Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. And it certainly doesn’t have to be labor-intensive. Healthy fitness meals can be relatively easy to prepare if you just know a few tips.
Plan Ahead
A good plan alleviates pressure, providing you with extra time to think about, shop for and cook healthy fitness meals. Having a strategy for getting a healthy fitness meal on the table means you aren’t having to deal with last minute problems and the stress that often accompanies them. It also allows you to create and stick to a budget, avoiding unforeseen issues (such as a certain ingredient being out of stock) that could make your expenses go up.
Consider All Types of Protein Sources
Healthy fitness meals incorporate a variety of nutrients. Thus, you can — and should — use all kinds of ingredients. For instance, your protein doesn’t have to just come from an animal source. On the contrary, plant-based foods can provide an adequate amount of the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) your body needs, especially when they are combined from several different kinds of foods. Some good options include: nuts, seeds, tofu (or other soybean-based products), grains, lentils and beans.
Shop Wisely
Choose recipes for healthy fitness meals according to the season. Not only will many of the ingredients for your recipes be less expensive if they are in season, they will be more nutritious, since many vitamins and minerals degrade in quality the longer they are stored. In addition, watch for sales and pick meals that make use of foods that are on special or have been gifted to you (from a neighbor’s garden, perhaps?).
Remember Breakfast
Eating a healthy breakfast offers important benefits for most people. Research indicates that it can supply the energy the body needs to start the day, as well as protect the heart and sharpen mental acuity. It’s also relatively easy to find low-priced and nutritious ingredients to prepare a healthy fitness meal at breakfast time. Foods like eggs, yogurt and complex, fibrous carbs can be made into fresh, wholesome meals with little fuss and little money.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
To truly maximize your budget and healthy meal options, look for willing partners who can support and encourage you along your journey. Having friends and family by your side saves you time, as well as money, and, of course, makes preparing and sharing your meals a lot more enjoyable. Search for people who share your interest in healthy living so that you have support and extra available resources when you need them.
The Lean Kitchen Advantage
One of the best kinds of support for anyone wanting access to healthy fitness meals is a meal prep service. Lean Kitchen offers fresh (never frozen) meals that can be bought in one of our local stores or delivered right to your door. Our food is nutritionally-balanced with just the right portions of lean proteins, fibrous vegetables and complex carbs with no added preservatives or sugar. Please review our menu here and think about partnering with us to simplify your life and optimize your healthy living goals!