This week, while we are still on the January 30 day New Year, New You (upgraded version of an already awesome you) challenge, I’d like to talk about meal prep. This is something that I struggle with too. And when I fail to meal prep, then I end up eating out a lot and break two of my goals…saving money and eating healthier.
If you are like me, or any other Type A person, you struggle to find the time to do it all. And then you get stressed out, and then that stress causes you to do thinks like binge eat junk food, reach for chocolate or drink coffee all day (because it all tastes good, right?!?).
If you are in business or you have a family, you know that failing to plan things out only results in more chaos, right? If you don’t plan something for your kids to do on weekends or vacations, then it’s a disaster. Or in business, if you don’t plan things out, then you feel disorganized and things don’t get done. So, we need a plan to accomplish those goals, right? And yes, life happens and our best intentions sometimes go by the wayside, but having a plan in place makes it more likely that you will stick to the good habits when stuff hits the fan.
So, I plan my meals on Friday or Saturday before I grocery shop. I plan a few breakfasts that I can grab and go, or it’s coffee cake at a local coffee shop which is not an ideal way to start the day because of all that sugar. (Sugar is also not kind to your adrenals, which are already stressed if you are any sort of Type A person.) Then I plan my dinners with two nights for leftovers. I plan one meal per week out because I like to eat out. I actually enjoy dining out more when it’s a relaxing treat as opposed to a daily thing I do while stressing on my way home from work.
In review, it takes less than an hour to plan out your menu. Recipes can be simple but write it down or type it out. Then make your grocery list off that. It will help you to spend less at the grocery store too. Then, on Sunday (or Saturday or whatever day works best for you), do as much prep work as you can. Make your soups, cut your veggies for your salads, pre-cook a frittata or hard boil some eggs for breakfast, roast some veggies, and make it easy to grab stuff out of the fridge and put it in a container for lunch. You can also utilize dinner leftovers for lunch. I will often cook extra chicken or roast extra veggies and throw it on top of a salad for lunch. It’s healthier AND it saves money…and with all that saved money, you can treat yourself to a nice meal out once in a while. Comment below if you have a favorite recipe or website for recipes.
