This article gives a breakdown of how to get the most nutrition out of your meals. Read on for tips on meal planning for beginners
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How do you stay successful in maintaining good nutrition? Four words: Meal Prep and Planning
Meal planning for beginners can be overwhelming. One way to stay above water when it comes to dinner time is with meal prep and planning. Without this, you will be floundering around the kitchen staring at your empty refrigerator, and will want to hightail it to the local eatery to grab some grub.
Now I’m not saying eating out is completely out of the question, but if you are eating out more than two times a week that is a problem.
This is because we have no idea how our food is being prepared.
Aside from the obvious sugars found in soft drinks, juices, and other beverages, many restaurants have hidden sugars in their sauces, dressings, and dishes.
Processed refined sodium is found not only in packaged foods but abundant in dining out restaurants. This is not good for your health and can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.
Enriched flours can be found in dishes as well as refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta, donuts, cakes, cookies, pastries). These foods are highly addictive and consumption can lead to health issues and conditions.
Often times restaurants cook with highly refined oils. They may use high fructose corn syrup, margarine, or too much butter.
Sugars, trans fats, and over-processed oils are added to the food without our knowledge. Consuming these things can wreak havoc on our bodies by kicking inflammation into overdrive.
Portion Distortion
Portions are out of control. You go to dinner and wind up getting something that is two to three times larger than a healthy serving.
The Strain On Your Wallet
Constantly dining out not only puts a strain on your health but also hurts your wallet. Eating out five days a week can add up even with the lunch specials.
One way to combat the hurt this is putting on your health and wallet is to stay in and spend some time in your kitchen.
How To Get Started Meal Prepping
Meal prepping can be a challenge, but using this simple 6 step process you will learn how to make it a pain-free experience.
These tips will make your life in the kitchen a breeze and give you the power to rock your meals!
Let’s get Cooking!
To succeed at anything you need a game plan. This is also true with meal prep. The way to make this easy on yourself is to break it down into small steps.
STEP 1: Clean Out Your Pantry
Go through your refrigerator, pantry, and cabinets. Swap those processed foods with added sugars, preservatives, and sodium for more whole foods like vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats.
STEP 2: Get Some Kitchen Gadgets
Just like other areas in our lives technology and gadgets will help you excel in the kitchen. This is a list of my must-have kitchen tools.
Glass or Tupperware Containers
Prepped food needs a place to be put in the fridge. So if you do not have any containers to hold food then you need to get some pronto. I like these glass ones with lids that snap into place.
They come in various sizes from bigger food items to smaller items. If you prefer plastic containers make sure they are BPA-free and dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.
Colander
Colanders come in plastic and metal varieties. You can get them at the supermarket or Target, or even Amazon. This is great to wash and rinse your produce prior to prepping. This stainless steel one can go in the dishwasher which makes clean up a cinch.
Garlic Press
If you are like me and hate cutting up garlic because you’re afraid you’re gonna chop off your hand then this gadget is the best thing ever. This particular garlic press is a cool one because it has a detachable part that makes it super easy to clean.
Garlic Peeler
If you prefer to chop your garlic or the recipe calls for a whole clove, you will need to peel it first. Peeling garlic can be cumbersome and a pain. It can also be time-consuming to peel even just two or three cloves of garlic. One way to avoid wasting time is with a garlic peeler.
This great invention has saved me so much time in the kitchen because you can throw in a few cloves roll it back and forth and presto! The skin is easily peeled off. You may have seen a chef breaking the garlic skin by hitting it with a butcher knife.
If you are a newbie to the kitchen I would advise getting a peeler so you do not hurt yourself.
Vegetable Peeler
A vegetable peeler comes in handy for those veggies whose skin you do not want to eat. This includes cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, beets, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and eggplant to name a few. You want a good sturdy peeler. I like this one by OXO.
Vegetable Brush Cleaner
Whether you are getting your veggies from the local farm or from the supermarket there are some veggies that need a good cleaning to get the dirt or grime off. Try this vegetable brush on for size.
Spice Grinder
Do you hate having to chop up spices and herbs like cilantro, parsley, and rosemary? This nifty gadget takes all the work out of trying to carefully separate the leaves from the stems. A spice grinder will make using fresh spices and herbs so much easier.
Sturdy Sharp Knives
A sturdy and sharp set of stainless steel knives. I like Wüsthof knives but they are a little pricey. So if you don’t want to break the bank you can try this other highly rated brand.
Crockpot
If you do not have a crockpot you are missing out. This is perhaps the most convenient tool to have. All you need to do is dump your ingredients into a heated ceramic dish and set it to cook. They are inexpensive and you can find them online at Amazon or in-store at retailers. I have the 6-quart Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker With Temperature Probe. If this is too much crockpot for you you can get a smaller 4-quart one.
