Woman Eating Burger

Reasons Why People Fail at Meal Prep

Problem #1

You Are Busy and Hungry - A Fast Burger Seems Convenient

No one starts out their morning by thinking to themselves,” I am going to make poor food choices today.” But the number one reason people end up eating junk food is the failure to plan. Food planning is not how most folks want to spend their time. It seems easier to grab fast food or graze on snacks rather than pack a nutritious lunch. 

 

The Solution

Discover a few simple meals that you can put together is the first step in the process. They can be as simple as a turkey sandwich, or a few boiled eggs to start. 
This is only to start because if you keep bringing the same foods over and over you will get bored and be tempted again by that junk food burger. 

Problem #2

You're Tired of Eating The Same Thing

This is a common mistake made by those who actually have the intent to prepare their own meals. They will cook up some generic chicken, boil some rice, and roast vegetables. This sounds like a great idea, right?  Wrong!  
After 2 days of eating the same lunch, you will begin to get bored

The Solution

Find a way to use those same ingredients, but season them differently. You could one day eat them warm and the next day or incorporate them into an interesting salad with a complete opposite flavor. On the third and final day, you could put the ingredients into a pita pocket. 

Problem #3

You're Missing the Ingredients Needed to Change Up Your Meal

This comes down to a failure to plan out your meals and make a shopping list. For some making a shopping list is a task that is more mundane than washing and ironing your clothes. However, without a plan, you will be back buying that fast food burger.

The Solution

Create a list of meals you plan to prepare for the next week. If you use an online order system you can simply add the ingredients. If you are shopping for groceries yourself consider utilizing an AI.  An Alexa device has a shopping list feature that works well. It can be verbally updated as you look in your pantry or fridge. When you are at the grocery store you can just pull up your app and check off the items as you source them. 

Problem #4

Meal Prepping for the Entire Family is Time Consuming.

Busy parents often are the targets of fast food commercials. They know you are short on time and convince you that heading through the drive thru is a better option. But is it really? 

A CBS News article quotes Dr. Eliana Perrin, professor of pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine. “Eating too much fast food is bad for children’s health because of the high calorie count coupled with too few nutrients, Perrin said. A poor diet can also lead to heart problems and obesity.”

The Solution

Planning family meals is almost easier since ingredients can be purchased in large quantities. Buying a 3 pound package of ground beef that can be turned into 3 different meals is a good place to start.  When you incorporate the freezer into your planning you can really step up the family prepared meals. Make breakfast sandwiches, quesadillas and soups that can all be stored in the freezer. 

Problem #5

Creating Menus Can be a Big Project

Unless you are a professional chef, the average person has little experience creating menus in advance. That is why in previous generations, days of the week were assigned the same menu. Wednesday was always spaghetti in our house.   If that works for you great!, If not, you may want to look into a way to get some assistance with this project. 

The Solution

We took months to test recipes, add them to a menu, and create meal plans. We do this for a living. If you work or care take for others we may have the perfect solution for you. Check out a sample meal plan.  The good news is once you become a Meal Prep Made member you get so much more than just the menus and meal plans.

You get 5 weeks of live online instruction and support. You get all the recipes with full nutritional information. We even provide auto generated shopping lists and ways for you to customize your Meal Prep Made plans.  We take the hassle out of your planning, so you can spend more time doing the things that you do best. 

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