Happy Hump Day! I hope everyone is doing well and feeling well. Today I am going to discuss food prep and planning.
This is essentially the most important process of eating and cooking. I am not talking about food prep in the sense
of seasoning, marinating, soaking etc. I am talking about cleanliness. I must admit I am a self-proclaimed
germaphobe so I am a stickler about properly cleaning my fruits and
vegetables. I usually dedicated Sunday’s
to shopping and getting my food ready for the week. Typically this is what my Sunday morning
would consist of:
This is essentially the most important process of eating and cooking. I am not talking about food prep in the sense
of seasoning, marinating, soaking etc. I am talking about cleanliness. I must admit I am a self-proclaimed
germaphobe so I am a stickler about properly cleaning my fruits and
vegetables. I usually dedicated Sunday’s
to shopping and getting my food ready for the week. Typically this is what my Sunday morning
would consist of:
- Select recipes for the week
- Write out shopping list
- Cross reference list with fridge and pantry
- Go to the farmers market
- Go to the grocery store
- Come home sort, wash, chop and store veggies for the week
Completing everything from start to finish usually takes about 3 – 4 hours
depending on how complex my meals are for the week. As you can see from my pics I opt for baking
soda to clean my fruit and veggies. I
was using a really expensive fruit and veggie wash but I grew tired of paying
$9 really quick. I keep three or four
bottle of baking soda at my house which last forever. Never ever eat any fruit
or vegetable without cleaning it off first.
Most fruits are coated with vegetable grade wax (that shiny stuff) and
just think about how many hands touched that food before you purchased it! Not to
mention other creepy crawly’s that could be lurking.
depending on how complex my meals are for the week. As you can see from my pics I opt for baking
soda to clean my fruit and veggies. I
was using a really expensive fruit and veggie wash but I grew tired of paying
$9 really quick. I keep three or four
bottle of baking soda at my house which last forever. Never ever eat any fruit
or vegetable without cleaning it off first.
Most fruits are coated with vegetable grade wax (that shiny stuff) and
just think about how many hands touched that food before you purchased it! Not to
mention other creepy crawly’s that could be lurking.
For leafy or small veggies just fill a bowl with water and add a few shakes of baking soda. Swish around your veggies for a minute or two and rinse.
For larger solid veggies I usually wet them first and sprinkle on baking soda. Afterwards I give them a good rub down and then rinse.
Once that’s all done I usually write out my meals for the week and
post them on the fridge. This is just a
quick way for me to keep track of what I am supposed to be eating for the week. This week’s meals are very simple; it’s
getting too hot for all that cooking, lol.
post them on the fridge. This is just a
quick way for me to keep track of what I am supposed to be eating for the week. This week’s meals are very simple; it’s
getting too hot for all that cooking, lol.
Monday
Breakfast – Fruit/Veggie
Smoothie
Smoothie
Lunch – Raw Kale and
Quinoa salad
Quinoa salad
Dinner – Black eyed
peas, oven roasted potatoes, and garlic parmesan green beans
peas, oven roasted potatoes, and garlic parmesan green beans
Tuesday
Breakfast – Fruit/Veggie
Smoothie
Smoothie
Lunch – Raw Kale and
Quinoa salad
Quinoa salad
Dinner – Black eyed
peas, oven roasted potatoes, and garlic parmesan green beans
Wednesday
Breakfast – Fruit/Veggie
Smoothie
Smoothie
Lunch – Raw Kale and
Quinoa salad
Quinoa salad
Dinner – Black eyed
peas, oven roasted potatoes, and garlic parmesan green beans
peas, oven roasted potatoes, and garlic parmesan green beans
Thursday
Breakfast – Fruit/Veggie
Smoothie
Smoothie
Lunch – Raw Kale and
Quinoa salad
Quinoa salad
Dinner – Collard
greens, baked sweet potatoes and brown rice
greens, baked sweet potatoes and brown rice
Friday
Breakfast – Fruit/Veggie
Smoothie
Smoothie
Lunch – Raw Kale and
Quinoa salad
Quinoa salad
Dinner – Collard
greens, baked sweet potatoes and brown rice
greens, baked sweet potatoes and brown rice
*snacks – lightly salted almonds, mango salsa and tortilla chips,
cherries. Saturdays usually eat whatever is left over and eat out for dinner and start over on Sunday.
cherries. Saturdays usually eat whatever is left over and eat out for dinner and start over on Sunday.
