{"id":7607,"date":"2022-06-21T00:40:57","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T00:40:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/the-make-ahead-meal-plan\/"},"modified":"2022-06-21T00:40:57","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T00:40:57","slug":"the-make-ahead-meal-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/the-make-ahead-meal-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"The Make-Ahead Meal Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Imagine a life where dinner is ready when you get home from work, where snacks are grab-and-go and breakfast miraculously appears from your freezer. No more greasy takeout. No more cardboard frozen pizza.<\/p>\n
Yes, that life could be yours.<\/p>\n
Make-ahead meals are time-saving treasures. With a little planning and a dash of foresight, you can create nutritious fare for every meal all week long!<\/p>\n
Mastering meal prep allows you to stay on top of your nutrition game, whether your goals are fat loss, building muscle or maintenance. Here\u2019s how to make it happen.<\/p>\n
Meal prepping doesn\u2019t mean you have to eat the same things all the time. That\u2019s the beauty of building a menu. First, write down things you like to eat for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner, including a couple of different options to prevent boredom. Then see how they could fit into a weekly table that complements your schedule.<\/p>\n
Create a grocery checklist based on your menu, and be sure to include the amounts of each item you will need to buy to accurately create your recipes without wasting food. For example, the Make-Ahead Meal-Plan Grocery List includes enough food for a week\u2019s worth of meals and snacks.<\/p>\n
Hit the store, grocery list in hand, and buy your needed items. In addition, make sure you purchase plenty of zip-close bags and airtight food containers to store your prepped food, as well as masking tape or stickers to label and date your meals.<\/p>\n
Once home, it\u2019s time to get busy. Lay out all your ingredients and containers and give yourself about two hours to prepare all your food. Some recipes make more servings than others, so pay attention to the directions in the Make-Ahead Recipes (as well as your own), doubling them, if necessary, to ensure you have enough food for an entire week. Once cooked, parcel out your meals into individual containers or baggies, and label them with a name, portion size and date.<\/p>\n
Many snacks don\u2019t need cooking, so assign these to a large drawer in your refrigerator or a shelf in your pantry. Stock these spaces with healthy grab-and-go snacks such as apples, string cheese, sliced veggies, yogurt, hummus, raisins, popcorn, natural fruit leathers and the like.<\/p>\n
Once your prep is complete, outline a weekly schedule that delineates what you\u2019re going to have for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner every day of the week. For an example, look over the sample Make-Ahead Meal Plan. Before bed, organize everything you\u2019ll be eating the next day so you\u2019re ready.<\/p>\n
Like a restaurant manager, it\u2019s your job to keep track of your meal supply and to replenish your inventory before you run out so you don\u2019t leave your nutrition up to chance.<\/p>\n