Meal Prep 101

Easy Meal Prep Tips

Wouldn’t it be nice if all you had to do was open your refrigerator, freezer, or pantry to find a
week full of healthy, delicious food that’s prepped and ready to be eaten?  

Wouldn’t that make sticking to your diet and achieving your weight loss goals a lot easier?

Meal prep is KEY to setting your week up for success!

The idea is to prepare as much of your meals -- including snacks -- on the weekend, leaving you
little to do during the week.  

By following these steps you will save yourself time -- not to mention the headache -- of figuring what to eat throughout the week.  In addition you also set yourself up for a successful week of eating healthy, tasty food.  You’ll be on track to meet your health and fitness goals!

Here’s my 5 Step Meal Prep Guide to make your next food prep week really simple:

Step One: Planning

Let’s get this started!  Are you an old-school type of note taker?  Get out some paper and a
pen. Better yet, buy a cheap spiral bound notebook/journal that you’ll dedicate to weekly meal
planning and making notes of future recipes, websites, or cookbooks you want to check out.  
Are you more of a new-school note taker?  Open up a blank note on your computer, tablet, or
mobile device.  

Here are the questions that you’ll need to answer:

1. How many meals do I need each day?
Check your calendar for special events
Consider your appetite throughout the day
Will meals be repeated throughout the week?

2. How many servings do I need for each meal?
Consider who in the family needs which meals
Check the calendar for guests or visitors

3. Do I have meals that are already prepped and stored in the freezer?
Freezer meal prep sessions are a HUGE lifesaver for me and my family.  Spend a good part
of one weekend preparing meals that can be frozen and stored for months to come. Enlist

the whole family to help. Trust me -- you won't regret doing this!!

Step Two: Choose Your Recipes

Now it’s time to convert those meals & serving size needs into actual recipes.  Consider
produce in season, special requests or food allergies, and take a look at your grocery store’s
weekly ad to check out their sales.

1. Find your recipes
Browse your favorite recipe sites; check out FB and Pinterest
Pull out your favorite cookbooks
Find your family favorite recipes

2. Focus on a core group of ingredients
Plan recipes that use similar ingredients
Again, consider what is in season and/or on sale
Consider a membership to Costco, Sam’s Club or a similar store

3. Calculate leftover meals
Making enough of some recipes for leftover meals saves time
Is your meal freezable?  If it is consider making a double batch -- one for this week and one

to be frozen and used in the future

4. Consider snacks needed for the week
Who in the family will need what/how many snacks for the week
Take a look at what you already have on hand

5. Make your recipe list
Narrow down the exact list of recipes for the week

Step Three: Make Your Grocery List

Take your list of recipes and snacks needed for the week and create a grocery list. A few
things to keep in mind…

1. Pay attention to recipes that you’ll double or triple
Make sure to include all the ingredients you will need and calculate quantities needed
accordingly

2. Organize your list into these convenient sections:
Meat/Seafood
Frozen
Produce
Dairy/Eggs
Herbs/Spices
Pantry Items

3. Check your pantry for items that you already have
Save money by using up items you already have.

Step Four: Go Shopping

Before you head to the store(s) make sure your list is organized (as described above) and
according to the layout of your local store.  This saves time -- no backtracking necessary!
Check off items on your list as you put them in your basket.

Step Five: Food Prep

Types of Food Prep

1.  Some meals can be made in their entirety and stored in the fridge for a day or two.  Make
sure your meal plan includes eating these meals early in the week.

2. Meal prep for some of your recipes may just include washing produce, chopping, measuring,
and organizing ingredients.

3. Bulk prep when possible
Get out the grill and cook chicken, pork, and steak to be used in various meals throughout
the week.
Steam or roast veggies in batches large enough to meet a few days needs
Prep produce by washing, cutting, and storing them in appropriate proportions
Measure out dry goods (dried fruit, whole grain crackers, nuts, etc) and store in “Ziploc” bags
or “Tupperware” containers
Bonus Tip -- keep healthy, portion controlled snacks within easy reach in your pantry,
countertop, or refrigerator

Getting into the habit of prepping your meals for the week is a surefire way to accelerate your weight loss, break poor eating habits, and alleviate stress and anxiety throughout the week.

What is your FUEL?

