Easy Meal Prepping with US Frozen Potatoes: A Newbie's Guide
2017 has been a big game changer in my life. Apart from starting the new year on a more positive note, I actually got to sustain the good changes I've implemented. And let me tell you, this is big for me! For someone who always has the same set of resolution every year for the past few years, it's only this 2017 that I can actually say I'm making progress.
Possibly the biggest changes in my life this year are related to fitness and diet. The first one, I'd rather not get down to the nitty gritty as it's still experimental. But as for diet, gone are the days of low-carb, no-carb, liquid-only, and other very restrictive diets. Today, I learned that what works best for me is not stopping myself from eating something, but eating almost anything as long as it fits my macro-nutrient requirement.
Today, let me share with you an easy food prepped meal which you can try. You can make this in advance, put in the fridge, and take this to-go for work or for when you want a quick meal. You can simply reheat it before consuming, or even eat it cold.
Please be reminded though that each of us would have varied macro-nutrient requirements based on our current weight, height, age, activity level and goals. You can refer to Gauge Girl Training if you want to tweak your macros to better suit your needs. What I'm sharing though is how you can make food prepping easier, especially if you're a beginner like me.
First is carbs. This one has probably been shown as evil within the last few decades. Many would often blame carbs for gaining weight, and dieters would cut off most of their carb intake, especially starchy carbs, in the belief that it will help them lose weight quickly.
Carbohydrate is no evil though. Carbs is good. It's our main energy source. The key is knowing how much carbs you should consume for your body to function normally, and how much carbs you should consume if you want to lose or gain weight. The type of carbs you intake is also a factor. Would you rather allot a thin slice of cake for your carb requirement? Or would you prefer to fill it with a cup of rice or slices of potatoes?
US Frozen Potatoes
While I normally would choose rice, when it comes to food prepping, I highly prefer going for potatoes. And not just regular raw potatoes but US Frozen Potatoes. Why you ask? When you food prep, you cook the food in advance and refrigerate the prepped meals for consumption on a later time -- usually hours and even days after. I don't know about you, but I don't like my rice refrigerated then eaten cold, or even reheated. It just doesn't taste good to me. US potatoes on the other hand, are perfect for this! Whether eaten cold or reheated, they taste amazing!
And while we're at it, let me share with you the benefits of using US potatoes for your meal preps.
Of course you can use raw US potatoes, however, for my personal meal prepping, I find that US frozen potatoes make my life easier. They come in a variety of cuts and forms, which saves me time from washing, peeling and slicing potatoes when I meal prep.
For more information about US potatoes in the Philippines, please refer to Potatoes USA Philippines.
There are a lot of good source of protein for your meals. The most common is chicken. Whenever I have the time, I would use skinless chicken breast, season it with herbs and spices, and just boil or pan-fry it. However, a great alternative when you're pressed for time is using rotisserie chicken, which you can opt to enjoy without the skin. But as for me, I like treating myself to juicy chicken skin from time to time.
Salmon is another amazing source of protein. This is my second choice for viand when I have it in stock at home. However, be wary that while salmon is rich in protein, it's also high in fat. The same can be said for eggs.
If you ever find it hard to hit your protein requirement, which I usually have an issue with, you can also look into adding protein powder into your diet. You may want to check out my previous post about the difference of meal replacement shakes and protein shakes to make sure you're using the right protein powder for your goals.
Fat is essential for our diet. The natural fat content of proteins fall into this, as well as the oil or butter you use when cooking. Nuts, seeds, avocados are also rich in healthy fats, so not all fats are bad.
It might be hard to account for everything you put into your mouth. However, there are some foods which calorie count is too insignificant to even account for. Some of these are leafy greens, cucumbers, beets, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, turnips, apples and citrus. Of course, there's also water which is a true zero-calorie item. Drink water as often as you want!
These information I share is not to dissuade you from eating. Rather, I want to let you know that you can enjoy healthy, nutritious yet still tasty food even if you are on your journey to reach your health and fitness goals. Meal prepping is only one way to make sure you're taking in the appropriate macro-nutrients you need to maintain, lose or gain -- whether it's weight, fat or muscle mass. It's also a good way to make sure you have the right foods on standby for when you're hungry. No need to queue for fast food if you already have a healthy meal packed with you.
And of course, always remember to treat yourself from time to time. If you take health and fitness not as short-term resolutions, but as a lifestyle change you want to permanently incorporate into your routine, then I'm sure you'd find no guilt in indulging from time to time. Don't worry, I'm a foodie too so I completely understand! Food is not meant to torture us especially when we're trying to implement changes to how we eat and live. Food is a blessing. Food is love.
