Simple Nutrition Insights

Meal Prep like a Pro

• Leonila • Season 3 • Episode 5

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Can meal prepping really transform your life by saving you time, money, and energy? Join me, Leonie Lacampos, as we explore the world of meal prepping and uncover how this strategy can help you navigate the chaos of daily life with ease. From cutting down on takeout costs to ensuring you always have nutritious, ready-to-eat meals on hand, we'll bust common myths and provide practical solutions that make meal prepping a sustainable habit. Say goodbye to decision fatigue and hello to a lifestyle where healthy eating becomes second nature.

Let's tackle the misconceptions head-on! Some believe meal prepping leads to monotonous meals or is just too time-consuming. We'll reveal how diverse meal plans and creative ideas can keep your meals exciting and nutritionally balanced. By breaking the process into manageable tasks, you can seamlessly integrate meal prepping into your routine. I'll also share tips on bulk buying and batch cooking, showing how these can actually save you money compared to frequent dining out, and highlight the importance of SMART goals to keep you on track.

Lastly, it's all about mastering meal prep for success and sharing the journey with others. Learn how starting small and using themed days can streamline your weekly planning. Discover the convenience of freezing extras and having pre-portioned snacks ready for those on-the-go moments. Through real-life client stories, see how meal prepping adapts to various lifestyles, and find inspiration to make it work for you. Connect with me on Instagram at nutrition_with_Leonila to celebrate your achievements and stay ahead of the curve as we explore upcoming diet trends for 2025. Happy prepping!

Meal Prep like a Pro Guide

Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast and share with a friend. If you would like to know more about my services, please message at fueledbyleo@gmail.com

My YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0SqBP44jMNYSzlcJjOKJdg

Speaker 1:

Hey, hey, welcome back to Simple Nutrition Insights Podcast. I am your host, leonie Lacampos, a dietitian and founder of Fueled by Leo Inc, where we make simple, actionable and stress-free tips. Today, we're diving into a game-changing strategy that can save you time, money and energy, and that's meal prepping like a pro. Whether you're a busy parent, a professional juggling work or just someone looking to eat healthier without the daily stress of cooking, meal prepping can be a lifesaver, and so, by the end of this episode, I'm hoping that you'll have the actionable tips to start meal prepping like a pro and ideas to make it work for your lifestyle. So grab a cup of tea or coffee and let's get into it. Let's start by talking about why meal prepping is such a powerful tool. Number one it saves time. Think of meal prepping as an investment. You spend a couple of hours one day and in you save time every single day of the week. No more scrambling to figure out what to eat. Now, this one is huge if you're such a busy person, and even if you're not that busy, but when you think about okay, I don't want to spend so much time in the kitchen or time trying to figure out what to make for my meals or asking the family what they want to eat, and in the end, because we wasted so much time trying to figure that out, we end up just eating out. The other one is it saves money. Prepping meals in advance helps reduce food waste and stops you from overspending on takeout or last minute grocery runs.

Speaker 1:

Now we know that groceries are extremely expensive. I always joke that I need a part-time job just to buy groceries, and that's not a joke. I was looking at a receipt and I know, you know, it's inflation and groceries are going to increase. As you know, time passes by because things get more expensive. I was looking at a receipt from two years ago and the same amount of food that I was buying back then it was costing me about $150 for a family of four. Now it costs me almost $300, so twice as much, right? So it is absolutely more expensive.

Speaker 1:

And so when we think about, okay, I'm buying and I see this often and I talk about this often with my clients is that we're buying all these ingredients that we think that we're going to use, but we don't have a plan. And so then what ends up happening is that because we don't know what to do with what we bought. It just stays in the fridge, right. And so at the end of the week, when we're cleaning out the fridge to get new groceries, we're throwing away so much money. So I want you to visualize this, right, and I want you to really make it so personal.

Speaker 1:

So figure out at the end of the week how much money you're wasting. When you're throwing away food but not only that, right, because we're not using those ingredients, that means that you're eating. When you're throwing away food, but not only that, right, because we're not using those ingredients, that means that you're eating out or eating something else. Now add that on top of how much money you have wasted by throwing away the food, and that it can be an eye opener, right. It can really make you think, wow, I'm spending. I spent $400 in groceries this week and another $300 eating out. That's $700, right. When you multiply that, week after week, month after month, holy moly, that's a lot of money.

