Back to basics - #mpm

After two weeks away from reality and enjoying a relaxing vacation with my family which I loved, its time to get back to my routine. With my workouts booked, a clean apartment and a grocery shop under my belt the only thing left to do, #mpm. It's time to prep.

Food prep may seem daunting to some, but I swear if you give it a chance you will find your groove. Small changes will have a big impact on your eating and your wallet. As I was shopping around Whole Foods today gearing up for a little Meal Prep Monday, I was thinking of a few easy steps to encourage those of you who don't know where to start...

1. Shop around the outside of the store - yes this sounds clique but it's the truth. I wandered through the isles admiring the shelves upon shelves of processed foods. No, not all of them are bad for you but fresh is around the outside skirts of the store. This way you get your exercise doing laps as you hit produce, meat and other goodness.  You could buy everything needed for a clean prep by only shopping the outside. I challenge you to try it.

2. Read the ingredients - if there are more things labelled than you can pronounce, put it back and step away from the item. It probably isn't good for your or made of real food. Food should spoil. If it doesn't, there are enough chemicals in there to keep it for months... #ew

3. Canned foods - okay so this contradicts no. 1 but sometimes canned veggies aren't bad. This goes for frozen veggies too. They are usually flash frozen at their freshest and still capture all those nutrients you are after. I use canned tomatoes in my tomato sauce (365 Organic Brand) and frozen Broccoli and Squash for dinners and stir-frys. It saves you time too!

4. Buy yourself a set of Tupperware. For years I eat out of Tupperware and baggies, it not only makes for a good IG photo and makes your fridge look like you have a professional prep your food every week but keeps healthy options at your finger tips.

5. Think about what your like to eat for snacks, brekkie, lunch and dinner and write it all down on a piece of paper. Put combinations together and from that make a grocery list and sub healthier options when you can. Think lettuce wraps instead of sandwiches or hummus and celery instead of chips. Small switches with big long term benefits.

I hope you can find some of these tips helpful!

xoxo

nic