{"id":65952,"date":"2018-02-26T07:15:44","date_gmt":"2018-02-26T12:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=65952"},"modified":"2018-03-01T11:13:43","modified_gmt":"2018-03-01T16:13:43","slug":"meal-prep-tips-healthy-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/meal-prep-tips-healthy-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Essential Meal Prep Tips for Healthy Eating"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The meal prep secret is out. Everywhere you look, chefs, dietitians, food bloggers and the Insta-famous have all embraced the #mealpreplife. After all, this ultimate healthy eating<\/a> habit can save time and money, and with healthy food ready and accessible, you\u2019re less likely to make a poor meal choice. \u201cIf we don\u2019t plan or prep, it\u2019s much easier to fall into the rut of eating the same few things over and over or to become less mindful<\/a> of our choices and how we enjoy food,\u201d says Cara Harbstreet, RD of Smart Street Nutrition<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Your weekly meal prep<\/a> routine is also a great opportunity to rev up the nutritional profile of your meals, making it easier to stick to your health goals \u2014 whether that\u2019s cutting back on sugar<\/a>, calories<\/a> or processed ingredients. \u201cIf you\u2019re making it at home, it\u2019s already healthier than what you can buy out at a restaurant,\u201d says Talia Koren of Workweek Lunch<\/a>. \u201cYou control each ingredient and can tailor your food to your preferences and restrictions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ready to step up your meal prep to slim down your plate? Here are 10 pro tips on how to meal prep for better health \u2014 and flavor \u2014 in every bite.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>20 Meal Prep Tips from the Best Preppers We Know<\/a><\/p>\n

Create Healthier Dishes with These Meal Prep Tips<\/h2>\n

1. Mix and Match<\/h3>\n

Meal prep doesn\u2019t have to mean prepping the same meal for the entire week. Instead, Harbstreet recommends focusing your meal prep efforts on prepping the main elements of a meal \u2014 grains, protein<\/a>, veggies, sauces \u2014 so you can mix and match ingredients and create well-balanced, nourishing dishes you\u2019ll enjoy. \u201cThis erases the boredom and burnout that many meal preppers<\/a> report experiencing,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to cook a big pot of beans<\/a> and grains to throw into salads, wraps, and grain bowls<\/a> all week,\u201d says Andrea Nordby, Head Chef of Purple Carrot<\/a>. \u201cStick to basics like brown rice and chickpeas, or cook a big batch of faro, wheatberries or barley.\u201d When you have these ready, you just might skip that store-bought mac and cheese<\/a> or pre-made pizza.<\/p>\n

2. Create Your Own Secret Sauce<\/h3>\n

Nordby recommends prepping a stash of versatile sauces too so you can create a completely different meal from the same stash of ingredients. You can drizzle sauce over pasta, salads<\/a> and stir-fries. One of her favorites? \u201cPesto for drizzling on everything,\u201d she says. Making a sauce at home also eliminates the extra ingredients in packaged sauces that often skyrocket the sugar and calorie count in a dish.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>3-Ingredient Sauce Recipes to Spice Up Your Meals<\/a><\/p>\n

\"8<\/a>
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Swap Wheat for Veggies<\/h3>\n

Try replacing half of your white or brown rice with cauliflower or broccoli rice<\/a>, suggests Lindsay Cotter<\/a>, author of Nourishing Superfood Bowls: 75 Healthy and Delicious Gluten-Free Meals to Fuel Your Day<\/a><\/em> (out March 2018). Not only will you get more fiber and vitamins and minerals, you\u2019ll also save a few calories.<\/p>\n

Pasta, whether pasta salad or your favorite noodles with sauce, is a go-to meal prep option. But next time you make it, opt for zucchini or sweet potato noodles, says Cotter. The veggie noodles<\/a> will add more color and texture to keep your palette entertained, not to mention extra fiber and vitamins \u2014 and fewer calories too!<\/p>\n

A general rule: Focus less on limiting food groups and more on swapping out low nutrient-dense foods with those loaded with vitamins and minerals, Cotter says. You\u2019ll eat healthier, still feel satisfied and most likely cut back on calories in the meantime.<\/p>\n

4. Go Spice Crazy<\/h3>\n

Spices are every cook\u2019s secret weapon. You can create an endless variety of good-for-you meals featuring a mix of different flavors<\/a>. \u201cLook to international flavors for inspiration,\u201d says Koren. \u201cIf you take chicken, asparagus and sweet potato<\/a>, you can make that an Indian-inspired dish by turning it into a curry or a Mexican-inspired dish by adding in cilantro, some jalape\u00f1os, and lime.\u201d The best part: Herbs and spices are very low in calories. So while you up the flavor, you don\u2019t up the energy count.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>19 Ways to Add Flavor for 10 Calories or Less<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Overload on Veggies<\/h3>\n

We all need to eat our veggies, right? So why not sneak in some extra into your prepped meals? \u201cYou can typically eat a lot of it and not have to worry about packing in a lot of unwanted calories,\u201d says Alex Torres aka @mealprepmondays<\/a>. Opt for sweet potatoes or cauliflower, which are both filling and nutrient-dense. Or swap cabbage into a hearty stew instead of noodles, says Cotter.<\/p>\n

6. Pack for Portion Control<\/h3>\n

Not only do good food containers keep your refrigerator neat and organized, they can also keep you honest about portion sizes<\/a> to help you avoid overeating<\/a>. Torres prefers glass Bentgo<\/a> containers, which are divided into sections \u2014 one for your main meal and one for a side of veggies or fruit.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Bring on the Cheese! 7 Portion Size Rules for High-Fat Foods<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Make Your Appliances Work for You<\/h3>\n

Instant Pot<\/a>, slow cooker, multi-cooker \u2014 chances are you have one (or all) of them in your cabinets. Instead of letting them collect dust, put them to use! Cotter suggests making a big batch up oatmeal<\/a> in an Instant Pot spiked with fruit, spices, nuts and seeds and you\u2019ll have nourishing breakfast for the entire week. It\u2019s a healthier choice than the pre-packaged, processed breakfast options out there.<\/p>\n

8. Organize and Declutter<\/h3>\n

\u201cDecluttering can set up your environment for meal prepping<\/a> and make for a more efficient process,\u201d and make mealtimes less stressful, says Harbstreet. \u201cWe can then enter a meal with a more positive or relaxed mindset,\u201d and be more aware of hunger signals, making it less likely you\u2019ll eat past the point of fullness, says Harbstreet. \u201cThis is one of the things that supports a healthy, balanced relationship with food.\u201d So throw out or repurpose containers that don\u2019t have matching lids. Invest in stackable containers and other commonly used items like a good chef\u2019s knife and cutting board. And then get to prepping \u2014 your daily sugar<\/a> and calorie counts just might drop by your next meal time.<\/p>\n

Read More
\n<\/strong>21 Meal Prep Pics from the Healthiest People on Instagram<\/a>
\n9 Easy 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes<\/a>
\n21 Low-Calorie Snacks You\u2019ll Want to Eat Every Day<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Step up your meal prep to slim down your plate. These pro meal prep tips will help you pack more nutrients – and fewer empty calories – in every dish.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":65958,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,11,18],"tags":[51,59,317,292,71,341,388],"class_list":["post-65952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-health-hacks","category-weight-loss","tag-food-choices","tag-healthy-substitutions","tag-meal-planning","tag-meal-prep","tag-nutrition","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65952\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}