Meal Prep! Set yourself up for SUCCESS!

This is defiantly an area that took me a L O N G time to master!  And I still fall off the wagon from time to time.  But honestly it makes all the difference in your success.

So- will you become an overnight expert?? Probably not and that's OK. What is important is you find your way, experiment, try different receipes and SHARE!  If you are in one of my challenge groups, this is where you can get some FABULOUS ideas!  Step out of your comfort zone!  

So I'll give you some tips here abut what I use and do. Maybe they will help you too. 

To start you really need to plan your shopping trip. What foods do you require to achieve your goals?  Are you following a nutrition plan?  More importantly what do you think you would like to eat for the next week?  We are cooking for the week here so you want to have what you need and make sure it's palatable. 

One of my best secrets is the use of FRESH FROZEN veggies!! Did you know that these veggies are frozen right at the peak of their ripeness?? What does that mean to you?  That means they have the MOST nutrition packed into them, and are just waiting for you to pop them in the microwave and eat. Fresh veggies in season should be a go to. But they are not available year round. This also makes meal prep easier when you can steam on bag too!  Most grocery stores have their own brands for a great discount over the name brands. 

Another must have is a good shaker cup for your Shakeology of course!  What an easy grab and go?  All you need is water and you have some serious nutrition at your finger tips!

Then there are other mechanical blenders for smoothies and shakes with fruit or leafy greens. 

I love my Oster blender from Walmart!  A very economical choice over many blenders. 

It also comes with a sport top so you can blend and go or even take it with you. I've used mine for over 2 years with no issues and I have several sport bottles which can be purchases individually. 

My all time FAVORITE blender is my Vitamix!  Now this is a far more pricey option but it is worth it!! This is how I get to blend my fruits and leafy greens into my shakes. LOVE IT!  I am huge fan of eating your vitamins in the form of whole foods. This makes it so much easier to mix it up and get what you need!  Especially dark leafy greens like baby spinach and kale which is loaded with Vitamens A,C, and K. 

This particular mixer was found at a William Sonoma Outlet and was Certified Refurbished by the Culinary Institute of America. Guess what?  It was less the. 1/2 price because of that!  

I think it's a piece worth saving for. When it comes to your health pay now or pay later!

What makes my cooked dishes taste SO FAB without the extra sodium???  Mrs Dash. 

This defiantly made things MUCH tastier!  I could not stick to eating bland food. Girlfriend needs flavor!!j These beauties have saved me. I sprinkle them in my portioned out protein and veggies and it kicks it up a notch... BAM!!

Another meal prep lesson is you need your good fats to cook and season with. EVOO and Grapeseed are two of my go to oils. You can get infused Grapeseed oil as well with garlic for instance which is DELICIOUS!  This is where you get a little adventurous!  You need to eat fat to burn fat. Choose wisely. 

I put a tablespoon of oil in all my portioned out foods. 

This is just the start of meal planning, a taste to ease you along your way.   Get your groove on and get to PREPPING!!