As a full-time blogger, food photographer, and entrepreneur, I’m never really off the clock. Something always needs to be done and I’m often working from sunrise to sunset. I couldn’t get half the things on my to-do list accomplished without proper sleep, nutritionally dense meals, and a little bit of movement each day. As a fellow busy person, you can probably relate to the rat race and recognize that a healthy lifestyle plays a huge part in your success.
Meal planning is a lifesaver when it comes to living a healthy (but busy life). When you meal prep for the week ahead, you’ll be saving time, money, and stress so you can focus on work or everyday life. I’ve found that prepping breakfast and lunch for the work week ahead of time in bulk saves me a ton of time. But don’t think that you have to spend a few hours or a whole day in the kitchen.
Meal Prep Reduces Food Waste
This is a big one for me. When I was first learning to cook, I just kind of bought groceries on a whim and a lot of my produce would go bad or I’d forget about meat in the freezer. I think one of the best parts of meal prep and planning is being able to have a dual purpose for ingredients. Learning to make meals that use the same ingredients for multiple recipes helps you cut down on food waste because you know exactly what’s in the fridge and how it’s going to be used.
Meal Prep Saves You Time
Saving time is sometimes just as important as saving money! I know I honestly can’t take time out of my busy day to make a big meal or even a sandwich. It’s go-go-go, and whether you’re working from home, out of an office, or even on the road, life is so much easier when you’ve already got a packed lunch. What’s even better is when your lunches for the week took just 45 minutes to make on a Sunday or on a weeknight after work. Making your meals in bulk is such a time saver and will keep you feeling satisfied and energized so you can focus on doing what you do best: kicking ass at work!
Meal Planning Reduces Stress
I know when I first started working and wasn’t able to eat at home, I was really stressed out thinking about having to go grocery shopping and making meals. The last thing I wanted to do after a long day was to come home and make a ton of food. I also wasn’t making enough money to justify buying any meals out, so I had to rely on home-cooked meals. Trust me when I say from experience that having all your breakfasts and lunches ready at the beginning of the week is a lifesaver and allows you to free up mental space and energy during the week so that you can focus on getting things done. No last-minute scrambles to get dinner on the table either.