This morning, as I do most mornings, I prepared my favorite superfood shake -- chocolate Shakeology, spinach, and ½ frozen banana.  I took a picture of it with the intention of sharing it on social media and titling it “Fuel”.  Because truly, it IS fuel for my body….a great source of it!  Just one scoop of Shakeology includes 70 different Super Foods!  Foods like spirulina, moringa, maca root, chlorella, sacha inchi, and a bunch of other crazy good -- but hard to pronounce and even harder to find in the grocery store -- foods that do amazing things for my body.

But then I read THIS in my daily devotional….

“My Unfailing Love is your “Fuel” -- The best source of energy for you.  This glorious source of strength is limitless, so it is always abundantly available.”

The author goes on to say,

“While there is a place for such concerns, but they can occupy more and more of your thoughts.  When you are preoccupied with the condition of your body, I slip from the center of your mind to the periphery.”  

The remedy?

“Repent quickly -- turning away from obsessive thinking and turning wholeheartedly toward Me. The more you focus on Me, the more access you have to My unfailing Love.  This supernatural source of energy flows through you freely as you look to Me in trust.  Not only does this increase your energy level; it also provides a pathway for Me to love other people through you.  So let My Limitless Love energize and empower you as you walk along your life-path close to Me.

And who is this author?  Technically, it’s from a book called “Jesus Today” by Sarah Young.  But in reality, the words are written as though Jesus Himself is speaking to you!  Through faith, you can know that Jesus is with us in the midst of our trials.  He is right there with you, giving you strength and encouragement through His gentle presence.

“The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.”

Psalm 33:5

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

Philippians 4:4

“To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”

Colossians 1:29

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.  God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:15-16

So while I will continue to fuel my physical body with good nutrition, today, tomorrow, and the days to come I will focus on fueling my heart, my mind, and my soul with the True Fuel -- The Unfailing Love our Lord and Saviour.

And I ask again....what is your FUEL?

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

What do you do when you have broken your own hard-fast-rule of planning your menu in advance?


Breakfast for Dinner!


Tonight we found ourselves in this very predicament.  Nothing was planned for nor prepped and neither of us were feeling very ambitious.


Solution = Throw it all in there -- everything but the kitchen sink!


Seriously, though, this is a great way to keep your family's health and budget on track.  In the not too distant past had Jason and I found ourselves unprepared for dinner, our solution easily would have been "Hey Honey, why don't you run through the drive-thru on your way home from work and pick up tacos, burgers, or whatever".  Or this one "You know that Logan's has that great deal where kids eat free Monday through Wednesday".  Or maybe even "You know that Chick-Fil-A just opened up.....hint, hint, hint". 


Side note to Jason from your loving wife: I know you've tried going to Chick-Fil-A without me and haven't had any luck. Long lines = Karma biting you in the butt ;)


But when you are on a budget and you're trying to eat healthy none of those options fit in the plan.  What does fit in the plan is scavenging your refrigerator and pantry for leftovers that can be tossed together in a pan with some eggs to create a yummy, healthy, and cheap egg scramble.  Voila!  You've stayed on plan and on budget.  High five!


Tonight's scramble consisted of eggs, leftover ham, spinach, tomatoes, and some spices.  What else could we have thrown in there had we had them on hand?  Broccoli, mushrooms, onions, peppers, sausage....the options are endless.


So what about YOU?  What do you love to throw in your egg scramble?  What does your family do for a last minute dinner? 

Share your recipes, tips, and secrets!

 

 

 

 

 

The Ugly Truth

Today I am celebrating something pretty monumental.  I haven't had such a celebration since I was pregnant with Casey 10 years ago.

August 11, 2016 -- 6 months ago -- was the last time I had a bulimic episode.  Yes, I am a recovering bulimic.

The year of 2000 was one of deep hurt, sorrow, and confusion.  It was also one of great joy, happiness, and hope.  It was also the year I became bulimic.  I'm not sure if that's the proper way to describe how one gets this disease; but it's what makes sense to me.

At the very end of 1999 I experienced my first great loss.  The man I had been engaged to be married to - just 5 short months away - decided he was done with me.  He didn't just call off the wedding, he ended our relationship completely after 4 years together.  We had started dating when I was only 15; we had moved in together when I was only 16 thanks to a move from Illinois to Michigan that my parents and I made halfway through my junior year of high school; we had traveled overseas together; we had planned a wedding, a future together.  When he left me I felt like I had lost myself; my entire identity had been encompassed in being part of this couple and I had no clue how to just be Angie.

The first half of 2000 was unlike any other I had experienced.  I went from being broken, distraught, unsure of who I was to someone who embraced life and enjoyed living the single life!  I focused my energy on friendships and on having fun!  Unfortunately I also developed a need to build a revenge body.

