Whether you are planning your meals for one day, one week, or making staples you can have available for you weeks ahead of time, it is beneficial to brainstorm a little. Getting options out in the open and seeing how much food and how frequently you want to cook will show you how simple and straight forward it can be. I’ll leave you with some ideas to try out while you’re preparing to get going in the kitchen this season.
List or Calendar
Writing things down is easily one of my favorite ways to stay on track with meal prepping while I’m getting back into the swing of things. First, I look at my schedule and figure out which times I have available for cooking. Once I know that, I make a list of what I’d like to have at each meal and the ingredients that will go into it. There are lots of different places to organize thoughts:
– Magnetic Dry Erase board to put on the fridge (my favorite)
– Notepad or calendar on the counter
– Phone calendar app or notes app
– A binder to save your favorite recipes and meal prep ideas to save
time in the future.
What to put on your list or calendar:
– Foods you want to make for breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, dessert, and beverages
– Which days you’ll make them (once a week, twice a week, every other day, etc)
– If I don’t exactly follow the meal plan I wrote out, I will sometimes write in what I ended up eating that day if I’m doing it in a daily journal style.
Other things to get you off to a smooth start:
– Clearing space on the counters, in the sink, dishwasher, and refrigerator. You’re going to need it!
– Enough air-tight containers to store your prepared staples, chopped fruits/veg, and ready-to-eat meals.
– Basic cooking utensils
Rubber spatula, spatula, measuring cups, measuring spoons, your favorite small-to-large knives, peeler, small-to-large pots, small-to-large cookie sheets, etc.
– Other appliances that are helpful: Grater, food processor, blender, air fryer, pressure cooker, etc.
Remember, this is all for you. You are in charge of where you put your energy. Perfection doesn’t exist, so make sure not to be too hard on yourself. Allow wiggle room for days where you need to get something quick or easy from a local store or restaurant. View even one meal prepped as a victory toward a more holistically happy self, and know that the progress toward your goals is what matters most. If all you did was organize and plan for your meals today, that’s ok. You’re that much closer to where you want to be. Love yourself for that!
I hope you have fun experimenting to find a food preparation rhythm that feeds you well while reducing stress and time in the kitchen!
Stay tuned for the next post in the Meal Preparation Basics series: “Batching and Time-Management”
Please share with any friends you think would enjoy or appreciate this post.
Have a beautiful and heart-centered day!
– Laura
Let me know what other meal preparation information you’d love to know more about by emailing me at:
laura@heartcenteredholistic.com
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