Meal prepping is beneficial and at times worth the time consumption, but going to school full time, makes meal prepping and working out in every area of free time very exhausting.

Although at times, I do have a little time for myself to make my meals for the week, I find it hard to keep it consistent.

For those who struggle with meal prepping or the continuation of it, here are someone daily staples I have found to be easy enough to keep up with time and time again.

1. Protein Pancakes.

What's better than feeding your carb cravings, while simultaneously keeping up with your daily protein intake?

Protein pancakes taste good and benefit energy levels on high carb days making them a daily staple, at least in my fitness adventures.

These are possible to make from scratch using whey protein but considering I haven't found time to keep up with doing that, I found Kodiak Cakes. Kodiak Cakes are simple and taste great!

2. Protein, in general.

Protein is the major key to building muscle and cutting down unwanted excess body fat.

Considering most bodybuilders have a high protein intake every day, they look for protein in every meal they consume.

Whey protein is very common to ensure daily high intake, used before or after a workout in shakes, smoothies or different foods.

3. Walden Farms Syrup And Other Products.

This goes along with the protein pancake meal. These Walden Farms products are extremely low in calories but you would never know by the taste.

4. Halo Top Ice Cream.

Everyone craves sweets at times and while it's nice to treat yourself to ice cream, there's always a small amount of guilt that follows.

Why not treat yourself to a healthier route and lose the guilt? Halo Top tastes just as great with less fat, calories, and sugars.

Some argue that it’s not the best for cutting or meeting daily macros but for a treat here and there, I resort to Halo Top with some Walden Farms chocolate syrup.

5. Hot sauce or yellow mustard on everything.

These two condiments are very low in calories, carbs, and fats making them a staple if you're lucky enough to like the taste of either of them. I’ve learned to put both of these on chicken, egg whites, and pretty much any food that lacks flavor.

6. Egg whites.

Although the yoke of the egg is not necessarily bad for you, for someone who is trying to meet a macro count, eliminating the yoke takes away the majority of the egg fat to leave only the protein.

7. Vegetable Noodles.

These I have found to be easy and a perfect substitute for pasta.

If you don't have access to a spiralizer which can be as cheap as $10, you can use an everyday vegetable peeler. I have resorted to zucchini and squash noodles but you can even spiralize sweet potatoes!

8. Steel Cut Oatmeal.

Steel Cut Oatmeal has a high amount of protein, and with no added sugars it makes oatmeal a healthy pre or post workout meal.

Personally, I like to add whey protein to my oatmeal for taste and a higher amount of protein.

9. Water, water, and more water!

Water is the most important aspect of staying healthy and staying in shape. It regulates all functions in the body, including your metabolism and digestion system.

Don't ever neglect water. If you don't take any of these eating suggestions and continue to eat whatever you want, at least drink as much water as you can handle.

10. Chicken.

This is the go-to for the majority of fitness lovers. Chicken tastes good, lasts long leftover, has a high amount of protein, and a low amount of fat.

It is easy to prepare and goes with pretty much anything. With a bunch of different ways to prepare this food, it is hard to get sick of.

11. Amino Acids and BCAAs.

Amino Acids and BCAAs work together to aid in muscle building and recovery.

Picture them as Legos, amino acids are the building blocks that make-up protein. Your body puts them together like Legos to create muscle.

BCAAs trigger protein synthesis which is the building of muscles, it also induces muscle recovery, prevents soreness, and improves the use of fat for energy.

12. Cheat Meals.

Most importantly, cheat meals are vital to metabolism improvement and mental sanity. By allowing yourself to have a cheat meal, you are preventing the complete fall off.

Some people go on strict diets for a month or two and go back to old habits, which can be worse than ever starting the diet. If you are on a diet and eat less than you normally do, your metabolism slows down.

Therefore, if you have a binge bounce back it will be worse than eating bad before you started. In saying this, cheat meals keep everyone on track and make for a faster metabolism.

With all the information above, I have to make it clear that I am not an expert, every day is a learning experience when it comes to fitness and eating right.

All this information comes from personal experiences with trial and error. I hope some of these everyday staples make it easier for you to stay on track without strictly meal prepping.