Throughout the world of fitness/nutrition/health/etc, Sunday is often the first choice for meal prepping. This isn't a secret or new revelation. It is what it is, and for me, it works... at least this week.
Honestly, it works for me most weeks. It's a rare occurrence when I actually have to work on Sunday. I'm very lucky in that regard. So, Sunday is the day I choose to meal prep.
I'm back on my two shakes/day plan, which means, I only eat one COLORFUL MEAL per day. This can be just about anything as long as it is colorful. This also means that my grocery bill is often quite low for a week. Between the ingredients I already had in the house and my shakes, my total bill for the week was $34.00. This includes colorful meals and snacks for the full week.
This week, I went simple with my meals. I'm creating a 3 different options in a rotation of sorts. My rotation is "whichever I pull from the fridge is what I will eat that day." The one I'm currently working on is a play off a blackened chicken/fajitas. Basically, I rubbed some spices onto two chicken breasts. We actually do not have any blackening seasoning, so I just mixed a few spices we did have in the cabinets. Then, I slice some red onion, red/yellow/green peppers, and mushroom. I toss it all in a baking dish and cover it with some reduced sodium chicken stock with a dash (or ten) of hot sauce mixed in. I LOVE SPICY FOODS! I will never tire of them. While that bakes, I cook some brown rice. Once everything is done and cooled, I will divide it into serving portions into my take-away containers. Honestly... that's all there is too it. Since I don't actually use recipes, I cannot actually post it for you. I just play around in the kitchen. It's the only way I find cooking fun, and cooking SHOULD be fun! I do apologize for not taking a photo before I put it in the oven, but here's an after shot for you!
Those yummy portions will feed me for three days. So, next comes the staple of all healthy food choices... SALAD! Yes, I created mason jar salads. If you do not know how to create these, just search "mason jar salads" on Pinterest. It's the perfect way to prep a salad ahead of time without everything getting soggy. For these I've used a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette, some of the extra brown rice I had prepped earlier, sunflower seeds, carrots, multi-colored bell peppers, mushrooms, strawberries, turkey, hard boiled egg, and some iceberg salad mix. NOW, before you freak out on me, I would prefer spring mix and spinach, BUT we are working on a budget. The grocery store I went to does a "Pick 5" special. The iceberg salad mix was on sale through that. So, I am losing out on nutrients, but saving on money. Plus, I have my Herbalife multi-vitamins to help bridge the gap.
Last but not least is my sandwich day! I'm not prepping it today because I can honestly do it the day before. Let's face it! Bread gets soggy too quickly when you chill it. It is what it is, but I do enjoy a sandwich about once a week. It'll be turkey with lettuce, pepperjack cheese, tomato, probably some cucumber.
I'm also prepping some snacks today. Basically, it's just bagging a few veggies sticks (carrots, bell peppers, celery, etc), strawberries, and a few almonds. I like to go ahead and count out my almonds that way I know I'm not going overboard. I also have some individual packs of non-fat greek yogurt and a few apples. I'll probably slice the apples the day before. Simply because I do not want them to brown... or I'll just eat them whole. However, my favorite snack is probably the worst for me. Peanut butter and honey whole wheat crackers. They are my absolute favorite. I'll prep two bags of them. That way I can have them in moderation.
Now, you are probably thinking, "Sarah, you only prepped 6 meals. There are seven days in a week." YOU ARE CORRECT! One day per week is cheat meal day. I never know when I'll have my cheat meal. I do not want to plan that day because if a friend asks me to go out to eat on a whim, I want to be able to go and not stress about my choice/letting my prepped meals go to waste. Plus, cheat meals are good for the soul. They keep you happy without going crazy. A lifestyle change like this isn't about denying yourself things you enjoy. It's about learning how to make healthy choices that also make you happy. If I want pizza, I'll have pizza. I just won't have an entire pizza. Small changes can equal long-term results. That's the goal.
Whether you are changing your lifestyle, interested in changing your lifestyle, a meal prepper, interested in meal prep, or have no idea how you got to this blog... I hope you have a wonderful and nutritious day!!!
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