It is no secret that #mealprep is all the rage on Instagram. Why do so many people seem to be moving toward the meal prep trend as a go-to healthy eating ritual? And why should you as a mom jump on the bandwagon? Not all bandwagons are good, but this one may be worth considering.
It saves time during the week.
Imagine coming home on a Tuesday night after work. You’ve picked up your baby from day care, and there in your refrigerator waits a healthy meal that you’ve already prepared. Instead of spending the next hour slaving away in the kitchen while trying to keep your baby out from under the sink, you can pop it in the microwave and play with that sweet soul that you’ve missed all day.
When your family comes home, nobody asks the dreaded question, “What’s for dinner?”
Because the answer is waiting for them in the refrigerator (or freezer). And is that not the worst question ever? Why listen to it when you can avoid hearing it?!
It offers a healthy option when you’re starving and short on time.
This is always the critical moment when we grab the phone to order a pizza or head through the drive through. Having meals prepped in advance eliminates the need to go to these extremes and eat out constantly—which, over a lifetime, can lead to deadly health risks such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers and kidney disease.
You only have to do dishes once or twice—instead of every night.
Gross. Dishes. The thorn in every household’s side. When you do your meal prep once or twice a week, all you have to do every night is throw your meal prep containers and silverware in the dishwasher and be done with it. No more washing pots and pans every night! More time to play with the kids, get a work out in, or just sit on the couch and drink a glass of wine.
It helps prevent weight gain.
It happens so slowly that many of us don’t even know it’s happening. The pounds creep on… 1, 2, 3 pounds every couple of months until we’re twenty pounds heavier and wondering what the heck happened. This leads to so many other issues—such as low self-esteem and decreased energy levels. Plus, at the end of the day, don’t we all just want to feel good naked? When prepping meals in advance, you’re doing that awesome thing called planning. When you plan your meals with a level head (when you’re not starving or rushing around), you plan meals that are healthier.
Happy prepping!
