By: Andrew Dunavent

Big dogs have to eat. That is a given fact that nobody will ever argue with, however what big dogs must eat is another topic that will be debated for years to come. However, it is easy to fall victim to a working life and the convenience of fast food with the past paced society we live in and lose track of what and how much we eat. There are two kinds of people I am talking to with this post, those who do not eat enough to keep up with their physical demands and those who consider bulking a 24/7 job for multiple years. I have found an easy fix that I am sure many of you have heard about and brushed of your shoulder or have tried and lost your way. Learn the way of meal prepping. No, I am not saying measure your portions in advance and weight every almond before you eat it; prepare your food in advance whatever it may be and reap the benefits.

Meal prepping provides many benefits that I have seen first hand as an avid meal prep enthusiast. Lets look at them:

• You only make what you need which equals no excess spending or eating
• You will not be tempted to grab a burrito for every meal.
• You can spend that extra time each day doing something productive or relaxing instead of cooking. (I know cooking can be relaxing and productive, but if it is THE MOST relaxing and productive thing you can do, get a hobby)
• You will eat healthier (nobody meal preps with donuts)
• You will feel better (try it to see)

Those are all things that I can personally guarantee happen with meal prepping. Now lets get down to the business of how to meal prep but first let me make a few disclosures

• I am going to explain to you how I meal prep. There is no one way to do anything in life, so if you do not like my way, either find your own way or be on your way.
• I am not here to tell you what to eat, you can use whatever food you want; gluten free, dairy free, hormone free, organic free, boring, fun, whatever you desire.
• Yes, reheated food never tastes as good as freshly cooked food I know that. But reheated food with no rush tastes much better than having 5 minutes to stuff fresh food down your throat.

As a college student with an engineering major, a minor, 19 units and still making time to work and train, time is always of the essence and I have found what seems like a perfect plan for prepping meals. On Sundays, I set aside usually three hours to prep my meals because it is an empty day for me. I make pretty classy food so that’s why I set aside so much time but really, an hour is all you need. In that time, I cook all my food and put it into Tupperware and into the fridge. Presto, meals are prepared for the week. Lets take a breakdown:

• Set a time each week where you have free time to plan what meals you want to eat, time to shop and time to cook. Those are the big three to begin.
• Each day should consist of breakfast, lunch and dinner (I do three decent meals a day with a few snacks) and a few snacks
• Plan what you want to eat at each meal with each of the following
  • Protein (4-8 ounces)
  • Carbs (1-2 cups)
  • Veggies (2 cups) (the more the merrier)
• Make a shopping list of the sum of all the food needed for your meals and your planned snacks. Snacks should be simple and raw like nuts and bars.
• Buy your grub and buy meal sized Tupperware to keep it organized and pretty, the organization and appeal of the squared meals when finished helps you feel a sense of achievement to keep the prepping going on for months.
• Cook your grub
• Pack your grub away
• Eat your grub throughout the week.

Each person has different nutrient and caloric needs so I put ranges on the foods. Eat what works best for you and ask for help from somebody who has knowledge of the subject. In Crossfit, people vary by the degree of their needs but all have the same needs, the same applies in diets, everybody can meal prep and benefit despite different needs in foods and meal sizes.

If anybody has any further questions, feel free to email me and I can help you out or point you in the direction of help if I am unsure.