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Yesterday we talked about the importance of planning out our meals in advance and then grocery shopping from that list.  Today, we are going to talk about the next step in our planning process.  What do we do with our food when we get back home? 

If you purchased items in bulk, this will make the next step a little easier than if you just bought small amounts of those foods.  Besides, buying in bulk can also save you money and time in the future!  You will want to divide up your purchases into individual servings.  If you have a family that you are also cooking for, then divide it up into portions that way.  Freeze any meats that you aren’t going to be using right away.  I often precook portions of chicken breast to use in salads throughout the week.  This saves me time when I need to eat something quickly. 

Take any of the vegetables that you purchased and wash and chop them into appropriate sizes.  This will come in handy when you need a quick snack!  You are more likely to snack on celery sticks, baby carrots, raw cauliflower and broccoli if it is already chopped and ready to go.  When it comes to food, we often make the choices we do because of the convenience factor. 

If you have purchased low fat snack crackers or pretzels, then divide the portions into small plastic bags.  This will also save you time when you need a quick snack.  It will also help to retain the freshness of the food items.  I even go as far as to place individual servings of cereal in those bags.  It saves me time each morning as I don’t need to measure a single serving out.  I have already done the work in advance and I can feel good knowing I have watched my serving sizes when I am eating. 

Now, does all of this chopping, preparing and freezing of my food take time?  Of course it does.  However, it really doesn’t take as long as you may think and the dividends throughout the week pay off.  I make good food choices when I snack or make a meal and that shows on the scale.  Try it.  What have you got to lose except the weight?