Why Do We Meal Prep?  

CrossFit coaches have heard it all when it comes to reasons for not eating correctly (or not eating at all.)  In a rush.  No food at home.  Didn't bring money to grab something at the store. 

There's even the, "I forgot to eat" one.

You forgot to eat? You forgot?? To EAT??!!!

"As a coach, I have heard every excuse in the book," says CrossFit Awaken's Chris Brown.  "I have heard every complaint, every bitch and every moan. The one excuse I cannot handle, the one that makes my blood boil, is when an athlete says something absurd like, 'I forgot to eat lunch today.'"

If you are reading this and bowing your head in shame, don't worry; there's hope for you yet.  Enter the life-saving art of prepping your meals ahead of time.

Just like anything in life, the more prepared you are beforehand, the easier it is to succeed with eating well.  Why should your nutrition and health suffer when it does not need to?  Sure, in life there are plenty of curve balls that head our way and sometimes it can get downright messy.  But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to have your food neat and ready to go for your next meal.

To start, try to get a new routine going.  Get in the habit of having at least two days' worth of food ready to go in the refrigerator; don't go to bed until you do.  If you use protein powder, have it ready to go in your shaker.  

There should never be a time during the day that you are starving. There should always be a protein-rich meal close by.  If you have a healthy option within arm's reach, you're less likely to make that detour to fast food in a rush.

"Make a plan and stick to it," says Brown. "Nothing will hinder progress in the gym more than poor dietary planning.  If you fail to prepare, be prepared to fail."

CFA's Danielle Ring says if you're new to meal prepping, don't let the idea overwhelm you.

"Keep it simple, especially in the beginning of learning to meal prep and eat healthy," she explains.  "Use your resources — for example, you can get ideas from friends, family and the internet."

If you're hesitant about prepping your food ahead of time, just remember: we all start somewhere.  

And if you still don't want to do it all yourself... enter a meal prep service company.  There are several businesses out there that specialize in doing the dirty work for you. Powr Meals  is just one example that we at CrossFit Awaken recommend.

Now, go make some healthy choices!

Related Link: 
PowR Meals: http://www.powrmeals.com/ 

— By CrossFit Awaken