Meal prepping makes meals come together easily and quickly throughout the week. It does take some time at the front end of the week to prepare. Meal prepping can be done in two different ways: 1) You can prepare complete meals to place in individual serving containers to heat in the microwave or oven, or 2) prepare the elements of the meals you plan to make and make some complete meals to store in the fridge.
I prefer to meal prep using the second method. Some meals taste great when made ahead of time, such as snacks, lunches and breakfast, but other meals taste best when made fresh. Chopping and slicing vegetables is the most time-consuming when preparing a meal, so I do all of this ahead of time. Marinating, making sauces and dressings, and preparing dips, lunches and snacks prevents that “uh-oh. I forgot to do that ahead of time” syndrome.
Meal prepping saves us money and time. Not only do we eat more healthily, but we are also able to save money because we eat at home more. That “Oops! I forgot to make that ahead” syndrome usually means that we would eat out somewhere. Eating out tempts us to eat outside our Keto lifestyle.
Sometimes, life gets in the way so that I can’t spend the day that I need to meal prep. When that happens, I can definitely see the difference because dinner comes later in the evening, breakfast and snacks are nonexistent and sandwiches are the name of the game for lunch.
Meal prepping has become a part of my weekly routine that is a worthwhile effort. Taking a day to meal prep using my method is a sacrifice and is not viable for everyone. The first method may be more reasonable for some because you can prepare meals for the week at the same time as making dinner for the family. You could choose to only prepare breakfasts and lunches that you can grab and go on the way out the door for work on the weekend or prepare homemade snacks on a different day. Whichever way you choose, meal prepping will consolidate your time so that you have more time to spend doing those things you enjoy.
The Menu
Monday – Leftovers
Tuesday – Moroccan Chicken, Spicy Zucchini and Tomato Casseroles, Salad
Wednesday – Steak, Scalloped Vegetables, Salad
Thursday – Jalapeno Popper Burgers, Avocado Fries
Friday – Went out for husband’s birthday
Saturday – Smoked meats, Cheesy Ziti Mac, Roasted Potatoes, Homemade Biscuits, Sauteed Cabbage with Smoked Sausage
Sunday – Leftovers from Saturday
Breakfast – Eggplant and Olive Frittata, Copycat McDonald’s Griddle Sandwich
Lunch – Garlic Bisque, Zucchini Panini
Snacks – BBQ Spiced Nuts, Caramel Apple and Cheese Jumble,
Thawing
Ground Turkey – Turkey patties for the Copycat McDonald’s Griddle Sandwiches
Bacon and turkey bacon – Jalapeno Popper Burgers
Chicken thighs – Moroccan Chicken
Canadian Bacon – Copycat McDonald’s Griddle Sandwiches
Tbone Steak – Steak
Ground Beef – Jalapeno Popper Burgers
Chopping
Onion – Eggplant and Olive Frittata, Scalloped Vegetable Casserole
Jalapeno – Spicy Zucchini Casserole
Celery – Scalloped Vegetable Casserole
Slicing
Mushrooms – Scalloped Vegetable Casserole
Black olives – Eggplant and Olive Frittata
Onion – Moroccan Chicken, Spicy Zucchini Casserole
Butternut Squash – Scalloped Vegetable Casserole
Halve grape tomatoes – Eggplant and Olive Frittata
Yellow Squash – Zucchini Panini
Red Potatoes – Scalloped Vegetable Casserole
Preparing
Make Filling – Jalapeno Popper Burger
Make sauce – Caramel Apple Jumble
Make breadcrumbs – Scalloped Vegetable Casserole
Roast jalapenos – Jalapeno Popper Burgers
Make Keto pancakes – Copycat McDonald’s Griddle Sandwiches
Shred cheese – Scalloped Vegetable Casserole
Making Ahead
BBQ Nuts
Copycat McDonald’s Griddle Sandwiches
