MEAL PREP: IS IT WORTH THE HYPE?
March 20, 2018
Pittsburgh Fitness Project
Meal prep is a popular term used these days in the health and wellness industry. People’s lives have never been busier and we are constantly on the run. This concept of a pre-prepared meal has had a big role in growing the fast food industry because it’s fast, on-the-go, and affordable for the average American. It makes a lot of sense, however, the obesity rates have surged and peoples’ health has taken a major hit as a result.
The concept of meal prep has become very popular in the past few years, because it solves all of these problems. Although, it takes more work on the front end, when it comes down to feeling healthy and energetic or lethargic and slow, no one would outright chose to feel the latter.
BUT WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT MEAL PREP?
Meal prep is great for pre-portioning your meals. When it comes to food, size matters. Measuring out the serving size of a particular food item is much easier when prepared in advance. Storing each meal into its own container will help you from overeating. The business insider states that “the average American consumes more than 3,600 calories daily – a 24% increase from 1961, when the average was just 2,880 calories.”
Meal prep is also a great way to make more wholesome dishes that are loaded with nutrients. There are thousands of recipe blogs online that can help guide you find healthier meals with a lot of diversity. This is especially helpful if you are a picky eater or on a budget. One of my favorite bloggers is Cait’s Plate. She’s a registered dietitian. She posts tons of easy to make recipes and weekly meal plans with delicious and nutritious meals.
Spending 2-3 hours on a Sunday to make your meals for the week will end up saving you lots of time later during the week. Dinner is already made. Meaning you don’t have to waste the time trying to decide every night what you are going to eat. You can avoid the dreaded “I don’t care” answer when the discussion of what to have for dinner arises. And you don’t have to stress over it either.
THAT IN ITSELF IS A WIN!
Meal prep will also save you money. Eating out is more expensive than making your own food, and often times is less healthy. You can use the money you save to do a fun activity on the weekend. Or save up for that long weekend you desperately need now that it’s snowing in Pittsburgh again!