How Many Times A Day Should You Eat To Lose Weight
Theres no hard rule on how many times a day you should eat in order to lose weight. But, when it comes to weight loss, the first change you need to be making is your eating habits. They dont say that abs are made in the kitchen for nothing!
If you want to lose weight and feel better, you need to eat nutritious food that will keep you full for longer. Protein and fiber take longer to digest and therefore keep you feeling full for longer than simple carbohydrates and sugars. Whether you eat three bigger meals or five or six smaller ones throughout the day is entirely up to you, as long as you keep in mind the number of calories you consume. Typically, a woman should eat approximately 1400-1700 calories each day to lose weight, depending on their specific bodies and nutritional needs.
Rockin 5 Ingredient Sweet Potato Turkey Chili Recipe
This recipe comes from my wife! Last fall she I came home to the amazing smell of this sweet potato turkey chili! Ive asked her to make it several times since then because it is so good! Healthy and with only 5 ingredients + spices, its so easy to make. If youre a fan of chili, you will love this one.
Also, Pinch of Yum is my favorite food blog that exists, so check them out. If I am craving anything the first thing I do is google, ______ pinch of yum. Amazing food and even more amazing people behind it.
Essential Tips For Bulk Crockpot Freezer Meals
April 9, 2019 by Victoria
Bulk freezer meals are a great way to save money, eat better food, and relieve the stress of having to plan dinner every single night. Here are my freezer cooking tips for making crockpot freezer meals in bulk the easy way after 10 years of practice!
One of my favorite things about freezer meals is the ability to spend one afternoon prepping food and then being free for a month or more to just forget about cooking at all!
This is especially enjoyable when you have a big event coming up, like having a new baby, or even the holiday season!
Having extra meals in the freezer can mean the difference between a not-so-great fast food meal and a delicious real-food dinner. It can mean the difference between a stress filled evening and a laid-back family dinner at the table!
Below are 60 ready to use crockpot meals for the freezer!
The prepping of these meals was my gift to my Mother-in-Law for Christmas! She also received the food saver system from my mom that really helped us with the bulk prep process.
Chicken, beef, and pork were used in these recipes, and all the recipes are keto, paleo, and gluten free. We did all this in less than 3 hours, for under $4 per meal!
While we wanted to keep these keto and gluten free, you can add grains to any of them if desired and they would be delicious!
There were 100’s of recipes to choose from, but here were the ones we chose for this batch:
Don’t Miss: Recipe For Crock Pot Beef Stew With Vegetables
Meal Prep Saves You Money
Meal prep saves me money because I eat out less.
Which is great because now I dont overpay for garbage restaurant food.
I know people that eat out twice a day. Which means they are throwing their money and health in the toilet.
Each prepped meal cost less than $5. Go out to lunch and you will spend $10 minimum.
I spend half as much on food and eat twice as healthy with meal prep.
Oh, and by the way
Healthy food is not expensive
Lazy people say this as an excuse. Healthy food goes on sale all the time. Fresh food spoils so they ALWAYS have sales to get it out the door before it goes bad.
You just need to look. If its not on sale this week, try again next week.
Or just buy the healthy food. Ya gotta eat, so you might as well fill your tank with premium. Youll get more milage out of it.
If youre on a budget, you could easily meal prep for under $50 a week and still eat very well.
Eating clean pays off. Youll have more energy and better health. Which equals more productivity and better well being.
Smoky Chicken And Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potato Meal Prep
For a different twist on good old chicken and potatoes, youve got to try this dish. Apart from the fact that it has a whopping 46.7 grams of protein per serving, its just plain tasty.
Instead of regular potatoes, we use sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes contain more antioxidants than white potatoes and offer natural sweetness.
Now, the cooking time for this dish is 50 minutes, but this is only because sweet potatoes take longer to cook than regular potatoes. But it is so worth it. The potatoes come out sweet and spicy because we use cinnamon and cayenne pepper to spice things up.
