How To Eat Healthy and Save Time Prepping

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Over the summer I decided to take part in a fitness/health accountability challenge to help me stay on track with eating healthy. Each day my main goals are to eat 6 smaller meals (instead of 3 large ones), try to eat 4 servings of vegetables dispersed between those 6 meals and drink 3-4 liters a day of water. I know 6 meals can sound a little overwhelming, but I have learned some tricks along the way that have helped me save time and sanity prepping.

Tricks to Eating Healthy and Save Time Prepping

Trick #1 Prepare Ahead of Time in Bulk

It may seem a bit much when you first start out, but I have learned that if I take the time to prepare at least 3 days worth of meals at a time I am WAY more successful at continuously eating healthy. And in reality, it takes just as much work to make one meal as it does to make the same meal 3 different days (because you have to get out the food, wash, heat, put it away, etc.) …SO, you can save a lot more time by making 3 servings (or even 6 if you are ambitious) of the same meal and putting them away for the following days. Then on those days you literally can grab and go. Success!

Trick #2 Use Prepared Foods

To help me stay on track and make prepping a lot faster, I have been relying on a combination of fresh and frozen prepared foods. Fortunately (and unfortunately), I have trained my kiddos to love the kitchen and so if they see me getting ready to cook or make a meal, they want to help. Having the fresh and frozen prepared foods handy means I can sometimes skip the part of meal prep that needs chopping or anything else that may be a little too involved with the kiddos.

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I also love the frozen because I don’t have to worry about them going bad or having to use it all up before the end of the week. If I need it next week, it is there! This week I used the Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Fillets and the Birds Eye Protein Blends Vegetables in my meals that I found in the freezer section at my local Walmart.

Let me walk you through my daily meal schedule and a big helper in th

My Easy, Yet Healthy Daily Meal Menu

Meal 1: Protein Shake

My easiest meal to make while the kiddos are still asleep in the morning. Just shake and go AND eat half a piece of fruit on the side! If I am going to workout that morning, I’ll add a little oatmeal on the side too.

Meal 2: Scrambled Eggs

I love adding veggies to my eggs in the morning and using the pre cut/mixed bag veggies. I can avoid chopping onions and pepper in the morning and smelling like it all day, plus I get the added protein and flavor.

All you need to do is add 2 eggs, 1/4 – 1/2 cup Birds Eye Protein Blend to a pan on medium heat and scramble/cook. Top with a little shredded mozzarella when you are finished cooking it.

Meal 3: Chicken and Fruit Salad, with a side of Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is my FAVORITE salad of all time. A little sweet and tangy all at the same time. Mix salad greens, a couple sliced strawberries and some mandarin orange wedges (I like to aim for 1/2 cup total of fruit max) and top with some chicken and a little balsamic vinaigrette. Super easy and super yummy!

The Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Fillets are perfect for this meal, especially during the summer. Since I am usually the only one eating it, I do not like to heat up the house with cooking in the oven. These chicken fillets are fully-cooked and 98% fat free, so I can have them heated in a few minutes via my microwave and ready to eat.

Meal 4:String Cheese and Carrots

This is my go to snack for busy afternoons. I can grab this while running out the door to pick up kiddos from friends houses.

Meal 5: Chicken Tacos or Leftovers with Added Protein

I like to keep my dinners simple, so heating up 2 corn tortillas and tossing on some salad and some Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Fillets are super easy and satisfying. There are usually some leftovers in the fridge that are great as a back up when I am really short on time, but some lovely soul has picked out the meat. So, adding some of the chicken is a fast and easy meal for busy sport and errand running evenings.

Meal 6: Peanut Butter and Rice Cakes

I try not to eat after 8 pm and so my rice cakes and a couple tablespoons of natural peanut butter are quick and easy to put together. Sometimes I will add a serving of carrots with them to get a little more of my veggie count in for the day.