The first time I started hearing about Meal Prepping, I thought “this makes total sense!” Just cook in advance so you don’t have to worry about cooking for yourself and your family every day of the week. Well the concept is pretty simple, but when it comes to actually doing it, it can be a little challenging to figure out where to start. There are many ways to Meal Prep. There’s no right or wrong way, but there is however easier and more efficient ways than others, and that’s what we’re going to achieve.
My first recommendation if you’re first starting off is, cook for only two days out of the week, not for a full week. So (1) breakfast, lunch and dinner, and make enough for two days. Once you get the hang of it, then if you wish to tackle more days or even the whole week, then go for it!
Now when it comes to the time efficiency factor of Meal Prepping, I can’t stress it enough how amazing this perk is! If you’re the type of single, married, or mom that cooks often throughout the week to feed yourself and/or your “home team”, you will absolutely love Meal Prepping! You’ll spend less time in the kitchen and more time working on your passion project, business, friendships, marriage, homework with the kids, self-care, spiritual growth—whatever you could use more time for! That in itself is worth getting on the Meal Prep train.
Also, if you’re looking to take more control of what you eat for the improvement of your health and appearance, Meal Prep is the way to go. When you Meal Prep, you’re the boss of your plate. It’s you that makes the decision of what will be consumed and the ingredients the food will consist of.
There are other perks to Meal Prep, but I’ll leave it here with the fact that this approach to eating, totally saves you money! It’s so true—see for yourself. Compare how much money you spend on eating out in one week and how much you spend on one shopping trip of ingredients for a week of Meal Prep. You’ll see that a mighty penny or two is being saved!
I know that all the benefits are great to know, but you’re probably wondering, well how do I put this method into practice? Great question. Let’s get started!
STEP #1
What Is Your Meal Prep Day?
Pick a day when you’re going to prepare your meals for two or three days. In this exercise, we’ll focus on one dish per meal category, enough for two days. Set aside at least 2 hours for that day you picked and enter it into your calendar as a meeting in your kitchen chef’ing it up. Whenever I choose to Meal Prep, it’s usually a day when I wouldn’t be working, like a Saturday or Sunday. You may want to follow suit but the day you choose is up to you, according to what your schedule permits.
STEP #2
What Do You Like to Eat?
Determine what you like to eat and create a short list of those foods you enjoy—with ‘Healthy’ in mind. Be sure to hold off on not-so-nutritious types of foods, unless you plan to make them from scratch which is a whole other topic we can explore on another post. For right now, make a list of (3) ingredients you enjoy in these categories for (1) Breakfast, (1) Lunch, and (1) Dinner. When jotting down your list of ingredients, focus on Clean Proteins + Starchy Complex Carbohydrates + Fiber + Greens + other Veggies.
Do you need help figuring out what foods fall into these categories? I recommend Googling it. This is an awesome way to learn what nutritional factors you’re benefitting from healthy whole foods. And that’s exactly how you can Google them, for example “healthy whole foods for breakfast that contain fiber.” Pick and choose from the list that pops up to create your My Favorite Ingredients list to give you an idea of what you want to make.
STEP #3
What Are You Going To Make?
This is where things get a little bit more involved. You’ve got to figure out what you’re going to make and how you’re going to make it. Use your My Favorite Ingredients list to search recipe ideas from sites and apps like Pinterest, Epicurious.com, TheKitchn.com, JaimeOliver.com, PinchofYum.com, GimmeSomeOven.com—a few of my favorite food sites. You’ll find countless and delicious meal ideas there. Just do a search and type in the ingredients that you’re working with for recipes. As for breakfast, I think you know where to go, especially if you’re looking for out-of-the-box healthy breakfast ideas. =) Right here at Rise & Shine Bright! You’ll eventually be able to mix and match items to keep things interesting as you build your recipe list, Meal Prepping through the month.
Here are 3 recipes to get you started:
BREAKFAST: Acai Quinoa Porridge https://riseandshinebright.com/5-encouraging-yet-convicting-scriptures-if-you-want-greater-things-for-your-career-this-year/
LUNCH: Fish Taco Bowls with Mango Salsa, Chipotle Aioli, Coconut-Lime Cauliflower Rice https://40aprons.com/whole30-fish-taco-bowls-paleo/
DINNER: Roasted Chicken and Sweet Potato https://www.eatwell101.com/meal-prep-roasted-chicken-and-sweet-potato
If recipe searching seems a little daunting, then keep it nice and simple. Pick simple seasonings, and try to roast everything if possible. See step #5 for more details.
STEP #4
Where Are You Going to Shop?
