5 Ways To Make Meal Prep Fun

Reading Time

Let’s be honest, if good habits were fun you’d already be doing them. 

Meal prep or cooking in general fits perfectly into this category.

When we find a task boring or monotonous, we may not want to practice it. 

However we know that we need to practice them to get in the successful reps in order to form new habits. 

Meal prep, cooking, even grocery shopping doesn’t have to be such a boring chore.

Before I share my 5 tips, here is a story. A true one.

There was an engineer who loved Netflix and wanted to exercise more, so he created an exercise bike that powered Netflix if he cycled at a certain speed. 

What we can learn from this is that if we combine the fun stuff with the not so fun stuff, the latter is more likely to be completed. 

This is known as “Temptation Bundling”.

Pairing an action you want to do with an action that you need to do.

Pair something you love with a habit you want to build and you may find yourself doing it more, and even enjoying it. 

So my 5 tips to make meal prep enjoyable, or at least less painful are.

MUSIC

PODCASTS

YOUTUBE

NETFLIX

DO IT WITH SOMEONE ELSE

Let’s dive deeper into each of those

1. Music.
   

   Put some epic beats on. Your favourite jam. Some tunes that really get you in the mood. If you’re a pop-punk fan just search Pop Punk 2007 Playlist OR Josh’s Bucks Weekend on Spotify- they won’t let you down.

   But if you really want to get the party started, look no further than Two Friends Big Bootie Mixes on Soundcloud (my personal favourites at 10, 14 and 17)

2. Podcast.

Use the time to learn something or listen to something interesting. The Team FNC podcast perhaps? Some of my other favourite podcasts are The Daily Stoic, Page Avenue Crew, Smartless, Armchair Expert, What’s Essential, Sigma Nutrition, The James Smith Podcast or Fake Doctors Real Friends for any Scrubs fans

3. Youtube.

Put your lappy on the kitchen bench and put your favourite youtube channel on. Watch something funny, scary, cringy, whatever it may be that takes your mind away from the chores you’re doing.

4. Netflix.

Or really any other TV or movie streaming site. Again put your lappy on the bench and watch a movie or TV show to distract yourself from the chopping and cooking you’re doing. Just don’t get so enthralled in it that you accidentally chop your finger off.

5. Do it with someone else.

I think the saying is many hands make light work?

Having someone with you means you can share the tasks.

Someone chopping veggies, someone cooking meat.

But even more important is how we perceive the tasks.

Let’s look at some research here.

A study of Oxford rowers has shown that members of a team who exercised together were able to tolerate twice as much pain as when they trained on their own. [1] 

A study looking at rowers showed that compared with training alone, group training significantly increases pain threshold. Rowers could row harder, faster and tolerate more pain with doing it in a group rather than alone. [2]

Another study looked at hiking and how social support can affect the perception of a steep hill. Participants accompanied by a friend estimated a hill to be less steep when compared to participants who were alone. [3]

Those examples make it pretty clear that having someone with you when you’re prepping may not only lighten the load but make the task seem less daunting.

So there are 5 ways to make meal prep more enjoyable but to finish, why is making it enjoyable important?

Well, when we enjoy things, we do them more often.

When we do them more often, they become easier and more automatic. 

They become habits!

You’re more likely to find a behaviour attractive if you get to do one of your favourite things at the same time.

How are you going to pair something you’re trying to practice with something you already enjoy doing?

Try this strategy for a week to make it attractive, make it enjoyable, or at least a little less painful. 

1 on 1 Nutrition Coaching with Fortitude Nutrition Coaching

Are you looking for an understanding and supportive human to talk with, to help with advice and guidance? An objective set of eyes to see what you could improve to move towards your goal in the easiest possible way?

We work with real people and get real results. Sign up for 1 on 1 Nutrition Coaching today and get the support, guidance and accountability of a Fortitude Nutrition Coach.

References:

[1] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090927150348.htm

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2817271/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3291107/