Making up a meal plan and preparing meals ahead of time can make your week go much smoother, and better allow you to provide your family with nutritious meals. Let's face it, we're all busy and when you're trying to juggle multiple things at once, good nutrition can fall by the wayside. Between work, school, cleaning, laundry, and whatever else is going on that day or week, it's a lot easier to just open up a box of mac n' cheese and throw some pre-packaged chicken nuggets in the microwave than whip up a pot of soup or a nice veggie-filled lasagna. That's where prep day and a meal plan come in!
Currently, I am competing in a clean eating challenge at my gym, Plain City Fitness. What is clean eating, you ask? Clean eating means eating foods as close to their whole, natural state as possible - if it came from the ground or had a mother, you can consider it "clean." Clean eating also means no additives, no preservatives, no processed sugars, and no processed grains.
"Wow! That must be really difficult, you probably have to make everything! How do you have time for that?" Well, I meal prep! Although I personally do not adhere to the suggestions our coaches made for what to serve every night (Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Souper Duper Wednesday, Crock Pot Thursday, Fishy Friday), I still make a menu of options for myself for the week, and prepare whatever is needed. Meal prep is the key to success, whether you're eating clean like me, or you're just the average person with a busy life!
How do I plan a menu and meal prep?
1. Sit down and make a menu for the week. Pick a few items that can be prepared ahead of time (or at least most of the meal) and plan on only having those things. You DO NOT have to plan a meal for every single night of the week because it is likely that you will have leftovers. However, if you want to plan a meal for each day, more power to you!
2. Go to the grocery store. When you make your menu, write down all of the ingredients you need from the store. While shopping, stick to your list! If you're not planning on grilling out that week, don't buy a package of hamburger! This will make it easier to stick to what you already have planned.
3. Pick a prep day. Typically I prep on Sundays, that is when it is most convenient for me. Pick a day (or even two days if you want to split it up!) that allows you a few uninterrupted hours where you can get your meals ready for the week.
4. Prep! Chop, bag, freeze, bake, do whatever you can to make it easier on yourself during the week. If you're making a lasagna, cook the noodles and assemble the layers, then put it in the freezer so it's oven-ready! If you're making granola, put it in individual serving sized baggies so you can grab it on the go! If you're making minestrone, chop all your veggies and store in a tupperware container so it's ready to go in the pot! If you're planning on having salads for lunch, assemble your greens and veggies and grill some chicken, put it in individual containers so you can grab one each day without any hassle. The whole point of prepping is so you can provide your family with healthy, nutritious meals without the added stress during the weeknights.
Currently, I am competing in a clean eating challenge at my gym, Plain City Fitness. What is clean eating, you ask? Clean eating means eating foods as close to their whole, natural state as possible - if it came from the ground or had a mother, you can consider it "clean." Clean eating also means no additives, no preservatives, no processed sugars, and no processed grains.
"Wow! That must be really difficult, you probably have to make everything! How do you have time for that?" Well, I meal prep! Although I personally do not adhere to the suggestions our coaches made for what to serve every night (Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Souper Duper Wednesday, Crock Pot Thursday, Fishy Friday), I still make a menu of options for myself for the week, and prepare whatever is needed. Meal prep is the key to success, whether you're eating clean like me, or you're just the average person with a busy life!
How do I plan a menu and meal prep?
1. Sit down and make a menu for the week. Pick a few items that can be prepared ahead of time (or at least most of the meal) and plan on only having those things. You DO NOT have to plan a meal for every single night of the week because it is likely that you will have leftovers. However, if you want to plan a meal for each day, more power to you!
2. Go to the grocery store. When you make your menu, write down all of the ingredients you need from the store. While shopping, stick to your list! If you're not planning on grilling out that week, don't buy a package of hamburger! This will make it easier to stick to what you already have planned.
3. Pick a prep day. Typically I prep on Sundays, that is when it is most convenient for me. Pick a day (or even two days if you want to split it up!) that allows you a few uninterrupted hours where you can get your meals ready for the week.
4. Prep! Chop, bag, freeze, bake, do whatever you can to make it easier on yourself during the week. If you're making a lasagna, cook the noodles and assemble the layers, then put it in the freezer so it's oven-ready! If you're making granola, put it in individual serving sized baggies so you can grab it on the go! If you're making minestrone, chop all your veggies and store in a tupperware container so it's ready to go in the pot! If you're planning on having salads for lunch, assemble your greens and veggies and grill some chicken, put it in individual containers so you can grab one each day without any hassle. The whole point of prepping is so you can provide your family with healthy, nutritious meals without the added stress during the weeknights.
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Here are some photos from my most recent meal prep: grilled chicken, homemade granola (find the recipe here!), grilled tilapia marinated in Tessemae's Cracked Pepper dressing, apple crisp (a gal's gotta have dessert, too!), and baked blueberry oatmeal casserole (find recipe here!). A few hours can make a world of difference, and between school and work, this makes my life a heck of a lot easier!
Here is my "menu" for this week :
Breakfast Options:
Baked oatmeal
Granola with yogurt or milk
Broiled grapefruit and toast
Smoothie or Juice
Lunch/Dinner Options:
Salad with grilled chicken and strawberries
Grilled chicken with veggies and fresh fruit
Grilled tilapia with brown rice and veggies
Grilled chicken wrap in an ezekiel tortilla
Snack Options:
Larabars
Fresh fruit or veggies, plain or with peanutbutter
Popcorn
Granola
Dessert Options:
Apple crisp
Fresh Fruit
Make your menu your own based on your family's preferences, and make life simpler with a prep day!
- Miss. Wilson
Breakfast Options:
Baked oatmeal
Granola with yogurt or milk
Broiled grapefruit and toast
Smoothie or Juice
Lunch/Dinner Options:
Salad with grilled chicken and strawberries
Grilled chicken with veggies and fresh fruit
Grilled tilapia with brown rice and veggies
Grilled chicken wrap in an ezekiel tortilla
Snack Options:
Larabars
Fresh fruit or veggies, plain or with peanutbutter
Popcorn
Granola
Dessert Options:
Apple crisp
Fresh Fruit
Make your menu your own based on your family's preferences, and make life simpler with a prep day!
- Miss. Wilson