Speaker 1:

Saving money is a huge one. It's also a powerful tool because it helps you to stay healthy. When you have meals ready to go, you're less likely to grab unhealthy snacks or fast food, because it's convenient, right when we are hungry and when we are exhausted and fatigued and at the end of the day, you know, we just don't want to think about anything else the easiest solution is going to be fast food it's going to be convenient food, right Because we just are so exhausted as opposed to like meal prepping right, knowing okay, I have my meals. Yeah, maybe I'm not so thrilled about eating that meal because maybe I want something else, because I had a stressful day, but at least it's there. I don't have to spend more time, I don't have to spend more money, I just have to warm it up right. So you are removing all these obstacles that are going to help you to stay within your goals. Even if you don't have goals right, at least it's going to save you money and it's going to save you time. So meal prepping also reduces decision fatigue. We make so many decisions daily and having meals already planned frees mental energy for other priorities.

Speaker 1:

Now, this one is a big one because oftentimes, when I talk to my clients, one of the reasons why either we're making fast decisions or we're making the decision to eat out or do takeout is because, at the end of the day, after a really long day and if we have kids and sports. You know, we come home it's in 7pm, right? Like who wants to cook at that time? Who has the mental capacity and the energy to be cooking, right? And then having to clean and everything else in between Nobody. Even for myself, I'm like, oh my gosh, I don't want to do that.

Speaker 1:

So if our days, most of our days during the week, are like that, what is going to really help us is meal prepping. Yeah, it might be time consuming at first or it might be something that you don't want to do, but trust me, once you do it and you do a few meals for the first part of the week, you don't have to worry about those meals, right? You don't have to worry about cooking and you don't have to worry about cleaning out as much, right, because you already done that part. So, yeah, at first it might seem like a lot of work, but it's going to save you so much time and so much energy and you're going to feel less stress as the week comes along and you start your days and you start your week really busy. So really, think about those things and don't worry, we're going to talk about practical ways to do that, so that way you can grab these tips and I mean, it's the start of I'm doing this episode at the start of the week, so don't worry, you can apply these tips with you, know, whatever you have on hand, but really, really get into it when you choose to do your meal prep.

Speaker 1:

So let's bust some myths here. So, before we get into the how, let's address some common myths about meal prepping. Myth number one Meal prepping is boring. You have to eat the same thing every single day, and the truth is that is incorrect. With the right planning, you can make multiple variations from one batch of ingredients. For example, grilled chicken or tofu can be used in salads, wraps and pasta. So you can batch, cook, cook a big amount of that one protein and you can use it in different ways, and that saves you so much time. Or, if you want it more convenient, buy one or two rotisserie chickens and use them in the same way, different ways to do that.

Speaker 1:

Now, I do hear this often too, like I'm tired of eating chicken, broccoli and rice and that's why I don't meal prep. Right, of course, who's not going to get tired of eating that? Also, nutritionally wise, you're not getting other nutrients from other foods because you are just eating those three foods. So, yeah, you might become deficient in some nutrients. But the way that I work with my clients is that if someone is like I need more ideas or I need more recipes, great, I have tons of recipes, I can send them to you. Or I need a meal plan because I want something more structured and I just want to focus on dinner or lunch Great, let me create a meal plan for you. You don't have to worry about trying to figure that out. I'll figure that out for you and I'll send it to you. You just have to buy the ingredients, follow it and great. So there are different resources that you can use. Right, there are different resources that I use for my clients to make sure that they are successful with the goals that they want to do.

Speaker 1:

So it doesn't have to be boring. If we think of it as being boring, then yeah, most likely we're not going to do it for a long period of time. Myth number two it's too time consuming False. The truth is that once you develop a system, you'll realize that it can take just about maybe two to three hours a week to prep meals for the entire week. So, yeah, it might seem like a lot, right, like I don't want to spend two to three hours a week to prep meals for the entire week. So, yeah, it might seem like a lot, right, like I don't want to spend two to three hours a week to prep meals the entire time. Oftentimes we think of these two to three hours as like in one chunk. It doesn't have to be like that, right? Maybe the first hour you use that to gather your ingredients, go grocery shopping, figure out what you're going to make, and then the second hour, the next day, right to do your meal prepping or gather some ingredients or prep some of the ingredients. So that way, the next hour you can use that to you know, to put your meals together. So you can divide it up. You don't have to. But nobody says definitely.

