Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail

Devoting time to prepare food for the week is one the key components to staying on track. Setting aside one or two hours on Sunday = healthy eating all week long, without even thinking about it. How is this possible you ask? Preparing a lot of food on a dedicated day will allow you to stock your fridge with so much good stuff, that eating good all week will seem like a breeze. I want to share some of my favorite tips and tricks to help your week seem effortless (well the eating side of things).  

                                      

• 1.       Wash and chop your veggies. Taking the time to wash and chop up carrots, celery, bell pepper strips or any other veggie will save you a ton of time. All ya gotta do is grab and go. Bonus: storing them in a mason jar with hummus makes it a very easy snack!
• 2.       Homemade trail mix. Add washed berries with a handful of nuts and you have a great snack combo to keep in your purse or lunch bag. My Favorites include: strawberries with raw almonds and walnuts, Blueberries with raw almonds and cashews, and Raspberries with walnuts and mini dark chocolate chips.
• 3.       Prepare a big batch of shredded chicken in your crockpot. This is soo easy and soo good! Add 1-2 lbs chicken to your crockpot with ¾ cup chicken broth and cook on high for 3-5 hours and low for 6-8 hours. Variations: Add 1 jar Salsa Verde instead of broth and jalapenos for a spicy twist or ½ cup low sugar BBQ sauce with ¼ cup water for awesome pulled BBQ chicken or 1 jar marinara with chopped zucchini, bell peppers, and mushrooms for an Italian twist.
• 4.       Boil 6-12 (or more) eggs. I love having hard-boiled eggs on hand. They are an awesome protein-packed snack, easy to chop up and add to salads or top off your sandwich.
• 5.       Slow-cooker oats! Adding your favorite oats, whether it be gluten-free, steel-cut or old fashioned, they go great when added to your slow-cooker with cinnamon and apples or mixed with almond milk for a little extra protein. Cook once and enjoy all week! Just add your favorite toppings and you are good to go.
• 6.       Roasted veggies. One of my favorite things is roasted veggies drizzled with coconut oil, salt and pepper. Chop your favorites (think broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, carrots, asparagus, and peppers), throw on a cookie sheet and bake. Easy as can be and what could be better than having pre-cooked  veggies to throw in with your eggs, chicken, soups, salads. The possibilities are endless.
• 7.       Roasted potatoes. Not only do veggies hold up through the week but so do potatoes. I love slicing sweet potatoes into rounds and baking them for the week. It is so easy and so delicious! My favorite is to top warm sweet potatoes with a dash of cinnamon and stevia for a sweet treat after dinner.
• 8.       Rice cooker. My rice cooker gets used more than most appliances (besides my crockpot). Throw in 2-3 cups brown rice or quinoa and push the button. Viola, you have grains for the whole week to throw in with your veggies and proteins.
• 9.       Grill. We use our grill A LOT in the summer. I love taking chicken breasts and marinating them in lemon juice, garlic, onion and grilling them. I store the grilled chicken in a big glass container and heat when needed. Throw a couple pieces on some zucchini noodles and you have a delicious meal in 5 minutes. 

I hope that you find a few tricks that make your meal prepping easier. I would love to hear what your favorite tricks are!

      Take care of you,

                    J