Meal Prep- One day of work can make the rest of the week a breeze
Does this daily routine sound familiar? Wake up for work, get ready, run out the door without breakfast. Thirty minute lunch break comes around. No time to drive to get food and come back; skip lunch. Or, go to drive through for a quick lunch. Back home after work, starving because of no breakfast and no lunch. Eat some chips while thinking of what to have for dinner. End up eating a frozen dinner or going out to eat because it would take too long to go to the store and cook a meal. Sit down to watch TV before bed. Cravings for candy, ice cream, and cookies start.
Does some or all of this sound familiar to you? Is this the endless cycle you find yourself in each week? Ready to stop the madness and start healthy eating habits? It can be easy with a little planning and preparation.
Our lives are filled with constant decision making. We make decisions about work, what to wear, how to exercise, who to speak with, what to post on social media, etc. all of these decisions take a toll on our well being. The less time we can spend thinking about what to eat, the better off we’ll be. Taking time to plan and prepare meals give us more time to live our lives. It also saves money and reduces stress and food waste.
You don’t have to be perfect at meal planning. Start small. Its rare I plan all meals for the week AND lunches for work. But, I’m happy if one gets completed. I find when all my lunches are packed for the week, I have more time in the morning. Running out the door without breakfast is not an option, if I don’t spend time packing my lunch, I have plenty of time to enjoy a morning meal. I commute about 25 minutes to work and often stay late to finish up tasks. By the time I get home, dinner is calling my name. If I have to decide what to eat, or go to the grocery store to pick up ingredients, I am going out to eat instead.
Here are some of meal prepping tips and tricks to get you started on the right foot. If you have any other tips, please share them in the comment section.
Things to keep on hand
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1. Plastic or glass containers. This helps with food storage, keeping food fresh. Stack-ability is a bonus, they’ll take up less room in the refrigerator. I prefer glass since they can be microwaved, frozen, and normally can go into the oven. You should never microwave a plastic container, that’s asking for cancer.
2. Slow Cooker. Set it and forget it! Slow cookers make meals while you’re living life. They also make enough for leftovers to be stored for future meals. Slow cookers are great for dishes with beans and lentils, meats, and soups. Plus, they save energy during hot summer months, as they wont heat up the kitchen like an oven.
3. A lunchbox. You don’t need a super fancy one. But, if you’re bringing snacks and a meal with you, its nice to have it all together. If you’re in a place that doesn’t offer a refrigerator, an insulated lunch box and ice packs keep your food fresh.
4. Ziploc bags in a variety of sizes. Larger bags (gallons sized) are great if you prep a large amount of food. It can be squished into your refrigerator pretty easily and doesn’t take up a weird amount of space like a large bowl. Smaller bags are great for preparing snacks and watching portion sizes. You can pre-bag fruits or vegetables and have them sitting in the refrigerator at eye level. You or the kids will be more likely to grab the healthy snack if its easy and visible.
5. Sharpies or Dry Erase Markers- Nothing is worse than planning on using an ingredient in your refrigerator, only to find out it’s spoiled. Use dry erase markers to write dates on glass or plastic dishes and the sharpies to write on plastic bags. Never keep leftovers or opened containers in the refrigerator for more than 7 days.
How to start
Pick a prep day. Most people choose Sunday because they have the day off and it gets you back into the work groove. I change may day based on how I feel. Plus, I sometimes plan for a week and a half, so the next plan day falls in the middle of a week. Do what works best for you!
Look at the rest of your week. Some cooking responsibilities go to the fiancé. He picks and preps the meal for his day of the week. If we decide to go out to eat, it's scheduled into the weekly plan. If I will be home late, I look for a recipe to toss in the slow cooker so it’s ready when I am. Or, I chop up vegetables for a salad and add leftover chicken or beans so it’s fast with minimal effort.
Check your pantry. Do you already have ingredients that need to be used? Canned beans, quinoa, and uncooked lentils are always in my pantry. I find recipes that will use these ingredients so I save cash at the grocery store.
Find recipes. My favorite place to look is www.cookinglight.com they have many low carb recipes and yummy vegetables recipes. If you subscribe to their monthly magazine, you’ll get recipes with seasonal ingredients. Seasonal ingredients help save money since they are less expensive during their harvest season. If I am craving something specific, I like to check out different blogs to see what others have come up with. I try to think of a variety of recipes. One day will be vegetarian, another chicken, another fish, one beef, maybe one pork, then back to vegetarian, or seafood. There are only two of us in my house, but sometimes I chose a recipe that serves four so I have leftovers to take for lunch.
Make a grocery list. Write down all the ingredients you will need for the recipes you decided on. Look through your pantry again and make sure you have enough of everything you need. Nothing is more disappointing when you think you have 4 cups of chicken broth and only have 3. Sticking to a grocery list at the store will help cut costs; you wont be grabbing extra items that you don’t need or shouldn’t be eating.
Organize. Once you’re back from the grocery store, separate your items. Put away the foods that need to be cold or frozen. Leave out any vegetables or fruits that could chopped up for future ingredients or packed into small bags for grab and go snacks. If you have any dishes that include chicken or pork, these meats store well. You could pre-cook them, so they are ready to reheat at meal time.
