Meal Planning and Prep

Wellness encompasses not just your physical health, but also your mental, spiritual, emotional, and environmental wellness. Meal Planning and Prepping is a great way to take care of your physical wellness by feeding your body meals prepared with thought and love.

Meal Planning and Meal Prep are closely related, but still a bit different. Meal Planning is the time you spend writing a menu and the accompanying grocery list. Meal Prepping is taking a few hours one day a week to prepare meals and ingredients for the rest of the week. Getting in the habit of planning ahead saves not only time but money too!

It’s a great way to ensure you are getting well rounded meals and no veggies go to waste. You will have virtually no clean up throughout the rest of the week, and you can even plan and prep for weeknight dinners where the kids can help- it’s easy to add ingredients to the pan or crockpot!

​The basics of menu planning are fairly easy. Our menu is a mostly Paleo/Primal way of eating. We use a variety of veggies and proteins totally customizable to your tastes! This menu feeds 1 person for 5 days.

Here we go!

1. Get a blank calendar or make your own.
2. Inventory the fridge, freezer, and cupboards. What do you have and need to use?
3. Make your menu! This is fun and the whole family can be involved to make sure their favorites are included. If you have older kids this is a great way to get them more involved in making meals.
4. Grocery list! This is the hardest part. Make sure you get EVERYTHING on that menu. Go through each meal and add up how much of each ingredient you will need. There may also be overlapping ingredients so make sure you’re accounting for those!
5. Double check your pantry staples. It’s easier to make one trip to the store instead of trying to remember mid week to grab that ONE THING you need.
6. Grocery time. Bring your list and menu to the store with you. If something is on sale and you want to swap meals then go for it! Just change it on the menu and your list. Stick to the list and avoid impulse purchases!

Once you are home with your groceries the fun begins! Clear out the kitchen and start with a clean workspace. You may need to expand out to the dining room table, too! These next directions are geared specifically to this menu. You will have to plan accordingly for future menus, but the concept is the same. Multitask and plan! You will be successful!!​

There are plenty of options to change the meals to your liking. Substitutions are easy once you have a solid framework for your meals! There is no limit as to what you can make for your meals.
Helpful hints:

• Prepping crock pot meals for dinners will provide you with leftovers through the week. You can bag up veggies to add to your frozen meats.
• Shepherd pie, beef stew, casseroles, and soup all hold well in the freezer for last minute meals.
• Always make leftovers!
• Get in the habit of planning ahead. You can (and will) save yourself time!!
• Think frugal. If you don’t have the money you will find the time.
• Make sure you turn that crockpot on :)

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Links:
How to and tips! 
21 Day Fix - No cook meals!! 
Detailed directions for our meal plan
Grocery list for our menu
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