Meal Planning and Prepping
Whether it is to eat healthier, save time, or save money - meal planning and prepping is a powerful habit to implement. I always think that our health is not representative of one or two meals but of a thousand meals. So incorporating the simple habit of planning and prepping once a week can really help us repair our health. You can do other schedules than weekly, find the timing that works best for you - maybe it is every 10 days…then go with that.
If you have never done this then start with dinner. Dinner seems to be the biggest meal that people have an issue or complaint about “I don’t have time to cook” because at the end of they day they are tired, it might be late, and everyone is just hungry and wants to eat. As this becomes second nature than expand and add lunch and breakfast.
It doesn’t matter what day of the week you do this, just pick one and put it on your calendar. Take 30 minutes to think about meals you like to make that you know in your head (no recipe required) and maybe pick out a few new recipes to try. I LOVE looking at cookbooks and thinking about how yummy a dish will taste. Jot down your ideas for dinner for the next week, be sure to mix up the flavor profiles so no one gets bored. I mean I love Mexican food but not 7 days a week.
Then using the recipes and meal ideas in your head create a shopping list of ingredients. To save money if a recipe calls for say celery, I might think about where else I can use celery in another dish so not to waste it. Even if a recipe doesn’t strictly call for it there are many vegetables you can add to a recipe to utilize veggies you have already purchased for other meals and to save money. Having a list save you tons of time in the grocery store and helps prevent those impulse purchases.
I use my phone ‘notes’ feature for my grocery list. I have 3 groups of foods lists I have created: Produce, Cold, Pantry. Then under each section I have the foods I buy most frequently. When I need an items, say onions, for this week I just put a checkmark next to it. Then at the store I look at my phone and buy what has a checkmark next to it. Done. This also makes it super easy if you need to share the grocery list with someone else who is shopping for you.
Typically I do the planning on one day and then shop the next, but find the timing that works best for you. I start by cooking the meat. If I will be using chicken and it is ok for the dish that it is precooked then bake it now. And trust me it is just as easy to bake 4 breasts and chop them than it is 2 breasts. Save time and electricity and double it, you can always freeze the leftover for next week. Get any ground beef/pork cooking in a skillet. While this is going I start on the vegetables. Again, maybe double the amount of meat as you can always freeze the leftovers. Frozen cooked ground beef and cubed chicken is a huge timesaver for meals. I personally don't like frozen cooked fish, and fish cooks so quickly anyhow, I only cook for the dish I’m making.
Wash all the veggies (I wash most of the fruit too, except berries). Then you can prep. This can be as simple as chopping enough salad greens for the next 3 nights. That is about the max you want to eat cut salad greens, for freshness.
You can can up broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots, greens, bell peppers, etc. Think about what dish you are making and how you want them chopped or diced and store in a glass dish. I love my Pyrex it is inexpensive, made in America, and lasts for years.
If you bought a big bag of carrots and only plan to use say half this week then go ahead and prep the entire bag. You can freeze the other half for next week.
If you have kids this is a great place for them to pitch in. They can help wash and chop. Wyatt started helping me chop vegetables at the age of 6! Take a few minutes when they are young and teach them proper knife skills, go slow, guide them…pretty soon they will be fully independent and a real help to you each week. Plus what a sense of accomplishment!
Bump up the vegetables by adding 1-2 different ones to each recipe. I love adding green onions, celery, and zucchini to dishes. They are mild in flavor and go with most any dish.
Taking a few minutes to get organized really helps you eat better and decreases daily meal prep stress. I hope you have gained a few new ideas and try to meal plan/prep this week. Aloha
