Meal Prep Shortcuts

One of the components of maintaining where I want to be has been meal prepping. I do not know what I would do some weeks if I didn’t meal prep, I can honestly say that it is what makes or breaks my success in eating for my goals.

Typically I meal prep every other Sunday at a minimum. Ideally it would be every week and sometimes that happens. On weeks it is just myself, I can get the whole weeks worth of food for about $120- $130. Weeks my 3 kids are home will run me $40-$50 more.

Bear in mind that If you are meal prepping, meals out during the day for lunch and dinner aren’t necessary and you’re going to save so much more money that way!

Below is a list of the items that personally, I find necessary if I want to stay on track for meal prepping. It is not a one-size-fits-all prescription but simply a guideline if you find the idea of meal prepping multiple meals intimidating.

• Make a meal plan and matching grocery list

This is the most important part of your prep. Know in advance what you want to make. Write out each recipe on a sheet of paper, list your ingredients and then cross reference it with what you already have at home so you are not buying extra and wasting it. Do not skip this step.

• Keep it Simple

When I first started meal prepping it was all about making the most elaborate and complicated meals I could find. End it would take me in excess of four or five hours to complete one prep. Why… ? I don’t know. I don’t have an answer for you I just know that it isn’t necessary so keep your recipes simple to avoid being overwhelmed when you prep.

• Opt for frozen or pre cut veggies and fruits

This was a hard step for me to take because I felt like if I was getting pre-sliced or frozen foods, that I was cheating myself somehow. Don’t be a martyr. If there’s a way to make the work a little easier, take it. While frozen foods typically come out a little less expensive, you will find that pre-cut fruits and vegetables appear higher in cost. I don’t feel that this is true because you can still end up with a considerable amount of waste when you cut the fruits and vegetables yourself… Especially if you are paying by the pound, that’s going to inevitably waste money. Also consider that your time is valuable as well. And microwaving steam bags and not having to slice stuff up is literally going to cut your prep time in half.

• Don’t try to cook everything at one time

Maybe this rule only applies to people like me who are easily distracted. I try to have one thing in the oven, one in the microwave, and two on the stove top. Anything more than that and I tend to forget that certain things are cooking, 20 minutes later I realize somethings burning and I’ve wasted money. Don’t be like me.

• Purchase containers that are uniform and match

The containers shown in my picture below came from Amazon but I’ve also found them at Walmart recently. They are very inexpensive, microwavable, and hold plenty of food. The best part is that you can stack 30 to 40 of them on one shelf in one spot and all of the lids will fit right on top. It is so much less stressful when you don’t have to rummage around for Tupperware’s and matching lids! You can find them on Amazon.

• Wash dishes as you go

I promise you will not regret washing your dishes as you go along. Waiting until the end of your meal prep to wash everything at once is going to be just as overwhelming as cooking it all at once.

THINGS THAT DON’T REHEAT WELL

vegetable pastas

Fish (this is perhaps a personal preference)

Eggs (I don’t mind this, but I’ve heard many other people say they hate it)

Steak or tenderloin, (beef cuts like this tend to become over cooked and rubbery when reheated in the microwave. I do not find the ground beef does this so it is usually the beef that I will choose for meal prep, if any)

Some Foods that are wrapped or made with tortillas. This includes quesadillas or burritos, the tortillas become soggy when reheated. The same applies to pizzas and flatbreads so if I have a healthy recipe of any of these I save it for dinner when I can eat it fresh.

THINGS I HAVE TO HAVE WHEN I PREP

parchment paper (I roast almost all of my vegetables if I don’t microwave them)

Chicken breast

Ground turkey

Cauliflower rice

Broccoli

Sweet potatoes

Onion

Olive oil

Garlic

All of my dishes clean and ready

Glass of wine and my favorite playlist

The most critical part of a successful mealprep is to have a plan. Two of the reasons I hear most often for people wanting to try this are to make better choices when they eat and to help save money. Having an idea what you are cooking and buying in advance will greatly assist you in doing both of these things.

