You Don't Have to Meal Prep

Prepping food ahead of time is a big topic in the health and fitness industry at the moment. Instagram feeds are filled with perfectly packaged Tupperware containers, and people are eager to jump on the bandwagon.

What my weekly meal prep typically looks like!

I’m currently an advocate of doing so for me, based on the reasons discussed here, but I’m very open to this changing in the future as my priorities and lifestyle morph and evolve. Meal prep is a practice that currently adds tremendous benefits to my life with very little downside.

It’s worth noting that I don’t measure, weigh, or pre-portion any of my meals. I mix and match the night before and am on my merry way.

I don’t travel often for work, I don’t have children or a family to feed, and I’m not responsible for anyone or any living creature besides myself.  Due to these factors, I have the freedom, flexibility, and time to incorporate meal prepping into my lifestyle in a stress-free manner.

What would happen if I did start traveling often for work? If I started a family? If I needed care of a family member? If my time began to be consumed by other priorities?

Then I would likely find an alternative solution that better suited my lifestyle if I felt that was appropriate. This might include enrolling in a meal delivery service (such as Trifecta or Blue Apron), leveraging healthy takeout restaurants, or outsourcing the cooking to someone else.

I would make the choice that I determine is best for my body, my lifestyle, my finances, and my priorities at that moment in time.

My wish for you is that you do the same for yourself. Meal prep shouldn’t be another item on the to-do list that you feel obligated to do out of comparison to other people. Not doing it doesn’t mean your priorities aren’t in line—it simply means your habits and choices are different than mine right now. And that’s great!

As long as you’re making choices that are in alignment with your goals and desires, then I’m happy. Eat all of your meals out, cook every meal at home, or incorporate a combination of all of these. I truly don’t care about which choice you make; I care about whether you believe it’s the right choice for you.

Whether meal prep is something you’ve been wanting to try or you’re a seasoned veteran of the process, my seasonal meal-prep guide makes the process efficient and painless.

As a heads up, it’s designed to be enjoyed in a mix-and-match or ala carte fashion to ensure sufficient variety throughout the week, and portion sizes are variable depending on your own consumption and the number of mouths you’re feeding.

You can get my latest meal prep guide in time to enjoy Spring and Summer favorites by signing up for my Newsletter here!