There’s a reason we have a Macros Coach available. Focusing on diet can help increase fat loss and speed up the process. That’s also why we suggest that people meal plan for the best results. What does the process entail? It involves planning meals and cooking them ahead in a day or two, then packing those meals in individual serving sizes. Most people use the weekends to cook and do the planning and shopping mid-week. Some people double the recipes and pack extra away for a later use, ultimately having enough reserves to skip meal planning for a week or more.
In order to do anything worthwhile, you need to plan.
Planning a week’s menu is the tough part for most people, but we’re here to provide assistance. People who plan often use the weekly sales or coupons available to help save money. You create your shopping list and then check your pantry and refrigerator to make sure you need the items on the list. That can save duplicate purchases and prevent waste. When you meal plan, try to use meats and vegetables in a number of ways. For instance, if you have baked chicken one day, make chicken salad the next and use some of the meat for soup another day. The same is true for vegetables. Roasted veggies can taste quite delicious on a salad.
When you do all the cooking at once, you don’t use as much energy.
If you’re roasting a chicken and beef at the same time, the cost of running the oven is cut in half. For those veggies, washing and preparing them for use, such as cutting celery sticks, can provide easy additions to salads and soup, plus be great as a snack that’s healthy. When you’re boiling a chicken, you can add celery, carrots and onion to make a stock for soup. If you have any leftover veggies at the end of the week, they can be used in a soup for the weekend or following week.
Save money on gas and groceries.
As noted before, meal plans help you save by planning your menu around sales and coupons. It also helps ensure you don’t have to run to the grocery every day but can shop all at once. Make sure you eat before you make your shopping trip so you stick with the list and don’t add extras like cookies and snacks. It can be another big savings.
- Freeze broth, extra meat or poultry and fresh herbs that aren’t used for another week. Always make sure you date and label what you freeze. Organize your freezer to keep all items segregated in their own category.
- Make sure you include snacks in your meal plans. You can make your own trail mix, create fruit and yogurt parfaits or create other healthy, yet lower calorie or carbohydrate snacks. Having fruit like watermelon cubed and ready will make it easier to use as a snack.
- Plan meals around seasonal fruits and vegetables to save money. Try to buy from local farmers to ensure your produce is fresher. If you find a great deal on produce, buy extra and freeze it.
- Pack food in individual serving sizes. Most people use freezer containers with sections, so when they’re ready to eat, all that is necessary is heating and serving. It’s quicker than waiting in the drive-through line.
For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio