Can you carve out an hour or 2 each week for prepping your meals?
Whether you answered YES or NO, it's likely that you still doubt that it's even possible to meal prep a week’s worth of healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner options for you and your family in such little time. Keep reading because I am about to blow your mind with a few healthy meal prepping hacks that bust some common myths about healthy eating and meal prepping!Myth: Meal prepping takes too much time. Bust: Just like most things in life, practice makes (almost) perfect. So many struggle with time management, but once you master how to manage your time while prepping your healthy meals for the week, you will become a meal-prepping machine! First you want to learn the logical order of your cooking. For example, if you know that baking chicken will take 30 minutes, steaming broccoli will take ten minutes and cooking rice will take 15 minutes, then it’s only logical to begin with food that takes the longest cooking time. By approaching your healthy meal prep in a timely order and fashion it can be more efficient and certainly save you some time during the rest of your week. So practice until you find your flow!
Myth: Healthy eating/prepping is more expensive.Bust: Well this one is just as tough to prove as it is to disprove. According to a systematic review and meta analysis published in the British Medical Journal, researchers found that on average an individual spends about $550 more a year on a healthy diet in comparison to the alternative. The additional daily expense averages out to about $1.50, which is less than predicted by many, yet could still potentially present a problem for some with financial burdens. However, the study does highlight a comparison to the current cost-disruption for eating healthier compared to the long term expenses of chronic conditions and medical care incurred due to poor dietary habits. In summary, researchers agree there is more research needed to provide more conclusive solutions and answers, but would argue that a healthy diet has more positives than negatives for one’s overall health. I’ll let you make the decision for yourself!Myth: I don’t know what to cook that is healthy. Bust: You do! You just think you don’t. Knowledge is power, yet knowledge is only half the battle. First, you need a reputable and easy-to-navigate resource(s) that is your “go to” that will help you develop healthy meals and will make you feel proud with every bite you take. Wellview Health Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator Sherree Telford shares that, “those wishing to prevent or manage chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, without having to sift through all the added information, can benefit from simple, straightforward resources like the meal planning app Zipongo, which includes categories like heart-healthy dishes, diabetes friendly and many more.” Telford firmly believes with the right attitude and resources, ANYONE can have a suitable action plan for healthy meal planning!Click HERE to learn more about the Wellview services available to you. We can’t wait to work with you!
– CASEY EDMONDS, CHC
Health Advisor | Email Casey
