SIMPLE Meal Prep

The reality is, we are ALL busy. Being pulled in so many different directions is HARD to make time for things like meal prep. This month's newsletter is going to be dedicated to SIMPLE items for meal prep.

Now, these items are going to not necessarily be budget-friendly but are still cheaper than ordering take-out. Saving money, and cooking everything from scratch takes TIME, which if you do not have a lot of, can lead to more meals out than you'd like.

Many times our diets suffer because we are unprepared when hunger strikes. Either we do not have TIME to cook, or do not have anything already made.

Meal planning saves TIME because first, you know “what’s for dinner,” and you won’t have to run to the grocery store as frequently.

It saves MONEY because eating out is so much more expensive than preparing meals at home. It also means less food waste because you’ve only bought the items you need to prepare your meals.

What does that tell us?

When the going gets tough, people tend to take the easy way out, which is take out.

A little planning can go a long way.

#1 Start Small.

If planning your week seems too much all at once, I encourage you to just think ahead for 2 meals. That's it. Start small.

#2 Stick with the Basics.

When you are building a meal in mind, I like to use this visual of a healthy plate. Keeping it basic with protein, veggie, and carb.

#3 Choose Your Own Style.

If meal prepping a bunch of container meals feels overwhelming then don't do it. you can still save time and eat healthy with these SIMPLE ideas.

Here are some quick and simple items to pick up from the grocery store. Keep in mind you do not have to use ALL of them in one meal, you can easily keep these on hand to ADD to something you've made at home.

#1 Roast

Roasts are fairly inexpensive and are easy to put in the crockpot and let them be. So use some of these SIMPLE meal prep ideas to add as side dishes to minimize the cooking.

#2 Rotisserie Chicken / Pre-Cooked Protein + Frozen Veggies

Maybe you forgot to take something out of the freezer for dinner, so you can pick up some pre-cooked protein or a rotisserie chicken for the main portion of the dish. Add in some fresh or frozen veggies as a side and 90-second rice.

#3 Canned Chicken or Tuna

Canned chicken and tuna or tuna packets make great chicken or tuna salad. Serve it on top of a bagged salad or in a wrap for a simple lunch.

#4 Quick Potatoes

Steamer or microwave potatoes are a great way to have a "baked potato" or simple veggie in less than 10 minutes. Add this to the roast you made in the crock out or leftover meat from the day before.

#5 Ground Meat

Last but not least, ground meat is inexpensive and fast cooking. You can brown a pound of meat in under 10 minutes leaving you time to throw together the rest of a meal.