Are You Ready for Meal Prep Sunday?
By Donna Stark
When you're exhausted and hungry at the end of your workday and you have little to no energy left in you, the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen preparing and cooking dinner for everyone. If only there was a magic button that would get all of that done while you had a chance to unwind, right? Well, there is no magic button but there is a way to make nights like that a little easier for you. It's called Meal Prep Sunday and in addition to saving your sanity and your time, it is also the best way to save yourself from ordering unhealthy options in the drive-thru.
Meal Prep Sunday
Prepping for your weekly meals is easier than you think and doesn't require hours of your time. Take a look at the following tips that will help you get started today!
- Tip No. 1 - Make a meal plan. List all of the meals you wish to make and look for ways to share ingredients. For example, the leftover chicken from your dinner on Monday can be used the next day for Taco Tuesday or if you need chopped bell peppers for your meatloaf, go ahead and chop a few extra for your next day's salad. Selecting versatile ingredients is key here!
- Tip No. 2 - Wash and cut. After washing all of your fruits and vegetables, it's time to start chopping! Cut your produce up into bite-sized chunks for recipes or handy snack sizes for your children's lunches.
- Tip No. 3 - Utilize your time wisely. After everything is washed and chopped, start with the most time-consuming things first, such as roasting vegetables, steaming rice, and cooking meat. Once you have these going, you can move on to the quicker jobs of bagging the snacks and storing the ingredients for the week ahead.
- Tip No. 4 - Do more. If you know you use a lot of the same ingredient or particularly love a specific recipe, prepare twice or triple the amount and toss it into the freezer! This tip works great for morning smoothies, soups, and any other of your favorite slow-cooker meals.
- Tip No. 5 - Stay organized. Make sure you have all the storage bags and containers labeled with what is inside and the date it was packaged. Put the fresher stuff in the back and use the older items first. Freeze what you don't think you will be able to get to in a reasonable amount of time.
Good Health for Everyone
By expending a little extra energy and doing a little extra work during your Sunday afternoon, you could be saving yourself hours during the week when energy and time are in short supply. Plus, it's the best way to ensure healthy eating for all!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Durham, N.C.