It's all about food prep

You know those days when you wake up to a race bugle and you go all day only to crash that night thinking, what just happened? On days like this the first thing to go is healthful food choices and thoughtful meals prepared at home (and who are we kidding, we all know they are usually significantly better for you).

I also find myself in this rut, with work and travel (mostly for work) and a threenager, and a busy hubby with a company run for our home, and his book deadlines, and race training (I love to run and those longer races take a lot of time away from home in the wee hours of the morning). So, in order to not flop everyday, I need, nay, MUST HAVE, a plan.

Everyone does this a bit differently depending on their needs and schedules. My little sister Natalie,  and our resident homesteader, plans 4 meals weekly so she has some flexibility and the opportunity to gobble up leftovers. One of our readers, Erin, posted that she has gone back to planning her meals a month at a time because it helps her plan and budget ahead. Micah, our resident gu-ru on plant based-eating, plans her meals on Tuesdays, shops on Wednesdays (when her local grocery store's weekly sales overlap), and preps and washes all produce Wednesday night.


The basic idea rules of meal planning and food prep are:

1. Know what you are going to need to buy BEFORE you go to the market and WRITE IT DOWN


That's it. It is fun to go to the market and be "inspired" by some seasonal new fruit or veggie you want to try, but save it for a meal that is not going to make or break your daily success/survival (for me that means weekends only). Everything else is a personal choice and suited to your needs. But, I hope I can help by sharing some things that work for me.
 

Step 1: Plan

For my family this means tried and true go-to recipes that I can prep for lunches and dinners in one go for the week. I save my recipe testing and my new trial recipes for the weekends when I have a bit more time.

So, ask your self, what are the 2-3 things I need to have on hand for my my staple meals? I define staple meals as things you can make on auto pilot (your quick veggies and protein combos, sammies, or grab and go items for adult and kiddo lunches). Write those things down. 

What are the 2-3 (or 6-7 depending on how much you plan) meals you plan to put a bit more work and planning into (for some this means dinners)? For me this was gathering ingredients needed for veggie and egg white quiche, broccoli/mushroom with chicken sausage, and tofu veggie-loaded stir fry (recipes to come...). Gather the recipes, look at what you have, and write the remainder down on your list. 

What do you need to have on hand for quick and healthy snacks (for you and kiddos...if you've got 'em)? Think fresh fruit (grab and go things like apples, stone fruit, veg, protein (cheese sticks, nitrate/ite and sugar-free deli meat, yogurt, nuts, etc.)

Step 2:  Cross Check

Just trust me here. Take you list, go to your pantry, fridge, freezer, and food storage and see what you actually don't need. You will save a lot of money by doing this. While you are scanning perishables in your fridge, see what you need to use STAT (what is going to go bad if you don't use it within a day or so), and tweak your plan. For example, if you have a boat-load of cucumbers, get them in snack bags for the kids or make a yummy Greek salad with them. Use what you have first before you buy more. 

Step 3: Shop

Even thought the produce is generally fresher mid-week, I only have time to shop on Saturdays (for me that means Friday nights are spent curled up with cook books, food blogs, notebooks, and cross-checking) and making my list. I love to get to the store early before the insanity starts and my favorite tip, set an alarm on your phone to remind you to TAKE YOUR LIST. I also take a pic of my list with my phone. No sense undoing all of your work. Lastly, always eat before you shop. Shopping hungry (or hangry in my post-work-out state) is a recipe for disaster and over shopping and over spending.

Step 4: Clean and Prep

You do not need to spend three-four hours making elaborate mason jars full of food. Don't over think it. This is supposed to make your life easier. Think about what will help you get food on the table as fast as you need to, and do that.

For me this means three important steps:

Wash/clean
Prep 
Put-away where you can find it

Before I start any "food prep" I spend 5-10 min getting my kitchen in order. Leave the food in bags on the floor or in the car while you clean out the fridge and get it ready to fill. EMPTY it out. I know, I know, you don't want to and don't have time to. Just do it. Wipe it out quickly, and get rid of expired food/condiments.

 My fridge before I emptied and cleaned out.

 The door is my nemesis; this is where all of this crap hides out that needs to go.

Once you are emptied out, You can start cleaning your new produce and getting it ready for any food prep. My favorite method is to dump all produce with an edible skin into a clean sink with a bit of vinegar or veg/fruit cleaner.

Most stickers can stay on, except for stone fruit. Take those off so you don't dig a hole into the side of your nectarine or plum.

My favorite veggie/fruit wash. Available on Amazon and sometimes at T.J. Maxx.

Let the produce chill for a bit (1-2 minutes). Rinse thoroughly and lay out on clean dishtowel to dry. Now comes the fun. Now that you've washed everything so it is ready to roll, you need to "prep" all perishables so they are ready to grab and go or grab and cook with.


