7 Benefits of Meal Prepping

Meal prepping can make your week so much easier in so many ways. Here are seven reasons why you may want to consider meal prepping:

1. You’ll save time

Instead of wasting time trying to figure out what to cook, or whether you should order takeout, meal prepping assures that you always have a little meal waiting patiently for you on your lunch break or when you arrive home. And, don’t forget the most important factor: Meal prepping means fewer dishes.

2. You’ll have more dough in your pocket

Eating healthy tends to get a bad reputation for being overly expensive. But meal prepping saves money because you can buy ingredients in bulk, freeze extra food for later, and most importantly, spend less money eating out.

Related: 6 Ideas to Make Meal Prep Easier

3. You can better manage your portion sizes

It’s simple really. Restaurants tend to give us more than the suggested portion size. So many people are overeating each day and consuming more calories than necessary to maintain a healthy diet. When you prepare your own food, you’re able to control your portions, and you know exactly what ingredients you’re putting in your body. Because of this, meal prepping has become the new go-to habit for reaching your weight goals.

4. You might lower your stress levels

Figuring out what to make for dinner may seem harmless, but for some people, struggling with this every day can be stressful and overwhelming. When you meal prep for the week, you don’t have to engage in that battle every day.

5. You’ll gain a new handy skill

If you want to be more confident in the kitchen, meal prepping can be a great teacher. Meal prepping might help you find your way around the kitchen and open up a world of new recipes—from making roasted chicken and veggies to taco chili in a pressure cooker.

6. You’ll create a better relationship with food

When you meal prep, you learn more about nutrition and how to treat food for what it is: energy and nutrients. You learn to eat only when you’re hungry instead of making unwise decisions in a rush.

Related: 7 High-Protein Meals for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

7. You’ll inspire others

Let’s face it, when you see someone doing something inspiring, it can spark some action in you as well. When other people see you leading a healthy lifestyle, it might inspire them to make healthy changes too, even if they’re small.

Meal prepping might take some getting used to, but it’s a step in the right direction toward being a healthier you. And you might find that it will become a favorite new habit. Want to try it out? Here’s a tool to help you get started.

Do you meal prep? Tell us what meals you like to make on Facebook—we’d love to hear from you. And while you’re here, check out our other articles on healthy living.