The Importance of Meal Prepping When Working from Home
At first, working from home sounds amazing, right?
Wow this is great! Now I have more time to cook delicious well-rounded meals every night, time to clean up the dishes, do laundry, and repair that cabinet that’s been broken for 6 months!
The reality is working from home and remotely forces us to make more decisions regarding our eating habits! Choices that are hard to make especially if following a strict diet such as Keto, Paleo or Whole30.
The decisions you face throughout the day include: a choice of snacking throughout the day and eating frozen pizza for dinner. A choice of ordering from UberEats, avoiding dishes altogether. The choice to stare blankly at the broken kitchen cabinet wondering when you’ll have the time to fix it.
With so much flexibility and freedom there comes a need for structure and sticking to a schedule. A great way to obtain this structure is by planning your meals and snacks at the beginning of each week. That way you don't have to think about what to cook each night or what snacks to eat between meals. It is reassuring to know that you have food ready in the fridge and pantry.
Normally when I get hungry I take 5 minutes to reheat my meals and have a delicious, healthy meal ready to go. No decisions, no choices, which means I’m feeling good about what I’m eating, avoiding food regret at all costs!
I like to plan my menu out on Saturdays, then shop Saturdays or Sundays, then cook Sunday during the day. I plan to have 2-3 main proteins, 2-3 cooked veggies, 1-2 sauces, and healthy snacks to have on hand.
Planning for snacks is crucial. I know I’m going to want to snack. Having a little bit of flexibility is a good thing, so it’s important to make sure I have quality and healthy snacks around my home.
My weekly menu might look something like this:
- Baked salmon
- Roasted chicken with sweet potatoes
- Roasted brussels sprouts and broccoli
- Cauliflower rice
- Lemon-herb vinaigrette
- Homemade guacamole
- Ayoba Traditional & Spicy Biltong and Droëweors beef snacks (for snacking)
- Lots of lettuce greens and spinach on hand
For snacks, I try to stick with high-quality health food brands like Ayoba, or my own homemade goods. In addition to being Paleo Certified, Keto Certified, and Whole30 Approved, Ayoba-Yo premium beef snacks are sugar free, packed with protein, gluten free and shelf-stable for up to 6 months. Perfect during a time where grocery stores are often picked over. It is a wonderful feeling to avoid the hassle of driving all the way to the grocery store only to find out they’re sold out of everything you wanted to buy, including toilet paper!
Ayoba-Yo makes snacks I can feel good about eating. They are both nutritious and delicious! I can also avoid the store by ordering their products online on their website ayobafoods.com, Amazon and Thrive Market.
With snacks ready to go, and a planned menu, we can feel better about what we’re eating, save money and time, and avoid those extra added pounds!
You can find more food prep tips and recipes on our very good friend's Instagram page @carsonsweezy
