Whether you’re an athlete or the average person trying
to get fit and stay fit, one of the most important tasks in making sure you are
successful in your fit journey is making sure you are getting enough calories,
protein, and meals in a single day.
I often find this to be the most challenging
aspect for myself, my family and most.
We can all
kick butt in the gym a few times a week, take our supplements and hope magic happens, but reality is we are busy and most
of the time sleep deprived and ensuring that we are getting the right kind of
food, when we need it, is by far one of
the most important tasks.
Luckily there
are simple options I follow with my family that have made our Fit Life a
success.
I prepare a
lot of food twice a week. Sundays and Wednesdays work best for me and my family.
It doesn't take a lot of energy to have a few dishes going at the same time and
pots boiling while you're watching TV or doing house chores, and Wednesdays are
often rest days for me and my husband and now our 14 year old daughter as well.
We lift "Mon/Tues, Thurs/Fri" with Cardio or active rest days
Saturdays and Sundays. I recommend this for most gym goers out there, as this
allows an hour to two of extra time mid week to prepare food. If you’re in
season preparing for a competition this may change your schedule a bit but
since I have kept this routine in both on and off season I know it works and
our meals stay fresh for the week.
Most people
use Plastic Tupperware containers which may or may not be BPA Free. There are a
lot of containers out there so if cost is of concern….switch over one by one
spreading the expense a few weeks apart. Read labels to make sure that if you
choose plastic you opt for the safest option possible. I got this multi size-pack at Wal-Mart for less than $25.00 and added a few large units for my proteins.
In my case Rubbermaid
Glass Food Storage Containers have been my “Saving Grace”
There are a
lot of glass containers out there but I find these to be easy to store and they
come in a lot of sizes to fit into all fridge configurations.
Rubbermaid
Glass containers have lids and bases that neatly nest for compact storage. Lids
snap to bases and other lids to make finding the right lid a breeze. Glass
bases are designed to stack neatly, which saves space and prevents them from
getting stuck together. Rubbermaid glass containers are also ideal for
reheating foods in the microwave (yes microwaves are bad but I am a busy girl)
and the glass bases are oven safe up to 425°F. Plus, a built-in gasket which creates
a leak-proof seal that keeps foods fresher, longer.
Oven,
Microwave, Dishwasher, and Freezer safe
Bases and
Lids are BPA FREE!
The wonderful
thing about cooking food in batches allows variety in our meal planning for the
next day. Let's be honest we don’t want to be eating chicken breast 5 times a day
I personally need excitement to stay on track and the thought process of being
able to eat a verity of different foods throughout the day allows me and my
family to stick to a clean eating lifestyle and not only that it means that we can
enjoy 3 ounces of chicken, 2 ounces of steak, a little fish, and some almonds
with each packed meal, along with whatever carb and veggie source we portion into
the container.
We use a
cooler to keep our containers of food at safe temperature throughout the day.
If you do not have access to a microwave, then consider cooking foods which taste
equally delicious cold as it does warm. Beef probably does NOT fall into that
category at least for me.
Always keep
some food on hand which means cook larger batches and portion a few meals and
store in the freezer - in the form of frozen dinners of the healthy variety -
for those Wednesday and Sunday nights when you run out of food or you had to
adjust your schedule for your mid week and weekend cook-off days.
Other than
that, get cooking - the food storage container will soon become your friend!
If you want
to get in the best shape of your life - you need to make a plan set a goal and
follow through!
Thank you for reading
Grace
