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 – Eggplant Parmesan, Roasted Green Beans, Caeser Salad
Wednesday – Stopped at Red Robin after Costco
Thursday – Beef Pie Casserole, Salad
Friday – Tacos
Saturday – Taco Soup
Sunday – Quiche Lorraine, Steamed Asparagus, Salad
Breakfast – Breakfast Egg Pizza, Asparagus Frittata
Lunch – Seafood Salad, Sandwiches
Snack – Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Sausage Cheese Balls
Thawing
2 lb. Ground Beef – Beef Pie Casserole, Taco Soup, Tacos
8 oz. Crab – Seafood Sakad
1 lb. Shrimp – Seafood Salad
1 Flounder Filet – Seafood Salad
Chopping
1 Shallot – Asparagus Frittata
1 Onion – Beef Pie Casserole
1 Red Bell Pepper – Beef Pie Casserole
Slicing
1 Shallot – Quiche Lorraine
1/2 Butternut Squash – Beef Pie Casserole
Preparing
Make Dressing – Seafood Salad
Bake crust – Beef Pie Casserole
Shred Cheese – Quiche Lorraine, Asparagus Frittata
Trim Asparagus – Asparagus Frittata
Making Ahead
Quiche Lorraine
Sausage Balls
Asparagus Frittata
Seafood Salad
