Too often I hear these three excuses when it comes to healthy nutrition, which will, without a doubt, sabotage your weight loss goals.
- I don’t have the time to cook my own meals
- I’m too busy at work and didn’t have time to buy lunch
- Eating clean is too expensive
Sound familiar?? I literally hear these excuses several times per week.
I’m sorry to say it, but if you can relate to one of the above excuses, then I can almost guarantee you aren’t getting the results you want. Take a moment and think about it. How is your body transformation coming along?? If you’re not seeing the results you hoped for, could lack of preparation be the main contributor?
So, lets breakdown these negative barriers to good nutrition.
I don’t have the time to cook my own meals
Take these tips on board and you’ll be able to prep 3-4 days worth of meals in just over an hour. We are creatures of habit and eating the same thing several times per week shouldn’t be a problem. I bet you eat the same thing for breakfast most mornings, and similarly for lunch. It is usually dinner that varies for most of us.
With this in mind, why not cook in bulk? Portion 12-15 meals into tupperware containers and throw them in the fridge for consumption later on. With a bit of practise you can become quite efficient in the kitchen, and could get the job done on Sunday afternoon in less than 1 1/2 hours. That’s 4 days of meals in 1 1/2 hours. Don’t tell me you still don’t have the time!
Personally, when I am in a cutting phase I keep my meals very clean and simple. It doesn’t mean they lack in flavour, in actual fact they taste fantastic! The point is, I cant be bothered preparing extravagant meals, and the funny thing is – the simpler the meal, the more focused I am on my current fitness goals. That might not make sense, but give it a shot.
So what might you cook in bulk??
Here are some ideas:
- 6 poached chicken breast with juice of one lemon – 25-30 minutes unattended cooking. (Tender, clean, high in protein. 8 protein portions roughly for 6 chicken breasts).
- 1kg of kangaroo/turkey/chicken/lean beef mince with spices/herbs of choice – 5 minutes prep/ 15 minutes cooking time. (Tastes great, super lean. Roughly, 5-6 protein portions)
- 12 boiled eggs – 6-7 minutes cooking (versatile, clean, high in protein)
- 5 cans of tuna – no prep time (again, versatile, clean, high in protein)
- Portions of almonds and walnuts mixed. – 10 seconds prep (high in protein, high in fat – in moderation)
- 2kg of steam/boiled broccoli – 2 minutes prep/3-5 minutes cooking time (clean, low carb, flavour with lemon, chilli, fibre and nutrient rich. Roughly 8-10 portions)
- Buy a large lettuce/bunch of carrots/celery sticks – cut it up, clean it and store it – 2 minutes (makes for a great salad base and you can add your poached chicken, mince, egg or tuna to it and there is a quick, clean, tasty, simple salad – put together in seconds)
- 100g microwave brown rice – 60 seconds in the microwave (versatile and good carb of choice)
- 5 small sweet potatoes – 1-minute prep/25 minutes unattended baking in the oven. (Great carb of choice, tasty, 5-7 servings depended on size)
When I put it to you like this, I hope you’re thinking something along these lines, “wow this is easier than preparing a sandwich at lunch, spag bol for dinner, and its cleaner! Not only am I going to save heaps of time to do the things I love, I’m going to get lean, eating clean”. Or something along those lines… something less cheesy.
Next excuse…
I’m too busy at work and didn’t have time to buy lunch
Now, if you’re so busy at work that going to the toilet is impossible, then I suggest you find a new job! But if you have the time for a toilet break, you have the time for lunch.
If you have followed the above steps then you can prepare lunch in less time than a toilet break. Off to the communal kitchen, grab your tupperware container from the communal fridge, heat it up (or not) and back to your desk to eat. 2 minutes!
If you reaaallly don’t have any time and are stuck at a meeting, at your desk completing a deadline, and so forth… no problem! Fortunately you came prepared and have on your person, either: a can of tuna, portions of nuts, even a boiled egg (although this might stink out the bag). Now it is no more than a simple act of eating. Don’t leave home without these little snacks.
And the final excuse…
Eating clean is too expensive
This one I don’t hear nearly as much as the above two excuses (maybe because we live in one of the most expensive cities in the world) but it still comes up.
Lets say you go out and buy lunch. In Sydney it’s hard to come by something half decent for less than $10. If you are looking for something relatively healthy make that $14 and beyond…. for lunch???… whaaaaaht??? Suppose I said preparing some of the above meals, you could eat for a little more than $14 per day?? Crazy right!
Lets break it down with some math. Here is an example of one day worth of food if you’re trying to cut down. This is exactly what I would consume, working a full day with clients, 1 x heavy weights session, 1 light cardio session.
- 2 eggs $1.60/ 1/2 tomato $0.30/ 1/2 avocado $1. Breakfast just cost $2.90
- Skim Latte $4.20
- Handful of almonds $1.20
- 200g Kangaroo mince $2.30 with a bunch mushrooms $0.60 and 300g broccoli $.90. Lunch a whopping $3.80
- Can of tuna $1.50
- Chicken Breast $3.20/Salad mix $1.50/Brown Rice $0.30 = $5.00
- Small yoghurt $1.40
Total cost = $17.10
That seems pretty reasonably to me! Don’t you think?
I really hope this opens your eyes to the simplicity of good nutrition. It’s not as hard as people make it out to be. If you want to make some serious physiological changes it is a simple process. Necessary habits must be formed, preparation is key, and life becomes way easier.
For more information on nutrition itself, macronutrients and the best foods to lose weight, click here.
Stay healthy Sydney,
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