It’s the weekend! Congratulations!!! You made it through another week!
My favorite time of the weekend is jumping into some comfy clothes, recapping the prior week—the highs and the lows, and then stepping into the next week prepared!
One of my favorite parts of the weekend is meal prepping… I’ve been told that’s not terribly common, so I’m here to give you some of my favorite meal prepping tips to hopefully give you a boost in the right direction.
So first off, get yourself a nice warm (or cool) cup of tea, turn on some soothing and rejuvenating tunes, and let’s get down to business!
Meal Prep in 5 Easy Steps:
1. Take an inventory of what you already have
I really enjoy this step, and for the longest time I used to shop and meal prep based upon what was on sale, and to some extent I do this still. By all means shop by what's in season! But I also try to focus on using up those extra radishes I bought last week, that way the money I spent on that food doesn't just end up in my composter.
Like the saying goes, "a penny saved, is a penny earned." I'd much rather save some food from being tossed, than get a great deal on some new food.
So how do I do this? I grab a pen and a note card, and dance my way around the kitchen (Don't forget about those tunes we have going!) making a list of things I already have.
I usually start with the fridge taking note of anything that will be going bad soon. Any uneaten meals or salvageable veggies, that we're tired of and that can be frozen, get tossed in the freezer for the next week or two.
Then I like to look in the freezer to see if there's anything in there that's at risk of being freezer burnt soon.
2. Make a Meal Plan!
This is one of my favorite steps, and is where creativity meets strategy! My ultimate goal here is to use up as much food in the fridge as possible while also making some super tasty and fun meals to enjoy in the coming week.
Then as my mental juices are flowing of the endless possibilities and what sounds good, I start looking in my pantry to make note of anything that could be especially beneficial—like that extra can of tomatoes I didn't use last week that's shoved in the back of the cupboard.
BONUS: Where should I look for recipes?
I really enjoy going on Pinterest to check out new recipes. But a trusty Google or Bing search will also suffice quite well!
I also really enjoy jumping onto ForksOverKnives.com to check out their great recipe collections. They also have some excellent resources on topics such as: Plant-Based 101, Healthy Lifestyle, Beginner's Guide, etc. They have some great free resources that are super helpful!
3. Make that List!
While I'm looking through recipes and consulting my inventory list, I like to start making my grocery list for what I absolutely need to get at the store.
Tip: Don't be afraid to get back up at any point to consult your fridge, freezer, or pantry to make sure you're not doubling up on anything.
After I make my list of meal items, I like to take one last look in the fridge and in my produce basket to check on what fruit we have around the house. Fruit is our go-to snack, and will oftentimes prevent that guilt-snack while on meal break at work/school. So making sure we have some variety and just the right amount to get us through the coming week is absolutely essential!
4. Go Shopping!
Make sure to eat a snack before you head to the store. One sure fire way to make sure you don't get what's on the list is going to the store hungry! Just stick to the list! You got this!!!
5. Make Those Meals!
Keep those tunes going, keep things light and fun, and get after those meals! Don't be afraid to split up meal prepping into a couple batches, ultimately listen to your body!
Don't forget to have some fun! Meal prepping can be a daunting task, and sometimes I meal prep on a weeknight just because that's what worked best for me that week.
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