Don’t let a meal prep overwhelm you. While it can be slightly time-consuming in the short term, the amount of time and money you will save throughout the week more than make up for it.

You’ll see the last item on the list of things I need is a glass of wine and a good playlist…. Don’t underestimate things like this. Creating your meals for the week can become an act of self care. Complete it knowing that you are setting yourself up for success and making the best choices possible for you, your health, and that of anyone sharing the meals with you. Make it a part of your weekend that separates you from reality and nurtures your soul, it does not have to be a chore. Turn it into something you look forward to and you will never look back!

Black Cloud Days

You know those days where you’re not having a bad day, but you can’t muster up positivity? Where you don’t have a flat tire and you’re on time to work, but it’s still a “bad” morning? These days make you feel guilty because life isn’t necessarily bad, but you can’t shake the black cloud that’s following you around, making matters worse. You’re waiting for happiness but the light you’re seeking is nowhere to be found.

Yesterday was a Black Cloud day.

I was productive at work. Nothing inherently bad happened to me… but there are certain things taking place around me that I have no control over. Some are not that big of a deal, but some are very important. And while on paper, I should at the very least be content, I cannot shake the black cloud that comes with the things I can’t control. It’s like I spend the day waiting for something I can’t control to make me happy. And not even doing anything to make that happen.

The weather outside was just as miserable as my mood when I got home from work yesterday. I crawled into bed and I pulled the covers over my head and was determined to sleep from 4:30 pm until forever. Maybe I even cried a little bit because that’s what I do when I feel overwhelmed and like I am losing control of things.

And as I’ve explained to you before, I stopped myself and said, “what are you doing? “.

I got up and grabbed my notebook, (I’ve been doing much better with keeping up with a journal this time around) I made a list of all of the things that are stressing me out or upsetting me. I took a black marker and crossed out all of the things that I cannot control. And I climbed out of bed and got to work on all of the others.

I sent out an email I’d been dreading to reply to.

I completely cleaned out my laundry room because with three boys in the house, it quickly becomes a source of stress for me.

I ate a healthy meal prepped dinner.

Cleaned out my kitchen cabinets and organized everything.

Put laundry away.

Called my mom because I’d been putting that off too.

And as each item got completed, the weight on my shoulders decreased a little bit more.

You can not and never will be able to control everything in your life. You cannot float idyllically through life and expect happiness to land in your lap. You can, however, take control of the things that are within your power and do what is necessary to find just small pieces of happiness.

Let them add up, let the small steps turn into long walks and eventually, you’ll realize the journey isn’t even as bad as you thought.

Contentment in the Healing

There are so many reasons a person might need healing beyond the obvious physical ailments. Addiction, dangerous relationships, disordered eating… The list sadly continues.

Personally, my healing is from a toxic, depressive, and dangerous mindset that held me hostage for a very long time. While we may have opened the door to make discussing and sharing a mental illness with others more acceptable, that still does not give one all of the necessary tools to appropriately deal with it.

Having come from an uncomfortably dark place myself, and essentially BY myself because sharing it wouldn’t have been received well, I feel it’s important to get the methods and tools that have been helpful to those of us who have moved forward out there to other people, who may feel “stuck” or alone.

This is a concept that I wish I’d known so much sooner. When you’re working towards shifting your mindset, especially early on, A bad day can feel like failure. You can go for three or four days and think you are back on track and then hit the ground in an emotional implosion on day five. That day five will make you feel like you are at the very beginning again.

That is not the case. Simply the fact that you’re actively working on pulling yourself out of that hole is progress. Every single day that you choose joy, even when it feels impossible, is a victory.

Don’t let the bad days consume you, rather sit with them, accept them and acknowledge them for what they are. Singular, 24 hour time frames where you can start over tomorrow. Finding a middle ground between the good and the bad days is where every day life lives.

Find the beauty and contentment in all of the above.