What do my most successful patients do when it comes to their health and nutrition? 

They PLAN out their meals and PREP their food ahead of time.

Quality nutrition is a huge pillar of health and functional medicine – it is fuel and “information” for our body, our mind, and essentially, has the power to help heal the body!

As patients embark on a protocol with us at Whisper Health, we develop a nutrition plan for them that is therapeutic (helping to heal health concerns) but it also needs to be realistic. Our goal is to help you create sustainable changes and habits.

One of these habits is implementing a food prep routine.

Food Prep, making your food in bulk ahead of time, saves you time and energy during the busy week.

What are the benefits?

It relieves the stress and decision fatigue of “What am I/we going to eat today??”

It makes meal time a breeze, and helps support the good healthy eating habits you are (or have been) working to implement.

It saves you time and energy during the week

You’re more likely to make better decisions with your food, and be less tempted by quick fixes, like take out or fast food, since you have the food prepped.

But what happens when… you are in charge of cooking for multiple people, that might eat differently than you do?

What if you struggle with cooking (whether that is you don’t enjoy it, or it feels overwhelming?)

Healthy Eating and Meal Prep for Families can be challenging at first to navigate. Not everyone has the same food preferences, schedule, or health goals. It can be challenging when you personally have specific dietary needs and health goals that are different than the rest of the household. I hear a lot that “My husband doesn’t eat or like the same (healthier) food as me”, or “my kids are picky eaters and I have to make two separate dinners every night”. It doesn’t have to be that complicated or frustrating!

Here are My Top Tips on Healthy Eating & Food Prep for the Whole Family:

Communicate with your household, and take an inventory on the foods that they like and their favorite meals. Find a common ground and make a list of the foods that everyone likes.

Consider healthier options of any not-so healthy items that they like. As far as junk food…if it isn’t there, they can’t eat it! For instance, if they like chips, consider buying grain free tortilla chips, lentil chips, gluten free crackers etc. Dark chocolate, mini Kind or Rx Bars are great options for a sweeter option. There are MANY options out there that are better choices, so that everyone is happy and no one is deprived.

Shop in Confidence; it is perfectly okay to speak up and ask for the items that you want in the house (if you don’t shop). If you do the shopping, make sure to keep buying what you enjoy. Remember, what you consume has a profound impact on your health. Plus, you are setting a great example for the rest of the house!

Batch Prep your Food. Prep a few veggies, complex carbs, and proteins, then keep them in separate containers. This allows each person in the house to “build their own” meal.

So before grocery shopping, consult with your household and see if there is any meal/food that they might want the following week.  Then plan accordingly to do the batch prep.

Chicken breast

Ground turkey or chicken

Roasted veggies: broccoli, asparagus, zucchini

Brown or jasmine rice, lentil pasta

Cauliflower rice, squashes, sweet potato

When you Batch Prep and have Build your Own Meals, then each person can decide on how they like their specific meal. You have the same base (protein and veggie) but then the carb/fat is optional. You can combine and mix and match as needed!

You can also consider “One Pan” Meals/Recipes that you all can enjoy (this can also include chilis, soups, casseroles). Condiments and extras can be added on as needed. 

For example, you would roast veggies and meat on a sheet pan, then make the carb source separately (i.e. rice, potato).

Lastly, keep everything VISIBLE in clear glass Pyrex containers. Not only is this better for you (and the environment) than plastic tupperware, it also allows everyone to see what is available in the kitchen.

I hope you find these tips helpful and that it makes healthy eating easier for you and your whole family! Continue building these healthy habits and over time, it becomes a routine, a lifestyle and you wouldn’t want it any other way! 🙂