(Meal) Preparation is Key
The best offense is a good defense.
That saying applies to so many aspects of life outside of sports. Namely, a healthy diet.
With everyone all gung-ho to start the year off right, setting yourself up for eating success is so important. So, let’s talk meal preparation.
If you’re starving, and you look in your fridge and all you see is uncooked vegetables, raw meat, and leftover takeout, guess what’s going down the hatch?
I don’t care if you stocked your fridge with the healthiest foods you could find, if they’re not ready-to-go when hunger strikes, you’re not going to eat them.
This is precisely why I’m trying to get better about doing meal prep every Sunday.
I’m already good about purchasing healthy food and keeping crap out of the house. But even “healthy food” can turn into “junk food” if you eat too much of it, and don’t maintain a balanced diet, full of antioxidant-rich veggies.
If I’m not prepared, I usually end up eating breakfast for every meal of the day and noshing on peanut butter-covered bananas non-stop.
Both “healthy,” but not in excess.
This Sunday though, as part of my “New Year’s Revelations”, I changed that.
The second I got home from the grocery store, I got to work preparing my food so I could have healthy meals on hand — all week long — without a lot of work.
This is how I do my thang. If you’d like to try it out, feel free to adjust the spices and such to your taste.
Whit’s Weekly Meal Prep:
Chicken
1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Coat pan in cooking spray and douse chicken in balsamic vinegar, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
3. Bake for about 30 minutes.
What to use chicken with?
Everything.
Ground Turkey
1. Coat a skillet with about a T. olive oil. Dump ground turkey in the pan.
2. Mash it up.
3. Add desired spices. I used a honey chipotle seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic.
4. Keep stirring and mashing till the turkey is crumbled and slightly golden.
What to use the turkey with?
Spaghetti Squash
1. Preheat oven to 400. Cut squash in half and remove seeds and strings.
2. Place squash face up in a baking pan and add about an inch of water.
3. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes.
4. Scrap out the “spaghetti.”
What to use spaghetti squash for….do you have to ask?!
Butternut Squash
1. Make this while you make the spaghetti squash since they both require a 400 degree oven and about 45 minutes of baking time.
2. Pop squash in the microwave for 30 seconds to loosen up if you don’t have a great peeler/knife. Peel the squash.
4. Cut it in half and remove seeds and strings.
5. Cut it into 1 inch cubes.
6. Place on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. I used coconut oil.
7. Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, flipping half way through.
8. Clean up the mess you made if you went all Charles Manson on that gourd.
What to use butternut squash for?
Bananas & Avocados:
1. Place bananas & avocados in a bowl on the counter. When avos get ripe, throw them in the fridge for use in salads, wraps, and sandwiches. When bananas get ripe (I like them a little bit brown), peel them and put them in the freezer.
Could this prep be any easier?!
What to use frozen bananas for?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Shake, Starburst Shake, Coco-nutty Shake
This whole process took me about 30 minutes of actual work and about an hour and a half of waiting on the oven. So not bad.
Now, when I’m tired after a long day or racing to get somewhere, I won’t make unhealthy choices simply because I’m too lazy or too busy to prepare a nutritious meal.
This will be especially important this week, as I start school today!
I’ve got my schedule printed out, my Trapper Keeper in my backpack, and my lunchbox on lock. Wish me luck.
Cat says:
Ahhh tupperware, a healthy foodie’s best friend. I’m trying to get better at meal prep (and stop relying on copious amounts of canned fish…) but I’m definitely improving. Sunday is my ‘domestic Cat’ day. As opposed to the other 6 wild Cat days… see what I did there!? You seriously rock that spag squash btw ;)
Whitney English says:
Haha nice pun ;)
Ashley @ Broc Blog says:
I definitely need to step it up on the meal prepping! This week I baked some chicken and sliced some veggies before putting them in the fridge so hopefully that will help.
Whitney English says:
That is a great start!
anne says:
love this post! I just did my meal prep yesterday: roast veggies (broccoli, onions, tomatoes), boiled eggs and made baked oats (oats, bananas, egg whites, psyllium). I also started making one big batch of green smoothies, pouring them into my washed kombucha bottles, and freezing them to take to work with me through the week.
Whitney English says:
Make your own to-go smoothies?! I love it! I’m totally stealing this idea for class this week. Thanks!!
Marina @ PBlover and Runner says:
Fine food… It is simple everything that I love ;) Few months ago, while I studied, I was engaged in food preparation every week… It was my favourite time on days off! Now I prepare for examinations therefore I have much more time to prepare. But now I turned into the monster of snack :D
Whitney English says:
I’m definitely a snack monster as well!
Kristina @ Damn Ten Pounds says:
I used to meal plan, which helped save a ton of time, but I fell off that wagon after a vacation. I like the idea of stepping it up and meal prepping though. Thanks for the reminder of how easy it is. I’m going to get back on it ;) Luckily, we keep a lot of healthy stuff in the house, so when we’re in a pinch, I usually grab cucumbers and hummus, grapes, apples or string cheese. Dinner of champions!
Good luck at school tomorrow! Please make sure to take a picture of your first day, complete with trapper keeper and New Kids on the Block lunchbox.
Whitney English says:
I took a picture just for you :) Unfortunately my New Kids on the Block lunch box was out of order so I had to use a nerdy paper bag.