The smoky chicken comes out sweet, moist, spicy, and savory due to the seasonings. This recipe calls for brown sugar- yes, you heard that right- so make sure you have some budget-friendly brown sugar like this.
Per Serving:
Don’t Miss: Best Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe
Meal Prep Keeps My Diet On Track
Not only must you eat clean to get lean, you must eat clean consistently to get and stay lean.
It takes many months to build a great physique. Steady progress made daily is how you get in shape.
For every clean food item there are 100 bad food items. Temptation to eat poorly is everywhere and you will fail to eat clean without a plan.
Meal prep is the best plan Ive found to get and stay on track with my diet by ensuring I always have a healthy meal ready to eat.
C Crest Glass Meal Prep Containers 10
Glass containers like these are helpful if you prefer to quickly see whats inside. However, these arent partitioned, so theyre best suited for things like pasta or casseroles that are served individually. When storing prepared foods, Woo says you should keep your warm items and cold items in separate containers so its easier to reheat your warm items.
Recommended Reading: Taco Bell Chicken Burrito Recipe
Mostly Prepped Sausage And Eggs: Breakfast Bomb
If you have a bit of extra time in the morning or youre willing to get up a few minutes early, then this is what I recommend. Make a breakfast bomb of whatever meat & veggies you want. This is your base for breakfast.
Then each morning, crack some eggs into your pan and when theyre halfway done, drop a scoop of the meat & veggies in.
Do this and youll have a fresh breakfast every day while also cutting down on the time you have to spend each morning.
Fluffy Low Carb Pancake Recipe
Nutrition: 260 Calories, 19 grams fat, 13 grams carbohydrates, and 10 grams protein
Pancakes are a delicious breakfast staple and one of the best items to meal prep ahead of time. This is no different for pancakes that fit into your keto diet. This simple recipe uses a combination of eggs, almond, and coconut flour to yield deliciously fluffy, keto-friendly pancakes.
Recommended Reading: Pacific Stream Puppy Recipe With Smoked Salmon
Macros For Building Muscle
The easiest way to balance your nutrition and calories in one shot is by learning how to count your daily macros.
Macros or macronutrients are where all of your calories come from, and each type impacts muscle growth differently. The three types of macros in your diet include protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
Protein is the most essential macro for gaining lean mass since it is the building block for all of your muscle tissue. Thus, a high protein diet is often necessary to promote muscle growth and increase your lean mass.
Second to protein, carbohydrates have some benefits for fueling your workouts and supporting muscle recovery. The storage form of carbohydrates is stored in your muscles for quick access to energy. Additionally, carbohydrates elicit an insulin response that supports weight gain. Thus, eating plenty of carbs is encouraged to support your weightlifting workouts and higher calorie needs.
Lastly, fat is a source of long-lasting energy and an easy way to add calories to your plate without too much volume. This is because fat provides twice as many calories per gram as the other two macros. However, eating too much fat can lead to increased fat storage in a calorie surplus. Thus, it is recommended to keep your fat intake moderate and get more of your calories from carbs and protein.
Other Things To Bear In Mind When Trying To Gain Weight
Calorie content of each major food group:
1g protein = 4 calories1g fat = 9 calories
Sustainable weight gain
Remember that you cannot gain 10lbs of lean muscle in one month – its simply not possible – so the weight gain you see on the scales will most likely be a combination of muscle, fat and water. If youre doing the right kind of exercise and eating healthily, realistically you can hope to gain around 1-2lb of muscle per month, with the rest being a mixture of glycogen and fat.
Supplementing your diet
Even if you love your food, it can be difficult to consume enough calories through your diet alone and it certainly isnt cheap. If you find that you are physically unable to eat that much due to your lifestyle, your appetite, your finances or some other factor, be sure to invest in a good quality weight gain supplement. Here are some of our favourites:
- If you want to get big, you need to eat big.
