4 Day Meal Prep
We’re all busy and the thought of having to plan out meals may feel like just one more chore to add to your already long list of things to do. I know! What I found, though, is that taking time to plan for meals each week – and writing out a grocery list – means that I ultimately save TIME. It saves MONEY. It means fewer less-desirable CALORIES. And, it means less STRESS.
Bonus Tips:
- Cook once, eat twice. Plan to make double or triple what you would normally make for dinner so you have leftovers for lunches (for adults as well as kids) and/or another dinner. You also have the option to freeze some of the leftovers to use the following week if you prefer.
- Cook grains, like rice, ahead of time for the week, then refrigerate and use them later in the week (add a little water when reheating). Most grains will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.
- Be sure to have food defrosted if you’re using any frozen items like meat, chicken, fish, etc. Be sure to check what you need for the next day or two ahead of time.
- Chop your veggies on the weekend or the night before to prep ahead of time and place in storage containers in the fridge. Also, decide which frozen veggies you can use instead of fresh (especially for stews, soups and some crock pot meals).
- Make any marinades, dressings, spice mixes or sauces in advance to save time on those busier nights.
Lemon Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken in lemon juice, lemon zest, chili powder, salt, and pepper for 30 minutes. Heat a pan with oil, saute the garlic and add the chicken. Cook until golden brown or until they're cooked through.
Snow Peas and Mushrooms Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 cup snow peas trimmed
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup bok choy chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat a pan with olive oil, saute garlic and onion. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir to mix, cook until the veggies are tender but don't over cook them.
Quick Breakfast:
Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked oats
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup berries
- handful nuts and seeds
Instructions
- Fill a mason jar with oats, almond milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Store in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning for breakfast, add 1 cup hot water, cover and leave it for 5 minutes. Remove the cover, stir to mix well. Add berries, nuts, and seeds on top.
Menu Planning Experiment:
For this coming week, take a look at the calendar and see which nights you’ll be cooking. Decide which nights you’ll need a quick, easy meal and which nights you’ll have more time to prepare dinner. Then start your menu planning.
What new recipes have you been meaning to try?
□Write out the menu for each day’s meals.
□Make a list of the ingredients you need to purchase., double checking your pantry to ensure you have the spices or staples needed.
□Decide which day you’ll go grocery shopping.
Don’t be afraid to ask family members to help with prep or clean up!
Invest on good quality kitchen gadget:
I hosted a cooking show with Saladmaster and I received this awesome salad machine as a gift. It has 5 different cone slicers, the shredder, stringer, waffle cuts, french fry cuts, and large slicer. I’m able to prep my meals quicker than usual because I don’t have to peel and manually cut my veggies. I had so much fun using it, I feel like a kid with a new toy. It gets me excited to try new kitchen gadget especially when it does the job in half the time.
Watch the video to see how amazing this salad machine is!
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