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meal prep 101


I love to plan! Planning trips, planning my day, planning meals--it doesn't always mean I follow through with what I planned, but it does make things go more smoothly when I have at least a general idea of what the day will look like. When it comes to eating, our lives are so busy that it makes things much easier when there is a plan in mind, ingredients ready, and an overall flow to the week.

The first thing you need to do is plan a time each week to plan! My time is usually Sunday morning before the rest of the family is up. I look at the calendar to see which events we may have in the evenings that affect how much time I have to cook, who will be home, and what time we will eat.  I usually plan on 1-2 restaurant nights, one leftover night, and maybe a “breakfast for dinner night," so that leaves me with 3-4 meals to plan. Here's a list of things to prep, but of course, adjust it to meet you and your family's meal preferences.
  1. Move any meat you might need from the freezer to the fridge.
  2. Grill or Instant Pot some shredded meat for lunch salads (my favorite is chicken).
  3. Cook up some ground beef or sausage for casseroles or egg dishes.
  4. Boil some eggs. Only 5 minutes in the Instant Pot!
  5. Mix up a batch of mayo for salads and/or dips.
  6. Make egg/tuna/salmon/chicken salad.
  7. Cut up and shred some cheese so it's ready for lunches and dinners.
  8. Measure out 1/4 cup portions of raw nuts for snacks or lunches
  9. Wash and cut up some veggies and fruit.
  10. Make some dip/hummus/guacamole for your veggies.
  11. Chop up an onion.  Seems like I always have a recipe that requires chopped onion!
  12. Roast some veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, asparagus, Brussels sprouts)
  13. Make some chaffles (1 egg, 1/2 c. cheese, 1 T. almond flour) that you can heat up later in the week for sandwiches.
  14. Make some chia pudding or egg cups for breakfast.
  15. Put smoothie ingredients (berries, spinach, nut butter, protein powder, etc.) in a blender cup in the freezer so all you have to do is add liquid and blend.
  16. Assemble 2-3 lunches so they're good to grab and go.
  17. Clean out your fridge and make it look pretty, with all the healthy stuff front and center.
Voila! Your Super Fridge! (If you don't know what I'm talking about, I stole the term "Super Fridge" from B.J. Fogg of Tiny Habits. A Super Fridge is one from which you can eat freely and easily, full of nourishing, whole foods.)

If you'd like to talk to me more about creating a nutrition plan that works for you, I've got you!  I'm a certified Nutrition Coach who will create a simple, customized meal plan for you and coach you through how to implement it into your busy life.  We also talk about all the pitfalls that make it hard, and help you make it the anchor that keeps you healthy, energized, and sane through the whirlwind of your everyday life.

I'd love to talk to you about the program, so please book a free consultation with me by clicking the Calendly button. I look forward to talking to you!






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