Meal prepping is a very popular method of eating healthy. In our busy day-to-day lives, finding time to cook for every meal can be difficult, if not impossible. Instead, you take time at the beginning of your week (or any time you have it) to prep meals for the following days. It’s great!
However, when we think of meal prepping for fitness and a healthy diet, we often think of a routine of eating chicken, rice, and vegetables. Not exactly gourmet cuisine.
This is a super boring way to live. If you eat chicken, rice, and vegetables every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you’ll probably lose weight. Combined with a healthy diet, you’ll probably get great results.
However, these results are likely unsustainable. After a little while, you’ll be dying to eat pretty much anything else, and the wheels may come completely off your diet. On top of that, you’ll be way more tempted to cheat.
So how do you fix meal prep boredom? Use these four tips!
1) Prep meals that you LIKE
This seems simple, but it gets thrown to the side in the world of dieting. You should enjoy your food! You can’t eat an entire pizza for dinner every night, but you also shouldn’t have to force yourself to eat healthy food. Healthy food can be delicious.
The Internet is full of resources with delicious, healthy foods (we have some too!). Try things out. You may not be the best cook yet and you may find some things you don’t like, but eventually, you’ll have a repertoire of recipes that you can repeat!
2) Switch things up
Eating the same thing can get dull very quickly. There are a few ways you can change your meals daily without having to cook every night.
- Prep different proteins, carbs, and vegetables– Instead of planning a bunch of different meals, prep the basics and mix and match them. Let’s say you make some salmon and chicken for your protein, potatoes and rice for carbs, and broccoli and asparagus for your protein.
- Seasoning– Boiled chicken and plain white rice is dull. Have a few go-to seasonings that you know you love that you can put on anything. Cook with different seasonings for different days. Make things your own!
- Switch meals every two to three days– Instead of eating the same thing every day, eat it for a few days before you switch to something completely different. It’ll keep you excited and prevent boredom.
3) Plan a cheat meal
Reward yourself! Cheat meals, when done correctly, are great for your mental health. The key word is meal not day. You don’t want to overdo it.
At the beginning of each week, think of something that you want to eat. Maybe a giant bowl of pasta or a chocolate sundae. Plan a time at the end of the week that you will indulge in that food.
For more cheat day tips, check out our Five Different Cheat Meal Hacks You Must Know!
4) Plan your weeks at the beginning of the month
It may seem like a lot of work at first glance, but this will get you started and in the mindset for 30 days of healthy eating. It’ll save you a ton of time thinking of things to eat throughout the week when you go to prep your food.
Brainstorm foods you would like to eat or recipes you’d like to try. Then, mark off anything that you can make in bulk and freeze or store and get that out of the way. Try to plan similar meals close together so you can save on time and ingredients. For example, let’s say you want to eat a teriyaki salmon bowl and a burrito bowl. Eat them during the same week so you can make the rice together!
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