As a competitor we get used to the same meals day in an day out. A common complaint at my house is, “Chicken again???”. Or favourite phrase from my kids is, “Let me guess, rice, chicken and veggies?” And even if I add sweet and sour sauce they still roll their eyes lol.I was at the grocery store the other day and had some extra money and an obligation to my kids to get kids approved snacks. I literally found myself sitting there staring off into space lol. I literally didn’t know what to buy. Like who was I before I started competing? No, Seriously.
I have been meal prepping for years. So if I’m sick of chicken, of course my kids would be too. I can just about imagine what they tell my friends or their kids parents what we ate at home lol. “My mom never has good food”, “My mom only cooks chicken”. haha Maybe they should keep a photo of me smiling with them so they have proof I’m heathy and not this mean person they make me out to be. Haha
I was thinking of the meals I ate when I was a kid and I assure you they weren’t near as healthy as I eat now. They weren’t bad and I am sure they were balanced according to the Canadian food guide of 1980! But I could definitely not eat like that to be competitive in this bodybuilding sport.
Some people who compete do the same meals for them as they do the kids. I used to, and sometimes still do but lets face it. Eating like a body builder is expensive and kids dont need as lean of meals as we need at our age. But when I think about meals for them I have to seriously think now cause I am so used to the same meals I always do, which usually includes chicken.
Some times I set aside a couple days and do mass freezer meals for the kids. Something so I can just put it into the slow cooker and go. Then they have a nice hot meal at dinner and all I have to do before is make rice, potatoes, or pasta. Seems to be a nice balance. Plus Friday at our home is for Pizza night. Makes life easier. Its been a while since I have done this. It may be time to do it again.
Plus, ground beef that I purchase for the kids is sometimes 80:20 and for myself I purchase 93:7. Kids don’t notice the difference but I sure do. What I need to do is find a local farmer who will butcher the meat how I want. But I am an Alberta raised girl so the beef has to be 100% grass fed. No corn fed at all. I don’t like it at all. Feels too heavy when you eat it.
I find now, I am picky about what brands I use. Some brands and product cant be compared. Even down to ground chicken. Not all are the same. Some products are worth the .30 difference. I’ll even drive to another store to get the meat I like.
I find with meal prep, I spend the extra on good rice. Sometimes on meal prep, a good rice product can make the difference between an okay meal and a great meal. I swear this is the secret to a good prep! haha
I still continue to meal prep about every 3-4 days. Depends on the products I have on it. I even put a mini fridge into my pantry just to accommodate my meal prep containers. Then the kids know its off limits. I even hide some crystal light in the mini fridge. I don’t like going to the cupboard to see that the kids drank all of my facourite flavors haha.