⋆˚࿔ an angels guide: meal prepping + healthy eating
hi angels! eating healthily is always a priority for me, especially in the new year. here’s a little guide to how you can do the same in a quick, easy way perfect for anyone working or in school and looking to make easy changes! this post will detail meal prepping/planning, my personal tips, a look at my weekly shop and food essentials + a little look at what i eat in a week + some of my fave meals.
meal prepping can be a little stigmatised. its sometimes considered to be something gym bros fixate on or something that takes lots of time and investment for a meal that’s not the best… but meal prep can be a really easy, affordable way to ensure your diet fits your individual health goals. whether its to build muscle, eat more fibre or just have a healthier lifestyle meal prepping is perfect! as a busy university student, i love to meal prep at the weekend to get me ready for the week ahead.
- look for meal inspo from pinterest/tiktok. find chefs, blogs or cook books that you like and enjoy following. create a folder on your phone or a notes page full of the recipes you love so you can make them again and again! bonus - you could even get creative and make your own recipe book, whether digital or physical.
- find recipes that have similar ingredients. for example, if im having broccoli one night ill find ways to include that in other meals, saving me money and preventing ingredient waste!
- make a vision board/pinterest page/mind map with all your health and meal goals to help keep you disciplined and on track.
- figure out your goals and activity level for the week and plan around that. do you have a particularly busy weekend? ensure your meals fit your predicted energy levels and the amount of activity you intend to do.
- identify for your diet goals. at the moment im trying to up my vegetable + fruit intake, eat more fibre and reduce the amount of processed foods + sugar i eat, so my meal plan reflects that.
- 80/20 is more sustainable than ‘cheat’ days. for me this isn’t supposed to be a crash diet, its a lifestyle and you don’t cheat on a lifestyle. i like going out and i love baking, i enjoy going out for dinner so i prefer to eat in line with my health goals for 80% of the week with an allowance for a potential 20% where i don’t. its unsustainable to believe you can immediately eliminate x food group or eat x amount of calories. the goal should be to allow yourself the grace to create a new lifestyle.
- figure out just how far you want to prep/plan. i personally prep my lunches in advance, breakfasts when i do plan on having breakfast (usually not hungry enough to have breakfast in the mornings) and rarely if ever my dinners. but for some people with less time, prepping every meal may be extremely helpful and completely doable!
- get good quality containers, especially for in the fridge/freezer. my favourites tend to be anything made of glass or that’s fairly durable - bonus points if its link of course
- have easy snacks prepped on hand. i always pre wash and prep fruits and veggies to keep in the fridge and sometimes make a special healthy treat for during the week!
- choose recipes you know you’ll enjoy. for example, if you love ramen, find a recipe that allows you to make it healthily and easily at home. its a waste of time and ingredients to cook something you know you’ll end up hating. find or make healthier versions of snacks you love!
- pre-prepare ingredients where you can. mince garlic or onions in advance, pre peel veggies and prep any ingredients the night/morning before.
- bring your own lunches/snacks to school or work, do what you can to make your diet transitions as smooth and easy as possible! i often make little study snack boxes for long sessions in the library to keep me on track and energised!
- make healthy swaps where you can. i used to drink alot of coffee and energy drinks and while im still prone to the occasional sugar redbull, i now make my own healthy gatorade and drink matcha and green tea instead. not only has it helped my skin and sleep but i feel so much more positive!
weekly food shop + food essentials
i always focus on five key groups when i plan my food shop. ill break down the 5 here. just a quick note - these are suggestions of what works best for me and what i really enjoy eating! they might not work best for you - all of our health requirements and bodies are completely different!
this is probably my fave section - im such a fruit girl! i love eating as many veggies as i can and most of my meals tend to be vegetable/fruit heavy.
- cucumber (an essential for me).
- sweet potatoes (so so versatile!).
- peas (especially frozen!).
- fresh ginger. + garlic.
- kiwi (so good for digestion!).
(obviously my list switches every week! but these are some staples for me).
- chicken breasts (basically always in my fridge/freezer).
- prawns (a staple for me! can be frozen, super versatile).
- beans (chickpeas, lentils, black beans etc i love beans!).
- turkey bacon (not always a staple but something i really enjoy).
- sourdough (my fave! fermented foods for the win).
- rice (rice bowls are a staple for me).
- kimchi or sauerkraut (again fermented foods always!!).
- herbal teas (constantly drinking).
- miso (just one of my favourite flavours).
- sugar free granola or nuts/seeds (to top yogurt bowls).
example - what i eat in a week
remember! everyone’s bodies need different things and this isn’t how every week of eating looks like for me! if you like the sound of any of the meals let me know - i can share recipes/links. i didnt include snacks but those will normally be fruit, veg etc. if you’d like a fully detailed breakdown of what i eat in a separate post let me know!
breakfasts (did not eat every day of the week but alternated between)
- vanilla chia seed pudding topped with berries + skyr.
- strawberry and banana overnight oats with cottage cheese.
- ‘jennifer anniston’ salad.
- monday: salmon broccoli caesar salad.
- tuesday: spicy tunacado bowl.
- wednesday: tuscan white bean soup.
- saturday: kale and salmon salad.
thank you for reading angels! i hope you enjoyed this and got lots of inspo - let me know if you want any recipes or have any questions/queries!
