How are your resolutions going?
A local consumer agent said one way to tackle two resolutions can be prepping meals at home instead of eating out. Warren County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent Piper Smith said when you go out to eat, a lot of the meals are high in saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. Smith said many people make meal prepping their New Year’s resolution as a way to eat healthier.
“You can easily pick the lower-sodium options or options that have lower fat,” Smith said. “You can add more fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, and leaner proteins to your meals. So this helps manage some of those chronic conditions that we constantly see.”
Smith said that when you eat out, typically the portion sizes are bigger than what we actually need. Smith said saving money is also another major benefit of meal prepping.
“When you go out to eat, whether it’s fast food or a restaurant, that cost is typically a lot higher than if you were to go get some groceries and do some meal prep,” Smith said.
Smith said people tend to struggle with sticking to meal prepping as a New Year’s resolution. Smith said typically struggle with meal prepping because it takes commitment.
“Taking a couple of hours to prep enough lunch for the whole week, and I think people get tired of that commitment because on their day off, they may get burned out using up that time,” Smith said. “And they might just want to switch back to the convenience of going out to eat.”
Smith said she recommends starting with easy recipes that only take a couple of hours to prepare. Smith said some recipes only require a crockpot and minimal kitchen utensils.
Smith said she recommends meal prepping on the weekend for the week ahead. Smith said if you do not enjoy cooking, she advises putting on a podcast or something to listen to to make the time more enjoyable. Smith said one last benefit to meal prepping is that you don’t have to worry about cooking after a long day of work.