Instapot
This gadget is the best for making full meals in a short amount of time. You can take a frozen chicken and cook it in just 30 minutes! Whole meals can be made in less time than a crockpot. Get a 6 or 8-quart Instapot for under $100 on Amazon.
Spiralizer
This handy tool makes boring vegetables spiralized and fun to eat. The Kitchen Aid Mixer has a great spiralizer attachment that can make noodles of hard veggies like sweet potatoes and butternut squash. If you just want to start out small you can try the Veggetti, however, this is not a strong gadget and can only spiralize soft veggies like cucumbers, squash, or zucchini. If you are looking to make carrot, beet, or butternut squash noodles you are better off with a professional spiralizer. Try the SpiraLife Pro Vegetable Spiralizer for those tough veggies.
Food Processor
This handy machine takes your veggies and makes them easy to eat by chopping, shredding, and grinding. Use it for salads, salsas, or sauces. The Cuisinart FP-8SV Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor is a medium-sized food processor that has different discs to make veggies into various shapes and sizes. It is also easy to clean and dishwasher safe. If you are looking for something smaller try the Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus Food Processor.
Blender
A blender is a great tool for making everything from green smoothies and protein shakes to soups and stews. The is a highly coveted appliance but if you are not willing to shell out the cash you can get a refurbished one or there are some other highly-rated blenders that will accommodate your cooking styles.
I also had the Mini Magic Bullet and it has been helping me in the kitchen for the past three years. It does everything from making almond flour and cashew cream to my immunity smoothies.
This costs only about $37. If you want the regular size 11-piece Magic Bullet that will run you about $30. The Magic Bullet Nutribullet Pro 900 Blender/Mixer costs about $90.
Ninja came out with a smaller version for smoothies and crushing nuts called the Ninja Personal Blender which costs about $60. The Ninja Professional Blender is in the middle at $114.
Hand mixers or blenders are also a popular items to use if you want to blend while cooking. These are pretty inexpensive and can be found online or in most retailers. One brand I like is the Kitchen Aid Emersion Blender this is a great tool and it comes in a wide range of colors so you can match your kitchen.
Food Processor Blender Combo
Are you lacking kitchen space? This food processor blender combo packs a punch with two appliances in one. The Ninja Mega Kitchen System Blender/Food Processor is highly rated but if you’re looking for something in a lower price range you can also check out this Cuisinart Blender and Food Processor Combo.
If you want a smaller appliance Ninja also offers a 400-Watt Blender/Food Processor.
Now we go on to step three!
STEP 3: WRITE OUT A SHOPPING LIST BASED ON YOUR MEAL PLAN
To make meal planning as painless as possible let’s start with one week at a time. This will consist of 7 days of meals and snacks: 21 meals and 7 snacks.
Here are some meal ideas:
Day 1
- Breakfast: Egg Scramble with Arugula and onions
- Lunch: Tuna Fish with avocado, onions, and extra virgin olive oil
- Snack: Pumpkin seeds with unsweetened cacao nibs, blueberries
- Dinner: Zucchini Cashew Lasagna
Day 2
- Breakfast: Protein Carrot Banana Muffins (use Almond Flour to make paleo)
- Lunch: Portobello mushroom burger with broccoli rice
- Snack: Dairy free yogurt with coconut flakes, sunflower seeds, and berries
- Dinner: Lettuce Wrapped Chicken Tacos with cilantro avocado
Day 3
- Breakfast: Almond butter protein shake (almond butter, coconut flakes, frozen blueberries, cacoa powder)
- Lunch: Cauliflower veggie fried rice
- Snack: hard boiled eggs with avocado
- Dinner: Arugula and Grass Fed Steak salad with grapefruit dressing
Day 4
- Breakfast: Oatmeal with Berries and cashew yogurt
- Lunch: Chickpea veggie patties (chickpeas, cumin, egg or chia seed egg, parsley)
- Snack: Almond butter with celery, carrot, and zucchini sticks
- Dinner: Veggie Turkey Meat Loaf
Day 5
- Breakfast: Protein banana pancakes
- Lunch: Crockpot grass fed beef chili
- Snack: Baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon
- Dinner: Veggie Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (carrots, peppers, greens
Day 6
- Breakfast: Green Protein Smoothie (Kale, Arugula, Hemp Protein Powder, Lemon, Green Apple)
- Lunch: Baked Veggie Tuna Quinoa Casserole
- Snack: Unprocessed turkey bacon wrapped Brussels sprouts
- Dinner: Crockpot baked chicken with seasoned veggies
Day 7
- Breakfast: Veggie Quiche (4 Eggs, 1 onion diced, parsley, broccoli, bell peppers or veggie of choice)
- Lunch: Garlic stuffed roasted eggplant
- Snack: Zucchini cashew cheese pizza
- Dinner: Turkey Stuffed Peppers with Carrots, Onions and Cauliflower rice
STEP 4: GO SHOP FOR YOUR FOOD
The internet has made our lives so much easier especially with food shopping. More and more stores are offering grocery pick up and delivery options which helps you save time in today’s busy lifestyle.
