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Meal-Prep and Chill: A Student's Guide to Healthy Eating

2017, it’s here. New year, new you, am I right? A new year can mean different things for many people, but for most it means a fresh start. If one of your new year resolutions this year is to start eating a healthier, more well balanced diet, or to continue eating well, then look no further! I have all the tips you need to keep those healthy habits going well passed January.

 

One of the hardest parts of starting a new, healthy diet is making sure that you have all of the nutritious foods you need for all of your meals. We all know that eating healthy takes time and energy, so let me make it easier for you! I’ve found that the easiest way to make sure you’re giving your body all the nutrients it needs and staying away from unhealthy foods is by being prepared! How do you do this?

Here are some of my best meal prep tips, as well as some YUMMY recipes and meal inspiration to help you on your meal prep journey!

 

Tips

  • Don’t get groceries and cook on the same day. This can make it overwhelming! For example, do your
    groceries on Saturday and cook on Sunday afternoon.
  • Make a list of all the things you’ll need before going to the grocery store. If you know exactly what you are going to make and exactly what you need to make it, your trip to the store will be much less time consuming.
  • Make sure you’re getting enough of each food group! Try to make sure your lunches always have a source of protein, carb, veggie and fruit!
  • Add these super nutritious foods to your meals:
    • Kale
    • Quinoa
    • Chia seeds
    • Spinach
    • Blueberries
  • Find fast and easy to make recipes if you’re short on time.
  • Cook large quantities of the same food. For instance, if you want to make sure all your lunches have a vegetable, just buy one bag of baby carrots and eat that everyday!
  • Always bring snacks that are easy to eat, cause you never know when you’ll get hungry! Having snacks ready to go will help you avoid buying any fast food. For example:
    • Almonds
    • Berries
    • Protein bars
    • Nut bars
  • Separate your foods after you are done cooking. It’s much faster to grab individual
    containers each morning and just throw them into your bag rather than prepare the containers before heading out to class everyday.
  • Buy a big lunch bag for all the tupperware you’ll most certainly be using.
  • Don’t forget your water
    • Not a water drinker? Try throwing lemon or other fruits into water for some added flavour!
  • You can prep breakfasts and dinners too!
    • Sounds like a lot of work, but if you plan to make the right foods, its easy!
    • Example: prep some omelette “kits” for breakfast (throw two eggs and chopped up veggies into containers), grill up some turkey meatballs, throw a salad together, and while you’re doing all of that you can have some chicken breasts cooking in the oven for your dinners!
  • Meal prep with a friend! It doesn’t have to be lonely, call up a friend, your
    boyfriend/girlfriend, or even a sibling to come over and cook with you!

 

My Favourite Recipes

Here are some of my go-to recipes for my lunches during the week:

  • Salmon patties
  • Ground turkey meatballs
  • Kale salad with cucumbers and olives
  • Baked sweet potatoes
  • Grilled broccoli
  • Lemon chicken breasts
  • Quinoa with pan fried vegetables

 

Inspiration

Finding exactly what you want to make can be the hardest part of meal prepping, but don’t you worry, there are plenty of places you can find healthy and delicious recipes.

 

Social Media

Facebook accounts like Tasty, Delish or Goodful post dozens of video recipes. You’re sure to find some ideas from their pages!

Pinterest also has hundreds of pins for you to check out too!

 

Cookbooks

You can always trust the good old written word to give you recipe ideas. Just hit up Chapters, the nearest public library or order online through amazon.ca for some great cookbooks to help you out!

 

Google it

When in doubt: Google it. Fire up that search engine and start researching!

 

Ask your friends

Everyone’s gotta eat, so it should be easy enough to ask your friends and family their favourite lunches to pack and favourite meals to cook. Ask them and try them out!

 

Laurentian Rec Blog

Check out these awesome blogs from our friends at Laurentian recreation for some more info and tips on healthy living and eating:

Five Fabulous Benefits of Clean Eating

Healthy Snacking at University? 8 Easy Snacks LU Students Should Know