Everyone dreams of having a routine that flows perfectly. We want to be people that wake up early, go for a run, have an omelette every morning, and then make it to our 9 a.m. class smelling like roses. Well, it’s possible — I promise. Don’t forget that Rome wasn’t built in a day. You don’t earn a degree in a couple of days; it takes years, sleepless nights, and probably a thousand Venti’s. It’s the same process when it comes to becoming a better version of yourself.
Thousands [probably millions] of bloggers and trainers constantly post about their amazing meal prep dishes, but you hardly see any that you can actually make. I don’t know about you, but I have always been jealous of those instagram fitness gurus who meal prep so effortlessly. I thought “Why can’t I meal prep?” and I basically came up with an endless amount of excuses:
I don’t have the time.
It’s expensive.
I don’t even like veggies.
It’s not gonna taste like Cane’s.
What’s the point?
Newsflash, it doesn’t have to be tasteless rice with dry chicken, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. The key to reaching your fitness goal is to take small, manageable steps. We all have responsibilities like class, work and extracurricular organizations, so it’s understandable that it seems impossible to meal prep. Ignore the common misconception that meal prepping has to be the same meal all week. Ignore the people that say meal prepping has to be a completely new diet for you (that’s actually not healthy). Especially ignore the comments that say it’s expensive. One of the main reasons I chose to meal prep was because I wanted to save money by not buying lunch everyday.
Here are my top three favorite meal prep dishes, along with a couple of tips to make the “prep” part a whole lost easier!
Arroz con pollo [whaaaat? There’s no asparagus?]
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½ cup of whole grain rice, and add a teaspoon of butter instead of oil while it’s cooking.
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½ cup of lean chicken breasts, and I add lemon while it’s cooking.
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¼ cup of corn / bell peppers / peas (for the rice)
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Rice seasoning, unless you prefer white rice
If you want a side, I usually have some saltine crackers, or some black beans. Why not both, right? Also, you can have some asparagus or broccoli.
Avocado Tuna Salad!
[Weird choice, but stay with me]
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One can of tuna
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1 tbsp light mayo
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Half of an avocado
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1 lemon – squeezed
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¼ cup of corn
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½ cup of spinach
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2 Hard boiled egg whites — feel free to add the yolk (I usually don’t).
You can have this with saltine crackers, or in a sandwich, too. I’ll usually end up having some veggie chips as an extra side.
Grilled Chicken Salad
Salad is super simple, and it’s so easy to customize!
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½ cup of chicken breast – grilled
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½ cup of romaine – chopped
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½ cup of baby spinach
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½ cup strawberries / cranberries
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Half an avocado
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⅛ cup of goat cheese / mozzarella
Then just add some salt, pepper, and a dressing of your choice! You can also play around with the add ins — maybe add some grapes or almonds!