- Use the Harris-Benedict equation to calculate your basal metabolic rate.
- Work out how many calories you need to consume to maintain your existing weight by adding your level of physical activity into the equation.
- Consume at least 500 calories on top of that each day to ensure consistent weight gain in your bulking diet.
- Dont fill up on junk food: eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to ensure that you stay healthy and build muscle, not fat.
- Use a weight gain product to supplement your calorie intake.
About the Author
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Healthy Low Calorie Meal Prep Ideas
Get the recipe from The Girl on Bloor
These Sheet Pan Greek Chicken Meal Prep Bowls are seasoned with a simple lemon-oregano marinade.
Theyre a great low-carb meal prep lunch idea, and theyre ready in just 30 minutes!
Get the recipe fromKirbie Cravings
California sushi rolls may not be authentic Japanese sushi, but they are simply delicious!
Combine crab, avocado, and cucumbers, pair with cauliflower rice and youll get a great tasting low-calorie meal.
Veggie Loaded Rotisserie Chicken Casserole
This recipe has been top 5 on Project Meal Plan for a couple years now, and readers agree – it tastes even better as leftovers! Browse the comments for how people prepare and reheat this meal for their family. Making a double batch isn’t a bad idea!
Cheesy layers, sauce, chicken, and even better leftovers. This casserole is SO easy to make, and only 5 ingredients. It’s like, how can dinner even be this easy? Everyone will be wanting more!
– from Pinch of Yum
Recommended Reading: Simple Chicken And Bacon Recipes
What Makes The Best Meal Prep Recipes
The best meal prep recipes are those that can be split up into individual servings and can be refrigerated for a couple of days.
What takes any recipe up a notch is if it can be frozen, in that case, you can always save a serving for later and have freezer stash ready for any day of the week.
Almost any recipe can be made ahead for any meal of the day. I wrote a full post on why I meal prep with a few healthy meal prep ideas.
And this post is dedicated to the logistics of How to Meal Prep Lunch with containers, how long does food last, and more.
I wrote this post solely dedicated to recipes you can use today and start your meal prep!
Before you get lost in the many -and I mean many- recipes below, lets talk about how to build a menu for your week.
Packable Sandwiches Wraps And Rolls
Most sandwiches are best on the day theyre made, so I like to prepare just the fillings in advance. That way, I can quickly assemble the sandwich on the day I plan to eat it, either in the morning before I head out the door, or, if I happen to be home, right before I eat.
If youre taking a sandwich on the go, wrap it tightly in foil or a reusable sandwich wrap so that it holds together until lunchtime.
Healthy Lunch WrapsThese zingy wraps are one of my go-to meal prep recipes right now. Fully assembled, theyll keep for a day or two in the fridge, but if you prefer to prep for the entire week at once, you can store the components separately and put the wraps together throughout the week.
Chickpea Shawarma WrapsThis recipe has a number of components, so it takes some time to meal prep, but, trust me, it is SO worth it. Stuffed with creamy hummus, pickled onions, spiced roasted chickpeas, and more, these satisfying plant-based wraps are bursting with flavor.
Good news! You can assemble these peanut spring rolls entirely in advance, so theyre great for busy workdays. Served with extra peanut sauce for dipping, theyre such a fresh, yummy lunch.
Recommended Reading: 1800 Ultimate Peach Margarita Recipes
Sheet Pan Roasted Cilantro Lime Chicken
One of my secrets to meal prepping is cooking a main dish of protein that can be dressed up and served a number of ways. This cilantro lime chicken is just as good in tacos as it is over a salad. Or you stuff them in a burrito or layer it on a bed of rice. Have kids? Make them some delicious, protein-filled quesadillas.
