Preparing your meals ahead of time is the best way to ensure you are on track to reach your goals. When newbies to exercise and training hear the phrase ‘Meal Prep’, images of rows of containers and hours spent in the kitchen come to mind. But planning food ahead of time really does not need military precision and execution. It really is about making great tasting food, that will last in the fridge and be enticing to eat several days later.

Would you like to learn some prep prep hacks?

Here are a few things you can do on a Sunday to help you have an easier, cleaner week:

• Have plenty of jars, snap lock bag and secure containers on hand.

These container should be in a range of sizes. Re-used jars are a great to use for overnight oats, portioned out yogurt pots, nuts, veggie sticks and bean mixes.

•  Prepare a really big salad.

Some of my favourite combinations include Kale, red cabbage, carrot, betroot ad spring onion or Spinach, roasted pumpkin, eggplant and red capsicum. Then when you are ready to use, simply place 1-2 cupful on a plate or in a smaller container with your protein of choice.

• Prep smoothie bags or always have smoothie ingredients on hand.

This includes frozen blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and bananas, almond milk, a quality protein supplement (whey or pea protein), cocoa, chia seeds and a variety of nut butters. Occasionally, I also add kale or spinach to my smoothies for an additional fibre hit.

• Veggies are king!

Prep your carrot and celery sticks and pop them in the fridge in a box of water (they keep 3-4 days this way). These are great on their own or with cottage cheese or a nut butter

• Slow cooks and soups are ideal in winter.

Make a big batch and have it ready to portion out. Never underestimate the power of a slow cooked meat, a mix of spices, such as turmeric, ginger, chilli, and cumin, a can of tomatoes and a load of veggies.

• DIY Salad Bar

Have a salad bar prepped in the fridge, that way you can pull out ingredients as needed, including individual containers of protein, cooked rice, quinoa, legumes.

• Do not forget about your healthy fats.

Adding 1/4 avocado or a sprinkle of nuts and seeds to a meal can really elevate it’s satisfaction rating. Plus, healthy fats in your diet will help to keep your hormones and blood sugar levels in check.

• Take short cuts

If you have no time to meal prep, head straight to the super market and but a rainbow salad, cooked chicken (remove the skin and visible fat), 90 second rice, protein bars, fruit, tuna cans, chiobani yogurt and bag of almonds. If you have no time to shop, order your groceries online. Trust me, this will still be more inexpensive than eating out.

• Always apply the KISS principle (keep it simple stupid).

If meal prep becomes an overwhelming and time consuming process you will be less likely to do it. So much it easy and fun. Put on your favourite tunes, research new recipes that inspire you and multi task you meal prep time when you are making dinner.

For more great tips, including 3 great weight loss strategies to live by check out more of our post here.