Advance Preparation of Foodstuffs for the Busy Person that Doesn’t Have Time Every Day to Make a Good Meal…….. Or “Meal Prep”.

Well, hello there. It’s been a really quick run through the last 31 days and January is gone like a fart in the wind. Hopefully your year has started off on a foot that doesn’t have gangrene or bunions… This post is a day late and I’d say that it’s a buck short but I don’t get paid, so here we go. Welcome back to Blog-town, funk you up--Blog-town funk you up!

This week our Insta-tweeter-face-gramma-book had a post about, what us folks in the ‘biz call, “meal prep”. For all you bantha-herders out there that’s fitness lingo for making a boat load of food in advance to ensure that you have something at the ready for when it’s time to jump on a ship and blast through the Imperial blockade. Generally speaking, doing a couple of hours of meal prep will give you a better chance at healthy eating, portion control, dealing with urges to snack and all sorts of other fun stuff (no fun is guaranteed). 

There are two ways to do some pretty decent meal prep work and each approach has its benefits and its shortcomings but both are infinitely better than scrambling to put something on the table. The trick is to find out what method works best for you, your partner, your schedule, your kids, your pets--you get it. 

Personally I have a serious issue with portion control, as does a massive serving of the general public. This is the main reason that I like to have my meals portioned out when I’m cooking in advance. I save myself from myself by limiting the amount of food in the container so that once it’s gone I won’t be tempted to keep eating just because there’s more food sitting there. I have a big issue with food waste because there really are children around the world that do not get the luxury of a hot meal. Hell, there are kids right here in my hometown that don’t get breakfast and seldom get a half-decent lunch.

This week I whipped up some hash browns with homemade beef breakfast sausage and split it up into containers for Monday-Friday. In the morning, I smash a couple of eggs into the mix and then into the frying pan; pop it back in the container and I’m out the door. Full breakfast with a hot cup of coffee in the office while I settle out some straggling emails.

I roasted a whole chicken and tore it apart last night and tossed it with celery, apples and plain Greek yogurt. I take some of that delicious chicken salad with a handful of roasted kalettes and lunch is ready for me when the time comes. This one is important for me because I will sit at the counter and shovel chicken salad into my mouth like something that willingly shovels something into a bottomless pit of regretful eating. 

Dinner. The mother of all meals. The big one. The last big bit of effort to make. The biggest pain in the arse if you’re trying to make it through the day. I mean, really. You get home from work around 5:00pm and want to do a workout, feed the dogs and play with them, help the kids with homework, MAKE DINNER, eat dinner, clean up the dishes and still get to bed in time for a solid 7-8 hours of sleep. That sentence made me tired. This is where I switch my approach because the kids aren’t going to want to eat the same thing five days in a row even if it’s something amazing that I’ve crafted with love. And cheese. 

This week I’ve got a nice bottom blade beef roast that I’m going to put in the slow-cooker; I’ve already made brussel sprouts for myself (steamed and then roasted with a bit of butter and seasoning. Sprouts--FTW). The roast will be enough for my dinners for most of the week and the kids can have it tonight and leftovers for lunch or dinner tomorrow. 

Gillian made herself some chicken breast last night and the rest of that is cooked and ready for the kids to eat in any way they want, whether it’s mixed in with Annie’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese, double-baked with Annie’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese or--get this--eaten as a side with Annie’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese.

My children are sponsored by (read: addicted to) Annie’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Maybe. Ok they’re not but that would be kinda cool so shout out to Annie’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese. 

Everything you read above is DONE and it’s 9:00am on a Monday. It didn’t take a ton of time or even a bunch of effort. The week is already a step behind when it comes to kickin’ my ass so it’s going to have to try harder. I’ve got meals ready for myself so that I can fuel myself through the work-week, my workouts and whatever other stupidity I can get myself into. The kids have a ton of good food choices and will be ready for school, studying and cheer practices.

Do yourself a favour and try prepping something ahead of time for even three or four days. It’s a mental relief, a time saver and making sure that you’re eating well is a massive part of living a healthy life. 

Good luck this week. May the Annie’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese be with you.

-v