There are plenty of nights where I just don't feel like cooking. Nada. Please tell me I am not in this alone? So many nights LIFE HAPPENS and well, it doesn't get cooked and plated. Can you relate?
At the beginning of the new year, I made some serious dietary modifications and went vegan. My husband has been having a hard time parting with as much meat as we used to consume, so I find myself making paleo dishes and leaving protein options on the side. The best meals I find are the ones you can whip up without working much and still follow your diet. The key to meal prep is think basics. It doesn't have to be fancy or super elaborate! Do what works for you.
You may find success by having one day of the week devoted to meal prep and using that option to "heat and eat" on the go. Prepare ahead of time, store them in clearly labeled containers in the fridge and enjoy! I do most of my meal prep on Sundays, but it could be a day of the week that you are most likely off). Here are my suggestions:
1. Make enough of the previous nights dinner to double for lunches for the next 1-3 days. No need to reinvent the wheel. If it worked as a healthy, hearty dinner, it can work for your lunch. One of my favorite on the go recipes of veggie pad thai with peanut sauce. I load that bad boy with spinach, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, onions and basically any veggies I have in the fridge, cook gluten free pad thai noodles (I have even found some lental-based noodles that look amazing) and find a bomb dairy free peanut sauce. This is a tasty meal and I am not begrudgingly taking to work with me the next day.
2. The Crockpot is your best friend. I cannot tell you how many dishes I do in my crockpot. I joke to my girlfriends that my Crockpot has saved my marriage! I have been making chilis, soups, curries, roasts and pasta dishes all from this one. "Low and slow" is how you want to keep them - plus they will save you a lot of time.
3. Invest is good quality storage containers. This is essential for pre-prepped meals or pre-chopped veggies or protein. This will help you greatly and save a ton on time. Because who has time to cut all those veggies?! Also, gallon Ziploc bags are great storage options as well (freezing too!)
4. Never underestimate the power of lentils, quinoa and peanut butter! Great vegan options for protein sources can be replaced or added to your paleo dishes and taste amazing. My husband will actually eat my vegan sweet potato shepherd's pie recipe, where I forgo ground beef for green lentils and veggies as the base and cover with mashed sweet potatoes. Lentils are a great protein source too! 1 cup green lentils = 20 grams.
5. Have roasted sweet potatoes or yams on hand. Roast 4-6 and store in your fridge. Makes for great simple side dishes or supplements to any baby food cakes.
Helpful Tip: When I shop at the grocery store, I am mindful of a term I learned call parameter cruising. Parameter cruising is shopping from the outsides sections of the store in. The outside is where you want to build your base with lots of veggies that can go into your dishes, fruits, protein sources and healthy fats or complex carbohydrates. The tricky part of venturing inside the yummy isles for chips, instant soups, and packaged snacks. Though some may be actually healthy, these are quick solutions often high in saturated fats and sugars. Everything in moderation.
What are some meals you like to prep? Do you have any tips you would want to add to this list? Please feel free to message me or share in the comments below. This preparation is just as much for me as it is for you! There are so many times I have tried and failed. Most of the time it is when I haven't created a self-care allotment for Tina. My health gets put on the back burner and I relapse into old ways of thinking.
So remember: it's one meal, one day, one week at a time. Slow, gradual steps set you up for sustainable, long term success.
Happy cooking!
-Tina
At the beginning of the new year, I made some serious dietary modifications and went vegan. My husband has been having a hard time parting with as much meat as we used to consume, so I find myself making paleo dishes and leaving protein options on the side. The best meals I find are the ones you can whip up without working much and still follow your diet. The key to meal prep is think basics. It doesn't have to be fancy or super elaborate! Do what works for you.
You may find success by having one day of the week devoted to meal prep and using that option to "heat and eat" on the go. Prepare ahead of time, store them in clearly labeled containers in the fridge and enjoy! I do most of my meal prep on Sundays, but it could be a day of the week that you are most likely off). Here are my suggestions:
1. Make enough of the previous nights dinner to double for lunches for the next 1-3 days. No need to reinvent the wheel. If it worked as a healthy, hearty dinner, it can work for your lunch. One of my favorite on the go recipes of veggie pad thai with peanut sauce. I load that bad boy with spinach, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, onions and basically any veggies I have in the fridge, cook gluten free pad thai noodles (I have even found some lental-based noodles that look amazing) and find a bomb dairy free peanut sauce. This is a tasty meal and I am not begrudgingly taking to work with me the next day.
2. The Crockpot is your best friend. I cannot tell you how many dishes I do in my crockpot. I joke to my girlfriends that my Crockpot has saved my marriage! I have been making chilis, soups, curries, roasts and pasta dishes all from this one. "Low and slow" is how you want to keep them - plus they will save you a lot of time.
3. Invest is good quality storage containers. This is essential for pre-prepped meals or pre-chopped veggies or protein. This will help you greatly and save a ton on time. Because who has time to cut all those veggies?! Also, gallon Ziploc bags are great storage options as well (freezing too!)
4. Never underestimate the power of lentils, quinoa and peanut butter! Great vegan options for protein sources can be replaced or added to your paleo dishes and taste amazing. My husband will actually eat my vegan sweet potato shepherd's pie recipe, where I forgo ground beef for green lentils and veggies as the base and cover with mashed sweet potatoes. Lentils are a great protein source too! 1 cup green lentils = 20 grams.
5. Have roasted sweet potatoes or yams on hand. Roast 4-6 and store in your fridge. Makes for great simple side dishes or supplements to any baby food cakes.
Helpful Tip: When I shop at the grocery store, I am mindful of a term I learned call parameter cruising. Parameter cruising is shopping from the outsides sections of the store in. The outside is where you want to build your base with lots of veggies that can go into your dishes, fruits, protein sources and healthy fats or complex carbohydrates. The tricky part of venturing inside the yummy isles for chips, instant soups, and packaged snacks. Though some may be actually healthy, these are quick solutions often high in saturated fats and sugars. Everything in moderation.
What are some meals you like to prep? Do you have any tips you would want to add to this list? Please feel free to message me or share in the comments below. This preparation is just as much for me as it is for you! There are so many times I have tried and failed. Most of the time it is when I haven't created a self-care allotment for Tina. My health gets put on the back burner and I relapse into old ways of thinking.
So remember: it's one meal, one day, one week at a time. Slow, gradual steps set you up for sustainable, long term success.
Happy cooking!
-Tina
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