Possibly the biggest changes in my life this year are related to fitness and diet. The first one, I'd rather not get down to the nitty gritty as it's still experimental. But as for diet, gone are the days of low-carb, no-carb, liquid-only, and other very restrictive diets. Today, I learned that what works best for me is not stopping myself from eating something, but eating almost anything as long as it fits my macro-nutrient requirement.
Today, let me share with you an easy food prepped meal which you can try. You can make this in advance, put in the fridge, and take this to-go for work or for when you want a quick meal. You can simply reheat it before consuming, or even eat it cold.
Please be reminded though that each of us would have varied macro-nutrient requirements based on our current weight, height, age, activity level and goals. You can refer to Gauge Girl Training if you want to tweak your macros to better suit your needs. What I'm sharing though is how you can make food prepping easier, especially if you're a beginner like me.
Carbohydrate
First is carbs. This one has probably been shown as evil within the last few decades. Many would often blame carbs for gaining weight, and dieters would cut off most of their carb intake, especially starchy carbs, in the belief that it will help them lose weight quickly.
Carbohydrate is no evil though. Carbs is good. It's our main energy source. The key is knowing how much carbs you should consume for your body to function normally, and how much carbs you should consume if you want to lose or gain weight. The type of carbs you intake is also a factor. Would you rather allot a thin slice of cake for your carb requirement? Or would you prefer to fill it with a cup of rice or slices of potatoes?
US Frozen Potatoes
While I normally would choose rice, when it comes to food prepping, I highly prefer going for potatoes. And not just regular raw potatoes but US Frozen Potatoes. Why you ask? When you food prep, you cook the food in advance and refrigerate the prepped meals for consumption on a later time -- usually hours and even days after. I don't know about you, but I don't like my rice refrigerated then eaten cold, or even reheated. It just doesn't taste good to me. US potatoes on the other hand, are perfect for this! Whether eaten cold or reheated, they taste amazing!
And while we're at it, let me share with you the benefits of using US potatoes for your meal preps.
- Excellent source of vitamin C
- Good source of potassium (more than a banana)
- Rich in vitamin B6
- Naturally fat, sodium and cholesterol-free
- Contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity
- A medium-sized potato only contains 110 calories
Of course you can use raw US potatoes, however, for my personal meal prepping, I find that US frozen potatoes make my life easier. They come in a variety of cuts and forms, which saves me time from washing, peeling and slicing potatoes when I meal prep.
For more information about US potatoes in the Philippines, please refer to Potatoes USA Philippines.
Protein
There are a lot of good source of protein for your meals. The most common is chicken. Whenever I have the time, I would use skinless chicken breast, season it with herbs and spices, and just boil or pan-fry it. However, a great alternative when you're pressed for time is using rotisserie chicken, which you can opt to enjoy without the skin. But as for me, I like treating myself to juicy chicken skin from time to time.
Salmon is another amazing source of protein. This is my second choice for viand when I have it in stock at home. However, be wary that while salmon is rich in protein, it's also high in fat. The same can be said for eggs.
If you ever find it hard to hit your protein requirement, which I usually have an issue with, you can also look into adding protein powder into your diet. You may want to check out my previous post about the difference of meal replacement shakes and protein shakes to make sure you're using the right protein powder for your goals.
Fat
Fat is essential for our diet. The natural fat content of proteins fall into this, as well as the oil or butter you use when cooking. Nuts, seeds, avocados are also rich in healthy fats, so not all fats are bad.
Free Foods
It might be hard to account for everything you put into your mouth. However, there are some foods which calorie count is too insignificant to even account for. Some of these are leafy greens, cucumbers, beets, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, turnips, apples and citrus. Of course, there's also water which is a true zero-calorie item. Drink water as often as you want!
Food is love.
These information I share is not to dissuade you from eating. Rather, I want to let you know that you can enjoy healthy, nutritious yet still tasty food even if you are on your journey to reach your health and fitness goals. Meal prepping is only one way to make sure you're taking in the appropriate macro-nutrients you need to maintain, lose or gain -- whether it's weight, fat or muscle mass. It's also a good way to make sure you have the right foods on standby for when you're hungry. No need to queue for fast food if you already have a healthy meal packed with you.
And of course, always remember to treat yourself from time to time. If you take health and fitness not as short-term resolutions, but as a lifestyle change you want to permanently incorporate into your routine, then I'm sure you'd find no guilt in indulging from time to time. Don't worry, I'm a foodie too so I completely understand! Food is not meant to torture us especially when we're trying to implement changes to how we eat and live. Food is a blessing. Food is love.
Here we are going to read about the meal preparing with frozen ingredients. This can be a best idea for cooks and the students of writemypaper4me.org reviews can also read this blog and enjoy it. This is such a real and a perfect blog for all of the readers and focused people as well.
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