideas (think egg cups or overnight oats) if you are always running out the door in the morning, and healthy snacks to have on hand when the mid-afternoon hangry sets in.
Keep Organized
I think a little organization goes a long way when it comes to meal planning and prep. It could be as simple as writing a list or using a calendar to write out meals for the week.
I personally use the AnyList App. It is absolutely amazing. You can upload your favorite recipes into the app, and items you need from the recipes will be placed directly into your grocery list. A handwritten list works great too! I'm sure there are other meal planning apps out there as well.
Try a little meal planning and prep this weekend - roast up some veggies, cook up some protein and see how it makes your week feel!
STRENGTH
Deadlift (all weights are 90% of your current 1RM plus 10lbs)
10 @ light load
3 @ 70%
3 @ 80%
3+ @ 90%
WOD
5 rounds
5 deadlifts @ 80% current 1RM
20 jump lunges