Meal prep can 100% support your food freedom journey and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Many women I’ve talked to sound a little salty when meal prep comes up because they’ve had a bad experience with it in the past or it was just too much work. Ya know, the meal prepping for hours on end on Sundays, making the same thing for each meal Monday through Friday, and within calorie limits of a typically too restrictive plan. That Sunday time commitment is hard to stick to, eating the same meal five days in a row gets boring, and restrictive plans are never fun because who likes to be hangry?! So if the typical Sunday meal prep routine isn’t your jam, how can you fit meal prep into your weekly routine without it feeling too exhausting while also supporting your food freedom journey? Aim for EASY, versatile foods! For example, I love making a couple servings of shredded chicken because I can use it in SO many applications like chicken salad (recipe below), pasta salad, and in chicken alfredo to name a few. That way I don’t feel bored eating the same thing day in and day out, and I have flexibility in my food choices. With that being said, meal prepping could support you if any of the below resonate with you:

1. If meal prepping decreases stress in your life.
2. If you like feeling prepared by having structured meal plans in place.
3. Most importantly, if you wouldn’t have complete and total anxiety if your lunch plans changed and you had to eat something else.

I really encourage you to ask yourself how you’d feel if your lunch plans changed and you couldn’t eat what you prepped. I ask this because while meal prepping can be SO incredibly supportive to your food freedom journey, it should not be an excuse to get too comfortable in your eating routine, make you fearful of veering off your plan and eating something else, or make you feel like you should eat the same amount of food day in and day out. It should not cause guilt, stress or anxiety around food, let’s say for example, if your boss decides last minute he wants to treat the office to a pizza luncheon, or your husband decides to surprise you with a post-lunch ice cream. Our bodies are dynamic and every day we need different amounts of food! We aren’t meant to eat the same amount of food day in and day out, and meal prepping should not make you feel like you need to stick to such a strict and rigid eating routine. Now on a lighter note, if you are looking for some meal prep inspo to support your life and food freedom journey, you have to try my Chicken Salad recipe. It’s delicious, sweet, crunchy and simple to make. Top crackers with it, stuff it in a pita, use it as a topping for celery or apple slices, or make a sandwich with it! And tag me on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel when you make it!

Chicken Salad 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded or diced chicken
• ¼ cup chopped celery
• ¼ cup craisins
• ¼ cup halved grapes
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
•  Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: mix together the chicken, celery, craisins, grapes and walnuts. Next add in Greek yogurt and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate and use within 3-4 days. Comment on the blog and let me know what application you will use your chicken salad in!