Speaker 1:

I'm not saying I want you to spend every Sunday two to three hours to meal primary meals. Right, that might not work for you, it might work for somebody, but it might not work for you. So, as you're listening to these tips, I want you to not come to them in a negative mindset. Right, think of it in a growth positive mindset, like, okay, these are the things that she's suggesting. How can I apply them to my life right or my lifestyle, and make them work for you? I always, always emphasize this with my clients is that you have to be able to create a plan that is going to work for you and your lifestyle. It's not going to do any good if you're following something that your friend followed or that your mom followed, or that whoever you know that you saw on TikTok or any other social Instagram followed, because they're not. It's not you right, it's not, they're not having your day-to-day life Like. You have to make it work for yourself, even if you adjust a few things, that's okay, things that's okay. So make it work for you.

Speaker 1:

Myth number three it's expensive. Now I want you to answer this one and reflect on this one, after you figure out how much money number one you're spending in groceries. Number two, you're wasting at the end of the week because you're throwing out all this food. And number three, or number four how much money you spend on a weekly basis eating out, right or doing takeout, and then tell me if it's going to be too expensive once you try this out. So, bulk buying right, meaning that you're buying a bigger amount of certain ingredient and preparing or batch cooking actually saves money in the long run. So, after doing this meal prepping for a good month or two, right, go back and see how much money you're saving, because, number one, you're not just buying groceries to buy groceries, right. Number two, you're not wasting those groceries because you're throwing them away because you don't know what to do with them. And, number three, you still have to eat, so you're eating out frequently. Right, you're removing all those obstacles and challenges because now you're meal prepping, now you have a plan and that is going to save you money.

Speaker 1:

Okay, let's break it down into simple, actionable steps. I love these very much. In my last episode, I talked about smart framework, right, creating your goals in a smart way specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. If you do everything in your life in this way, you can really see progress, right? Yeah, you have a big goal, but you have to figure out how are you going to get there? Right, by following an actionable plan, following actionable steps that are going to get you there.

Speaker 1:

We cannot just go from point A to point Z, right, and just keeping everything in between, because we might be able to do that for a short period of time, but we cannot keep that up right. It's just so much on top of everything else that we have to do as busy people. So the first thing that we have to do is we have to plan our meals. So we have to decide how many meals and snacks that we need for the week. For example, we might plan for five breakfasts or five lunches and a couple of dinners, if maybe we decide that we also want to incorporate some eating out occasionally. Once you know that and you don't have to do five breakfasts and five lunches, right that. And you don't have to do five breakfasts and five lunches, right.

Speaker 1:

Choose the number that makes sense for you. This is just a general example. This is just something that I'm giving to you, but it doesn't have to be that. Again, you have to make this work for you and then choose the recipes that share similar ingredients. To save time and money, as we talked about the chicken option, but maybe you also have an egg option or a tofu option or beans and lentils option, wherever it is gather your recipes that have similar ingredients so that way you can buy in bulk and use those ingredients multiple times during the week in multiple meals, and that not only saves you money, but it also is going to save you some time.

Speaker 1:

So, number one plan your meals. Number two once you know what meals you want to buy I'm sorry, what meals you're going to make, how many meals in your recipes now you can create your shopping list. So write down exactly what you need, everything that you need. Stick to the list to avoid unnecessary purchases. I know sometimes you want to buy this and that If you take your family or your children with you, now we have another problem, right, because they're asking for all these other things. But here's an approach you can have them, you can talk to them ahead of time, like, hey guys, we have a list here of the ingredients, the groceries that we're going to buy. Give me one thing that you want me to buy at the store, right, and we're not going to buy anything else. We're just going to buy that one thing and at least you're ready to kind of like prepare them, right, and that helps you, instead of like going into the store and the kids are asking for that and asking for these other things, and it's just madness, right? So maybe the first few trips are going to be like that and it's a lesson learned right, and that's okay. Then we get better at it. But make your grocery list. Stick to it. Make sure that you have all the ingredients that you need to make those meals that you're choosing to make.

