Eating healthy is so important, but it is way easier to eat healthy when you have a meal plan & do meal prep! It is also helpful to stick to your meal plan when you have a motivating end goal in mind – like a wedding or a vacation – at least for my husband & me. Meal planning & meal preparation can be overwhelming at first – but it is so worth it in the end. It helps you stick to your macro goals, you are eating foods that are good for you, and eating healthy should make you feel your best, so I wanted to share my meal prep tips with you!
So, where do you start with meal planning & meal prep? The easiest guidelines I’ve loosely followed for about 5 years are the 21-day fix/portion fix rules. It uses colored containers that are different measurements to help you control portion sizes. Below are the containers/portion sizes and the amounts Richie & I are allowed to have for each, and here is a list of the foods you’re supposed to have.
Green container (one cup): Vegetables
-Kelsey: 3 servings/day
-Richie: 4 servings/day
Purple container (one cup): Fruit
-Kelsey: 2 servings/day
-Richie: 3 servings/day
Red container (3/4 cup / 6oz): Protein
-Kelsey: 4 servings/day
-Richie: 5 servings/day
Yellow container (1/2 cup): Carbs
-Kelsey: 2 servings/day
-Richie: 4 servings/day
Blue container (1/3 cup): Healthy Fats
-Both: 1 serving/day
Orange container (two tablespoons): Seeds & Dressings
-Both: 1 serving/day
Teaspoons
-Kelsey: 2 teaspoons/day
-Richie: 5 teaspoons/day
This is how I choose to structure each day. I always include a little extra protein because 1) I am addicted to protein bars and 2) I am trying to build muscle. We also add in extra carbs for Richie, like making his lunch into sandwiches or wraps, and doubling up his carbs during dinner.
Breakfast: Protein + Veggie
Right when we wake up, we take pre-workout & split a protein bar before working out. Or, we mix 1st Phorm's Level-1 protein into a cup of cold brew coffee. I've found that I really struggle to workout if I don't eat a little something before. I lack focus/get dizzy on an empty stomach, and want to have an effective workout, so I eat something that works for me! After working out, we eat scrambled eggs with spinach & hot sauce every morning - I have 3 eggs & Richie has 5. We also have 1st Phorm's post-workout stack.
Snack: Fruit
Berries or an apple & part of a protein bar
Lunch: Protein + Veggie + Carb + Healthy Fat or Dressing
Chicken, shredded lettuce, piece of whole grain bread, Parmesan cheese, healthy Caesar dressing (like Primal Kitchen)
Snack: Fruit
Banana with cinnamon & part of a protein bar
Dinner: Protein + Veggie + Carb + Healthy Fat or Dressing
Tilapia, shredded cabbage/carrot mix, whole wheat/carb balance tortillas, avocado, lime (one of our favorite meals!) I also take 1st Phorm's opti greens after dinner. Make sure you mix your opti greens with crystal light or juice, since they don't taste great on their own!
Sticking to these guidelines & not drinking alcohol during the week really helps us maintain our weight! When we’re trying to lose weight, we’ll cut back on carbs and make sure we’re not overdoing it on the healthy fats (or the protein bars...)
Overall, I have gotten a lot of meal inspiration from Cooking Light recipes, but following the structure above makes it really easy to tweak any recipe you want to try! We hope this post inspires you to start meal planning & prepping your meals every week!
Looking for more healthy recipes & meal planning tips? Check out the kitchensinkit recipes page! & if you want Rich & Kitch recipes emailed to you once a month, sign up for our newsletter below!
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