A healthy diet plan plays an important role in ensuring that an individual looks good and feels good. One way to help you stay on track is to do meal prepping in advance so you are less tempted to partake in those things that are not helping you achieve your goals.
A lot of people fail on their quest to become healthier because they struggle to stick to what they know is best and convenience foods are not generally healthy.
Well-constructed healthy meal plans ensure people do not stray. A healthy meal plan should not enslave the person following it. People often mistakenly think healthy eating should be a chore. Instead, it should pump energy, fulfilment and motivation to the individual. You can enjoy eating healthily, and here are meal prepping steps to get you started…
What is meal prepping?
Before creating a healthy meal prepping plan, learn the basics of nutrition. Healthy diet plans have a mixture of colourful and tasty foods.
The first step towards healthy eating habits involves the organisation of the plan into small manageable steps. A shift to a new eating plan should be gradual, not drastic and abrupt. This will help the body to adapt and gives you a much greater chance of following through with the plan.
Exercise and increased water consumption add the finishing touch to any plan.
How to Plan and Create Balanced Meals
Healthy meal prepping is all about moderation; this relates to exercising as well as food consumption.
Moderation means small portions of foods from different food groups. Total withdrawal from eating junk food is not an easy task. Instead, cutting down on the amount of junk food consumed is a step in the right direction.
Meal plans should be of a sensible portion and they should be balanced too. The typical rule followed for each meal is; ¼ plate for meat or fish, ¼ for carbohydrates and ½ plate for vegetables. In some rare cases, you may want to look into weight loss surgery if you’ve managed your health and are not seeing results.
What is the best diet for you?
There is not a diet that suits everyone. We are all different. If you suffer from diabetes, your dietary needs are going to be different from someone who does not.
Focus on limiting your sugary food intake and the amount of alcohol you consume. Your dietary needs can also differ depending on your food preferences and your eating habits, i.e. whether you are an emotional eater.
Dealing with fat
Dealing with fat consumption is something a lot of people still struggle with when putting together a diet.
There are two main types of fat; saturated and unsaturated. Generally is it recommended to avoid saturated fats. However, not all saturated fats are bad. The ones to avoid are usually found in things we all know should be moderated including: cakes, pies, cream, sausages and biscuits.
Some good saturated fats include: coconut oil, fatty fish (i.e. salmon), eggs, certain nuts and olive oil. Again, in moderation and depending on how they are prepared and/or they agree with your digestive system.
These are just a few ideas to get your on your way to successful meal prepping. Hopefully, you now feel more prepared to create a healthy eating plan that is right for you. Check out more of our content for other ideas to get you on the path to health!
