Happy National Nutrition Month!

The beginning of the year has come and gone, which means for some of us, our plan to meal prep each week has slowly gone out the window. So why is this grand idea so hard to continue? I know for me, it is hard to know what will sound good for dinner that night, therefore it is hard to plan. Let’s talk about ways to keep this process more interesting and doable for everyone in your household!

Why Meal Prep?

Meal prepping is the concept of planning your meals ahead of time. Preparing meals up to 4-7 days ahead of time can save a lot of time during your crazy schedule. It can make you feel more on top of your week! It can also be a big contributor in budgeting your food costs while being in control of your food and nutrient intake. If you are concerned about certain ingredients that are in store bought food, meal prepping might be the answer for you.

Make it Interesting:

Switch it up! Most of us do not like to eat the same thing every day. Here are some tips to not get tired of the foods you prepare:

• Make a base: start with a protein of choice and use that to make a bowl, wrap, sandwich or pasta dish with ingredients of choice.
• Freeze, freeze, freeze!: Make meals such as chili, chicken fried rice, or meatloaf ahead of time and pull out to thaw for a quick dinner option.
• Stay stocked up: Keep items with a long shelf life on hand for meal prepping such as condiments, canned goods, grains, and oils.
• Spice it up!: If you are sick of the same old flavored foods, try changing the spices you are using. Here is some information on creating your own spice rack and a few spice mixes you can have already made up. Eatright Food Prep Spices  and Spice Mix Recipes

Make it Sustainable:

Every person or household has a different outlook on cooking their meals. It is important to do what works best for you and to eat what sounds good at that time. Here are some tricks to keep your foot on the gas when it comes to meal prepping:

• Pick a day: Choose the day of the week that works best for you to prepare meals or ingredients that you can use for the week. Whether it is Saturday night, Sunday morning, or Thursday evening, consistency always brings the best results!
• Start small: If you are unsure of your ability to eat the meals you prepare, start with 2-3 days of prepping at a time and increase or decrease the amount of food prepared based on what you are comfortable with.
• Make a Menu!: Plan out what days you and your household will be eating what meals. This saves the stress of making that decision on the spot for everyone, however, that does not mean you cannot switch this decision based on what sounds good at the time.
• Use see through containers: Whether it is small glass containers or meal prep containers with plastic lids, being able to see what you have made in the refrigerator will increase the chances it will get consumed!
• Make big portions! Let’s say you work from home or go home for lunch, it is totally okay to keep your meal prep in large containers so you can pull out the portion that fits your hunger level at that particular meal!

Example: Taco Meat Three Ways!

1. Taco Salad: Heat taco meat and put over a bed of lettuce with chosen vegetables and salad dressing/sauce of choice.
2. Burrito Bowl: Heat taco meat and put over 1 cup of brown rice with chosen vegetables and hot sauce or salsa of choice.
3. Stuffed Peppers: Cut top off of bell pepper and take out the center including the seeds before cutting in half. Stuff halved bell pepper with leftover taco meat, rice, corn, and beans. Wrap in foil and bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Take peppers out and remove foil. Top with cheese and cook uncovered for an additional 15 minutes!

Resources: Eatright food planning and shopping