May 2000 was my first foray into purging.  I think most people imagine someone who binge eats a bunch of crappy food and then purges to get rid of it when they hear someone is bulimic, but that wasn't me at first.  I purged normal, every day food.  I was building a body I was always dreamed of and purging was just a tool for me to get what I wanted and a way for me to deal with my crazy, intense emotions.  See....I had control when I purged!  For 6 months I felt like everything was out of my control.  I couldn't change the fact that my fiance had left me and that my life plan had been completely turned upside down.  But with purging I could control something!


September 2000 brought me the greatest gift I could have asked for -- Jason.  For those of you who knew us at that time know that our relationship took off like a rocket ship!  We fast tracked from casually dating to being in a serious, committed relationship in no time.  Jason brought to my life so much joy, laughter, and a hope for my future. Our love was immediately fierce and strong. 

Yet....I was still bulimic.  Jason didn't find out about this ugly part of my life until several months in to our relationship.  He immediately reached out to his parents and to my parents begging them to help him get me help.  And I did seek help -- counseling -- and even had some success at being binge free for awhile.  But ultimately the grip it had on my life -- the sense that no matter what happened in my life there was something that was just mine, something that I could control -- was stronger than all the love, support, and encouragement Jason and the rest of my family gave me.  Satan held that grip on me hard.

For the past 16+ years I have battled bulimia.  I have sought out various forms of help, have gone for stretches of time where it was under control, but eventually that binge-free period of time came to an end.  I can't explain why I have not been able to fully release myself from the grasp of bulimia.  Like I said, Satan has had a firm grip on me.

Six months ago I decided that I was going to do everything in my power to finally go purge free and stay that way!  With the never-ending support of my incredible husband, Jason, I put a plan in place that would break the cycle.  I didn't want to try another temporary fix; I wanted to be healed completely of this disease!

So what have I done differently the past six months that has empowered me to be binge free?  First thing that Jason and I decided was that my efforts would not be done alone -- they would be a family affair!  We started meal planning and prepping foods that involved clean, real foods.  We also started doing bulk freezer meal prep sessions wherein we spend one weekend every few months prepping healthy crock pot meals.  We have set ourselves up for success by ensuring we always have on hand something good and healthy to eat.

The second thing I did was make a commitment to give up some pretty bad habits I developed over the years.  Bye-bye Diet Coke and McDonald's breakfast burritos. Adios vending machine snacks. See ya later alcohol.  Yes -- I have not had any of those things in 6 MONTHS!  Obviously this was not easy, and honestly some of my success comes from pure stubbornness.  I decided I was finally going to stop making excuses and make the changes I needed to make!

In order to get rid of these vices and avoid putting myself in situations where I would be tempted to purge I had to put some good, healthy habits in their place.

• I started bringing my own lunch to our catered work lunch meetings.
• As a family we stopped going out to eat as much as we used to.
• I started drinking chocolate Shakeology every afternoon at work to satisfy my mid-afternoon sugar cravings.
• I avoided McDonald's on my way to work. 
• I started politely saying no when I was offered an alcoholic drink.  This was not easy; it was probably the hardest habit to break.  But I've learned that I can do hard things!
• I surrounded myself with like-minded people -- people who were on their own journey towards better health and fitness.
• I became a Beachbody Coach and started sharing my journey on social media!  I loved the support, encouragement, and accountability that I was awarded with from my own coach as well as the accountability FB groups I was part of and decided I wanted to share that!  When you put your personal business out there on social network sites you are much more likely to stick to your plan.
• I started working out before work in the morning.  I have completed several Beachbody fitness programs and have dipped my toe back in to the running world.  Exercise is a GREAT way to relieve stress and has had a huge impact on my ability to stay in control of my health the right way.
• I started putting effort in to developing a deeper relationship with the Lord.  Sadly my relationship with our Father had dissipated over the years.  When I started spending time again in His Word, going to church, and in consistent prayer I was reminded just how important that part of my life is!  

I owe a huge amount of credit for any success I have had this year at beating down long held, unhealthy habits to the love, support, and encouragement of my family and friends.  Jason is hands down the best cheerleader I could ever have asked for!  He has wanted this kind of life for me for soooo long; I'm only sorry that I could not get here sooner.

My journey is not over; it probably won't ever be.  I will always be a recovering bulimic, but the important part is that I am recovering!