It's Time To Prep (5 keys to Prep Success)
Welcome to your January Whole30!
It feels like Whole30 is everywhere and so many are doing it! But there are some keys to your success and they are preparation and planning.Meal prep can be daunting. It can seem like a time-consuming, expensive task with no end in sight but it is so worth it and it will make a huge difference in your Whole30 success. No two people meal prep the same. You need to find out what works for YOU. If batch cooking one day a week is not you then we need to find a way for you to be successful with your prep. If buying expensive products isn't for you then there is a way to make things like BBQ sauces, ketchup, ghee, and mayo!
Here are the 5 tips I believe will help make your meal prep successful.
1. Use a meal planner - take your meal plan out and fill it in. Writing things down makes a big difference in accountability and your ability to carry out the task at hand. Write out your plan for the entire week and layout EVERY meal. This would include snacks and an emergency plan. Hang it on your fridge so that you can be reminded to stick to the plan!
2. Make a grocery list based on that meal plan - In other words don’t over shop. Know your pantry. How many times have you gone into the grocery store without a list and ended up coming home with too many things? It happens, I know, I’ve done it. Make a meal plan first laying out EVERY meal for the entire week including snacks and an emergency meal and then make a grocery list based on the ingredients for those recipes. Another little thing that tends to slip through the cracks - check and make sure you don’t already have the ingredients in your house. This trips me up a lot. I either think we have something or think we don’t only to come home and find out the opposite is true. Take the time to check the pantry and the cabinets. if you do a pantry check first, you may find you can make a meal that you can include in your meal plan that will help you use what's on hand. For example, I have butter left over from baking Christmas cookies, I plan to turn that into ghee today! Whole30 book will tell you all the tips to make your own products. If making it yourself is not your thing check out the deals our Whole30 Approved partners are offering for January. They are amazing and plentiful.
3. Don’t be afraid to multi-task - We have a Ninja Foodi which is amazing for meal prep. Though you can make an entire meal at once in there, you can only do one thing at a time. One of the reasons we saved our slow cooker was to have another meal prep option. So we always layout our “menu” for the week thinking about a slow cooker option, grill option, Ninja Foodi option, and a stove option. This makes the prep go quicker.
4. Clean as you go - The worst thing you can do is have a ton of dishes to do when you’re done or before you start. This sounds like a small thing but it goes a long way in your attitude towards meal prep and being ready.
5. Think about your emergency plans and foods you need to have on hand - if you make too much or make an extra recipe freezing is a great option. This can really help when you’re crunched for time down the road or don’t have the time to make a meal from scratch. Emergency planning will always help your Whole30. Have emergency protein and fat available and if you want to spend the money some of our approved partners have meals that are pre-prepared. There are frozen meals, freeze dried meals where all you add is water, and also pre-packaged options where just heating them up does the trick.
Again, it’s all about finding out what works for you and your lifestyle! Spend some time thinking about what your meal planning and prep needs to look like and you're onto step 1 of Whole30 success.