Time Saving Meal Prep Tips

The lifestyle of meal prepping has grown in popularity recently among the weight loss and fitness community, although it is certainly not a new concept, as it has been practiced by bodybuilders for years.  The growing popularity of meal prepping is with valid reason.... it works!  I'm sure you've head the overused phrase, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail" but for those wanting to shed those unwanted pounds, a solid action plan is a necessity.  Meal prepping is an incredibly effective tool in which you are preparing and portioning meals beforehand, which can be taken with you anywhere to ensure you are eating the ideal foods and portions to help you reach your specific goals.  Despite the many benefits of meal prepping, many people are intimidated by it and completely avoid meal prepping because they believe they simply do not have the time in their schedule to do it.  Meal prepping doesn't have to be some big production involving hours in the kitchen!  Here are some time saving tips for meal prepping that will allow those even with the most hectic schedules be able to live the "Tupp life" :-) 

• Prioritize Protein 

If you are short on time and only have time to prep one thing, choose protein. Protein takes the longest time to prepare so if you don't have some on hand ready you'll be more likely to turn to the convenience of a restaurant or fast food joint when in a time crunch or when you're super hungry.  By having some prepared protein on hand at all times, you can dice it up and throw it on a quick salad or microwave a side dish to pair with it.  

• BBQ Time Saving Chicken Meal Prep Method

When it comes to preparing chicken, personally, I like to BBQ chicken because to me it tastes better then other cooking methods.  To cut down on grilling time, I slice chicken breasts super thin and pound them with a meat mallet to make them more tender.  The thinner slices cook much quicker then entire breasts would take.  If you're really pressed for time, most grocery stores do sell chicken breasts that are already sliced thin to save you the time of slicing them yourself.

• Fit Men Cook Time Saving Chicken Meal Prep Method

Food and Fitness author and blogger, Kevin Curry of Fitmencook.com, has a lot of awesome healthy recipes and tips for those looking to live a healthier lifestyle.  If you haven't checked out his website or the work he has done for bodybuilding.com, I highly recommend you check it out!  One of my favorite tips he shares for saving time on meal prepping is his method of using tin foil to divide a baking sheet to cook 3 different types of seasoned chicken at the same time.  He also dices the chicken into smaller pieces to allow for quicker cooking time in the oven.  You can find the instructions here for this method!

• Roast 2 Different Vegetables with Similar cooking Times at the Same Time

One of my favorite ways to cook vegetables when meal prepping is to roast them in the oven on a baking sheet.  Roasting allows for a flavorful taste without the sogginess that other cooking methods bring.  Also the roasted vegetables seem to keep better in the refrigerator than other methods.  To save time you can roast 2 different vegetables at the same time that have similar cooking times, for the meal prep below, I roasted 2 pounds of asparagus and 2 pounds of brussel sprouts at 450 degree for about 15-20 minutes, they were sprayed with non-stick olive oil spray and seasoned with salt and pepper, super quick and simple.

• Save Even More Time by Buying Pre-cut Vegetables

If you're really crunched for time, most grocery stores sell pre-cut vegetables that will save you the chore of having to clean and cut the vegetables yourself.  Although this seems like a small convenience, when you're preparing multiple vegetables at a time it will save you quite a bit of time.

• When All Else Fails...It's OK to Cheat

Have no shame in cheating in your cooking by using convenience items such as precooked rice and steam in the bag vegetables.  Sure, fresh may be healthier for you but if this is the only option you have time for and it makes the difference of eating healthy or not then by all means do it! 

Mexican Meal Prep: Chile Lime Marinated Chicken Breast and Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

When it comes to meal prepping, it's easy to get caught up in the same boring routine of finding what works and sticking to it.  But who wants to eat the same boring crap everyday?  Spice up your life my friends and liven up your mundane meal prep with this Mexican inspired meal!  The marinade for this chicken was inspired by one of my faves- pollo asado, which is traditionally made with a fattier cut of chicken such as legs or thighs, by using chicken breast instead it makes it much leaner and a healthier option for those cutting calories.  This chicken pairs up nicely with cilantro lime brown rice which is also a lightened up version compared to traditional Mexican rice.  For this prep, I paired some simple grilled asparagus to complete the meal but a lot of different veggies would work with this combo! 

Chile Lime Marinated Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breast sliced thin and pounded with meat tenderizer 

6 oz. pineapple juice or orange juice

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 cloves garlic minced or roughly chopped

1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon or more (depending on heat preference) Chile powder 

optional-1 jalapeno chopped for additional spice

Directions:

Place all ingredients in large ziplock bag and marinate at min. 4 hours to overnight. Grill chicken over medium heat until fully cooked.  Let meat rest several minutes before serving or placing in your sexiest Tupperware containers. 

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

Ingredients

2 cups prepared brown rice

1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth or bone broth

6 green onions diced

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro

juice of 1-2 limes 

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil non-stick spray

Directions

In large non-stick skillet, over medium heat spray non-stick olive oil spray and saute diced green onion and minced garlic for 2 minutes or until garlic is slightly browned.  Add chicken broth, rice, and lime juice. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is almost fully absorbed.  Add cilantro, salt and pepper to taste and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Serve with additional cilantro if desired. 

