Food Prep Made Easy
As a nutritionist I get a lot of questions from people about how to take less time to make their own meals. They love cooing for themselves, but they hate all of the time that it involves: ie. they miss the convenience.
Fortunately for them, and you, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I will admit, these definitely are not my original ideas, I have stolen a lot (ok most) of them from John Berardi and his fantastic Precision Nutrition. If you want the most comprehensive source of nutrition info, tips, guidelines and pretty much anything else nutrition related you could think of, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. Employing just these few simple tips can save you a ton of time and effort, and can be that difference maker on whether you stick to your nutrition program or not.
Tip # 1
- Cook chicken breast in bulk.
- Purchase the large family packs of boneless, skinless breasts (especially when they are on sale). Season them however you want, (I just sprinkle a little Redmond Real Salt and some Montreal chicken seasoning on them). Then bake them in a large pyrex dish, covered in foil for about 35 minutes at 400 degrees, or until done.
- Store them in a large pyrex bowl and you have a simple, convenient and versatile protein source for the week!
Tip # 2
- Chop your veggies!
- I suggest that people do their grocery shopping on Sundays, giving you more time to get your prep work done. While your chicken is baking in the oven, take out your fresh veggies that you bought (peppers, onions, broccoli, etc.). Chop them up to desired size and either store individually as I do, or store all together in one large bin (ala Tony Gentilcore).
- Now you have pre-chopped veggies for any occasion. If you want to make an omelet, stir-fry, salad, wrap, you name it, you are now much more prepared to eat healthy in less time.
Tip # 3
- Practice!
- I can’t encourage you all enough to practice these tips. It takes repeated efforts to get quick at making healthy meals, but once it becomes second nature, it is a piece of cake. It may not happen overnight, but before you know it, you will be a healthy meal-making whiz!
If you check out my recent example of my personal food intake, I bring on average 3 meals to work everyday. My wrap, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese meals take me a combined 15 minutes tops to make and put into my cooler. Granted, I have mastered my methods on making those meals rapidly, but it just goes to show that it can be done. Even my breakfast omelet and oats takes me no more than 20 minutes to make and consume, and I am hardly awake! Apply just those few ideas and it could make the world of difference for you.
I also wanted to wrap this up by saying that this will be my last blog post until after I return from my honeymoon. So I will see you all sometime next week! Enjoy your holiday weekend everybody.
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About Me
Brian St. Pierre is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN). He received his degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition with a focus in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Maine. With his contagious passion and enthusiasm, Brian is a young and exciting new face in the industry. -
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Not sure if you’ll check this post when you return, Brian, but I wanted to ask you about your take on raw versus cooked veggies…………….do you think it is best to eat a good portion raw, but to not worry about the rest, as it is better to eat them, even if cooked than not at all?
I always see a back and forth about how some cooking methods damage certain nutrients, while others will enhance the bio-availability of other nutrients.
Congratulations on getting married, and enjoy your honeymoon!
Congratulations on getting married!