For fresh fruit, keep half of your hand-held fruit on the counter in a bowl so it is easily accessible. The remainder, keep in your top produce crisper so its ready as back up. Chop any melon, pineapple, slice your kiwi, etc. Place them in Tupperware for easy access or in individual bags or bowls for "grab and go" snacks and lunches.


For vegetables, slice/dice and prep everything you can. Get cucumbers sliced and in grab and go bags and in a Tupperware in the fridge (think grab and throw on a salad). Slice some peppers for snacking, dice the rest for any recipes you need them for. Chop things like broccoli, squash, etc. and get them ready for any recipes.

Remember, that's not dirt on your mushrooms...wipe them all clean with a damp cloth. 

Another great way to be prepared is to measure portions into containers for grab and go. I'm trying to eat more protein and have been bringing some high protein snacks, such as 2% cottage cheese, portioned individually and ready to roll. The most accurate way to ensure you are eating what you think...a food scale. I know it seems like a pain, but, it is SO much more accurate and will become second nature if you use it daily. Tip: leave it on the counter where you dish and measure things, always have it ready to roll, and remember you can weigh in any dish...just remember to "tare."

 

5. Organize and Put Away

My biggest tip here is, you eat with and look for food in the fridge with your eyes. Place things in the middle, center shelves where you will see them when you open the fridge. I dedicate the shelf that is the eye-level of my son to things I want him to eat...cut and prepped veg, quick protein snacks. The shelves above are for storing the things I want the taller people in our house to eat. The door is the same thing. Place things in the middle shelves of the door that you want to use and eat often, the upper and lower shelves, for things you eat sparingly.

Here is my fridge after I prepped, chopped, and organized:

Grapes are washed and ready to grab, and easily seen.

 Back up storage of sliced, and cleaned produce for use later in the week or the next week.

 The door is filled with good things, like water, in the center at eye-level and the lower you get the less frequently we use them.

 6. Advance Meal Preparation

The key here is not to overthink it. You don't need to kill your self making every single meal in advance for the whole week. Just prep and make things easier and try to make 1-2 things that are quick to have on hand. For me, this means making my breakfasts in advance and 1-2 items I can divvy out for my lunches in advance and grab and go. This week I made a veggie-loaded, egg-white quiche with vegetarian bacon. It was so easy and I could use many of the vegetables I had just chopped up.

Basically, this veg quiche is 2ish cups of chopped veg, (maybe a few olives for some good fat), 4 whole eggs, 2 cups of egg white, 4 slices of cooked, chopped veggie bacon (or real bacon), salt pepper, red pepper flakes. Stir together and bake in a large 9x13 in a 350 degree oven until top is firm (10-15 min). Serves 6-8. 

I also pulled some fruit out of the freezer to let it thaw. Pineapple and peaches are not in season, and my son loves them. Good to have these ready to roll.

Next I made a quick mushroom, lean chicken-sausage, and broccoli saute. I use this for quick lunches and dinners. It is the perfect combo of lean protein and good carbs.

 

I am making chili later in the week, so I got my kidney beans soaking. One thing will already be done on chili day. :)

Well, folks, that's it. This is a commitment you need to make and stick to, but, it is worth it. I would budget at least three hours for your first time. I can usually do my prep and quick meal prep for the week (excluding shopping time) in about 2 hours. Some days it is longer if I want to do more prep. 

Have fun with it and be proud of yourself for setting the stage for a successful and healthy week. 

Here are 10 quick tips to make this a more "enjoyable" experience: 

1. Try getting the family involved. Kids love to help, but, it will slow you down. Spouses or roommates and friends can make great helpers too. Try a food prep "swap" where you take turns helping each other. **Michelle (a great friend and reader!), do you remember our epic food prep night in Boston? Good times. :)

2. Listen to your favorite music while cleaning, chopping, and cooking. If you have favorite cooking shows, those are fun to watch too and make it more of an "alone time" award rather than chore (Great British Bake Off - Woot Woot!).

3. If you have young ones, try doing this early or late, and you will get more done. 

4. Remember, know what you need to buy at the store before you go.

5. Cross check your shopping list with what you already have on hand; don't waste money by buying duplicates.

6. Use what you have on hand first; no waste.

7. Don't shop hungry (or...hangry). 

8. Try new things.

9. Organize your fridge to suit your needs and to be visually accessible (healthy snacks in front and at eye-level).

10.  About half-way through the week, spend 10 minutes or so reorganizing and re-stocking the fridge. Shift things from "back-up" to "front and center." Spending this extra time will ensure you make it past the mid-week "burn-out' and end the week like a champ. 

Happy Meal Prepping!