I want to start off today’s article about meal prep recipes by discussing a concept we have become really enamored with lately. It is the concept of decision fatigue. If you are the type of person who ever feels like there is “information overwhelm”, this is probably an idea you are very familiar with. Unfortunately, many people are frustrated by too many choices, especially when it comes to their diet and their health. If that feels like you, we are here to help!
When you finish today’s blog, you will have everything you need to eat healthy all week long without having to stress, test your willpower, or worry about making too many decisions. That means you will be lowering your Setpoint Weight and reprogramming your body to function like that of a naturally thin person!
Essentially, decision fatigue centers in on the idea that making decisions is hard. Every decision requires a degree of mental energy. It causes a level of fatigue. For small decisions, this mental drain is minor. The more significant the decision, the drain on your mental faculties is much higher. And here is the thing – as an active adult, you make thousands of decisions, both big and small, every single day.
It is a concept that has been proven time and time again. The more decisions you make in a day, the harder it is to make good decisions.
Decision fatigue is closely related to willpower. In fact, it is one of the primary things that wears away at your willpower.
Willpower is a muscle. As with any muscle, it can be strengthened. Saying ‘no’ to hard decisions can accomplish just that. As with exercising in the gym, when you exercising your willpower, you want to do so in a way that will provide positive benefits with risks (such as injuring yourself in the gym).
Decision fatigue increases the chance that your willpower will break. Plus, did you know that exerting self-control actually causes your heart rate to become more variable? It is true. This is an example of how something that is psychological can actually have a physiological effect on you.
If you think about your own life, decision fatigue probably explains many poor, short-sighted decisions. You know that double cheeseburger with bacon you picked up on the way home the other week? The one you didn’t tell anybody about, especially not your husband or your kids? Yup, that one. The one you knew, deep down, that you shouldn’t eat. But you did it anyway. Why would you do that?
There is a reason. Decision fatigue!
Think about how your day went leading up to that decision. Think about how hectic and busy it was. Between work, taking care of the kids, taking care of yourself, stress, and everything else going on in your life, you faced a lot. All that is in addition to the normal, mundane decisions you have to make throughout the day.
This entire situation is not good for your health, your wellness, or your weight. Stress affects your Setpoint Weight. So too do all the unhealthy foods that you eat as a result of being busy, stressed, and pressed for time. Even losing sleep can cause weight gain.
Meal prep is a solution that can really change your life. It makes it easy to eat healthy. Plus, it lowers the burden of decision fatigue in your life. Meal prepping on Sunday eliminates a massive load of decisions you would otherwise have to make throughout the week.
It sounds like such a slam-dunk idea. So why doesn’t everyone meal prep?
Frankly, because it takes work. It takes planning and foresight. But in the long run, it drastically reduces the amount of mental energy you have to expend on a daily basis. It can also dramatically improve the quality of nutrients you are putting in your body.
Now, it’s finally time for some meal prep recipes! When you are really dialed in with your meal prepping ideas, you can cook once and eat for an entire week. The primary idea behind each of these meal prep recipes is to help you lower your Setpoint Weight. That is right, these are not just any meal prep recipes, they are specifically meal prep recipes for weight loss.
To make it easy to go through all of our meal prep recipe ideas, we have separated things out into 4 sections. We have meal prep recipes for breakfast, meal prep recipes for lunch, meal prep snacks, and a final secret meal prep weapon – SANE Smoothies.
I’m going to start off with kale And turkey bacon quiches on the go. These delicious, easy to make quiches are perfect for anyone looking for a nutrient-packed way to begin their day. Eggs combined with kale will supply your body with protein, essential vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. We skip the crust to make them extra healthy and cook them in muffin tins so that they are bite-sized, easy to transport, and ideal for meal prep.
Click here to see the recipe details along with 13 other recipes for all meals of the day.
Here’s a sneak peak of 4 of my favorite recipes on the list:
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Baked Lime Chicken |
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Elegant Easy Pot Roast |
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Bite-Sized Buffalo Hot Wing Cauliflower |
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Mixed Berry Blast Smoothie |
Access your recipes here.
