Meal Prep: Keep It Simple

Have you heard of the "KISS Principle?" If not, it stands for: Keep It Simple, Stupid! As a mom with children I don't like to use that phrase, so I make my own modification and say "Keep It Simple, Silly."

We have a tendency to over-complicate things. Then we become overwhelmed. Then we are, well...just over it all! So, my main tip for beginner's wanting to start meal prepping: Keep It Simple!!

Your first week of meal prep can be as simple as prepping out lunch and dinner Monday- Friday. Sit down and make a plan. Here are my tips on how to do that:

1. Pick 3 proteins to prep

- Grilled chicken

- Ground beef sautéed with peppers, onions and spices

- Turkey Meatballs

2. Pick 3 carbs to prep

- Brown rice

- Quinoa

- Sweet potatoes

3. Pick some veggies to add

- Romaine lettuce (add grilled chicken and other veggies for salad)

- Green beans (buy frozen...steam in microwave)

- Broccoli, Carrots, Spinach, Kale, etc. (whatever veggies you like)

4. Have some healthy fats

- Avocados

- Hummus

Once you have your list you can go shopping. After that, come home and cook the foods on your list. Then, just start making meals out of the above ingredients. Some people choose to portion out the same ingredients for lunch every day, while others, prefer to mix it up all week.

Once you get accustomed to doing things this way, you can start to incorporate more recipes into your prep. Turkey chili, lettuce wraps, stuffed peppers, broccoli and chicken mac and cheese...the choices are endless.

Meal prep is the key to success. When you are prepared for the week there is a less chance of you grabbing that bag of chips, those cookies, or crackers. Keep individual servings of hummus in the fridge and use carrots or celery to dip instead of pita chips.

Meal prep does require an up-front investment of your time, but the benefits are absolutely worth it! Take out, heat up and enjoy! I hope this little tip helps :)

Until Next Time,

Nicole