Kristina @ Damn Ten Pounds says:
You can borrow mine ;)
Ashley says:
Love these ideas and so excited for your first day tomorrow! Knock ’em dead!
http://thestyleeditrix.com
Whitney English says:
Thanks Ash!!!
Arman @ thebigmansworld says:
Send me some spaghetti squash ;)
Happy first week of the new chapter in your life- As the Hills sang, the rest is still unwritten. Ha, fml quotting trash.
Great use of some basics there- healthy eating does NOT have to be boring! I just make pancakes whenever I’m lazy…which i far too often.
Whitney English says:
Hahaha you’re hilarious. And don’t feel bad about quoting the best reality television show of all time :)
Love your pancake recipes btw!
Bethann Wagner says:
You hit on the nail on the head with ‘the best offense is a good defense’ – if I don’t have my healthy, protein-rich snacks with me I am all over the chips and salsa (and maybe even queso) like a fly on fruit!
PS Your spaghetti squash lasagna looks fantastic. I’ll have to try that out!
Whitney English says:
Mmmm queso…don’t get me started :)
Ellen says:
Happy going-back-to-school! I definitely do most of my fruit/veggie prep the minute I’m back from the store-or at least wash stuff. That spaghetti squash looks excellent.
Whitney English says:
Thanks Ellen!
Jody - Fit at 56 says:
I am the laziest cook/baker ever !!!! It has to be minimal ingredients & very very easy! :) I make turkey meatloaf so often I am starting to look like one! :) I bake my protein bars & bread ahead of time & everything else is easy or I don’t do it.. ;)
Whitney English says:
I like your style :) I buy a lot of things that are easy as well…cooked lentils, whole-wheat tortillas, etc. but I gotta have my spaghetti squash. I think I’m starting to turn yellow haha.
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says:
“Charles Manson on that gourd” made me laugh hysterically! You are hilarious.
I prep a lot of the same, but I also roast some veggies and make a lot of seafood. Breakfast protein muffins are staples too – I’m always running late!
Good luck this week!
Whitney English says:
Haha, yeah it’s get pretty messy up in my kitch :) I think I need to add your banana protein muffins into my rotation as well. They’d be a big help this week with my early morning class!
Holly says:
We always make a big meal on Sundays to have for a few meals throughout the week. Also on hand once a week is an organic rotisserie chicken for salads/sandwiches. I make a large crockpot meal once a week, too! Usually it’s a soup/chili of some sort.
Whitney English says:
Great idea with the chicken! And I am so obsessed with crockpots lately! What’s your favorite?!
Holly says:
I have the Cuisinart 6.5 qt programmable one. Someone gave it to us for a wedding gift – its great! It seems overly large, but I’m on the ‘go big or go home’ crockpot bandwagon. I want to make LOTS of food for leftovers :)The timer is the most important part to me since we’re away from home for 10ish hrs on weekdays. I made this for dinner yesterday and it was delish! http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/crock-pot-santa-fe-chicken-425-pts.html
Whitney English says:
Yes, leftovers are clutch :) Thanks for sharing the recipe. Skinnytaste is the best!
Katy says:
I am so impressed by your organization! I really want to try meal prepping but just cannot make myself take the time to do it. Sigh.
Also, I can’t wait to hear how school went!
Whitney English says:
Thanks! Yes, it wasn’t the most exciting experience but I have felt way less stressed this week having healthy foods ready to go when I need them. School is killing me, but it’s going OK :) Look forward to catching up soon!
Claudia Rosenbaum says:
Wow. you had a busy Sunday night. Thanks for the tips about Spaghetti squash. I’m going to try it…
Whitney English says:
Good! You’re going to love it.
Pam says:
Trapper Keeper! I loved my trapper keeper! Hope school is going well?!
All your meals look so tasty and healthy! I’ve yet to try spaghetti squash, I didn’t think they had them in the UK but apparently they do, I’m on the hunt now!
Whitney English says:
Very intense but going well so far. Thanks for asking!
Alex @ Kenzie Life says:
One of my goals for this semester is to be WAY better about meal prep. Last semester was my first semester back as a post-bacc and I did an awful job of prepping. By awful, I mean I didn’t do it. I ate breakfast and dinner at home but ate lunch at Starbucks, Panera, or the salad bar in the cafeteria every single day. Some days I even ate dinner out too if I had a late night class. I’m really looking forward to trying some of your recipes and veganizing a few of the non-veg ones :) They all look great!
Jackie says:
This. is. awesome. I love that you lay it out step by step, show pictures, and show that it really is as easy as it sounds. I’ve read about meal prep so many times on so many blogs but some how this clicked with me, thanks!
Whitney English says:
I’m so happy to hear that! It’s nice to know that these informational posts are really helping people :)
Sam Brown says:
This is the first REALLY good post about meal prep that I’ve seen – thank you!
I always try to do my prep on a sunday night too – I usually poach some chicken, boil some eggs, cut up any veggies I’ll need throughout the week like carrots, zucchini, broccoli and snow peas and roast some sweet potato or butternut pumpkin.
After seeing this post I think I might change my chicken prep and do what you do (even though I LOVE poached chicken it gets a little bit boring after having it for the 17th week in a row haha)
And I wish we had spaghetti squash in Australia! It looks so good!
Sam xx
http://www.smart-twenties.com