What Works Wednesday: Meal Prep

What Works Wednesday is where I talk about how something I do works for me or my household.  A full-time working mom, with a husband and a blended family with six kids.

Last week when I reached out to get some ideas for this theme a friend of mine brought up Meal Prep.

Meal Prep is something that I have done, even if loosely for years.

From something as simple as using a planning page to write down what my family will be having for dinner each night of the week.  I always make this based off of what is in my refrigerator and cupboards.  I don’t shop to fit into my plan.  I plan after I have picked up what is one sale and what is in season at the store.

If you happen to be on a budget, don’t plan your meals before you shop.  You could end up with a bill two or three times larger than it needs to be.

There have been other times in my life where I meal plan much more intensely.  This would be one of those seasons of my life.  I am trying to make clean and healthy choices and the only way to do that successfully from one day to the next, is to plan.

Usually I go grocery shopping on Friday or Saturday.  Then Sunday is when I get the food prepped for the week.  This would be both lunches and dinners.  If I cook the protein and the vegetables all at once, then I can just portion it out for the week.  My favorite thing to make sure that I cook every weekend is hard boiled eggs.  Such a simple, inexpensive and healthy food.  That can be used for a snack or for a meal.  For breakfast or for lunch.

I prep on Sunday because usually that is my no-rush day.  The day where I can find an hour or two to dedicate to being in the kitchen.  It isn’t unusual for me to have multiple burners on the stove going, as well as the oven on.  When I portion everything into plastic containers or baggies, all I have to do is pull it out of the fridge as I am packing my lunches in the morning.

My dinner prep goes easier when I plan.  I can look at my list in the morning and pull whatever protein I am going to need out of the freezer.  Then it can thaw while I am at work and making dinner takes much less time.  Even better, sometimes I have an available moment the night before and I just prep the entire dinner.  Put it in a casserole dish, cover with foil, then it just needs to be heated up the next night.

The moral of all of this is when you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  You are far more likely to go out to lunch or pick up dinner on your way home, if you don’t have a plan and know what your next meal will be.  When you are dreading putting all the work into food prep after a long day of work, grabbing fast food seems like the better option.

Make some time to do this.  I promise you can find the time, you are worth it.  Have the kids help!  Show them that planning is important and can be beneficial.

Please let me know if there is a topic you would like to see featured for “What Works Wednesday”.  I am open to any and all suggestions.