Spicy Garlic Sriracha Grilled Chicken

Spicy Garlic Sriracha Grilled Chicken

Let's get real here- Chicken can get boring, especially when meal prepping is involved. This is one of my go to recipes for spicing up chicken. I grill a batch each time I meal prep and either portion it out into individual servings or keep it on hand to use on salads or in lettuce wrapped tacos.  This recipe is low in sodium, fat and carbs and high in protein which makes it a perfect choice for those trying to loose weight and/or gain lean muscle mass.

Ingredients:

1/4-1/3 cup Sriracha hot red chili sauce

5-7 cloves of garlic minced 

1/2 packet Mrs. Dash salt free taco seasoning or low sodium taco seasoning

2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, sliced thin.

non-stick olive oil spray

Optional: Chopped cilantro for garnish

Steps:

1.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or a large plastic bag and marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2.  Spray grill with non-stick spray and grill chicken about 4 minutes on each side until cooked through or reach an internal temperature of 160 to 165 f.
3. Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.

Meal Prep Madness- Grilled Chicken with Firecracker Green Beans

Meal prepping is a great way to stay on track with your healthy eating regiment.  For this meal prep, I paired a simple grilled chicken breast with a side of spicy firecracker Green beans. This green bean recipe would also pair nicely with fish or pork.

Firecracker Green Beans

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 of onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

Ground pepper and salt (optional)

Steps:

1. Steam green beans to desired softness

2. In a large skillet, combine chicken broth, diced pepper, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes
3. Simmer on med-high heat until most of broth is absorbed and vegetables are tender
4. Add cooked green beans to sautéed vegetables and simmer until remaining broth is absorbed

Stocking Your Kitchen for Success! The Essentials for Getting Started with Meal Prepping

To many, just the thought of meal prepping seems incredibly overwhelming, time consuming and nearly impossible for an average adult with any responsibilities to achieve. Furthermore, when most of us think of meal prepping we envision a piece of nasty, rubbery, and bland chicken breast, steamed broccoli and brown rice all packaged nicely in a Tupperware and are completely disgusted at the thought of having to eat such a thing every day.  So why would one want to even delve into the meal prep scene? Let me start by debunking the common myths surrounding meal prepping. First of all, meal prepping is only as complicated as you choose to make it. There is no need to select one day a week and spend countless hours preparing every single meal and snack you will eat for the next 7 days.  Meal prepping can be as simple as grilling some chicken and having it on hand to use through out the week or doubling a recipe you make for dinner and dividing the leftovers for future meals. Next, prep meals can consist of anything, it doesn't have to be that awful rubbery chicken boob, broccoli and brown rice. You can prep stir-frys, salads, or healthy versions of most of your favorite dishes. The purpose of meal prepping is help you stay on track with your healthy eating plan and ultimately to help you meet your fitness and weight loss goals. Over the years I have found short cuts and some great kitchen gadgets that have made the meal prepping process much easier to manage.  So if you are new to meal prepping, here are the kitchen essentials I recommend to help get you started!

Cooking Utensils

•  Food Storage Containers:  

•  Digital Food Scale: 

•   Measuring Cups and Spoons:

• Good Knife and Cutting Board:

•  Large non-stick cooking skillet
• baking sheet

Optional but highly recommended: 

• BBQ or grill pan
• Vegetable spiralizer
• Garlic Press
• Vegetable Peeler
• Mandolin for slicing vegetables
• Food Processor or blender

Spices, Oils, and Condiments

Cooking Oils

• Calorie free non-stick sprays- canola, olive oil, coconut oil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Coconut Oil
• Low sodium Chicken or vegetable broth- to use in place of an oil in cooking

Spices

• Pink Himalayan salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Salt free seasoning blends (Mrs. Dash, Flavor God, etc.)
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Cinnamon
• Italian Seasoning blend
• Salt free taco seasoning blend

Condiments

• Sriracha sauce
• Whole grain mustard
• Bragg liquid aminos
• Low sodium teriyaki sauce
• Taco Sauce or Hot sauce 
• Walden Farms calorie free sauces, syrups and dressings

Spicy Garlic Sriracha Grilled Chicken Meal Prep

Spicy Garlic Sriracha Grilled Chicken

Let's get real here- Chicken can get boring, especially when meal prepping is involved. This is one of my go to recipes for spicing up chicken. I grill a batch each time I meal prep and either portion it out into individual servings or keep it on hand to use on salads or in lettuce wrapped tacos.  This recipe is low in sodium, fat and carbs and high in protein which makes it a perfect choice for those trying to loose weight and/or gain lean muscle mass.

Ingredients:

1/4-1/3 cup Sriracha hot red chili sauce

5-7 cloves of garlic minced 

1/2 packet Mrs. Dash salt free taco seasoning

2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, sliced thin.

non-stick olive oil spray

Optional: Chopped cilantro for garnish

Steps:

1.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or a large plastic bag and marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2.  Spray grill with non-stick spray and grill chicken about 4 minutes on each side until cooked through or reach an internal temperature of 160 to 165 f.
3. Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.