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Meal Prep Class! A Chicago Home Personal Trainer Cooks Healthy Meals For You!

Writer's picture: Darek KowalDarek Kowal

$105 in Food = 30+ Healthy Meals % 40+ Low Calorie Snacks/Desserts
$105 in Food = 30+ Healthy Meals & 40+ Low Calorie Snacks/Desserts

Meal Prep can be daunting, especially if you've never done it before and aren't sure which foods you should eat, how large your portions should be, or how to divide your calories.


Well, good news! I've decided to take out all the guess work ... and all the other work as well.


This weekend, to help jump start a diet phase for my amazing client Jim (who by the way has added 50 pounds to his bench press max in the last month!!!!), I delivered an at home Meal Prep Class that resulted in 32 Lunches and Dinners, 35 Low Calorie Snacks, and 10 Low Calorie Desserts.


To make things as easy as possible, I took it upon myself to:


  1. Shop For All Groceries Needed

  2. Bring The Groceries To My Client's Lovely Home

  3. Prep, Cook, Weigh, and Package Every Meal (32 in total) With Accurate Calorie Counts

  4. Prep and Package Low Calorie Snack Options (35 in total) With Accurate Calorie Counts

  5. Teach How To Measure Out Serving Sizes For Dessert (10 in total)

  6. Calculate His Daily Calorie Max For A Weight Loss Deficit

  7. Plan What To Eat When/How Much Water To Consume


And all while keeping the food cost at $105!


32 Healthy Meals With Accurate Calorie Counts!
32 Healthy Meals With Accurate Calorie Counts!

Every meal includes a protein, a fibrous carb, and a starchy carb. For our first round of meals, I kept the menu simple but included some variety in the proteins such as:


BBQ Chicken Breast

Orange Chicken

Lean Ground Turkey Tacos

Deconstructed Turkey Burgers

Deconstructed Alaskan Cod Tacos w/ Salsa

Tuna Salad w/ Relish


And accompanied every meal with 1 cup of White Rice and 1 cup of Vegetables (Broccoli, Mixed Veg, etc).


Healthy Alaskan Cod With or Without Delicious Salsa, Served with Rice and Broccoli!
Healthy Alaskan Cod With or Without Delicious Salsa, Served with Rice and Broccoli!

For in between meals, I packed 25 bags of low calorie snack options (mini Rice Cakes and Apple Straws) that came out to 110 and 140 calories respectively. These low calorie options will allow for a healthy amount of food (16 and 36 pieces of each) to satiate cravings without putting much of a dent into overall calorie count.


A pantry full of low calorie snack options for in between meals! All with accurate calorie counts!
A pantry full of low calorie snack options for in between meals! All with accurate calorie counts!

I also brought low fat Cottage Cheese that can be mixed with fruit as an in between meal snack (1/2 cup at 90 calories per serving) and Non Fat Flavored Greek Yogurt (3/4 cup at 135 calories per serving) for a sweet dessert that can also be mixed with fresh or frozen fruit.


For breakfast (and to allow my Client who enjoys cooking to still spend a little time in the kitchen), we mapped out a healthy protein shake with Almond Milk that provides a healthy option in the morning for under 300 calories and that he can make before work. See?! I'm not a TOTAL control freak! ; )


MEAL PREP VS. MEAL DELIVERY SERVICE, A CHICAGO HOME PERSONAL TRAINER SAVES $!


Before jumping into my Meal Prep Class, my Client used Cook Unity for a few meals per week. We crunched the numbers and calculated 4 meals from Cook Unity Cost approx. $16.63 per meal.


After food and labor, my 32 meals and 45 snacks/desserts came out to ...


$10.11 per meal!


How's that for eating healthy AND saving money?! Plus, now my client knows how to Meal Prep for himself going forward and can drastically reduce food budget and lose weight!


If you'd like to sign up for a Meal Prep Class or Personal Training Sessions (20% Off For 3 Months!) With A Chicago Home Personal Trainer Click The Links Below!




Jim's 5 Star Review!!!
Jim's 5 Star Review!!!



178 views1 comment

1 commentaire


Jim F
18 janv.

Great article. I may add that the entire entirety of the meals per day with the rice snack and the apple straws at each meal plus the yogurt once at a total calorie intake around 1700. This gives me another 325 cal to play around with, but obviously I have one calorie goal in comparison to another.

J'aime

Consult A Qualified Healthcare Professional Prior To Beginning Any Diet Or Exercise Program. This Website & Its Content Is For Informational & Educational Purposes Only. It Is Not Intended As Medical Advice Or To Replace A Relationship With A Qualified Healthcare Professional.

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