We’ve spoken at length about the many benefits of meal prep – whether that’s getting out your Tupperware on a Sunday night, or leaving us to do it for you (I know which one, I prefer)! However, something we are asked by those who try to tackle it themselves from time to time is inspo for meal variety.
Now, it can be tricky to add in variety, especially if you are making one dish to cover a couple of days. However, there are a few tweaks you can make, here and there, to keep things interesting for your tastebuds!
This week we will be focusing on ideas for low carb meal prep.
What is low carb?
Low carb is a term that we see a lot of online, but when it comes to your dietary intake, what does it actually mean? Well, there isn’t really a definitive answer when it comes to classifying how many carbs you should be eating when opting for low carb, but it typically involves reducing your portion sizes of starchy and processed carbs – focussing more on veggies where possible.
When it comes to your intake, there is not necessarily a ‘correct’ option to go for and it is often down to personal preference and/or circumstances.
Do we advocate low carb?
In short, it is often down to you as an individual, as it isn’t necessarily for everyone. If perhaps you are someone who is very active, in terms of your day to day life and/or you exercise regularly, it may not be the most suitable option for you.
If you’re not sure, book in for a call here, to discuss this with our in-house Nutrition Team.
Our top 5 ideas for low carb meal prep:
- Make veggies interesting – try to use different cooking/ prep methods with your veggies. For example, roasting Mediterranean veg, with a little olive oil and some herbs, is a great side dish or stir-frying a mix of cabbage, onions, peppers and bean sprouts, is another quick and simple way to pack in lots of veggies.
- Use veggies in place of starchy carbs – for example, cauliflower rice or courgette noodles. We are definitely not saying you need to make a swap of this kind, as there is nothing at all wrong with including rice in your diet, but little swaps like this can be interesting ways of adding in/incorporating veggies into your meals and lowering the amount of carbs you have (if that’s your preferred way of eating).
- Opt for savoury, over sweet breakfasts – although sweet breakfasts are really tasty, they can often be higher in carbs, due to the ingredients they contain – for example, oats and fruit. As a result, an easy change could be to opt for more savoury options, such as omelettes and frittatas – both of which can be made a day or two ahead of time, to save you some precious minutes in the morning! Give one of ours a go here.
- Be selective with your meal choices – if you are choosing to reduce your carb intake, you will likely have to swap out meals where carbs are one of the key ingredients, e.g. lasagne and pasta bake. Instead, choose dishes you can prep in bulk and change up the sides instead- for example, baked fish or meatballs.
- Experiment with herbs and spices – taking out or greatly reducing the portions of items such as rice, pasta, quinoa and potatoes, can on occasions, make the same base meal prep, feel a little samey. However, trying to incorporate different herbs and spices in your veggies and sauces, can really make a difference to a meal! A simple tomato salsa, using onions, chopped tomatoes, garlic, lime and coriander or baking your veg with garlic and rosemary, can make all the difference.
Meal prep doesn’t have to be a chore and has a range of very useful benefits. To get the most out of the process, it largely comes down to a little planning ahead of time.
If cooking is perhaps not your forte, or if you simply don’t have the time, no problem – we’ve got you covered! At Fresh Fitness Food, our bespoke, time-saving meal plans are designed by top nutritionists and tailored to the unique health and fitness goals of people just like you. Order today with code BLOG50 and get £50 off a 5-day trial. Start your trial here.
