4 Easy Steps to Meal Prep

Sorry for being MIA this past week, we were moving in with my in-laws - EEK! I'm lucky enough to get along well with my husband's family, and having the same shoe size as my MIL. It's temporary, for the next four to six months while we wait to move into our new place, and it means that the Moose and Boo get the opportunity to spend more quality time with them while Mommy and Daddy discover new watering holes in the area. #winning

Honestly, though, moving sucks! Not only did we have the humbling experience of loading all our worldly possessions into a POD (life saving service, I tell you!) but we chose to keep our house and use it as a rental property, which led to an extensive two-day deep clean of every nook and cranny I could find. We were so busy, I even missed my cheat meal :( I know, what kind of crazy Hell was I living last week?!

But now, I get to spend a week relaxing by a pool in beautiful BC and write about meal prep; so really, it was all worth it. You see, if I hadn't meal prepped last week before shit hit the fan I probably would not have made it through without copious amounts of "cheating". I have mentioned before what a Type A person I am: I love lists, organization, and sticking to a plan. It's who I am, and without it I feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. So for all you Type A's out there who are wanting to get their feeding schedule on track, I have made a guide for you to help get you prepared and through the week. It's so easy, that I'm even sure some Type B's will find it enjoyable! If this sounds appealing to you, read on my friends and bask in the beauty that is a well-thought out meal prep plan!

1. Grab a calendar and write out a meal schedule. You don't have to stick to it, but it helps to identify what nights you will be home and what nights you will be eating out or on the run. I write a food schedule twice a month. We get paid on a semi-weekly basis, so the night before pay-day I sit down and figure out, roughly, what we would like to eat for dinner. This started out as a way to help us save money on groceries and reduce our waste, but I soon found it extremely helpful when doing the bulk of my meal prep. We tend to eat a lot of "Chicken and Salad" for dinner, so I stock up on salad dressings and fresh veggies to make salsas and various toppings. I, also, account for the fact that we need 2 chicken breasts for lunch each day (or tuna/ground turkey) and write out my shopping list.

2. Choose a day/night for your MAJOR meal prep and stick to it. I chose Sunday simply because that's the day we are usually around the house getting our chores done. I make big batches of chicken, tuna cakes, and ground turkey meatballs for our lunches and quick dinner salads. I, also, make up oatmeal and egg white waffles to freeze for quick breakfasts (I just heat them in the toaster), braise cabbage, roast garlic, and pre-cut all veggies for the lunches. Sometimes, I will make a bath of cookies or banana bread for K and the kids. Typically, it takes about 2 hours. Most of the prep is done in the oven so I just set it and go about the rest of my housework while I wait.

3. LABEL! No joke, this is so important! One of the major things they teach you in your Food Safe is to rotate, using the FIFO (first in, first out) system. Seriously, label and date your food. Otherwise, if you forget it in the back of the fridge you may end up having something furry walking out your door one day.

4. Stick to it. I pack mine and K's lunch for the next day after we have cleaned up from dinner. It's so much easier to stick to the plan when it's already laid out for you. Plus, having your meats already prepared makes for quick dinner prep when you're busy juggling work, picking the kids up from daycare, and going about your nightly routine. The less time that can be spent in the kitchen, the more time you have for more important things.

If I lost you on step one, no worries! Here's a quick grocery list and meal prep schedule that you can easily follow. I sometimes need to do a quick prep on Wednesday night just to replenish our reserves, but it doesn't take long when the bulk of it happens on Sunday.

Groceries -for 2 weeks:

4kg Chicken (I buy the big frozen boxes of chicken breast at Costco)

4 packages extra lean ground turkey

6 cans water-packed tuna

8 cartons egg whites

1 bag of oatmeal (steel cut oats)

2 1pint tubs plain greek yogurt

1 bag frozen berries

2 bags celery sticks (if they're already cut, you're more likely to eat them!)

6 cucumbers

4 bell peppers

1 bag pre-cut broccoli

1 bag spinach

6 heads Romaine lettuce

1 head cauliflower

1 bag of mini-carrots

1 jar basil pesto (because I can't make it, for the life of me!)

1 tub fresh blue berries

1 head of cabbage

1 spaghetti squash

Bananas

Low Sodium Chicken stock

Old Fashioned peanut butter (NO SUGAR ADDED!)

Step 1. Count the amount of chicken breasts you would need for your lunches at work, and for dinner. (Since there is two of us, we need 10 plus 3 for each night we plan on eating chicken. I roughly make 16 in a batch, and then plan to cook more some time further in the week.) Set the oven to BROIL and place each chicken breast on your baking sheets. Season them (combinations: paprika/chili powder/steak seasoning or try curry powder/paprika/ginger) and place until broiler. I cook 15 minutes/side to make them nice and crispy. Let cool, when cooked through, weigh out 130g /serving and place in individual baggies.

Step 2. Keep oven at BROIL. Slice top off garlic heads. Pour tbsp of EVOO on top and wrap each one in tin foil. Roast for 30 minutes. In the mean time, cut thin slices of cabbage, and chop 1c. each of carrots, celery, and cauliflower. Toss into deep pan, place cabbage on top, and pour 2 c. chicken stock over it. Season with rosemary, and place tin foil over top. Roast on bottom rack for 30 minutes, turn the cabbage slices and add the roasted garlic. Roast for another 15 minutes, pull out, and cool. This is so good, I eat it both warm and cold. Great as a side, or added in to stirfry. Keeps for 1 week in the fridge.

Step 3. Mix 2 packages ground turkey with 2 tbsp basil pesto and roll into 2 oz balls. Place on a baking sheet and BROIL for 7 minutes each side. While roasting, slice up 2 cucumbers and place in a plastic container full of water. This will prevent them from drying out. Do the same for 2 peppers. Once the meat balls are cooked and cooled, separate into individual baggies at 130g/serving. These are great with spaghetti squash or zucchini and pasta sauce.

Step 4. Mix 2 c oats with 1/2 tsp baking powder in a blender/food processor. Grind into a fine powder. Add 2 c. egg whites and 1 tbsp cinnamon. Pour half onto heated waffle iron (or you can make them into pancakes) and cook until crispy. This should make 4 servings, and can be frozen/toasted for quick breakfasts.

A lot of meal prep time is spent on cooking meat. By having the meat cooked and the veggies chopped, assembling a salad takes minutes! You're probably wondering "Where are the carbs?!" I don't like preparing and storing rice, and I'm not a pasta girl, so my big carb servings come from yogurt, berries, and oats. On occasion I will prepare yams by roasting them alongside the chicken, drizzled with EVOO and cinnamon, but this is essentially my meal prep! It isn't scary, and it definitely shouldn't be intimidating. It, also, should be food you're going to like. Otherwise, what's the point?

I hope this helps some of you out. Feel free to pass on the grocery list and/or add to it. This is just my basic "go to" that I use as a framework for my week. If we fail to plan, we plan to fail. Best of luck!