With the average American constantly
on the go, it’s tough to find the time to prepare a healthy meal. We’ve all
been there; it’s late in the afternoon, you’re just getting out of a hectic day
at work and all you’re thinking about is what’s for dinner? And if you’re
anything like me, all I want to do when I leave work is go home with some fresh
take out and watch Netflix while sprawled out on my couch. While I’ve been
guilty of this on my lazy days, my gut has suffered the repercussions. No
matter how healthy a fast food restaurant advertises an entree as being a
healthy alternative to other items on their menu, it’s more than likely going
to be packed with preservatives and GMO’s. For example, everyone’s favorite
fast-food place to pick on, McDonalds, is a perfect representation of a
restaurant attempting to jump on the healthy eating bandwagon. Their Mighty
Crispy Chicken Cesar salad contains 31 grams of fat, 520 calories and 1140 mg
of sodium. And that’s not even including the dressing! You’re better off eating
a bacon McDouble sandwich that contains 420 calories, 21 grams of fat and 1050
mg of sodium. When I first became aware of this, it boggled my mind to learn
that a salad was less healthy than a bacon cheeseburger. Just when I thought I
was eating something light, I could have been enjoying a bacon cheeseburger burger
all along. Instead of falling for deceptive fast-food advertisements, I decided
that meal prepping and snack prepping was the most efficient way to stay away
from fast food and begin eating healthy. Today was the first day I had ever
tried this. While it is a bit time consuming, I am more than sure it will be
well worth it this coming week. I purchased OXO food storage containers to keep
the food tightly sealed and fresh for the week. Prior to spending about 2 hours
in the kitchen today, I went to HEB to buy all that I needed to begin prepping.
Each dish that I prepared today has a portion of chicken, rice and different
types of veggies. I also put together bags of snacks to eat while I am at work
so I am not hungry or craving greasy foods when I get out. The snacks included
almonds and dehydrated cranberries, celery and almond butter, edamame that is kept frozen
and Quakers rice cakes. During this new meal-prepping endeavor that I am taking
on, I am also eliminating sugary sodas that are high in fat and cause bloating.
I am going to be searching for new tasty recipes this upcoming week to make meal-prepping
more fun and diverse in the kitchen.
