I mean, not to give you PTSD but ya’ll remember the amount of cooking we had to figure out in 2020? Three meals a day, 7 days a week – who did we think we were? One of the (few) perks of living in 2023 is were now out of that nightmare, but for some – meal prep just doesn’t come naturally. Take out has become supernaturally easy with the likes of DoorDash, Grub Hub and Uber Eats. But at some point either the price tag becomes too much or our sodium swelling does and one must throw in the towel and face the kitchen. So let’s get you meal prepping with the best of them with these 4 simple, albeit game-changing, tips (IMHO). Healthy meal prep will soon be all you know how to do in the kitchen.
1. Look at what you already have on hand in your fridge or pantry.
Items I often find that provide some menu inspo? Jars of marinara, olives or capers, boxed whole wheat pasta, brown rice or quinoa, canned tomatoes, dying zucchini in my crisper drawer and soon-to-be expiring cheese. Just to name a few.
2. Do a QUICK recipe search using one of your on-hand ingredients if you don’t already have something in mind.
This is where it can get dicey – cap your search to 30 minutes and go to a website where you’ve had success in the past. Most cooking websites or food bloggers have a search bar at the top of their website, type in your pantry pull ingredient(s) to narrow the search more quickly. See below.
3. Prep and process items right after grocery shopping (clean, chop, etc).
Sounds a bit much right? Well, you’ll be cursing my name next week when that beautiful cantaloupe starts rotting on your kitchen counter. Trust. Cut up fresh fruit, rinse your produce (just not berries or mushrooms please – ask me why in the comments if you’re unsure) and clean, cut up any ingredients that are to be cooked later on, if possible. This step also makes you more apt to actually make the recipe.
4. Burnt out on the leftovers? Freeze in individual containers (labeled, dated) for a future speedy weeknight dinner.
#Ihearyou. Go one step further and save a list outside your freezer to remind you what’s in the abyss. Mine is a stupid posted note, but let me tell you, it comes in handy on nights you need a quick supper or a hectic afternoon when those lunch hunger pains come calling and you’re about to crash.
In conclusion…just kidding. No, these four healthy meal prep steps sound easy enough, but if it all feels like a bit much – just start with one! Got you thinking about dinners this week? Check out this Freebie I made for ya’ll – the RN Recipe Resource List. Get it while you can.
Want your very own meal planner? I do that too. Book a free intro call now!
I mean, not to give you PTSD but ya’ll remember the amount of cooking we had to figure out in 2020? Three meals a day, 7 days a week – who did we think we were? One of the (few) perks of living in 2023 is were now out of that nightmare, but for some – meal prep just doesn’t come naturally. Take out has become supernaturally easy with the likes of DoorDash, Grub Hub and Uber Eats. But at some point either the price tag becomes too much or our sodium swelling does and one must throw in the towel and face the kitchen. So let’s get you meal prepping with the best of them with these 4 simple, albeit game-changing, tips (IMHO). Healthy meal prep will soon be all you know how to do in the kitchen.
1. Look at what you already have on hand in your fridge or pantry.
Items I often find that provide some menu inspo? Jars of marinara, olives or capers, boxed whole wheat pasta, brown rice or quinoa, canned tomatoes, dying zucchini in my crisper drawer and soon-to-be expiring cheese. Just to name a few.
2. Do a QUICK recipe search using one of your on-hand ingredients if you don’t already have something in mind.
This is where it can get dicey – cap your search to 30 minutes and go to a website where you’ve had success in the past. Most cooking websites or food bloggers have a search bar at the top of their website, type in your pantry pull ingredient(s) to narrow the search more quickly. See below.
3. Prep and process items right after grocery shopping (clean, chop, etc).
Sounds a bit much right? Well, you’ll be cursing my name next week when that beautiful cantaloupe starts rotting on your kitchen counter. Trust. Cut up fresh fruit, rinse your produce (just not berries or mushrooms please – ask me why in the comments if you’re unsure) and clean, cut up any ingredients that are to be cooked later on, if possible. This step also makes you more apt to actually make the recipe.
4. Burnt out on the leftovers? Freeze in individual containers (labeled, dated) for a future speedy weeknight dinner.
#Ihearyou. Go one step further and save a list outside your freezer to remind you what’s in the abyss. Mine is a stupid posted note, but let me tell you, it comes in handy on nights you need a quick supper or a hectic afternoon when those lunch hunger pains come calling and you’re about to crash.
In conclusion…just kidding. No, these four healthy meal prep steps sound easy enough, but if it all feels like a bit much – just start with one! Got you thinking about dinners this week? Check out this Freebie I made for ya’ll – the RN Recipe Resource List. Get it while you can.
Want your very own meal planner? I do that too. Book a free intro call now!
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