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…Meal Prep Crash Course…

MEAL PREP

Two words that can evoke a lot of different emotions.

For a person that is new to meal prep, it can be a scary and overwhelming thing.  My words of advice…HAVE A PLAN!

Before you prep I suggest you do the following things:

  • Create a menu… You will need this so you can create your shopping list.  You will need this so you will know how much you will need to cook.  You will need this so you will make sure that you will have enough food to get you through so you will not have to steer off of your plan and on a impulse go grab something that is not healthy.
  • You will need a shopping list…I like a shopping list because it allows me to stay on task when I go to the store.  I like to wonder around the store and grab things that look new and delicious.  BUT when I have a list I run in, grab what is on the list, and leave.
  • Have enough containers… This can be Tupperware containers, zip lock bags, or whatever else you would like.  You will need these to help you portion out the food that you cook.

So this is what you need to do to get started: create your menu, create your food list, go to the store and purchase the food that you need, and make it home and organize the food that you have purchased to cook.

This is the hardest part….cooking and preparing the food.

HAVE A PLAN! Figure out what you can cook simultaneously so you can use your time efficiently.  I always start with the things that take the most time.  I will cook the meat in the oven or on the grill and then come back and cook the other items while the meat is cooking.  You have to be efficient with your time to ensure that your meal prep time is used in a productive way.

Once you have everything cooked you will want to go ahead and portion those foods out! You will want to make sure that you have them ready and available for you to grab when you need them.  I usually cook enough food for me to have for about a month. I will put 3/4 of the meals in my deep freezer and put the other 1/4 in the fridge.  This will allow me to use the meals that are needed and freeze/store the other meals so they do not go bad.

You can get creative and cook a ton of chicken BUT use them for different things such as:

  • chicken fajitas
  • chicken salad
  • chicken veggie stir fry
  • chicken bbq sandwich
  • chicken breakfast burrito
  • chicken soup

The goal is to make the staple products (such as the meat) so you will have it when it is time to eat.  You can then get creative and use the meat however you would like to create meals.

It is all about planning! That is the hardest part BUT it is the necessary part.

With snacks and any other store bought things I also suggest to go ahead and portion those out and have them in your fridge/pantry so you can have them when you need them.  This will help you to limit over eating and you will have it if you are busy and you need to grab something.

Question? Comments? Concerns? LET ME KNOW!

I am here to help!

ALSO feel free to check out THIS POST to get  more information on meal prep AND how to meal prep on a budget!

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…Infinite Life Fitness Recipe: Zucchini Lasagna…

zucchini_Lasagna

 

I don’t know about you…but there are just some things that I can not give up.  BUT the key to reaching your health and fitness goals is FINDING A BALANCE.  You may not have to completely give up on the things that you enjoy the most. All you have to do is slightly alter them.

I came up with a zucchini lasagna that taste JUST AS GOOD as the real thing…minus the pile of noodles that come along with a lasagna.  Not only does it taste just as good…there are fewer calories and MORE protein!

What you will need:

  • 1 lb lean ground turkey (or lean beef or any other chopped up lean meat)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 dices onions
  • dash of salt
  • dash of pepper
  • 1 tbsp basil
  • 16 oz contain of low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1 can of tomato paste
  • 1 can of tomato sauce
  • 3 cans of diced tomatoes (i used the fiesta lime Rotel)
  • 1 pack of low-fat shredded cheese
  • 1 LARGE zucchini  (or enough zucchini to cover the various layers that you want)

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What you will do:

  • Pre-Heat your oven to 350 degrees
  • Cook and season meat in a pan and set aside for later step
  • wash your zucchini (some people have even skinned the zucchini…so you can do what you prefer)
  • you can slice the zucchini into long thin strips OR you can cut your zucchini into round slices such as I did:

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  • Next you HAVE to grill or saute your zucchini.  Zucchini is a vegetable that retains a lot of water. If you do not pre-cook the zucchini when you cook the lasagna it will become a watery/soupy dish.
  • After you cook your zucchini pieces start to layer your dish:

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  • Now layer your lasagna with the other ingredients:

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  • This is when you can get creative and mix up how you put together your layers. I wanted to have a total of two layers on my lasagna so I just cut all ingredients in half and mixed them up between the two layers.

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lasagna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This dish can make approximately 8-10 servings.

I was able to make this dish, separate the squares of lasagna out into containers and freeze the extra pieces. This lasagna was AMAZING flavorful. I would have to say having the lime Rotel added a new burst of flavor. I also enjoyed having the tomato past because that also added to the flavor of the meal.

The fun thing about these casserole is that you can mix and match ingredients and add or change anything that you would want.

Another great thing about making a dish like this is that you will be able to set aside portions of this lasagna to have later during the week. With the added cottage cheese and lean meat, this dish is packed with protein while still leaving you feeling full and satisfied.

Meal preparation is KEY when it comes to helping you stay on track with healthy meal planning and eating.  If you have food prepared and ready to eat you are more likely to make healthier meal choices during meal time.

 

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