The Surprising Thing You Should Meal Prep Every Week, According to a Dietitian
At EatingWell, we're big fans of meal prep, and we're kind of pros at it. But one meal that we've never thought to prep ahead? Dessert. Thanks to registered dietitian Chelsey Amer (follow her on Instagram @chesleyamernutrition), we might just start prepping a few sweet treats to have at-the-ready. We think her idea takes the cake (pun intended); here's why.
Amer says that her favorite thing to meal-prep is dessert. What a revelation! Instead of ignoring or feeling guilty about a craving, she plans for it. Amer explains in the video, "When I used to not have sweet treats in the house, I would crave them all the time. Does that sound familiar?" She goes on to say, "As a registered dietitian, I know that keeping sweets on hand is actually the answer to craving them less."
While it might sound counterintuitive, this idea is backed up by one of our favorite concepts: intuitive eating. In intuitive eating, there are no foods that are off-limits. Instead, you have unconditional permission to eat what you want, when you want. But what if all you want to eat is ice cream or pizza? Well, you might feel that way at first, but when no foods are off-limits you don't have to restrict or "save" foods for special circumstances. You can simply have what you want when you want it, which makes you less likely to want to overindulge in any one food. This can be a little scary since we are taught and told to restrict "bad" foods, but finding food freedom can actually be good for your health and great for your relationship with food.
We love Amer's idea of planning ahead to have something to satisfy your sweet tooth when it inevitably strikes. Plus, having homemade treats on hand can help you save money, cater to your flavor preferences and avoid the excessive added sugar and added fat that can be in store-bought sweets. We might just start following Amer's lead—check out these dessert recipes you'll want to make forever for inspiration.