For me, meal prepping means that I save myself money by meal planning. The meal planning helps me to stay on track throughout the week, so we don’t eat out as much. Sometimes, life throws you a curveball and eating out cannot be avoided. That happened to me this week when my husband and I went out in the late afternoon to run an important errand. Afterward, we had to make a stop at Walmart for pet supplies. By the time we got done with that, it was 7:00 p.m. If we had gone home to prepare a meal it would have been 9:00 before we ate dinner, so Popeye’s it was!
The temptation of eating out brings me to another reason why I meal prep. Preparing meals at home is healthier. Eating out is usually not healthy; In most cases, eating out is not Keto or low-carb; however., life happens, such as the electricity going out or flat tires or other life emergencies, which makes eating out necessary if you want to eat at all. Don’t feel guilty about eating out because it happens to everyone. Start over the next day.
Meal prepping saves time in the long run because some elements of the meal are already prepared. All the chopping, slicing, marinades, dressings, etc. are ready to go, making a meal come together more quickly. Many times, snacks, breakfasts and other meals are prepared ahead, so there is no excuse for skipping a meal.
Meal prepping is a sacrifice of time that I am willing to make and has become a part of my routine. There are several methods of meal prepping that may work for you if you have wanted to prepare for the week ahead. You can experiment and adjust any of these methods to see what works for you.
The Menu
Monday – Dinner brought over by a friend
Tuesday – Almond Sole Filets, Cabbage and Sausage Medley, Kevin’s Cauli-Mac
Wednesday – Forced to eat out due to an electricity outage
Thursday – Hasselback Cajun Chicken, Okra Delight, Vegetable
Friday – Buffalo Chicken Burgers, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Saturday – Leftovers
Sunday – Carpetbagger Steaks, Vegetable, Salad
Breakfast – Cheesy Chorizo Frittata, Chilled Blueberry Soup, Avocado Toast
Lunch – Asparagus Pasta Salad
Snack – Muffaletta Deviled Eggs
Thawing
Tilapia – Almond Sole Filets
Ground chicken – Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Steak – Carpetbagger Steak
Chicken Breast – Hasselback Cajun Chicken
Bacon – Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Chorizo – Cheesy Chorizo Frittatata
Chopping
Onion – Okra Delight, Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Slicing
Red Onion – Chorizo Frittata, Asparagus Pasta Salad
Red Pepper – Chorizo Frittata
Grape Tomatoes – Chorizo Frittat
Onion – Hasselback Cajun Chicken
Green onion – Asparagus Pasta Salad, Muffaletta Deviled Eggs
Pepperoni – Muffaletta Deviled Eggs
Preparing
Boil Eggs – Muffaletta Deviled Eggs
Shred cheese – Chorizo Frittatta
Marinate – Carpetbagger Steaks
Make Breadcrumbs – Hasselback Cajun Stuffed Chicken
Trim asparagus – Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, Asparagus Pasta Salad
Mash avocados – Avocado Toast
Make starch-resistant pasta – Asparagus Pasta Salad
Making Ahead
Chorizo Frittata
Muffaletta Deviled Eggs
Chilled Blueberry Soup
