Sooooooo... I last left you after I completed my meal plan and wrote out my grocery list. (Get a quick refresher here!) I know that this seems unfeasible at times, but I wanted to share this because I went grocery shopping on a Wednesday morning (ahem the start of the new sales for the week) with list in hand, and I was in and out of there in under 30 minutes! This is a huge time difference compared to aimlessly walking around the store with a “I guess I could use that”-type of approach. (You know what I'm talking about.) Once I got home from my quick trip to the grocery store, I knew I needed to do some food prep. Guys — total honestly here — I have let a lot of food go to waste in the past... partly because of my super busy schedule and partly due to laziness. I used to look at the contents of my fridge — produce not chopped or washed and ready to eat, etc. — I would think, "Forget it! I’ll just pick up something on the way to work/school/< enter destination here>." Days would go by and finally on my off day, when I actually had time to put together on-the-go snacks, breakfasts, and lunches -- my food would either be on the cusp of going bad or already spoiled! Anyway, it is this step -- food prep -- that I found to be my key to success during the week. Immediately after getting home from the grocery store, I went ahead and cut up and washed my fruits and veggies that I purchased. Throughout the week, I found it effortless to throw together my salads and snacks that I had planned. When it was time to cook, my onions, peppers, and other veggies were already prepped, which cut kitchen time to an estimated one-third of what my recipes predicted! I used some other food prep hacks to help me, as well — I boiled a dozen eggs at the beginning of my week for quick protein to add to salads or even to eat as part of what I like to call “snack mix dinners” (boiled egg, nuts, raw veggies and Greek yogurt dip, whole wheat crackers and cheese cubes). Now, of course this week wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine… because it did rain... a lot… BUT it was a learning experience! One of the dinners I had planned got put on the back burner because the fiancé wanted to out to eat on Saturday. No problem! The frozen ground beef is still in the freezer to be used another time, and my dry pasta and jarred sauce are not going bad anytime soon. (Seriously, shop your pantry -- you will be surprised at what you can make with what you already have!) The point is, is that this was the first time in a long time that I did not stress once over what and how I was going to feed my family. I had my meal plan, and for the most part, I stuck to it -- and I was successful because of The Meal Planning Method! maggie
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Happy 2018 friends! We know it's been quiet over here, but we've been busy kicking off the new year with several "Master Meal Planning" classes. Be on the look out for more offerings soon! And don't worry, if your not in Nashville, TN... we have plans to help you learn The Meal Planning Method virtually. (Get on the waitlist here.) But first, freebies :) We have TWO new versions of our Printable Weekly Meal Planners for you to keep your healthy eating going well into 2018. Choose your favorite below!
Which planner is your favorite to use each week? Tell us in the comments below or tag us at @themealplanningmethod!
lindsey Who says you have to write off pasta in order to be healthy? In fact, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends we enjoy grains, with the goal of making half of all grains we eat in a day whole grains. And the good news is that whole grain pastas makes this easier than ever to achieve! Here are 6 tips to help you pick the perfect pasta for your meal plan for the week... 6 TIPS TO MAKE PASTA A PART OF YOUR MEAL PLAN:
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