Hey there reader!
I talk a lot about meal prep; it's probably one of the ways you found me. Preparing foods ahead of time is the only way to prioritize clean, healthy foods. But not only that, it's good for my sanity. 🙌
The other day, I talked with my dentist hygienist about meal prep - yes, these are the conversations I have while my teeth are getting cleaned. 😀
We both have kids busy with sports and dance, so we were commiserating and having a support group of sorts.
She commented how easy it must be to eat healthier since we have healthy foods in the fridge. I said yes, it does help, but I have to say the role it plays in keeping my stress level down comes in at a very close second.
She was intrigued. So I explained.
➡️ I started meal prep with the sole purpose of losing weight, and that was honestly my only goal.
At that time, I was working 40 hours outside the home, and I knew the ONLY way I would eat healthy homemade foods was to have them ready ahead of time.
So, that's what I did.
I took time every Sunday and cooked recipes for the week - nothing fancy; I started with turkey tacos and clam sauce. Foods I knew I couldn't screw up.
I should also say that I was freezing meals too; this was (and still is) a huge lifesaver during the busy weeks - but I will talk about that at another time. Stay tuned for all my freezer tips coming your way soon.
Anyway, I was losing weight within a couple of weeks, but something else happened - I significantly reduced my stress level.
👉 I wasn't running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.
👉 I didn't have to waste hours cooking dinner and cleaning up every single night.
👉 I had more time and energy to do other things. Of course, nothing exciting, but I could keep up with laundry or do something else around the house.
👉 And, of course, we were all eating healthier.
I was happier and healthier. Win all around!
So, now I prepare food ahead for three reasons.
- To eat healthy foods and manage my weight.
- To keep my weeks running smoothly.
- To keep me sane.
I put the meal prep habit in place when my kids were little - 3 and 6. And let me tell you, now that my kids are 16 and 19, meal prep still plays a significant role in my life.
Maybe even more because my kids are very busy with sports and dance; just about every day of the week, we are running somewhere and have limited time for dinner.
If I didn't meal prep, we would be eating frozen pizza and boxed macaroni and cheese, I am not saying there aren't some nights like that - because, hello, I'm human.
But to keep us eating healthy food and keep me sane, I prioritize preparing meals for the week.
Ok, that was long-winded. I hope you hung in there!
Now, I want to share my go-to recipes that are in constant meal plan rotation, especially during busy seasons. I shared these with my dental hygienist, and I thought you might like them, too.
Now, these recipes are not fancy. But they are easy to make and healthy, and my kids will eat them.
⭐️ Brown rice, shredded chicken, and veggies. My kids eat this at least once or twice a week. Most weekends, I make a big batch of brown rice in the rice cooker and then make basic shredded chicken in the crockpot.
Then, I'll make roasted veggies like broccoli, green beans, or asparagus. Or I'll get bags of "steam in bag" veggies to cook quickly the night we eat it.
I'll store the food separately in containers and refrigerate it for the week. My kids create their bowls of sorts with rice, chicken, and veggies. Sometimes, they'll add a little butter and grated cheese or mix in hot sauce or Italian dressing.
⭐️ Chicken quesadillas. I'll make shredded Mexican chicken or shredded salsa chicken on the weekend, store it in the fridge, and whip up chicken quesadillas during the week. I use my grill pan to cook these, which takes less than 15 minutes.
⭐️ Turkey burgers and oven-roasted potatoes. Even if I don't prepare the patties on the weekend, turkey burgers are easy to make during the week. This is also another recipe where I use my Lodge grill pan. And roasted potatoes can be made on the weekend and warmed up in the oven (or microwave during the week)
⭐️ Pita pizzas or naan pizzas with Ceasar salads. If there's one food item you'll always find in my kitchen, it's pita or naan bread and chopped romaine lettuce. You can get super creative with pita pizzas; they're on the table within 20 minutes.
Those are the main recipes or recipe ideas I always make during busy seasons. Of course, I'll throw in other recipes occasionally, but those are my go-to.
If you're a sports or dance parent or just super busy during the week, I hope you find these ideas helpful. Share your go-to recipes for busy nights in the Reset & Flourish Community Facebook Group!
Have a great weekend!
Tammy 💕
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