Achieving your fitness goals involves more than just hitting the gym! What you eat plays a BIG role. Proper nutrition fuels your workouts, helps recovery, and helps build muscle while reducing fat.

One of the best and most effective strategies to ensure you eat in alignment with your fitness goals is to plan and prep your meals in advance. In this article, I will share a life-changing way to meal plan using the "Rule of 3 Method".

This will simplify your meal-planning process and help you reach your goals!

Why Planning and Pre-Prepping Meals Helps with Fitness Goals

It Keeps You Consistent: Consistency is the cornerstone of any fitness goal—whether it’s losing weight, building muscle, or maintaining overall health. Planning and prepping your meals ensure that you are consistently consuming the right nutrients in the right quantities, which is crucial for making progress.

Helps You Avoid Temptations: When you have pre-prepared meals ready to go, you’re less likely to grab snacks or foods that aren’t aligned with your goals. This control over your food choices prevents the pitfalls of impulse eating, which can derail your progress.

Portion Control and Calorie Management: Prepping meals ahead allows you to manage portion sizes specific to you. By planning, you can make sure each meal meets your calorie and macronutrient targets, making it easier to stick to a calorie deficit for fat loss or a surplus for muscle gain.

Saves You Time and Reduces Stress: Having a plan means you spend less time figuring out what to eat every day, which can be especially helpful on busy days. By cooking in advance, you save time during the week and reduce the stress of daily meal preparation.

Cost-Effective: Meal prepping is more economical and reduces the need to eat out or buy ready-made meals, which are often more expensive. Buying ingredients in bulk and preparing meals at home can significantly cut down on food costs.

The Rule of 3: Simplifying Your Meal Planning

The "Rule of 3" is a simple yet effective strategy for meal planning. This has been a GAME CHANGER for me!

It involves selecting three different options from each of the following categories: carbs, veggies, fruits, proteins, condiments, and snacks. By doing so, you create a versatile foundation for a variety of meals throughout the week.

Here’s how to apply the "Rule of 3":

Pick 3 Carb Sources: These are your primary energy providers and should be nutrient-dense and high in fiber. Examples: oats, sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa or bread.
Pick 3 Vegetables: Veggies are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are low in calories but high in volume, which helps you feel full. Examples: broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, green beans, onions, carrots, tomatoes etc.
Pick 3 Fruits: Fruits provide natural sweetness, vitamins, and fiber. They are great for snacking or as part of a balanced meal. Examples: Apples, berries, oranges, bananas, etc.
Pick 3 Fat Sources: Fats provide nutrients for healthy hormones and brain health. Examples: Olive oil, avocado, nuts, nut butter, etc.
Pick 3 Protein Sources: Protein should be the centerpiece of your meals, providing the essential amino acids your body needs for muscle repair and growth. Examples: Chicken breast, fish, lean beef, tofu, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, ground beef, etc.
Pick 3 Condiments: These add flavor to your meals without a lot of extra calories. Choose ones that are low in added sugars and unhealthy fats. Examples: Salsa, hummus, balsamic vinegar.
Pick 3 Snacks: Snacks should complement your meals and provide a balance of protein, healthy fats, and carbs. Examples: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, protein bars, popcorn, trail mix etc.

Creating Meals with the Rule of 3

Selecting three options from each category, you can mix and match to create a wide variety of meals that are both delicious and aligned with your fitness goals. Here is a sample meal plan using the "Rule of 3":

Breakfast Options:

Greek Yogurt Parfait: Greek yogurt (protein) with mixed berries (fruit) and a sprinkle of granola (carb). Top with a drizzle of honey (condiment) for added flavor.
Veggie and Egg Scramble: Eggs (protein) scrambled with spinach and bell peppers (veggies), served with a side of sweet potato hash (carb).
Protein Smoothie: Blend protein powder (protein) with spinach (veggie), banana (fruit), and almond milk. Add a tablespoon of peanut butter (snack) for healthy fat.

Lunch Options:

Chicken Quinoa Bowl: Grilled chicken breast (protein) with a base of quinoa (carb), topped with roasted broccoli (veggie) and a side of salsa (condiment).
Chicken Stir-Fry: Chicken(protein) stir-fried with bell peppers and spinach (veggies) over brown rice (carb), seasoned with soy sauce and ginger (condiment).
Turkey Wrap: Whole wheat wrap (carb) filled with sliced turkey breast (protein), spinach (veggie), and a dollop of hummus (condiment).

Dinner Options:

Salmon with Sweet Potato: Baked salmon (protein) served with a side of sweet potato wedges (carb) and steamed broccoli (veggie). Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (condiment).
Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry: Lean beef strips (protein) stir-fried with mixed vegetables like bell peppers and spinach (veggies) over brown rice (carb), with a side of teriyaki sauce (condiment).
Vegetable and Chickpea Curry: Chickpeas (protein) with a mix of vegetables (veggies) in a tomato-based curry sauce, served over quinoa (carb).

Snack Options:

Apple Slices with Peanut Butter: Apple slices (fruit) dipped in peanut butter (snack).
Greek Yogurt with Honey: Greek yogurt (snack) drizzled with honey (condiment) and topped with mixed berries (fruit).
Veggies with Hummus: A mix of raw vegetables (veggies) like carrots and bell peppers dipped in hummus (condiment).

Another option for Easy Meal Planning

How Hungryroot Can Simplify Meal Planning

Hungryroot is a meal delivery service designed to make healthy eating effortless and enjoyable. It’s perfect for those who want to eat nutritious, balanced meals without spending hours in the kitchen. Here's how Hungryroot can help you stay on track with your fitness goals:

Personalized Grocery Plans: Hungryroot offers customized grocery plans tailored to your dietary preferences, fitness goals, and household size. They provide a range of pre-prepped ingredients and simple recipes that make healthy eating easy.
High-Quality, Nutritious Ingredients: Hungryroot focuses on whole, minimally processed foods. Their offerings include fresh produce, lean proteins, and healthy fats, ensuring you receive nutrient-dense meals that support your fitness goals.
Convenience and Flexibility: With meals that can be prepared in under 10 minutes, Hungryroot saves you time and effort in the kitchen. Their flexible subscription plans allow you to choose the frequency of deliveries and the types of meals you prefer, making it easy to maintain a healthy diet even on a busy schedule.
Wide Variety of Options: Hungryroot caters to various dietary needs, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and more. This variety makes it easier to find meals that suit your taste and nutritional requirements.
Snacks and Meal Kits: Hungryroot also offers a range of healthy snacks (lots of kids-friendly options), which are perfect for keeping you on track between meals.

Special Offer from Hungryroot:

To help you get started, Hungryroot is offering a 40% discount on your first order with the code SHAUNATHERESA40.

This discount offers the perfect opportunity to try out their service, enjoy healthy meals, and simplify your meal-prepping process.

Click the link below to start your order and enjoy 40% off your order automatically!

SHOP & SAVE WITH HUNGRY ROOT

Meal planning and pre-prepping meals are essential strategies for achieving your fitness goals. By using the "Rule of 3," and leveraging convenient services like Hungryroot, you can make reaching your fitness goals easy-peasy!

NEED MORE HELP?

Check out my 12 Weeks to Strong-Her Group Coaching where I teach you how to reach and keep your fit over 40 goals!

Meal Planning and Prepping for Fitness Goals: How to Stay on Track Using the Rule of 3 Method