If you ignore the poor quality of the picture, you get the idea. I have meals for Monday through Thursday all prepped and ready to go. On Fridays I generally have lunch with co-workers, but I still focus getting the healthier options.
So this past Sunday I went on a 3.5 hour cooking frenzy and prepared all my food for the week. I then subsequently put all my lunches into containers.
I made chicken stew, grilled turkey cutlets, gobi (Indian style cauliflower), seasoned rice, roasted sweet potatoes, sauteed Brussels sprouts, and date honey (added it to my oatmeal). With all that, I have lunches and dinners prepared for Monday through Thursday. I also had dinner for Sunday night. I prepared a lot of food for several reasons:
1. So I can have healthy and good food to eat :)
2. So that there is a variety of things to eat. One of the grumblings I hear from people about cooking food is that they do not like to eat leftovers. By cooking a variety of veggies and sides, you can rotate what you eat. Some nights I may feel like just have one of the veggies and some of the chicken stew. Another night I may feel like having just a veggie plate. So you essentially have options about what you eat to prevent you from getting bored with your meals.
3. So I can have a different meal for lunch and dinner. I have learned over the years that I get tired of a dish faster if I eat it twice a day, no matter how tasty it is. I prepared some grilled turkey cutlets and added some sides to my lunch containers. Those cutlets are for lunch and the stew is for dinner.
Let me also add that you can always throw in a simple fresh salad if you want to change things up a little mid-week. Either way, the more options you prepare on Sundays, the more options you have during the week. Here are a few other tips to help with preparing your meals in advance:
-You do not need to spend all day and night in the kitchen. Pick simple dishes to be practical and to give yourself time to ready get for the week. I start cooking after I return home from church and relax for a little while. Roasting fresh veggies is my favorite thing to do because the veggies need very little time to prep.
-I also do not recommend grocery shopping and cooking on the same day. Why? Because after you shop and then cook, you will be exhausted. Take it from me, I've done it a few times.
-Check out the cooking section of discount stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, etc for some glass containers with lids. Reheating your food in plastic containers is not recommended.
-Take a minute to think about what you would really like to make and plan out your shopping trip. Most of your items should be fresh goods or frozen.
Hope these tips are helpful! Give it a try and let me know how it goes for you.
SALUD!!
