Preparing To Consume.

The most consistent wall I hit with clients and those I give advice to is probably something you already know yourself, heck, you might even fall into this…

If you guessed nutrition, you were correct. In general this is the most difficult part of the process for just about everyone. Regardless if it’s for sport, body composition, or just general health. What makes it even more difficult is that it has multiple categories of why it’s tough. For some it’s not a matter of the type of food, but how much or little they’re consuming, then we have those who have trouble with eating correctly because of labels and some level of ignorance, and finally without meaning to be rude… the toughest of the bunch, the picky eaters.

I’m not using this article to dive into the psychology or marketing scams. I am going to focus on giving you some quick pointers to meal prepping and planning. I won’t be touching on everything, nor will I be going too in depth. However, I will be giving you a simple understanding of what you can do to get on the right track with eating, from label reading in the grocery store to craving out a few hours in your kitchen each week.

Before we get to the kitchen, let’s talk about the grocery store… Flip the package over. The ingredient list is more honest than the front of the box. Ingredients are listed by weight, so whatever’s first is what you’re eating most of. If sugar (or one of its multiple names: dextrose, cane syrup, maltose, etc.) is up first, you’re not getting whatever “natural” thing the front label is selling you.
The same goes for “low fat” or “high protein” claims… check the actual nutrition panel, not the marketing. For the most part, these items are not worth your money. They’re selling you the current fad, knowing people will buy it. Place foods in their respective categories (chicken = protein, peanut butter = fat, etc.) A few more things worth noting: serving size (companies love reducing the serving size to get away with smaller numbers on the label). Added sugars versus total sugars is important. Added is a number you want lower, not necessarily the total. And finally, fat content in sprays of any kind. It’s not actually 0g. It will add up, because fat has calories. Be mindful of how much time you take to spray your pan… also why cooking in bulk is a good idea, it’ll keep total added fat down during cooking.

Now let’s talk food instead of labels. I’m a big believer in the 80/20 rule. Basically 80% of what you eat should be whole, minimally processed foods, and the other 20% has room for whatever you want (within reason). This isn’t about completely cutting out processed food, it’s about understanding management and restrain. There is minimally processed (frozen veggies, canned beans, plain yogurt), moderately processed (bread, cheese, canned soup), and ultra-processed (chips, soda, really most things that are packaged and have fun marketing on the front). The goal isn’t perfection, it’s developing and following guidelines for yourself. What you consume matters, but you don’t have to be miserable.

This is where prepping comes in. Pick two or three bulk meals for the week… think a protein, a starch, and a vegetable you can make in big batches (chicken thighs, rice, roasted broccoli, etc). Season or marinate it all in bulk as well. It’s honestly the easiest way to make the same base ingredients taste different throughout the week. Cook it all, then freeze half. Keeps things fresher longer, letting it last until the end of the week.

Your structure will be: lunch and dinner are your staples, fully prepped and ready to reheat. Breakfast is either prepped ahead or something you can throw together in a couple minutes. Then have one meal or snack that’s really a grab-and-go and easily packed… a shake, a premade wrap, basically trying to avoid the convenient store or vending machine.

Load up on fruits, vegetables, and protein across all of it. These do the most work for the least effort. I cannot stress how important these are for you. Regardless of your goals… eat your fruits and vegetables.

And lastly, your overall calorie balance and macros do matter. Prepping doesn’t exempt you from them. You don’t need to start with it, just get into the routine of prepping. But eventually find your maintenance calories, use it as your baseline, then adjust it up or down from there depending on your goal.

Keep in mind that meal prepping isn’t about being perfect, it’s about keeping you on track and pushing you forward.

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Train smart, but never forget to train hard.