Finally, stick to the plan. My fiancé will ask me if we can eat pizza four days a week. Sorry love, I took the time to plan, shop, and store these ingredients, we’ll be eating whats on the list for that day. If you come home from work more tired than anticipated, resist the urge to shrug off your plan. Once you get the meal going, you’ll feel much better about your decisions. You’ll also feel happier in the long run when you haven’t eaten something high in fat and sodium, and see the excess pounds falling off.
Recipe corner:
Muffin Tin Baked Eggs
Serves: 1-2 egg muffins a day for four days
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
12 eggs
Any vegetables you want (garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, chives, onions, asparagus, peas, spinach, carrots, bell peppers)
1 Tbsp Olive oil
salt
pepper
Any other seasonings- I like to add cayenne for spice, and Italian seasonings.
Muffin tin
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Dice all vegetables. Toss veggies in pan and sauté for 4 minutes. Add any seasonings you want.
4. In a large bowl, beat all eggs with a splash of milk. The milk will make them fluffier.
5. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon vegetables evenly into each muffin tin. Top with the egg mixture.
6. Bake for 20 minutes. Let the dish sit for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tins. Let them cool completely. Store in a Ziploc bag with a paper towel to soak up any juices.
7. When you’re ready to eat, pop them in the microwave for 45 seconds. Yum!
Recipe credit: http://www.laurenhefez.com/blog/2013/08/09/muffin-tin-baked-eggs-recipe-great-breakfast-for-the-on-the-go-person
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Serves: 4-6
Time: 15 minutes prep, 2-6 hours cooking
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 bone in or boneless chicken thighs- skin removed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 oz fresh ginger
2 Tbsp sriracha
Juice of 1 lime
Fresh cilantro
Directions:
1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear in pan until golden, 3 minutes each side. Transfer to slow cooker.
2. Whisk together soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, ginger, Sriracha, and lime juice. Pour sauce over chicken and toss to combine.
3. Cover and cook until no longer pink: low heat for 6 hours or high heat for 2 hours.
4. Garnish with cilantro and serve over cauliflower rice.
Recipe Credit: http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a54982/easy-slow-cooker-chicken-thighs-recipe/
Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
Serves: 4-6
Time: 10 min prep, 3.5-4 hours cooking
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 c low-sodium beef broth
1/2 c low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sriracha
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, thinly sliced, may add more for garnish
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups broccoli florets
Sesame seeds for garish (optional)
Directions:
1. Add steak, broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, Sriracha, garlic, and green onions to slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low until beef is tender, about 3.5-4 hours.
3. When steak is tender, spoon a few tablespoons of the broth from slow cooker into a bowl, whisk in corn starch. Pour into slow cooker and toss with beef until combined. Add broccoli and cook, covered 20 more minutes.
4. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, serve over cauliflower rice.
Recipe Credit: http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a51806/slow-cooker-beef-broccoli-recipe/
Balsamic Chicken
Serves: 4
Time: 20 min prep, 5 hours cooking.
Ingredients:
2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 cup baby red potatoes, halved or quarter to be similar size of Brussels Sprouts (may omit if no on else in the family eats carbs)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Directions:
1. Add Brussels sprouts and potatoes to slow cooker in an even layer and place chicken on top.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, honey, mustard, and all seasonings through black pepper.
3. Pour marinade over chicken and vegetables. Scatter garlic on top.
4. Cover and cook on high until chicken is fall apart tender; 4.5-5 hours.
5. Garnish with parsley.
Recipe Credit: http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a51434/slow-cooker-balsamic-chicken-recipe/
Copycat Starbucks Chicken and Hummus Bistro Box
Serves: 4 meals through the week
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cucumber thinly sliced
4 mini whole wheat pita bread (optional, post bariatric may not have room for all this food!)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup hummus
Directions:
1. Season chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
2. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Add chicken to grill and cook, flipping once until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes on eat side. Set aside.
3. Place chicken, cucumber, pita bread, tomatoes and hummus into meal prep containers.
Recipe Credit: https://damndelicious.net/2017/07/25/copycat-starbucks-chicken-and-hummus-bistro-box/
Turkey Taco Salad Meal Prep
Serves: 6 meals through the week
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 (1.25 oz) package of taco seasoning (or make your own: cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and a little cayenne)
6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup pico de gallo
6 tablespoons plain Greek Yogurt
6 tablespoons shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 lime cut into wedges
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until the turkey has browned, about 3-5 minutes. Make sure to crumble the turkey as it cooks. Stir in taco seasoning. Drain excess fat.
2. Place romaine lettuce into sandwich bags
3. Place pico de gallo, Greek yogurt, and cheese into 2-oz jello shot cups with lids.
4. Place turkey, lettuce, pico de gallo, Greek yogurt, cheese, and lime into meal prep containers.
Shrimp Zucchini Noodles Meal Prep
Serves: 4 meals through the week
Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I like the easy peel from Ralph’s, due to cost)
1 shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
Kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, spiralized
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Directions:
1. Combine butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp, shallot, garlic, and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Stir in vegetable stock, lemon juice and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a simmer (little bubbles, not rolling bubbles). Stir in zucchini noodles until heated through, about 1-2 minutes. Boiling will cause your noddles to be soggy.
3. Place zucchini into meal prep containers and garnish with Parmesan if desired.
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