What we eat, when we eat, how we eat, how we prepare our food and it what environment we eat our food in all influence the quality of the food we consume and how our bodies can use it.
You would probably agree that having a plan and doing a little prep is necessary to avoid diving face first into the wrong type of foods. But, how do you get the prep in with work, family, school and all the other things that require your time and pull you away from prepping food?
It isn’t easy, but it is doable.
One thing that is common for most people this time of year is eating a lot of extra food. There are lots of parties and very nice people bringing in tons of goodies to where you work.
This is also the time of year when exercise is sacrificed for other commitments and food choices can be made because of proximity (goodies at work), less time to prep (holiday shopping, parties, and all the extra traffic) and stress (not everyone enjoys this time of year).
If you have ever talked to someone about nutrition or anything food-related, meal prep (preparing food ahead of time) is something you have probably heard, and maybe even tried.
I am not going to lie, meal prep is kind of a big deal and a big piece of figuring out how to eat better consistently.
Some people shot down the idea immediately with something like, “I don’t have time to do that.”
Or maybe they do not know where to start or how to cook that well.
Either way, I am going to give you a real-world example of how it works and a cool recipe that you can make after you prep.
Pancakes are delicious. Now, I know I am not telling you something so earth-shattering that you did not already know it.
But, depending on your fitness goals, pancakes may not be part of the current plan. Or could they?
Here is a really easy recipe that sets you up for success in the morning. These are mini egg omelets. You can also call them egg muffins but I wouldn't trust a person that said that.
Once these are made, stick them in the fridge and wait.
In the morning, put one, two or three in the toaster oven (or microwave, if that's your thing) to heat up. They take as long to heat up as a piece of toast.
Nutrition really has to start with a change in your mindset regarding food and what the process requires. Nutrition is hard to change because it is something you have to deal with multiple times everyday and it is influenced by some many factors.
Emotions. Stress. Time. Family. Money.
These are just some of the few things that can interfere with changing how you eat. Fail to plan and you plan to fail.
One of the first steps in not bringing the temptation into the house. Unfortunately, the bad stuff is usually the easiest stuff to grab in a hurry and also things that you can eat a lot of before the brain triggers you to stop.
But, what do we do when we need a little something and we do not want to go face first into some ice cream, chips or cookies?
Check out this recipe.