Now you don’t even have to leave your house to buy groceries! So if you are like my boyfriend and hate the food store you can still get what you need without even leaving the house!
Just do a Google search to see if your preferred store has online shopping.
If you are on the East Coast some of my favorite places to shop are Thrive Market*, Wegmans, FreshDirect*, *, and Shoprite all of these are either online retailers or offer grocery delivery services.
Can’t get to the store? Use delivery grocery services like Amazon* and Instacart*.
Some of these may have a fee but isn’t it worth it if you are pressed for time and want to eat healthily?
Are you looking for healthy, organic, and grass-fed beef? Butcher Box* is a great way to get quality meats delivered to your door. This stuff tastes so much better than anything I have been getting at the store.
*Some of these links are affiliate links, this means when you sign up or purchase from these links we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more in our disclosure statement.
If you wind up physically going to the food store, the key is to stay on the perimeter. You want to limit overly processed packaged foods.
Here is a sample of some foods to purchase:
- Vegetables
- Cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, kale, arugula, spring mix, avocados, red cabbage, eggplant, asparagus, sweet potatoes, yellow onions, broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke, Swiss chard, acorn squash, beets, bok choy, broccoli rabe, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, celery, collards, endive, fennel, green beans, kale, leeks, lettuce/mixed greens, portobello mushrooms, okra, onions, parsnips, radishes, rutabagas, snow peas, sugar snap peas, spaghetti squash, spinach, sweet potatoes, turnips
- Herbs/Spices
- Parsley, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, garlic, ginger
- Gluten-Free Grains/Beans
- Quinoa, farro, lentils, chickpeas, steel-cut oatmeal
- Pantry
- Almonds, pistachios, pecans, almond butter, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cold-pressed organic extra virgin olive oil, organic apple cider vinegar, chia seeds, unsweetened cacao powder or nibs, raw honey, organic hemp seeds or hemp powder, brazil nuts, organic unrefined extra virgin coconut oil, steel-cut oats, oat groats, tomato puree, almond flour, organic unsweetened coconut flakes, cannelloni beans
- Dairy
- Vegan eggs, no sugar added dairy free yogurt
- Meat/Fish
- Organic turkey, organic chicken breast, ground chicken/turkey, uncured turkey bacon, lean grass-fed beef, grass-fed lamb, organic wild salmon fresh or in a can, pole line caught tuna fish, sardines
- Fruit
- Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, apples, pears, lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit (if not in season you can buy frozen)
If you plan your trip carefully and have a detailed shopping list you will be able to get in and out of the store in a reasonable amount of time pending those pesky checkout lines.
So make your list and go get your food!
Can’t get to the store? Use delivery grocery services like Amazon* and Instacart*.
STEP 5: START PREPPING
Once you get home don’t just throw all your food in the fridge and leave it to rot. Be proactive and take an extra hour or two to prep your veggies and meats for the week.
The best thing to do is take a day to do all your meal prep and cooking for the week. This way when you come home starving from a long day all you have to do is reheat the meal and it is ready to eat without any thought or effort.
It may take a few hours but what you do today will save you time tomorrow and the rest of the week!
Here is a sample of what you can do to prep vegetables:
- Carrots – wash, dry, and take half shred in the food processor then take the other half make into noodles
- Zucchini – take 2 medium zucchini peel and process into noodles.
- Broccoli – chop up and blend in the food processor to make rice and store
- Cauliflower – blend to a rice like consistency in the food processor heat with water until soft
- Cabbage – shred in the food processor and store
- Peppers – wash, dry, de-seed, and cut into pieces. If they are for stuffed peppers chop off the top and scoop out the insides so there is a hallow place to put the stuffing
- Green Beans – wash, dry, snap off the ends and store
- Cucumbers – peel, de-seed, and chop into pieces and store
- Sweet Potatoes – peel and cut into pieces or peel and make noodles
- Butternut Squash – peel, scoop out the seeds, chop into pieces and store
- Celery wash, dry, and chop off the ends. Cut into small pieces and store
- Eggplant peel the eggplant, cut a hole for the garlic to be placed in, and bake or if peel and cut into pieces and store
- Asparagus – wash, dry, and cut off the ends, and store
- Beets – wash, dry, cut off the stems, peel, and store
- Portobello mushrooms wash, dry, season, and store
STEP 6: GET COOKING
Now that you have your gadgets and food prepped all that is left to do is cook. You can use the above meal plan as a guide.
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