Meal Prep 101

The only way to stick to healthy eating throughout the week is to plan ahead! Otherwise it is too easy to opt for fast/unhealthy/expensive food.

Here's how we start:

1) Make a grocery list.

    My suggestion:

    Meats: 2 lbs chicken breast, 1 lb of lean ground turkey/ground beef

    Dairy: eggs, almond milk

    Carbs: quinoa and brown rice or 2 potatoes

    Veggies: 3 bundles of greens (spinach, green beans, bok choy, asparagus, kale, zucchini, etc.)

                   1 onion, garlic, scallions

    Fruit: strawberries (or whatever your favorite fruit is)

You can always get more creative, but this is a simple start!

Also, stop by your dollar store and stock up on some Ziploc bags and tupperware.

I got these bad boys for a buck 99! I was running low on tupperware, but if you need to stock up-- then splurge and grab seven (one for each day)! For now, I will just do half of my meals in separated containers and the rest in containers that aren't pretty enough to be pictured.

2) Prepare all your food! 

Veggies

        I first start by cutting up all my veggies so that I don't get my cutting board dirty with my meats. I use this Cuisinart steamer my aunt got me because steaming is the best way to get the most nutrients from your food. Click here to find out how to steam without a steamer: http://food52.com/blog/8312-how-to-hack-a-steamer. Or, baking and sautéing your veggies is fine, too. Just be sure not to add anything that is counterproductive to their nutrients.

    I let timer run for 18 minutes for the green beans and the asparagus, and then take the bok choy out after just 5 mintutes. This is how they turn out:

For those of you easing into eating veggies without any sauce, try this simple fix. The sauce in the picture is 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp Korean soy sauce, and 2 tsp of sesame seeds. Or, you can do a simple sauté with black pepper, garlic, and low sodium soy sauce. 

Lettuce Wraps 

Then, prepared my red meat dish. You will need:

• 1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
• 1 bell pepper
• half of an onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 scallions
• boston lettuce
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• olive oil (or coconut oil for a healthy alternative)
• pepper

1. Heat 1tsp of coconut oil in the pan and cook the garlic and onions until they are soft and yellow.
2. Add the ground beef and sprinkle it with pepper. Then, once the meat is browned, drained the juices with a strainer. 
3. Place the onions, garlic, and beef back into the sauce pan and pour in the BBQ sauce, hot sauce, and soy sauce. Mix well.
4. Then, add in the peppers and cook them a few minutes until they are soft.
5. Finally, add the scallions and only cook them a minute or two.

Serve with boston lettuce. This lettuce is the best because it is the perfect combination of soft leaves with a crunchy stem, and always come in a cup shape! Be sure to rinse well as they come attached to their roots. 

Here's the final product! Store the meat and lettuce in separate containers in the refrigerator, and eat this as your dinner for the next few days! It's a quick, tasty, and fulfilling protein/veggie combo. 

Carbs

Begin by choosing two sources of carbs to prep: brown rice, quinoa, or potaoes. This week I decided to cook 1 cup of brown rice, and a box of my favorite quinoa. 

I prefer to cheat a little here and enjoy the cilantro seasonings from this company because I think plain quinoa is not fun. Feel free to experiment with the variety in your store!

How to Cut a Chicken

Purchase 2 lbs of chicken breast from your butcher. Then, you can use plastic cooking gloves on your hands if the feeling of chicken grosses you out, otherwise you do not have to. Just be sure to wash your hands and be careful what you are touching. 

Cut it in half, hamburger way. 

Then, chop it in half the hot dog way. 

Make sure it is no thicker than an inch, otherwise it will be hard to cook through. 

Dice your chicken without cutting all the way through it. This helps the marinade absorb more. 

It will look like this. 

Now, divide them in half and place them into two tupperware containers. 

Congratulations! You have prepped your chicken. Now let's start the meat marinade.

Chicken Marinades

There's a plethora of chicken marinades that are healthy and delicious. But I like to rotate through a few simple ones. 

If you choose the Italian dressing or wing sauce, just pair a 1/2 cup of sauce with a clove of garlic and pour it over the chicken. Make sure to get it into the creases and cover it completely. 

I decided to do the Italian dressing and honey/soy. For the honey/soy, mix 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce, 1 clove of chopped garlic, 1 tbsp honey, and a dash of pepper into a cup. Then, pour it over the chicken. Cover the chicken with their lids, and leave them in the fridge for 30 minutes- overnight. I usually forget to plan ahead that far, so I only leave it in for 30 minutes. 

Fry the chicken on a sauce pan. Lay them flat and cook about 7 minutes on each side, or until the juices  run clear. I always puncture the thickest part of the chicken to see if it is cooked. If it is, you're good-- if not, leave it on longer. 

3) Putting it all together!

Divide up your veggies, chicken, and carbs into slightly different variations. Seal, and store in your fridge until you are ready to eat them! 

We have just cooked 6 lunch meals that you can easily stick in your bag and take to work or school, and microwave it when you are ready to eat! The total time to prepare these meals was just under 3 hours. So carve out a few hours Sunday morning to grocery shop, cook, and prepare your week's meals and you'll learn that healthy eating has never been easier! 

Have you guys ever meal prepped before? And are there any challenges that worry or excite you? I want to hear about your experiences!

Thanks for dropping in,

Alina <3