You probably have a go-to place to grocery shop, but depending on where you live, you may have more than one option. For me, I have ShopRite, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market. ShopRite is the closest one to my home, but I save more money when shopping at Trader Joe’s for certain items. Then, there’s the issue of quality. There are certain things that I wouldn’t buy at ShopRite, wouldn’t mind buying at Trader Joe’s, but prefer to get at Whole Foods Market—strictly because of quality. For you, you may feel fine getting everything at one spot. Figure out where you’re going to shop and for what items. Be open to shopping at more than one location if it means more money in your pocket. Also, have a complete list for your shopping trip either written or digital. It’s the worst trying to navigate the market using a list that’s only in your head.
STEP #5
Ready to Prep?
When your Meal Prep hour approaches, get organized! Get your ingredients out of the cabinets and fridge (if they’re items that won’t go bad quickly). Also, gather your supplies like baking sheets, cutting board, chef’s knife, etc. –everything you’re going to need for the next two hours. Clear off one of your largest surface spaces, perhaps your kitchen or dining room table or kitchen countertop. Place all your ingredients on your surface space and organize them by meal category—Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. This will help you stay on track, save you time, and avoid any potential overwhelming feelings or stress. This is supposed to be a great culinary experience, so getting prepped and organized will help you enjoy your kitchen time.
After you’ve prepped, it’s time to get started. Now, if you experience a challenge choosing recipes at Step #3, as I mentioned, pick simple seasonings and roast everything!
For example: For seasonings, I recommend sea salt, black pepper, paprika, thyme, and cayenne pepper. If you have a pre-mix herb packet like Italian herbs or Herb de Provence, then you’re golden with that as well! I’ll also throw in garlic and onion to the list because it gives a fabulous flavor element to just about any dish. As for roasting, I really do mean “Roast Everything”, especially if you’re just starting or re-starting your Meal Prep journey.
- Use the staple seasonings and herbs previous mentioned on Vegetables, Potatoes, Fish, Chicken, whatever you wish to cook that can be roasted
- Preheat your oven for the recommended temperature and times for the items you’ll be roasting—just Google that info
- To avoid ‘stickage’, oil your sheet pan with olive oil or coconut oil and to avoid a deep cleaning, use foil paper or parchment paper
- Lay the raw food out on your baking sheet pan
- Bake for the recommended times of each item
HAVE SOME FUN!
There’s nothing like getting involved hands-on in the nourishing of your body. So enjoy this time in the kitchen! Here are a few ways:
- Put relaxing music on – my genre of choice is usually traditional French music. It brings me to a cozy place in France for a couple of hours as I cook
- Wear a cute apron that makes you feel like a professional home cook
- Get fancy and pour yourself your favorite beverage in a wine or champagne glass. My favorite is water with a couple of teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon, then I drop the lemon in the water. It’s the little things!
Enjoy your Meal Prep, and most importantly, enjoy your food!
To powerful workweeks and good morning eats!
Love,
Yardley
CHICKPEA GREEN PEA CREAM SAUCE with SOFT FRIED ONION EGGS
Ingredients
-Cream Sauce-
1 can Chickpea
1 cup Green Peas
2 cups Mushrooms, sliced
2 Garlic cloves, large and finely chopped
Seasonings
½ Tsp. Cumin
1 Tsp. Curry
½ Tsp. Marsala (This adds more flavor but if you don’t have it, it’s okay to leave it out.)
½ Tsp. Coriander
¼ Tsp. Cayenne pepper
Pinch of Ground Clove
½ Tsp. Parsley
½ Tsp. Basil
3 sprigs Thyme
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Condiments
3 heaping Tbps. Cream Cheese (choose a brand with few ingredients. I used Temp Tee)
1 Tbsp. Butter (real butter or ghee, which is clarified butter)
1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-Onion Eggs-
2 Eggs, free-range organic
¼ of an White Onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive oil
Sale + Pepper, to taste
Instructions
-Cream Sauce-
Add 2 Tbsps. of olive oil to a pan at medium high heat and add the mushrooms
Saute mushrooms until cooked/softened
Add garlic to the mushrooms and let garlic cook until soft but not brown
Add all your seasonings and let cook for a few minutes to release the flavors and aromas
Add your cream cheese, butter, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil and stir
Feel free to add a tbsp. of water for a looser creamier sauce
Be sure to taste at this point and adjust with more salt + pepper
I also recommend starting your eggs on another burner at this point
Then mix in the chickpeas and green peas for about 8 to 10 minutes until everything is hot and creamy
Remove from heat and plate
Accompany this with brown rice or any side dish you choose
-Onion Eggs-
Add 2 Tbsps. of olive oil to a pan at medium heat and add the onions
Cook onions until translucent
Crack two eggs on top of bed of onions and let cook slowly at medium low heat for about 8-10 minutes
Add salt and pepper to taste (I used fresh cracked black pepper, hence the large black specks)
When the egg whites and yolks are cooked but still soft, transfer onto your plate beside the Chickpea Green Pea Cream Sauce and brown rice
Enjoy!