(don’t worry that’s not bacon, it’s soy protein or faux bacon)
As you can see I eat the same thing for lunch and breakfast the entire
week which is super easy. Repetition may
be boring for some people but it works for me.
I normally prep my breakfast and lunch the night before (I forgot to
take a pics). Regardless if I plan to juice or make a smoothie the process is
that same. If I am juicing I put all my
fruits and veggies in a bowl for the next morning. This week I am drinking smoothies so I place
all my fruits and veggies in my blending pitcher along with my liquid base and
stick in the fridge. I usually
blend/juice right before I leave the house so I can drink my breakfast on my
way to work. My lunch is put in a
plastic container along with my snacks and placed in the fridge, which I just
grab on my way out.
week which is super easy. Repetition may
be boring for some people but it works for me.
I normally prep my breakfast and lunch the night before (I forgot to
take a pics). Regardless if I plan to juice or make a smoothie the process is
that same. If I am juicing I put all my
fruits and veggies in a bowl for the next morning. This week I am drinking smoothies so I place
all my fruits and veggies in my blending pitcher along with my liquid base and
stick in the fridge. I usually
blend/juice right before I leave the house so I can drink my breakfast on my
way to work. My lunch is put in a
plastic container along with my snacks and placed in the fridge, which I just
grab on my way out.
Seems like a lot of work and it is BUT the benefits of staying on track are amazing.
Any questions leave them below!
15 Comments
Great Post! I am going to try this.
http://www.icanonlybeshe.blogspot.com
Food prep! That's my Sunday! It's great that you're taking your health so seriously!
it look so yummmm
Girl, I would get tired of the same thing all week. However, I love the idea of putting the menu on the fridge. I really need to get into prepping on Sundays. I did it for two weeks and stopped. I have to get back on the bandwagon. Thanks for sharing what you do. Please continue to share.
Love it! I do this myself. Its so convenient. However, I'd like to thank you for the tips on washing fruits and veggies. Does the baking soda change the tastes of anything at all cause its really grimey and gritty. *just curious*
7eventh Letter
http://www.whatsmoreimportantthanfashion.com
Loving the new wellness posts. I need to do better with this…when I prepare, I eat better and save money by not eating out every day. And that meal looks yummy!
Loving these post.
How do you prepare your garlic parmesan green beans?
Great post! Can you post the recipe for the Kale and Quinoa salad?
Love these wellness posts…. I have been eating a Chicken Salad for lunch (mon-fri), for the last three weeks and I am surprised at how easy it was to adjust & the economincal benefits of doing so. BTW, do you have a caribbean connection? Referring to Bajan Beauty (lol). Thanks for sharing!
Great tips. You're meals look delicious. Life is so much easier when I plan and prep ahead of time. I also do a lot of food prep on Sundays. However, I am going to use your tip of writing out the meals and placing them on the fridge. It would make things easier.
That is the key to success. Planning and preparing. That is exactly what I do every Sunday in order to be successful with my healthy eating plan.
Hang head low… I have yet to complete ANY of those recipes u sent me! Now that its Summer I won't be in the kitchen cooking anytime soon. Le Sigh… But u are such motivation… U make me want to do right by food! I need to prep my meals; it would make life easier!
Great post. I did this for a week or two and it worked out great. Well, that is until I got lazy lol! Love your menu. I am trying to gather more recipes for vegetables because the older I get the less my tummy seems to enjoy digesting meat 🙁 I would appreciate any recipes you can offer 🙂
keep up that Great job friend!!!! i'm so proud of you. You are leading by example.
What a neat little food diary! I've been trying to keep track of my meals on my phone. Another way to keep track is by taking a pic of everything you eat. You'll be more conscious if you can see your meals visually (on your phone or something). : )