Speaker 1:

Number three prepare in phases. So start with basics. Wash and chop vegetables that you're going to need for the week, cook proteins like the chicken or tofu, salmon, whatever it is the protein that you're going to use for your meals and prepare your grains, like rice and quinoa these ones take longer, right. Even noodles or whatever other grain that you're going to choose. So if you save time right by just preparing them ahead of time, then that's going to save you a lot of headaches. So, number one, plan your meals. Choose the meals that you want to buy, number three, or that you're going to make. I keep saying buy. Number two, make your shopping list based on those recipes that you chose and based on the amount of meals that you chose. Preparing faces, right. Number four use tools to simplify the process, so invest in a quality. The containers, right. The process, so invest in a quality. The containers right. You can use to. You know, store your food and then you can carry and take it with you. You know you can portion out your meals. Use kitchen gadgets like a slow cooker, air fryer, food processor to save time.

Speaker 1:

Sometimes I have clients that say you know, I don't like spending time chopping things, right, no problem. A lot of the times, for probably 99% of the time, the vegetable that you're going to use, they already have it prepared for you, right, like it's already in a bag, ready to go. It might be a little bit more expensive, but there's a trade-off of spending time doing it yourself or spending a little bit more money and it's already done. So figure that trade off for yourself. And if it makes more sense to buy things that are already pre-cut or pre-chopped or pre-cooked for you, then that's great. We buy pre-cooked brown rice and we just warm it up for three minutes, and that works for us.

Speaker 1:

I think it would be really hard for me to try to cook rice every single time I need it because that takes more time Although, right, I can do that ahead of time and prepare my meals like that. But in this case I am choosing the convenience part of it, and if it's already made for me and ready to go, then that's fine. I'm going to use that right. It's more expensive, but I'm giving that trade off to cook, cook large portions of meals like soups, casseroles or stir fries. These reheat well and save time during the busy weeks and you have enough for those two days. And I have clients that do either or right. And so you know if it makes sense to make lunch the same for three days and then change it up for the rest of the week, perfect, you know. You can batch, cook for those three days the same meal and you have it ready to go. Label and store properly. Use labels to keep track of what you've prepared and when.

Speaker 1:

Most meals can last three to five days in the fridge or longer in the freezer. So I oftentimes don't recommend cooking the same food for more than five days. Number one if you're going to eat the same food for five days, by the end of the week you're going to be tired of eating the same thing. The likelihood of you not wanting to eat that food anymore is pretty high, and so then we're hungry and then we go back to square one. So it's better to cook for just about three days, right, and then, if you can cook for the next two days, definitely don't make something on monday and try to eat it on sunday, right, the quality is not good and it's probably going bad by then. So, you know, think about that as well, if you know. Especially with soups right, if you know. Or a casserole, if you know. Okay, I'm not going to have these for the next two days. I made a good amount. Freeze it, right. Freeze it and you can use it for the next week or whatever, and that's great too. You can absolutely do that as well. Okay, here are some pro tips and tricks that can make meal prepping even easier for you.

Speaker 1:

Start small. If you're new to meal prepping, cooking or whatever it is right. Start with just one meal per day, like breakfast or lunch or whatever meal you choose, and build consistency. So it's not going to be about, okay, how many meals can I make, right, it's the consistency. So if you choose breakfast, okay, I'm going to be about how many meals can I make? Right, it's the consistency. So if you choose breakfast, okay, I'm going to make sure that I meal prep my breakfast for the entire week. Right, for this next two to three weeks. Great, you are building consistency. Oftentimes, that's what is going to help us to build habits and to make this behavior change, and so make sure that you start small right, right, and that is easy for you, and then you can say I can absolutely do this, no problem.

Speaker 1:

Use theme days. Assign themes to each day to simplify planning. So, for example, meatless Mondays, where you can use a vegetarian or vegan option, or use tofu, lentils, legumes, as you know, an alternative. Or taco tuesday right, this is a really common one. Taco tuesday or salad friday, whatever it is that you want to do, right? Having a theme day can also help you to visualize what are the ingredients that you need, and it's a bit of a you know, like you're adding something fun. You can even do taco tuesday and thursday right, or meatless monday again. Or um wrap wednesday, whatever, something, something that makes sense for you. Freeze extras, right, double our recipe and freeze half for future weeks when you don't have to time to prep.

