Meal Prepping for the Busy Body

We all know how important it is to eat nutritious and healthy foods when possible. However, healthy eating can sometimes sound overwhelming. Cooking at home is one of the best ways to ensure you are eating healthfully because you get to control the ingredients used. However, it can also add extra stress to your life. Often times we get so busy, overwhelmed or stressed out (especially these days) that finding time to cook is the last thing we want to do. Fortunately, with a little bit of planning and knowledge you can make meal prepping easier allowing you to make better choices and take control of your health.

Meal Prepping Tips:

• Plan:

  • Plan your meals for the week and do a little meal prep over the weekends. If you map out your week of meals you can avoid that dreaded daily dilemma of “what’s for dinner tonight” and being too hungry, tired or stressed to cook. Planning and grocery shopping on the weekends will help take the stress out of weeknight dinners.

• Prepare:

  • When you get home from the store, cut up veggies and store them in airtight containers so they are ready to go for snacks or to use in meals. Doing a little prepping over the weekends can cut cooking time down drastically. I don’t know about you but all the chopping and prepping is what takes me the longest and the most daunting part of cooking. If you can get a lot of this work done and prepared over the weekend, cooking during the week is much less stressful and time consuming. I like to chop everything up and store them in airtight containers in the fridge for easy access and use.

• Make Extra:

  • Double up on recipes to allow for leftovers.

  • Make a large bowl of quinoa or rice to use in multiple recipes throughout the week.

  • Roast a bunch of veggies and use them throughout the week with different meals. Throw them on salads, add them to rice bowls, use them in wraps or just enjoy them on their own with a healthy protein.

  • Shredded chicken can be made easily in the crockpot and stored in an airtight container to use all week. You can throw it on salads, add to rice bowls or fajitas or just mix with different sauces to change up your meals.

  • Utilize tools like the crockpot for easy cooking and meal prepping. The crockpot is one of my favorite kitchen appliances for easy and lazy cooking. Just throw a bunch of ingredients in, set the timer and you are good to go!

• Set your kitchen and home up for success

  • Display fruit in attractive bowls on the counter. We tend to eat with our eyes first so having fresh fruit in clear site can encourage us to reach for that apple before heading to the snack drawer.

  • Put chips, crackers, cookies, candy and other indulgent snacks in the pantry on high shelves, out of eye site. This isn’t necessarily going to stop us from eating these items but it will allow us to be more mindful about grabbing them.

  • Store fresh produce in the front of the fridge (not only will this be the first thing you see when you open the door but pre-cutting your veggies will allow for quicker and easier meal prep when it comes to dinner time)

  • Store healthier leftovers in clear containers and more tempting options in tin foil. This goes to the same ideas of out of site out of mind. It becomes a more mindful decision to reach for the food that isn’t as easily or clearly accessible.

  • Make sure your fridge is colorful, stock with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables

  • To avoid mindless snacking, put snack foods in single serving containers. This helps us be more mindful when snacking. I don’t know about you, but I can find myself eating directly out of the snack bag while standing in the kitchen deciding what I want to eat. Before I know it the bag is finished and I’m still reaching for my next snack. By putting snack foods in single serving containers we have more control over our portions. This isn’t to say that we won’t go for 2 or 3 servings, but at least this is a mindful decision.

  • Stock your freezer with frozen fruit and vegetables, this allows for quick and easy cooking and ensures you always have healthy options on hand. I always keep my freezer stocked with veggies. Frozen veggies are equally as nutritious as fresh and cook very quickly. I don’t always have time to plan or go to the grocery but by having frozen veggies on hand I can always make a healthy meal.

Looking for some quick and easy recipe ideas? Check out my YouTube channel. I will walk you through how to make some delicious and easy meals your whole family will enjoy! Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss a video!