How to Meal Prep Healthy Lunches with IIFYM

I started meal prepping my lunches to take to work at about 15 months into my weight loss journey (when I was down about 82 pounds) and really have enjoyed eating real and whole foods for my lunches whenever possible! I made a habit of roasting up a bunch of veggies every weekend and paired it with some type of protein to eat throughout the week.  Since switching to the If It Fits Your Macros diet plan I've had to switch up how I cook and track my meal prep for lunches since IIFYM is based around weighing out all of your food to hit your macronutriet goal within +/- 5 grams every day. I thought I would share a post on how I have adjusted my meal prep to follow IIFYM and how I accurately track the macros for my lunches using My Fitness Pal!

First things first: you will need Tupperware! I bought this 10 pack of meal prep containers for less than $15 off amazon (affiliate link). They have three different compartments for food and are dishwasher and microwave safe.

Next: you will obviously need food :) I like to eat pretty healthy and low carb lunches during the day at work as I prefer to save my carbs and fats for snacks and desserts so I pick pretty low carb veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts or green beans.  I will buy the veggies pre-cut or in their regular forms depending on what's on sale that week at different grocery stores.  For this week I used two bags of green beans, two bags of cauliflower, and two large heads of broccoli for 5 lunches

This week I also prepped some protein to pack! If I'm low on time on the weekend I will sometimes buy pre-cooked chicken sausage and use that but this week I had plenty of time so I bought some thin sliced chicken breast cutlets to cook and and season with truffled parmesan rub.

Now for the fun part: time to start weighing! I weigh out each vegetable separately before they go in the oven.  I use the "tare" food scale from vanity planet (affiliate code "whims" makes it $25) to weigh the veggies raw

Healthy Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Waffles

I'm not always very good at sleeping.

 I woke up wayyyyy to early for no reason today. Like, 3:45AM early. Most normal people would be able to get up, go to the bathroom, and then GO BACK TO SLEEP CAUSE IT'S 3:45 IN THE FREAKING MORNING. Sigh. No, not me.  Sometimes my body just likes to be like Hey! Hah! No more sleep for you!

Alas. I hung around in bed for awhile...scrolled instagram....checked facebook...and then by 4:30AM I figured it was an acceptable time to get up (barely). I hit up Wawa for a big ole cuppa coffee then came back home to eat breakfast. 'Cause if your up and rolling by 5AM, you might as well make use of your time, right???

Well, today's breakfast was pretty delicious. Mayyyybe even worth waking up at 5am ON PURPOSE to make, like that's how good it was.  Well, if you are a morning person at least.  I'm sure that for some even the temptation of a healthy waffle stacked with creamy strawberry cheesecake yogurt and drizzled with syrup and a white chocolate crunch topping is STILL not worth waking up that early to make...but lucky for you this waffle is super fast and easy to make so even if you can't get up early to make it you can still whip it together in a jiffy to enjoy!

Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Waffles

Ingredients:

• 30 Grams PEScience Snickerdoodle Protein Powder
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Water
• Light and Fit Strawberry Cheesecake Greek Yogurt Crunch
• Fresh Strawberries
• Sugar Free Syrup
• Fat Free Reddi Whip 

Steps:

1. Mix protein powder and baking powder together
2. Beat in one egg
3. Add enough water to consistency, around 1/4 cup
4. Cook waffle in waffle maker (I use an oster brand)
5. Cut cooked waffle into 4 servings and stack layering with greek yogurt and top with sugar free syrup, fresh cut strawberries, the crunch topping from the greek yogurt, and fat free reddi whip!

Nutritional Information

My waffle came out to 350 calories, 28 grams carbs, 9 grams fat, and 40 grams of protein. A perfect way to start your day with tons of protein while filling you up and leaving your strawberry cheesecake-loving tastes buds super satisfied.

PS: One of the benefits of waking up at 3:45? It's now only 6:30AM and I've eaten breakfast, cleaned the whole kitchen, AND blogged.  Guess it's time to go get my run done!