Are you looking for advice on how to prepare your meals from home? Want to save money, time and lose a bit of weight? If so, then keep reading. Like you, I got tired of spending my days making a decision on what I was going to eat. Wasting valuable time in long queues. Waiting to make an order to only find out that the meal costs a whopping £10 and doesn’t fill my stomach or fulfil my taste buds. Plus what exactly are you eating? Do you know exactly what is in your food when you eat out? This is why preparing your meals from home is the way forward. You are the chef; you are in control of your diet, your food, your money and time.

SC20131008-141931-1I love preparing my meals from home. Not only does it make life easier and saves plenty of time – it is cost effective and much healthier. Many people ask me how I do it, so I’ve provided a step-by-step guide. It is really, very simple, all you need to do is be organised, disciplined and make the time. Not only will you be thankful when you notice a difference with your weight, you’ll be happy with the amount of money you’ll save and the healthier diet you’ll have.

Budget check
The first thing I do is check my budget. As well as making healthier choices when eating, it is also important to remember that this is also saving you money depending on what meal plans you decide to cook up. So check the status of your finances.

Meal plan check
Make a meal plan for the week. I split mines up into breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, writing each meal down. One thing I’d suggest is to keep it simple and keep it small. Simple because it means it is healthier – the less ingredients, the healthier it tends to be, and small because you want to watch your portion sizes. I usually stick to grilled chicken, fish with lots of vegetables – tasty, simple and healthy.

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Shopping list and grocery shopping day check
Now you have your meal plans it should be easy to create your shopping list. Write your list and stick to it. Identify a shopping day, time and supermarket that works best for you.

Prep check
I cook in bulk and so prepare and lay everything out first. I wash the meat, marinate it with seasonings and spices and prepare all the vegetables before cooking.

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Container and portion sizes check
Next you want to make sure you invest in some good containers or Tupperware. This is so you can share and divide your food into smaller portions to each container. This is the lifesaving part – all you then have to do during the week is grab a container and go!

The benefits of cooking meals from home compared to buying from fast food restaurants are huge. Rather than spending £10 on one meal that isn’t fulfilling, you could spend that on three chicken breast fillets, a bag of rice and vegetables that’ll last you for at least three days. Plus you control the ingredients and the taste you want.

Good luck!

Selena Brown

@SelenaBFit

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