If you’re looking for results, and we mean RESULTS, with your body, let us be the first to tell you that achieving those results starts in the kitchen, NOT in the gym.
Sure, your workouts matter. They matter in helping you gain strength, flexibility, core stability, and even mental toughness. But your body is truly sculpted when you start eating clean and doing so regularly in addition to those workouts.
The most common area of the body people complain about most is the belly. Every day, I hear questions from my training clients such as, “How do I get rid of this belly pooch?” or “Well, if I workout, I can eat whatever I want, right?”
The truth of the matter is that the kitchen is where the hard work happens, which is why people avoid it. It’s actually easier for most people to sweat it out in a tough workout than for them to spend an hour in the kitchen working on preparing healthy, whole foods.
If this is you, you’re in luck, because we’re about to make this SUPER easy for you. I mean, so easy your young child could probably do it.
First and foremost, if you’re not following a plan that helps make this simpler for you, make that your first step. Because while it’s one thing to prepare the food for consumption, portions also matter. Our Team specializes in helping people with the 21 Day Fix food plan, and it has helped thousands of our customers to lose weight in a way that becomes a lifestyle due to its simplicity. And let us be clear: we do NOT mean find a diet plan. We truly mean that we want you to find a nutrition plan. Specifically, one with measurable portions and proportions and approved/disapproved foods. Also, you’ll want to make sure you set aside time (at least 2 hours) early in the week to make this activity happen!
Let’s dive straight in!
When it comes time to prepare the food, of course, the first step is the grocery list. In your Fix meal plan, you’ll see a list of approved foods and recipes. Decide first what you will be having each day for the upcoming week: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even your Shakeology. Then, create a list of ingredients you’ll need from the grocery store. My grocery list usually looks like so (and yes, this is for both my spouse and myself for the week):
Meats/Proteins:
1 rotisserie chicken
2 packages of 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 lbs. ground turkey or ground beef
1 carton cage-free brown organic eggs
1 package turkey bacon
Vegetables & Fruits:
1 large container baby spinach
1 large bag of baby carrots
2 ready-to-go veggies (pre-sliced brussels sprouts are a favorite!)
4 sweet potatoes
1 bag of lunchbox size apples
1 bag of grapefruit
1 canteloupe
1 bunch of bananas
Grains:
1 loaf Ezekiel bread
1 package Ezekiel English muffins
Brown rice
Miscellaneous:
Jar of natural peanut butter
1 carton of unsweetened coconut milk
Any necessary pantry items or specific recipe ingredients (for example, corn tortillas for tacos).
Once the groceries are bought, we immediately prepare what we can, typically on a Sunday afternoon. We may grill some meats (or cook chicken breasts in a crockpot and shred for later use), pull apart our rotisserie chicken for salads, slice fruits and vegetables and organize in the refrigerator for easy consumption, and in some cases, bake our sweet potatoes to have ready to go.
Most people don’t want to take the time early in the week to plan, shop, and prepare healthy foods to make the work week easier, but in doing so, even just once your twice, we assure you you’ll find it much easier than the alternative: finding yourself in a fast food drive-thru, or making unwise choices when it comes to your meals.
Once your meals are prepped and your menu for the week is outlined, the rest is a piece of cake! (We don’t mean literally). Pressing Play on your workouts or hitting the gym is easy in comparison, but trust us: you’ll be so glad you put in the extra effort, especially when those goals are met.
Here a few additional tips to help you expedite your time meal prepping:
- 1) Never go to the grocery without a game plan. Have your menu identified and written out prior to the trip, as well as your grocery list.
- 2) Opt to cook all meats in advance, as they are typically what takes the most time. You can have your crockpot slow-cooking a soup or chicken while you cook turkey bacon for breakfasts.
- 3) Slice all your veggies and fruits. Not doing so results in laziness that looks like reaching for potato chips rather than reaching for a sliced pepper. Do the work, and do it BEFORE those fruits and veggies go in your fridge.
- 4) Consider using a hand mixer to shred your crockpot meats! Less mess and finely shredded, it’s quite delicious this way.
- 5) Opt for Meal Prep Containers (our favorites are pictured), to make for easy meal storage in your refrigerator.
Here’s to hoping you find this helpful! Know that while this does take some work, it’s worth it in the end. Not to mention the more you do it, the quicker it goes. Best of luck!
Yours in Health & Fitness,
Jenny L. Swisher
Founder, Body Electric
CPT/FNS
Wanna know the menu associated with the above grocery list? Here you go!
Breakfasts: Ezekiel muffin (2 Yellows) with 1 Purple container of canteloupe and 1 slice turkey bacon (1/2 Red)
Mid-Morning Snack: Shakeology (1 Red) with coconut milk (1 Blue), water, and ice
Lunch: Baby spinach salad (2 Greens) topped with rotisserie chicken (2 reds), 10 baby carrots (1 Green), and olive oil (1 Orange); 1/2 banana (1 Purple).
Afternoon Snack: 1 Tbsp. peanut butter (3 tsp.) and an apple (1 Purple)
Dinner: Meat of choice (1.5 Reds), prepped green veggie (1 Green), sweet potato (2 Yellows)