Why You Should Try Meal Prepping

When some people hear the words “meal prep” their first thought might be, that’s what bodybuilders do to get their macronutrients. Well that is true, but those are not the only people who should be meal prepping. Even if you’re not a professional athlete, you should too! Here are some reasons why:

Saves time – You might tell yourself I don’t have time. If you’re trying to meal prep for the whole week it could take somewhere between two and five hours. Pick a day of the week and block off some time to cook. When you come home exhausted from the day, you will be so thankful that you took the time to prepare your meals ahead of time.
More time to get stuff done – when all of your meals are ready and you don’t have to cook, that opens up time for you to get other stuff done. Things like finishing a house project, reading a book, spending time with family, or even getting a workout in.
Healthier than eating out – Most of us know the dangers of too much fast food, so preparing your meals keeps you away from those places. Even restaurants that are not considered fast food can be avoided. The best part is you know the person preparing your food. You.
Trying new recipes – When you hear a lot of the bodybuilders talk about their prep, some are pretty generic and bland: chicken breast, rice and broccoli. You don’t have to eat that way. Find what you like and what works for you. Even if you can’t cook there are a number of meal prep services that have pre-made meals that you can choose from. There are also services that even teach you how to cook different meals.
Saves money – Once you find what you want to prep on a weekly basis, you might start to realize you are saving a lot of money. If you go out to eat for every meal you start to realize that those things add up. You could meal prep for a week with the same amount of money you could spend on one night out.

Do your own research and find what works for you. Take these ideas into consideration and give meal prepping a try. When you start to notice how much time you’re saving, how much better you will feel, how much variety is out there, and how much money you are saving, your future self will thank you.

Spencer Haywood

MS, CSCS