Meal prep involves planning, preparing, cooking and portioning out your meals ahead of time, which means cooking in bulk once or twice a week (Sunday and Wednesday). Meal prep can have a huge impact on you and your family, as it has for me.
I am a seasoned, faithful meal prepper with over a decade of experience. It saves me so much time during the week to have my refrigerator stocked with healthy meals, which is vital to living a healthy lifestyle. Otherwise, I would be rushing to throw my lunch and dinner together, maybe from leftovers from the night before, and trying to decide what to eat on the day of — which is not a healthy habit.
Planning is crucial to staying on track, and if you don’t have time to meal prep, no problem. We’re fortunate to have several local meal prep companies offering tasty, healthy options.
EAT RIGHT MEAL PREP
Rob Stinson, executive head chef, joined with Michelle and Joff Clarke, owners of Bayou View Fitness, to bring you the healthiest meal prep on the Coast. It’s the only meal-prep provider in the state with the certification of meeting Ochsner Eat Fit, meaning it meets Ochsner’s healthy food criteria.
Besides being delicious, Eat Fit items meet the nutritional guidelines of the Ochsner Eat Fit team and are centered on lean proteins, vegetables, plant-based fats and whole grains, with no white carbs and minimum added sugar and animal fats.
The meals are made at Salute Restaurant, and Eat Fit is heart healthy, senior friendly and diabetic friendly. KETO and Double KETO meals are now available. Eat Right has very tasty meals for the whole family, and you can choose from a variety of plans. Free local pickup is available at Bayou View Fitness.
www.eatrightmealprep.com
Facebook/Eat Right Meal Prep
(228) 456-3677
PREP BY K.U.G.
Originally from New Orleans, owner Kristina Uribe Grizzard, aka K.U.G., grew up in Ocean Springs. A wife and mother of three, she is committed to health, fitness and nutrition.
At Prep, food is the love language, and Kristina focuses on whole foods and is always happy to share her cooking process with you to help you make food choices based on your dietary needs or lifestyle. Prep by K.U.G. has a delectable variety of macro meals that provide the right calorie content and protein/fat/carb counts. Macro meals may contain gluten, grains, soy, dairy and/or added sugars.
Prep also offers paleo meals that are free of gluten, dairy, grains, legumes, added sugars and harmful chemicals. They offer individually prepped meals that can be picked up on a weekly basis, or Kristina offers a grab-and-go cooler for when you’re in a pinch.
www.prepbykug.com
Facebook/Prep by K.U.G.
(228) 282-9087
NEXT DAY NUTRITION
Next Day Nutrition believes that life is worth living to the fullest, and we know the quality of our lives is greatly determined by the quality of our fuel. Next Day’s mission is to help you optimize your overall health through plant-based nutrition.
Next Day Nutrition is committed to making the Coast a healthier place by spreading awareness and increasing the availability of plant-based foods. The company will assist your transition toward a predominately plant-based diet by offering educational meal prep. When you sign up, you will receive educational material that teaches you why they send you certain foods and how to do it on your own. Meals are available for delivery to your home or office (selected days).
www.nextdaynutrition.net
Facebook/Next Day Nutrition
(228) 731-3198
All these companies offer great benefits, so try them and take back some of your time. Plus, meal prep can save you money, help with weight control, contribute to a more nutritionally balanced diet for you and your family and reduce your stress as you avoid rushed preparation or last-minute meal decisions. Happy prepping!
Karol Brandt is an executive host with Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort, as well as co-author of the Amazon best-seller “The Struggle is Real: Finally Break the Dieting Cycle, Transform Your Mind and Body, and Evolve into The Person You Have Always Wanted to Be” and the “30-Day Evolve Challenge Journal.” Contact Brandt by email at karol.brandt@scarletpearlcasino.com, Facebook/The Struggle Is Real or Instagram at karolbrandtnola.
