5 Easy Weeknight Meals

It’s that time of year when we start to think about losing weight. We focus a great deal of our energy on getting rid of fat so we start avoiding anything we deem “fattening” like the plague. But what would you say if we told you that if you want to lose weight you need to EAT fat? Yep, we here at Prepped Girl, a Cincinnati Kentucky meal prep service, are here to tell you to eat some fat!

Getting a bad rap

According to Shalane Flanagan (female winner of 2017’s NYC Marathon) and Elyse Kopecky in their book Run Fast. Eat Slow. fat is important for many reasons.  “Fat is a carrier for flavor and nutrients. Many vitamins and minerals cannot be absorbed without it. Fat is also a primary source of energy–viable energy that can fuel your body for endurance endeavors. A meal rich in healthy fats will leave you feeling satisfied, better nourished, and less likely to reach for a sugar fix.”

Some research shows that not enough enough fat in your diet can actually make you fat.  When we reduce one macronutrient (i.e. fats, carbs, and protein), we have to make up for the calories somewhere else. Those who eat less fat usually end up eating more carbs–usually simple carbs. These simple carbs can spike your insulin levels. A drop in blood sugar alerts your brain that you’re hungry—again—even though you just ate. Research has found that post-eating blood sugar spikes can also increase inflammation due to your body’s overproduction of inflammatory free radicals called reactive oxygen species (ROS) (http://www.eatthis.com/why-you-should-eat-fat/).

Healthy food has gotten a bad reputation for not tasting so good, and that is because much of what we consider to be “healthy” lacks fat, and that would make sense since fat is what makes food taste good. “We have been programmed to think of fat as bad, but remember that not all [fats] are created equal” (Run Fast. Eat Slow). You can transform your body AND your meals by including healthy fats.

But what fats should you eat?

Research is revealing that eating the right fats can actually lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, and improve your cholesterol levels. That’s because all fats are not created equal. It’s not the total amount of fat in your diet that affects how much you weigh or whether you’re at risk for heart disease. What matters is the type of fats you choose (and, when it comes to dropping pounds, the total number of calories you eat) (http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20582466,00.html). Below is a list of some good fats you need to be eating:

• coconut (like oil and full-fat milk)
• extra virgin olive oil
• butter/ghee
• avocado
• nuts and nut butters (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts)
• salmon

Eat in moderation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults get 20%-35% of their calories from fats. At a minimum, we need at least 10% of our calories to come from fat. The problem is that the typical American diet is higher in fat: Roughly 34% to 40% of our calories come from fat.  (https://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/features/skinny-fat-good-fats-bad-fats#1). Just because these healthy fats are good for us and make our food taste great doesn’t mean we can go overboard in the name of health…a calorie IS a calorie, but cutting fat out completely in an attempt to lose weight is also not a good idea. We need to eat these fats in moderation, like most everything else (except maybe veggies…eating veggies is ALWAYS a good idea), to ensure that we are giving our bodies what they need to function at their best.

How Prepped Girl can help

Prepped Girl is a Cincinnati Kentucky meal prep service where you can order healthy breakfasts and lunches for your work week. We use healthy fats all the time when creating our meals. We cook with extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and ghee–especially ghee for a dairy free alternative to butter.

We include slices of avocado with our meals like with our Turkey Taco Bowl.

And our grain free granola is chock full of healthy fats from seeds, nuts, and coconut flakes and oil!

We make your health a priority when creating all of our meals.

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Need a meal prep service in your life? In the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area? Head over to www.preppedgirl.com and check out our Cincinnati Kentucky meal prep service menu for this week! All orders need placed by noon on Friday and will be delivered to your door Sunday morning (6 meal minimum order required for free delivery). Let Prepped Girl make living your best life that much easier!