Lets Make Meal Planning Easy
I know the thought of planning out a weeks worth of healthy meals can be daunting. But after years of perfecting my meal prep ideas and strategy, I can tell you this it all starts with meal planning. So how does one do that? Well, the best way to approach this is to ask yourself a few questions
- How many people do I need to prep for? Are you just one person? A family of four? Keep in mind how many servings youll need to make of each recipe to get you through the week. Then jot that down.
- Whats in season? Try to center your meals around in-season produce. Not only is it fresh and tasty, itll challenge you to be creative and add variety throughout the year. Bonus seasonal produce is usually cheaper and often on sale!
- What types of meals do I want to prep? Theres two ways to look at this. You can create building blocks to get creative throughout the week or make fully cooked meals that you can easily reheat. Your schedule for the week might lead you one way or the other. Theres no right or wrong choice, meal prep is meant to suit you and your schedule!
From there, you can jot down your grocery list , and head to the market!
Read Also: Nutrition Label Generator From Recipe
Easy Breakfast Ideas To Have On Repeat
For those early mornings when you need something quick and easy, grab n go breakfasts will be your savior. Choose from a variety of sweet and savory breakfast ideas to keep you fueled throughout the week!
- Loaded Breakfast Casserole: This ones loaded with the most scrumptious flavors and is freezer friendly.
- Oatmeal: Pre-make a batch of oatmeal to enjoy through the week with different sweet and savory toppings.
- Sweet Potato Toast: This is the perfect way to start your day with extra veggies. Layer it with spinach and a poached egg for a quick and easy healthy eggs benedict!
- Breakfast Egg Muffins: These are the perfect grab n go option. And feel free to get creative with filling flavors.
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash: Cant beat this veggie-heavy hash that reheats beautifully.
- Paleo Pancakes: Did you know you can freeze these pancakes? Just pop them in a toaster, drizzle maple syrup and youre done!
- Paleo Banana Nut Muffins: Sometimes, a warm muffin is just what we need in the morning. This ones perfectly sweet and freezes well.
Healthy Meal Prep Ideas For The Week
Save time and money by doing meal prep for the week ahead. Here are some easy, tasty and healthy recipes you can add to your meal prep plan to keep lunch exciting.
Work lunches can be a real killer when it comes to managing food on a budget.
When youre buying lunch every day, that quickly adds up to take a real chunk out of the money you could be saving. That said, its hard to find the time to make a packed lunch every night, on top of cooking and cleaning up dinner.
Taking some extra time at the start of the week to prepare lunches for a few days, or even the whole working week, can make a real difference to your time and savings.
Also Check: Crown Royal Whiskey Drink Recipes
Healthy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Get the recipe from Popsugar
So youre craving for some dairies? This creamy Healthy Pumpkin Soup will satisfy you without worrying about the heavy calories.
Get the recipe fromI Food Real
After only 5 minutes of prep, you can serve this Healthy Zucchini Tomato Casserole with garlic and Parmesan as a low-carb side dish.
Or you may add cooked chicken for a 30-minute dinner. Perfect!
Get the recipe fromChelseas Messy Oven
Talking about sandwiches, this Low-Calorie Chicken Salad Sandwich is delicious, fast, and easy to make!
It has no mayo or Greek yogurt. So whats the secret to these lightened-up chicken salad sandwiches? Find out here.
Get the recipe from Gimme Delicious
Oh, wow! This healthy low-carb, low-calorie, paleo dish makes me hungry already!
Get the recipe fromDamn Delicious
Just 10 min prep and with fresh veggies and a creamy chipotle drizzle, this Easy Burrito Bowls is definitely a sure hit to everyone!
Get the recipe from Skinny Ms
Nothing beats sweet potato for me! Its nutritious and filling! So this Curried Sweet Potato and Spinach Salad is a powerhouse. Add it with superfood spinach, this salad will keep you feeling full for hours!
Get the recipe from Super Golden Bakes
Low in calories but full of flavor! This herb-packed cottage cheese, kale, and smoked salmon frittata is really delicious hot or cold, and comes in at under 200 calories per slice.