Scheduling: Meal Prep and Exercise

Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Balancing meal prep and exercise in your weekly schedule requires thoughtful planning and organization. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you integrate both into your routine:

1. Assess Your Time:

  • Start by evaluating your weekly schedule. Identify time slots that are consistently available for meal prep and exercise.

  • Consider both weekdays and weekends.

2. Prioritize:

  • Determine your priorities. If you have specific fitness goals, such as weight loss or muscle gain, allocate more time for exercise.

  • Similarly, prioritize meal prep if you're focusing on healthier eating habits.

3. Create a Weekly Plan:

  • Develop a weekly schedule with dedicated time blocks for meal prep and exercise.

  • This could be daily or on specific days, depending on your preference.

4. Meal Prep Day:

  • Choose a day or two each week for meal prep. Dedicate a few hours to preparing ingredients, cooking meals, and portioning them into containers.

  • Having pre-prepared meals can save time during the week.

  • Even if you make 2 meals per week, by freezing the leftovers you will stockpile more healthy meals over time. Be sure to label and rotate them in the freezer.

5. Choose Realistic Exercise Times:

  • Select realistic and sustainable exercise times.

  • These could be early mornings, lunch breaks, or evenings—whatever fits your schedule and energy levels.

6. Combine Activities:

  • Look for opportunities to combine meal prep and exercise. For example, you might listen to a podcast or watch a cooking show while exercising or do quick workouts during breaks in your meal prep.

7. Set Specific Goals:

  • Define clear, achievable goals for both meal prep and exercise. This could include preparing a certain number of meals each week or committing to a specific number of workout sessions.

8. Use Technology:

  • Leverage technology to your advantage. Set reminders on your phone for both meal prep and exercise sessions. There are also apps that can help you plan meals and track your workouts.

9. Be Flexible:

  • Recognize that life is unpredictable. Be flexible with your schedule and allow for adjustments when unexpected events arise.

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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