Meal Planning/Prepping Tips and Tricks

One of the things I get asked about most often is meal planning and prepping. Probably because if you're just starting out in this clean eating lifestyle and can seem a little overwhelming. I'm here to tell you that it does get easier and you find ways to maximize your time and be more efficient. Here are just a few tips and tricks that I've learned along the way.

Planning Tips

• My tips are based on the fact that I work full-time Monday - Friday. So, take any "days of the week" references and apply them to your own situation.
• I try to finish my meal plan for the following week by Thursday night. That way I can go to the store either Friday night after work or Saturday and prep my meals on Sunday.
• During the week, as I think of dinner ideas, I jot them down, so it's even easier when I actually sit down to plan.
• I use Excel to help me plan, but there are tons of other ways you can do it. There is a meal planner template in "Exclusive Toolkit" section in Beachbody On Demand (BOD) with the 21 Day Fix Program details that allows you to handwrite your plan if using the computer is not your thing.
• I tend to stick with much of the same stuff for breakfast and lunch to make it easier on myself at the grocery store and prep and then switch up snacks and dinner.
• Pinterest has TONS of ideas, recipes, etc. I use that, Google, the Beachbody Blog, the Fixate Cookbook (which is freaking awesome) and the 21 Day Fix Nutrition Guide to help me plan what I'll eat.
• Once you have a few weeks worth of meal plans built up, you can reuse them for another week down the road so you don't have to do them all from scratch.
• If I know that I have a busy week coming up the next week and won't be able to plan, I'll plan 2 weeks worth of meals, so I won't be pressed for time later.
• If planning for an entire week overwhelms you, then just plan for a few days at a time or even just the next day. As long as you have an idea of what you're going to eat and have it on hand, you'll be good to go. But making at least weekly plan does make going to the grocery store more efficient.
• The beauty of the Portion Fix plan is that you can customize it however you need to make it work for your lifestyle. I continue to change and hone my own process.
• Check out some sample meal plans.

Prep Tips

• I like to prep my work-week breakfast, lunch and snacks on Saturday or Sunday for the entire week. I even go as far as put them in individual grocery bags for each day so I can just grab and go. I have been AMAZED at the time I save in the evenings and mornings before work by doing this. BUT, this may not be your cup of tea. My friend preps all of her meals on Sunday, but assembles everything for the next day the night before or in the morning before work. That just works for her. Another friend only preps her meals for the next day, instead of the entire week. You'll learn what works best for your schedule.
• Many of the recipes from Fixate and on Pinterest are great to freeze. So you can make a bunch of something over the weekend, freeze it and then pull it out whenever you need it.
• I eat Turkey Sausage and Egg Cups every single day for breakfast. I make them in muffin tins. A dozen eggs makes six days worth of Egg Muffins, but you only use a half pound of the turkey sausage. So I cook up the entire pound and freeze the other half pound for the following week. Or I just go ahead and make 2 weeks worth of muffins and freeze what I don't need for the current week.
• For snacks, I typically cut up and portion out everything on my prep days so I truly just have grab and go options.
• If I know I'm going to have a weekend freeze, I carve out time to make a bunch of things that I can stock up on and portion out so all I have to do is pull them out of the freezer on a busy weeknight. Things like Turkey Sloppy Joes, Taco Meat, Fixate Meatballs, Lasagna Roll-Ups, etc. are great for making a head of time and freeze well.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of ways to make things simpler and more efficient. As you do it more often, you'll find what works best for you. And the Beachbody Blog, as well as Pinterest and the internet have tons of meal planning and prepping that have really helped me as well.

As always, reach out to me if you have any questions or need some additional suggestions!

You're all signed up, now what?

First of all, I'm so excited that I'm able to join you in this journey. I've jotted down a few things I've learned a long the way to help you as you're first starting out. It's all based on my experience and what I've seen work for other people. So take what you like and leave the rest. In the end, you'll figure out what works best for you.

Secondly, take a deep breath. It might all seem overwhelming at first, but it does get easier (I promise) and I'm here to help to help you succeed. So ask me any questions that you have or let me know if you're struggling in one area or another, and we'll figure out together how we can get you back on track.

Thirdly, I recommend that you start with the 21 Day Fix program because it's a great way to learn about portion sizes and the types of foods you should be eating, plus all of the the workouts are 30 minutes and easy to learn. So my instructions below will be based on starting with 21 Day Fix. 

Step 1 - Get Familiar with Team  Beachbody and Beachbody On Demand (BOD).

• This is where you'll access all of the different workout programs, nutrition guides, the FIXATE Cooking show and so much more.
• From a desktop, follow this link: http://www.teambeachbody.com/ and sign in (top right corner) using the credentials you created when you purchased the program.
• The Team Beachbody site has tons of really great information about meal planning, FAQs, Shakeology, etc., but in order to access the 21 Day Fix Meal Plans and workouts, select the Beachbody On Demand tab (Top Left on the navigational bar under the Beachbody logo). If you get asked for credentials again, use your Team Beachbody credentials
• Take some time to browse around. You'll see a number of different sections for the programs, access to the FIXATE cooking show and lots of of other great content
• You will find the 21 Day Fix program in either the purchased programs, Member Library or By Trainer sections
• You can also access Beachbody On Demand on your mobile device by downloading the app or from a Wifi-enabled TV, Gaming System or TV Streaming Media Player (e.g. Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, Roku)

Step 2 - Review the 21 Day Fix program details.

