6 Reasons Why Meal Prep Is Important When Training

Baden Powell’s famous Scout motto ‘Be Prepared’ works because it’s simple and effective and a mantra that every person must abide by when considering their workout regime.

One key area, that is easy to overlook, is the preparation of your diet. The food you consume is vital to being able to get the most from your training sessions - get this wrong and you’re bound to fail. Not convinced? Here’s six reasons to ‘be prepared’ with your meals when training…

The right fuel

Every training regime must be supported by a balanced diet. This will ensure your body is fuelled by all of the essential nutrients you need to reach your maximum performance and boost your stamina. By preparing your meals properly you can plan out your day and week to make sure you consume a good balance.

Having meals prepared in advance will also ensure that you don’t skip meals, a mistake that can cause your energy levels to drop.

Recovery

Your diet isn’t just about providing the fuel you need to train. It’s vital that your body is able to recover, with protein key to help your muscles, cells and tissues repair themselves.

Getting the right meals prepared and ready to eat after your workout is vital to help this process.

Weight loss

Chances are that no matter what your training goals are, you’ll want to be leaner as a result of your workouts. Preparing your meals properly allows you to spend time counting your calories and using the right ingredients to make for a healthy diet. Most of us make our worst food choices when tired and hungry at the end of the day, after all.

Save time

Speaking of which, one of the reasons we make such poor choices is because we don’t feel we have the time to start cooking. By preparing meals in advance, when we have time to spend a couple of hours in the kitchen, we can save time later in the week.

This also helps when trying to fit everything into a busy schedule. Balancing work and family life can be tricky enough, without the need to squeeze cooking into your day too. By preparing your meal you’ll clear your schedule for more training time.

Remove temptation

It’s so easy to slip into bad habits and make poor dietary choices when you’re tired or in a rush – people reach for takeaways and sugary snacks out of convenience. If meals are prepared in advance you won’t allow yourself to be tempted to the ‘dark side’. Don’t neglect ‘in between times’ either, have a few healthy snack ideas that can tide you over in between meals without knocking you off course.