Food Prep and Diet Tips

Food prep is essential to any successful diet. Contest dieting can be the most stressful part of competition prep! Fitting in high quality protein based meals every 2-4 hours can be challenging, especially with full time jobs and long hours spent in the gym. Also very expensive, so be prepared. Sure will power plays a small part, but will power can easily be thrown out the window when hunger strikes and fast food joints are on every corner with cheap delicious food. Constant preparation is key! Here are some of my tips that keep my contest diet on track:

1: Shop in bulk! Costco is the answer!  You can even by large pieces of meat and cut them yourself and section them into 4-6oz portions. In the meat section, there are pamphlets available to properly cut your own meat. This saves a lot of money in the long run.

2: Use a food scale, and measure your portion sizes. Know exactly what you are putting in your body. Chances are you may be taking in double the recommended portion size.

3: Invest in a lot of containers . 

4: Cook for the week. If you work Monday-Friday, make Sunday your cooking day. To keep food fresh, sometimes 2 cooking days are easier. I find it helpful to make a lot of meat (chicken, fish, pork, steak etc) and different sides, so that you can mix and match your meals, which keeps the diet interesting. 

5: Try new recipes! Take versions of your favorite meals, and experiment with ingredients to make them healthy. A boring diet of the same food everyday will make you more likely to indulge in a greasy burger over the same old chicken and broccoli. (Plus creating new recipes is fun and earns bragging rights!)

6: Pack your meals for the next day. And pack an extra healthy snack. This way, if you are extra hungry, you can snack on that, rather than suffering, or picking up a bag of chips. Also, pack your supplements/vitamins and have them ready to go to save time in the morning.

7: Protein bars are not great for a diet, but in emergencies, protein bars can be a good back up as a meal replacement, until a clean meal is feasible. Choose bars low in sugar and fat. Some can have up to 30g of sugar! Diet buster! 

8: Frozen vegetables are convenient, healthy and affordable.  

9: Eat slowly. Take time to enjoy the food. Use a small spoon instead of a tablespoon to make your oatmeal last longer!  It can take at least 20 minutes for the body to register that it is full.

10: Trick your mind to think you are eating more by putting your food in a bowl or a small plate instead of a large plate. 

11: Avoid eating out. Anywhere. No matter where you go, there are always hidden calories. 

12: Drink enough water. Being thirsty can oftentimes be disguised as hunger. Get a big jug of water and carry it everywhere so that you wont forget to drink. Soon consuming 3-4L of water a day will become natural. Keeping hydrated will also help you feel better in general.

13: Keep gum around. Minty gum can curb snack cravings. Sometimes your body just wants something to chew on, and is not actually hungry. 

These are just some tips that help me in my daily routine to maintain a healthy diet! There is always new recipes and ideas out there! Happy Training!