Speaker 1:

I have a client that she realized that she was getting really busy, right, and we started really strong, and then she got really busy with her teenage daughter that was having more sports, but also she was really getting busy at work, and so she's like you know what I am going to meal prep these meals and freeze them, and so when I do get really busy, I have something prepared and I can fall back onto this option and that worked really well for her. And then I have another client that she was pregnant and she said you know what I want to make freezer meals, right, and soups. So when I do have my baby, I have these options for myself. So if I don't have the energy to meal prep or I don't have anybody that's coming to help me to cook my meals, I can just defrost these soups and have them ready for me, and I know that I'm nourishing my body properly. So that's wonderful, right, if you're able to do that. Freeze, some of these meals make a little bit extra. So when you know, okay, next week is going to be insane for me, right, I'm going to have meetings or I'm going to be really busy and the kids are going to be traveling. So you're planning ahead, right, and that's great. That is wonderful. That's how your plan is going to work.

Speaker 1:

Include snacks, so pre-portioned snacks like fruit, nuts or yogurt for grab-and-go convenience, applesauces, fruit and veggie pouches. If you do beef jerky, if you do aromame or cooked chickpeas, you can portion those out ahead of time and have them ready, right? I have another client that says you know, we started putting fruit already washed and ready to eat on the counter and my kids are eating it. You know, instead of them seeing them go into the pantry and getting chips or getting candy, now they're eating the fruit. You know, we're definitely running out of fruit by the end of the week and that is great, you know. Sometimes I have other clients that say you know what? I noticed that I'm not eating my vegetables because they're not washed, they're not pre-cut, and that extra step is a lot. It might not seem like that, but when you don't want to do anything else, that extra step is an obstacle. So having those things already pre-cut and ready to go removes that obstacle, right, and it helps you and supports you to make sure that you're on track with your goals.

Speaker 1:

Keep it flexible. Life happens, right. You have to know that. You have to know that you have to be flexible. So don't stress if you don't stick to your plan perfectly. The goal is progress, right, so not perfection. If you're used to, or if you're type A, or if you're like I want to make sure that I'm on track every single time, you're going to be disappointed right, because life is going to happen. So you have to make sure that you're okay with flexibility and that if one day is not the way that you want it to be, that's okay. Move forward right. The next day we're going to do our best and see how it goes right. Again, it's about progress, not perfection.

Speaker 1:

So, my friend, now it's time to put these tips into action. Start by planning one or two meals for the week and build from there. If you're looking for some inspiration, I've created a free downloadable meal prep guide with sample menu recipes that you can use to get started. Use them, check them out. If you don't like them, no problem, modify them to whatever you want. It's just a guide, a way to get you started. If you want something more individualized to get you started, if you want something more individualized, if you want a meal plan that is more tailored to you, let me know.

Speaker 1:

I create so many meal plans every single week and they're highly customized to your needs, to what your goals are. It comes with all the recipes. It comes with a grocery list, so you don't have to sit down and write your grocery list. It's all ready to go. The basically just the only thing that I'm not doing for you is cooking the meal, right?

Speaker 1:

I live in Fresno. I have an amazing chef, chef Audrey, that she can make the meals for you and we are partnering with. Like she said, you know what, if you have meal plans and your clients want me to make the meal plans, let me know. So there you go, now I create the meal plan. She can make the meals for you. So there's not a challenge there, right? If you don't live in Fresno, don't worry, you can still get a meal plan and then have someone make it for you, right? If this is a challenge for yourself and if that doesn't work out for you, that's okay, we can figure out another way that is going to work for you. So, anyway, my friend, I'd love to hear your meal prep successes and challenges.

Speaker 1:

Tag me on Instagram at nutrition underscore with underscore Leonila. Share your tips, share your meals. I want to celebrate with you. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with someone who could use a little meal prep motivation. Thank you for tuning in and I'll see you next week as we break down popular diet trends for 2025. If there's any particular topic that you want me to talk about. Let me know I'm always looking for more topics, more ways to help you out. Until then, happy preparing and stay fueled, my friend, take care and I'll talk to you soon. Bye-bye for now.