A few things to keep in mind when you are trying to get in the habit of food prepping:
1. This is not the time to try out fancy new recipes. This can end up slowing down the entire process, stressing you out, and making it that much more likely that you will give up on preparing food ahead of time. Stick to recipes that are fast and easy, as well as healthy.
2. Don't try to do it all at once. If you are trying to pre-cook every meal for the entire week you are going to get overwhelmed. Instead, try simply cutting up the ingredients, mixing up the marinades, or seasoning the meat ahead of time and then sticking it in the freezer or the refrigerator for later on. Every little bit of meal prep helps. You don't have to tackle everything in its entirety in one day.
3. Make it manageable. Just like incorporating a new workout regimen, if it's not sustainable then there's no point in doing it. There is no right or wrong way to meal prep. It's all about making it convenient for you and your lifestyle in order for this process to become a normal part of your routine.
The first thing that I like to do before meal prep day is plan. I try to adhere to the old adage of "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!" I will make a list of everything that I have decided to make, ensuring that I have all of the necessary ingredients and supplies. This list includes meals as well as snacks, so that we have healthy options when were crunched for time. If there's anything that I'm missing I like to pick it up a day or two before I actually do my meal prep. Trying to grocery shop and cook a bunch of food in one day can be a major time suck.
Once I have everything for my list of meals, I like to go through and prioritize how I will be tackling each menu item. For example, if I have several things that need to go in the oven I will try to first cook the one that is easiest to prepare, so that while that one is baking I can prep the ingredients for the next dish. At the same time, I can have things going on the stove and in the crockpot so that my kitchen becomes an efficient multitasking machine!
Here is a typical meal prep menu for one week at our house:
Breakfasts- Honestly, we're not big breakfast eaters around here. I usually just have a protein shake, and Mark will typically just grab a banana off the counter as he's leaving for work. But on the rare occasion that we do plan to have breakfasts prepared, this is what it would look like:
(btw, I will be sharing all of these breakfast recipes in the coming weeks on the blog)
Mini Egg Muffins
Paleo Breakfast Casserole
Paleo Banana Cinnamon Waffles
For a list like this I would start by making the egg muffins since they require little prep work and can be quickly thrown into the oven. Basically, all I need to do is mix up the eggs and pour them into the muffin tins.
While those are baking I would prepare all of the ingredients for my breakfast casserole. This includes browning the meat on the stove and chopping up sweet potatoes. Once the casserole is assembled I can either pop it in the oven once the egg muffins are done, or cover it and stick it in the freezer for later.
With the Paleo waffles, I will at the very least mix up the batter. Sometimes I will put it in the fridge, ready to go for the next morning, or I will actually pull out the waffle iron and make them ahead of time so that they can be warmed up in the toaster on busy days.
Lunches- This is the biggest list, because it's typically our main meal of the day around here. These are the recipes that Mark takes to work, and they're also my pre/post-workout meals.
Paleo Mini Meatloaves
Paleo Scotch Eggs
Chicken Nachos
Paleo Chicken Fingers
The first thing I would tackle on this list is the chicken nachos, simply because all it is, is shredded crockpot chicken that you can use to top whatever you want! That, and it only requires four ingredients. It only takes two minutes to throw everything in the crockpot and forget about it for the next few hours!
With the mini meatloaves, I will sometimes just mix up the meat along with all of my ingredients ahead of time, and stick the whole thing in the fridge for later. Then when I have more time I can just spoon it into the muffin tins and throw it in the oven.
Things like the Paleo scotch eggs are super quick and easy since they only require five ingredients! I always keep boiled eggs in the fridge, so all I have to do is add my spices to the meat, wrap up the eggs, and bake!
While the other menu items are cooking, I would start prepping the Paleo chicken fingers. These are super simple, but still require the most time to prepare. Once the scotch eggs are in the oven, I would start mixing up my dry ingredients for this recipe, and cutting up the chicken. That way once the scotch eggs are done, the Paleo chicken fingers are ready to go in!
Dinners- Often, our lunch items will become leftovers for dinner. But when I'm on top of my game and actually plan out our dinners, this is usually what it looks like:
Maple Dijon Chicken
Paleo Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
Southern Style Buttermilk Chicken
I would normally start with the buttermilk chicken, simply because it's a marinade. All I have to do for this one is mix up the ingredients and pour it in a Ziploc bag with the chicken. Then, in a few hours when I'm ready to cook it I can either throw it on the grill or pop it in the oven. Or, if my crockpot isn't already occupied, I can throw all of it in there for a few hours and let the delicious smell fill the house!
Next I would work on the maple Dijon chicken. This one is also fairly simple, just put some chicken on a baking sheet, cover with your maple Dijon mixture, and baste with the sauce halfway through.
While the maple Dijon chicken is in the oven, I would work on the shepherd's pie. This one will be the most time consuming simply because all of the ingredients are basically cooked before assembly. I brown the meat and sauté the veggies while my sweet potatoes are boiling and the oven is being occupied by other things. This recipe is also one that's really great for freezing.
Snacks & Sides- These items are the easiest to prepare (the majority require no explanation), and also the most crucial to any meal prep list. These are the fillers that stretch your dining dollar. These are the foods that you would top with your crockpot chicken, they're the foods you grab without thinking as you're running out of the house, and the ones that help you get in all your macros (if you're counting). I always include three or four of these in my meal prep:
Hardboiled Eggs
Oven Roasted Broccoli
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sautéed Spinach
Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes (this one will be on the blog soon)
White Rice
Cauliflower Rice
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Chopped Celery Sticks
Apple Slices
Green Salad
And then of course you have the snacks that don't require any prep at all! Things like bananas and Lara bars are great for when you're short on time.
This is just a snapshot of what my food prep would look like for a typical week, but it can vary based on the individual and their health goals. There are also SO many ways to do food prep, that I could go on and on. But this is what works for me and my little family. It also provides a general idea of where to start, along with some beginner recipes. I will be posting additional recipes on the blog, so check back periodically if you're looking for more meal prep inspiration! This is a hot subject, so I will be sure to share added tips and tricks in the near future.
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