Biggest Obstacles to Achieving Health Goals Part 1: What Do I Make? Strategies to Make Meal Prep Manageable

When it comes to nutrition, there are a handful of obstacles that make it difficult for people to reach their health goals. At the top of the list are:

• Feeling at a loss when it comes to what to make & where to begin with meal prep.
• Struggling to stay consistent with a nutrition plan.
• Experiencing a lack of support, making it challenging to continue their plan.

Today, we're going to delve a bit more into that first obstacle in order to make meal prep feel manageable. Many of us know the benefits of incorporating colorful, varying whole foods throughout the day and we want to eat these sorts of foods consistently, but where the struggle often lies is where to begin.

Let's dive into a few more of our favorite strategies to make meal prep feel more manageable.

Have a few staple proteins ready.

Let's be honest - it's much easier to grab a handful of chips when that 3PM hunger hits than it is to make some grilled chicken or a salmon salad, but we know that it is key to include protein at meals & snacks to promote blood sugar balance, greater satiety & even support mood. So if you have a few easy proteins ready to go for the week, it'll feel much more manageable to maintain your goal of blood sugar balance during that 3PM snack time and really all day long! Some examples of protein staples to prep for ease include salmon or chicken salad made with avocado mayo and chopped celery; plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese; and pasture-raised hard boiled eggs.

Wash and prep your fruits and veggies.

Wash your fresh berries and have them in a bowl for easy access; they're a great way to boost the fiber & antioxidants in a breakfast yogurt or chia pudding bowl. Have chopped broccoli and celery washed & in a tupperware to pair with your hummus at snack. That small 10 minute task will make it much more manageable to get in some of these nutrient-rich foods.

Make a schedule.

Find a time each week for meal prep that is marked down in your calendar like a standing appointment. It doesn't have to be long - just an hour can go a long way. So if that's Sundays from 1-2PM, great. Having a few savory bowls for dinner this week? Make the rice, quinoa or roasted potato in bulk on Sunday. Prep a few roasted vegetables - like cauliflower, broccoli, broccoli or asparagus - during that time. Just having these foods easily accessible will be a game changer in reducing the overwhelm around food that week!

Have your meals planned & grocery list ready.

Having your meals planned for the week - and that could mean two of the same dinners or dinner & then leftovers for lunch the next day - is key for helping these choices feel sustainable. Before heading to the store, make sure your grocery list includes everything that you need for those meals and survey the pantry for anything else you need to grab while you're there to reduce the need to make multiple trips throughout the week.

This is why we created The Being Collective, our new meal planning and coaching platform that includes hundreds of easy & delicious blood-sugar balancing recipes created by our dietitians. Recipes can be filtered based on your dietary needs, like gluten-free, dairy-free, low FODMAP & more! Weekly meal plans are created and the platform then automatically creates a shopping list that you can edit to add anything additional you may need and remove items you already have from selected recipes. Not only that, but the program includes weekly coaching calls, a strong community & a 7-week course. It is the most comprehensive blood sugar balancing program out there! We want to help reduce the mental stress out of meal prep and planning to help you achieve your health goals.