• The left side of the screen lists each of the workout videos, and the right side, if you're on a desktop (you may have to scroll down to the bottom if you're using the app or streaming device), showcases all of the materials that will guide you through this program
• Go to the "Start Here" guide. This is a quick-start guide to how to prepare for day 1. You'll learn how to calculate your calorie target so you know how many containers to eat  everyday, you'll get a sense for the workout calendar, how to take measurements, etc.
• Next, click on the "Eating Plan" to familiarize yourself with what's involved.
• The "Exclusive Toolkit" includes a Container Chart Cheat Sheet, a Grocery List template and a Meal Planner template. These are all handy tools as you begin to plan your meals.
• You can also download the 21 Day Fix tracker app if you have either an Apple or Android device.
• You will need a set of light weights and heavy dumbbells for the workouts. The weight depends on you and your strength. I always tell people to start on the lighter side, because you can always get heavier ones. Either start with 3 & 5lbs or 5 & 8lbs. Walmart and Target both sell them pretty cheaply, but there are tons of other sport-related places you can get them too. Or if you belong to a gym, just take your mobile device and workout there (that's what I do, lol).

Step 3 - Take your body measurements and before/after pics. 

• We all want to skip this step in the beginning, but you will be sorry if you do.
• You never have to share them with another living soul, but as your body starts to transform, it's so rewarding to look back on your progress. 
• The scale doesn't always tell the full picture. Especially if you ever experience a plateau (which happens to everyone at least one - for me many times - during their journey) . The scale may not move at the pace you'd like it to, but you'll be amazed at how you're body still changes.
• The Get Started Guide will tell you how to do it, but here are two Beachbody videos that I find helpful.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-S_rngQkshU

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vxWXJMleqo4

Step 4 - Start meal planning and prepping.

• Fail to plan...plan to fail. Sounds harsh, but planning and prepping has been ESSENTIAL to my success in this program.
• It will seem a little overwhelming in the beginning (or at least it was for me), because you're changing your lifestyle, but I promise you it will be so worth it.
• There are SO many places to get inspiration for meals like the accountability/challenge group I'll be adding you to, searching Pinterest and Google, the Nutrition Plan guide, The Beachbody Blog, Fixate Cookbook, other groups on Facebook. There are so many people do 21 Day Fix or a Beachbody program, that the possibilities are really limitless if you search online.
• There's a meal planner in BOD under "Exclusive Toolkit" if you want to handwrite your plan. You can search on Pinterest or Google for others too. I personally don't like to handwrite, so I use Excel and plan my entire week at once, that way, it saves me time and I can copy and paste.
• I take a copy of my meal plan to work with me and keep one at home, that way I know I'm following it. And I've found that just knowing what I'm going to eat next REALLY helps me stay on track.
• There are tons of videos out there on how to plan and prep, plus Autumn has a new show on Beachbody On Demand, where she walks through different recipes. The first few episodes are all about the containers and tips on prepping. We also post ideas in our Challenge Group.
• Here are some of my meal planning/prepping tips and tricks.

Step 5 - Participate in the accountability/challenge group.

• You'll hear it referred to in both ways, but they are essentially the same thing.
• It's a closed/private Facebook group called Shine Bright for Life Challenge Group set up by my coach, Julianna Dill, but I am an Admin as are some of the other coaches in Julianna's downline so we can add our own clients.
• It's a great place for motiviation, tips on everything from meal planning/prepping to recipes, to how to make yourself push play every day and ask questions. The women in this group really have become like family to me and many of them I've never even met in person. We all have a common goal and are super supportive of each other, especially during the times when we're struggling.
• You don't have to ever post anything, BUT, I will tell you, the more engaged you are in the group, the more accountable you feel and the more successful you tend to be.

In the end, you still need to live your life. You're not going to be 100% perfect with your eating or working out because you're human. Autumn definitely promotes the 90/10 rule...if you're following the program 90% of the time, that 10% is not going totally deter you.

Every day's a new day, so if you get off track one day, get right back on the next. This journey is what you make it. You'll have tons of support and the group and I will help guide you, but in the end it will be up to you.

Let me know if you have any questions. Can’t even WAIT to get started!!!

Turkey Sausage & Egg Cups - My Go-To Work-Week Breakfast

As far as meal prep goes, I tend to make things simple for myself and eat the same thing for breakfast during the week. In doing that, I've found that making Turkey Sausage and Egg Cups in muffin tins in advance really cuts down on my prep and saves me a ton of time during the week.

So with out further adieu, I give you the recipe for Turkey Sausage and Egg Cups:

Servings - 6
Serving Size - 2 Egg Cups
Portion Fix Container Count - 1 Red

Ingredients:
12 eggs
1/2 lb cooked turkey sausage (I typically use lean Jennie O sold with the breakfast meats)
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste (or any other spices like Mrs. Dash or any of the 21 Day Fix Seasonings)

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2) Spray 12 regular sized muffin tins with non-stick olive oil cooking spray. (NOTE: make sure you spray the individual tins well or the eggs will stick to the tin)

3) Whisk eggs in a medium bowl (preferably one that has a spout for easy pouring) with seasoning.

4) Pour the egg mixture evenly into each muffin tin.

5) Sprinkle the turkey sausage in each tin.

6) Bake for 20 minutes

7) Remove from the egg cups from muffin tins after about 5 minutes so they don't continue to cook.

8) Either serve or if making them for the week allow them to completely cool.

9) Once cool, portion them into individual ziplock snack bags - 2 per bag.

Additional Meal Prep Tip:

Jennie O Turkey Sausage typically comes in a 1lb log. You cook up the entire pound and either divide in half for the egg cups I'm making that day and freeze the other half to use for next week or I make 24 egg cups, use up the entire pound of Turkey Sausage and freeze the extra egg cups for the next week.