Tips for Food Prep and Batch Cooking

“Food Prep” is planning, cooking, and preparing your meals and snacks for the upcoming week. It is best to set aside a few hours on the weekend (or when you have the most time) to do your grocery shopping and then prepare your food. Refer to the Grocery List and the Shopping Tips to help you on what foods to buy and the best places to shop.

Why should you “Food Prep?”  Have you ever:

• Ran out of the house without having breakfast?
• Been at work, starving because you don’t have a snack?
• Succumbed to the office “snack foods” because you didn’t bring anything?
• Had to grab last minute, unhealthy take-out lunch?
• Arrive home, exhausted and hungry, and realize there is “nothing” for dinner?
• Made unhealthy choices because you weren’t prepared?

By having healthy food in the house and your meals all set, you will make better choices overall. There is no guessing and no snack attacks. It is a HUGE time saver, and saves you the stress and energy of cooking every single day! The more prepared you are, the more likely you will succeed!

HOW TO BATCH COOK

4 Easy Steps:

1. Decide what meals and snacks you want to have
2. Write out a grocery list with the ingredients/foods needed
3. Grocery Shop! Pick a specific day/time of your weekly routine to go. Also consider curb side pick up or delivery!
4. Decide on 1 or 2 days of the week, and a time frame, that you will batch food prep.

Not sure what to eat? Get inspired by my Recipes (you can find them here) or keep it simple and plan out at least 1x lean protein, 1x veggie and 1x complex starch. Focus on “Staple Foods” that can be used in many meals in different forms.

Examples of Staple Foods: Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Lean ground turkey meat, eggs, brown rice, sweet potato, broccoli, asparagus

Write out your Grocery List. Take inventory of your kitchen and pantry first so you get an accurate list!

Extra Tip: As you are going through the kitchen, CLEAN OUT and throw away any tempting or unhealthy items! Think baked goods, refined carbs like pastas or breads, sweets, chips etc.

Next: Go to the store with your list and pick up all your healthy foods . Now, be proud because your kitchen is fully stocked with everything you need. The worst is when you’re in the middle of cooking and realize you are missing ingredients!

Extra Tip: Make sure you are stocked up on glass containers to store your food in, containers to take your meals in, and also have a cooler! That way you are able to take your meals and snacks to go with ease. These are also healthier, non toxic ways to store your food. Avoid storing (and heating) your food in plastic or tupperware, as these contain chemicals that negatively disrupt our hormones!

Once you’re home, write out a list of what you will be making and get started!

A great place to start:

Prepare 2 protein sources, 2 vegetables, 1x complex carbohydrate, and 1 snack. A sample week would be:

-Baked/Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

-Ground grass fed beef

-Brown Rice

-Roasted broccoli

-Washed and cut (but kept raw) zucchini, bell peppers, onions, and asparagus

-Protein Banana Muffins

-No Bake Superfood Bites

MORE IDEAS:

Breakfasts/Snacks: Hard boiled eggs, protein muffins, protein pancakes, crustless egg quiche

Lunch: Cold chicken or tuna salads, burrito bowls, turkey or chicken lettuce wraps

Dinner: Baked Fish with veggies, lentil or black bean pasta, turkey chili

BATCH PREP TIPS:

Prepare your protein sources in different fashions. Most people want variety! My Tip: Prepare half of your protein with a specific “flavor” or way to complement a certain dish, and leave the other half with a more general “seasoning”. Then you are have more variety within your meals and how you use that protein.

Multi-task! Have your chicken baking in the oven while you are washing and cutting your veggies to be grilled. Boil your eggs while you are mixing together your energy bites.

Keep it SEPARATE: When you Batch Prep and keep each food in separate clear containers, you have the option to “Build your Own Meal” as the week goes on. This is especially helpful for families! When dinner comes, each person can decide on how they like their specific meal. You have the same base (protein and veggie) but then the carb/fat is optional. You can combine and mix and match as needed!

Decide on a “Cut-Off” Day: this is the time of the week when the food needs to be eaten or put in the freezer! Don’t let your food go to waste! Put your prepared meals in the freezer for the following days or weeks…This is great when you just want to have a meal ready in less than 5 minutes. Reheat  for a few minutes and you’ve got dinner!

I hope these tips are helpful and make Food Prep easier and more enjoyable!