Meal Prep In My Belly!
This blog is all about yummy, fun meal prepped food! I am all about keeping variety flowing, especially if you want to stay on track. So, I wanted to share my approach to meal prep and hopefully inspire you to either START meal prepping or inspire you get out of your comfort zone, whether you take my approach, or just change things up with your own process. I hope you enjoy!
First, prepare grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruit for your week and for the number of people you are prepping for. For me and my husband, I will usually double everything; for example, I'll cook 2 cups dried quinoa instead of one OR one cup of quinoa and one of rice. Also, depending on what your "week" looks like, I recommend at least doing 5 days. For me, I prep 6 and leave some flexibility for the weekend because I like a little variety. I don't go crazy and view this as a free for all but I don't deprive myself because that can lend itself to a poor relationship with food. It is important to live your life AND be healthy. Below are some examples of each catergory, and I always recommend to eat what is in season, if possible:
Grains: Rice (white and brown), Wild Rice, Quinoa, Barley, Farro, Kamut, Bulgar, Oats, Amaranth, Millet
Legumes: Lentils, Garbonzo Beans (my favorite), Black Beans, Pinto Beans, Kidney Beans (red and white), Soy Beans, Fava Beans, Mung Beans, Adzuki Beans, Black Eyed Peas
Vegetables: Kale, Spinach, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Peppers, Zucchini, Green Beans, Radishes, Asparagus
Starchy Vegetables: Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Squashes
Fruits: Berries, Citrus, Pears, Peaches, Melon, Pineapple, Apples, Bananas
Next,
prepare the protein. Make enough for the week. Like grains, veggies, beans etc., I sometimes like to make a couple options, so I can put together different combinations throughout the week.
Proteins: Tofu, Tempeh, Seitan.
Note: Season-up your grains, beans, proteins! Use them to make a red sauce or a curry. You can BBQ or Buffalo sauce, too!
Beans, some grains - quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, amaranth - and a few veggies like peas, broccoli, artichokes are higher in protein so you could opt for those as a main protein, depending on your daily protein goal.
Processed "veggie meats" like Impossible Burger, Beyond Meat, etc., should not necessarily be excluded but viewed as an "once in awhile"option as they are highly processed and high in saturated fat.
Last,
always include some nutrient dense fats. I am a BIG follower of the avocado! So good. Nuts and seeds are a great. You can also add hummus and condiments like hot sauce, tamari/coconut aminos (sodium is high in these so go light).
Nuts: Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Poine Nuts, Brazil Nuts, Cashews
Seeds: Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Chia Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Flaxseed
Putting it together ....
I generally do not make all my meals for the week in advance. This gives me the option of changing things up throughout the week with different combinations; however, doing everything in advance works better for your schedule and creates less stress, then you can definitely make everything in ahead of time. I've included two examples of weekly meals that I would make/have made for meal prep:
Tempeh Street Tacos
Tempeh Street Tacos are super easy to make if you have everything prepped. I like refried beans on mine but you could use black beans or pinto beans.
3 Street Tacos
Prepared Tempeh (I use a homemade taco seasoning blend)
Refried Beans
Fresh Greens & Hot Sauce
Side of pineapple
Additions: Plant Based Sour Cream, Tomatoes, Olives, Salsa
Korean BBQ Bowl
Korean BBQ Tempeh
Garlicky Green Beans
Lentils & Rice
Hummus & Sriracha
Substitutions: Quinoa, Buckwheat or Soba Noodles, Tofu or Seitan, Cauliflower or Broccoli
Additions: Nutritional Yeast, Fresh Tomatoes, Avocado, Scallions
Feel free to comment or message me if you have any questions or need advice on meal prep, recipes, or nutrition in general.