If you’re already familiar with Ayurveda and some of the principles, you may have discovered that leftovers are considered ‘tamasic’ or inert food. Tamasic food is considered lacking in energy and the kind of food that makes you sluggish and dull. It is also said to weaken your immune system. Even really healthy food can become tamasic if it becomes stale or old. In Ayurveda, it is acknowledged that foods have an impact not only on the body, but on your mind too and so tamasic food can lead to a low and slow emotional state. Many Ayurvedic experts would put meal prepping in this category because the food that is prepped and refrigerated or frozen is thought to lose its prana as soon as it has been prepared.
However, we all have to juggle the challenges of modern day living with time constraints, busy schedules, limited resources and other practicalities. You can only spend your time and your money once, and so choices have to be made all the time.
But I LOVE meal prep. Here is why:
it saves time
it saves making decisions every day
I can measure quantities out all at once for good portion control
having it all done means I’m more likely to stick to the program
And I especially love meal prepping my oatmeal because I add all kinds of herbs, seeds, spices and nutrients that turn it into a medicine and energy bomb. And here’s the hack…. by not adding any liquid to it in advance, it is not becoming tamasic.
I can meal prep enough for a month at a time, keep them in a cool dark place and then they are ready to take out and use each morning when I’m ready. I could also top them up with plant milk the night before and have them as overnight oats in the morning although I prefer to have them warm.