We've all been there before-- rushing to the grocery store before dinner because there's no food in the fridge. You can really save yourself some major stress by prepping your meals for the week ahead of time. There are simple meal prep hacks that doctors swear by for a flat stomach. It's time to get prepping.
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Freeze Your Meals
Ilyse Schapiro MS, RD, shares tips with Eat This, Not That! about how you can plan your meals even more ahead of time by making freezer-friendly dishes. Ilyse says meals like soups, chilis, and stews are perfect for freezing-- and for chillier fall months. She also recommends making a side salad in the time that you wait for a cold meal to heat up.
Keep Your Fridge Stocked
One of the most important tips for weight loss is making sure your fridge is fully stocked. You're more likely to indulge in a meal you should be avoiding when your fridge is empty. Travis Stork, MD, tells People that those turning to meal prepping to lose weight should make it a point to shop on the weekends to avoid giving into last-minute temptations.
Make A List
Mehmet Oz, MD, recommends planning your meals even before you go food shopping for the week. Think of the most effective foods that you know work well for your own weight loss. Mehmet says you should fill up your meal prep diet with foods like beans, quinoa, nuts, and seeds. Quinoa is an essential superfood to add to easy meals like salads for a nutrition boost.
Spice Up Your Meals
You can have a lot more fun with prepping your meals when you add lots of flavor to them. I mean, you don't just want to chomp down on leafy greens and plain chicken all week, do you? Adding spices to your prepped meals turns your packed lunch from bland to actually super enjoyable. Scientifically proven spices that help you lose weight include cayenne, cumin, garlic, and black pepper.