The amazing, Darcy Kammeier, is welcomed back this week with another incredible topic! Darcy has been a Registered Dietitian for 10 years, has a Masters in Medical Nutrition Therapy and tons of experience in the industry. We are so lucky to have Darcy as our current Practice Manager at Racquel Aesthetics! She doesn’t currently practice in nutrition, but truly finds passion in sharing her knowledge with as many as possible!! Take it away Darcy!
Making meal prep easy is something I have worked on for the last few years and I would like to say I have gotten fairly great at it.
With a busy schedule and minimal time to prep my number one recommendation is to – – – keep it simple. Seriously, the internet has over complicated just about everything including the food we eat. Meats, veggies, carbs, sometimes a side of fruit. Done. I do prefer fresh foods as much as possible but lately frozen veggies are a game changer.
Second, find foods that you actually like and will eat on repeat. I know this is difficult for some people, but I have found it so much easier to eat the same thing for lunch each day because its one thing you have to prep vs. 5 different meals. To keep things interesting add different seasonings, sauces, and mix-ins. Some people will make a larger dinner and eat leftovers the next day. To be honest, there are nights where I just pile leftovers from meal prep on a plate and call it good.
Third, find some time to set aside each week to dedicate to cooking. For me this is usually on Sundays so all of the meals are ready for the week. It does take away some time with family or activities, but we usually reserve Saturday for things. This is what works for us.
Here is what I make for my fiancé and I for 5 days, Monday – Friday each week.
Grocery list:
- 2 lbs chicken breast
- 4 lbs grass fed ground beef
- 3 dozen eggs
- Ham slices
- 2 gallons raw (whole) milk
- Frozen broccoli & peas (we usually keep extra in the deep freezer)
- 3 large zucchini
- 1 large onion
- 1-2 containers of mushrooms
- 1-2 bell peppers
- 2-3 heads of broccoli
- 1 bunch of asparagus (if its good)
- Sometimes brussel sprouts
- Goat cheese
- Fruits – usually berries, some cuties or oranges, sometimes apples
- Frozen trader joes jasmine rice
- Baby potatoes or sweet potatoes
What I make for myself
Breakfasts: eat at home: 3 eggs, slice of bread or roasted potatoes, sometimes goat cheese or cream cheese. Sometimes some berries
Lunch: prepped meals – 4 oz beef, 3 oz rice, frozen peas or broccoli, with a hot sauce and for dessert, a cutie. (same thing daily)
Dinner at home: 4 oz chicken or beef, with whatever veggie and carb is left, I usually add cheese to this meal
Snack: Protein ice cream in the ninja creami – 6 oz milk + 1.5 scoops 1st Phorm Protein
What I make for my fiancé
Breakfasts (meal prepped) – 3 eggs (cooked in muffin tin) with 4 oz ham slices + 6 oz roasted potatoes
Lunch + he eats dinner 2-3 times per week at work: 6 oz beef OR 5 oz chicken + 5 oz veggies + 3-4 oz sourdough bread and sauces.
Dinner at home: 6 oz protein + lots of veggies + bread, potatoes, or pasta
Snacks: Protein ice cream in the ninja creami – 8 oz milk + 2 scoops 1st Phorm Protein
We are creatures of habit who lead busy lives and are on the go. The more I can prep on the weekends, the easier things are during the week. I know we both have meals and are set.
Sure, by Friday things might get slim and we are making random meals, but it works and saves time.
It also helps that when I do make something nice or we go out, we truly enjoy what we are having and pick foods we don’t normally have. It all fits into a healthy and balanced lifestyle, you just have to find ways to make it work for you!
I am old school and use my oven, stove top, crock pot, and grill in all of my cooking 🙂
If you have questions about meal prep feel free to reach out via IG and let me know you read the blog! @darcyelaine
EATING MADE EASY!
