You should be doing Paleo meal prep a bit differently than regular meal prep. Since the Paleo Diet is clear about which foods to eat and which to avoid, you need to have the right foods on hand. Also, some foods will be in the fridge while others can be separate (think: homemade sauces and dressings that need smaller containers), and more.
While the meal prep can be challenging at first, the benefits of the Paleo Diet make it worth it. Following this way of eating can help mitigate the risks of chronic issues such as unhealthy weight or body mass, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, and Type-2 diabetes, reports Nutrition Journal.
Get your paleo meal prep right with these 10 tips so you can fuel your body every day without stress or frustration. It will make following your meal plan easier, allowing you to stick with it and see results.
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Many of the basic paleo cooking items can be stored at room temperature, so it’s easy to keep these staples stocked. With the right foundational products in your kitchen, you can tackle step one of meal prep: planning your weekly menu. Here are some key ingredients to keep in your kitchen at all times:
The trick to a sustainable Paleo Diet is using a variety of foods to include different colors, textures, and flavors. This will ensure the meal plan keeps you excited instead of becoming repetitive and boring over time. Remember to focus on variety for both produce (fruits and veggies) and protein, since all meals are predominantly made up of these two items.
Use this list to come up with new food ideas as you grocery shop:
Bulk amounts of produce are likely to expire, so when planning your menu, note the quantities for each produce item on your list. This cuts down on both food and financial waste.
In addition, select prep recipes that include vegetables or fruits you’ll want to eat. Just because an ingredient is “trendy” or common in Paleo recipes doesn’t mean you have to stock the fridge with it.
If you purchase a bundle of kale when it’s not your favorite green, chances are, most of it will spoil in the back of the vegetable drawer. Opt for the green of your choice to ensure it gets used—and that you enjoy the meals you’re prepping.
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Some condiments on the market are technically paleo, but too often, these products contain artificial preservatives or refined sweeteners that don’t align with a paleo diet. Part of good Paleo meal prep is using this time to make your own sauces or dressings, which makes it easier to control the nutrient density of each condiment as well.
With herbs, spices, avocado oil, vinegar, and thickeners such as ghee, mustard, or coconut milk, you can blend together multiple sauce combinations. Use the resources below to find Paleo-friendly recipes that you’ll love:
Some condiments on the market are technically paleo, but too often, they’re a processed food. These products contain artificial preservatives or refined sweeteners that don’t align with a paleo diet. Part of good Paleo meal prep is using this time to make your own sauces or dressings, which makes it easier to control the nutrient density of each condiment as well.
With herbs, spices, avocado oil, vinegar, and thickeners such as ghee, mustard, or coconut milk, you can blend together multiple sauce combinations. Use the resources below to find recipes to make your paleo meal plan delicious:
Check out these Paleo snack recipes from Greatist for more paleo-friendly snack ideas.
Sometimes the convenience and accessibility of a packaged store item is hard to pass up—especially on busy weeks and days. If you rely on some of these foods or condiments for your Paleo meal prep, read the nutrition facts and ingredients label first. While certain paleo brands at the grocery store are made from natural, whole food sources, others contain artificial, processed fillers that make them unsuitable for the paleo diet.
Remember that even packaged items with wholesome ingredient lists will, more often than not, contain at least some preservatives to make them shelf-stable. The healthiest option is always to opt for fresh, natural whole foods and make your own condiments or seasoning blends as often as possible.
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Many foods on the paleo diet are rich in healthy fats, so it’s not difficult to find recipes that utilize the essential macronutrient. Avocado, nuts, salmon, tahini, chia seeds, ghee, and oils are all excellent sources of monounsaturated fat which is the kind you want to prioritize. However, remember to avoid trans (or artificial) fat sources.
Monounsaturated fats are beneficial for a variety of reasons, suggests U.S. National Library of Medicine, because the body converts those fats into burnable energy required to move and function. Monounsaturated fats can also help manage cholesterol to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, and they can aid in cell growth or repair.
When looking at meal prep ideas, keep fat content in mind along with fat intake recommendations. The National Library of Medicine recommends that your fat intake not exceed 25 to 30 percent of all daily calories.
Cooking on the paleo diet is an opportunity to be creative and experiment with foods you might not have tried before. Instead of solely focusing on the dietary restrictions, have fun with the paleo-friendly substitutions you can use to create new and different flavor profiles.
Below are some ingredient swaps to use for your Paleo meal prep:
The majority of paleo foods are versatile enough to be eaten for any meal of the day. This means a previous night’s dinner can be repurposed into breakfast or lunch later in the week. This means you can do less cooking and still prep plenty of food for all your meals.
Here are some dinner ideas that translate to breakfast and lunch:
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Keep a few basic, mainstay recipes in the arsenal to make your life easier. This is helpful for the weeks that you have a limited amount of time for meal prep or can’t come with fresh ideas.
These “back-pocket" meals should include easy, hands-off recipes that you can do with minimal manual effort, before transferring into the fridge. Some examples of back-pocket recipes include:
Knowing how to do paleo meal prep is easy when you have foundational information on nutrition. And, if you’re following a paleo meal plan, chances are you’re also a fitness fan. You can take your nutrition and workouts to a new level with a degree in exercise science.
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