Sunday's are for Meal Prepping

I recently completed my third round of Whole30. This round was the most eye opening and "successful" round yet. Each round had it's own revelations and merit. Practice doesn't bring perfection, but it does bring routine and habit. I had so many non-scale victories I checked off, that I'm even more convinced that the food we nourish our bodies with, can make or break our quality of life. I've meal prepped/planned for years now, just not consistently. After the reintroduction phase, I found that the week's I continued to meal plan I stayed mostly compliant; while the week I did not, I was more likely to reach for sweets (cue Sugar Dragon) or simple carbs. When you have healthy prepared food easily available, you will eat it. If you have sugary processed food readily available, you will eat it. I now choose to keep those foods away. I admit I had my share of peanut butter cups, post Whole30, but I didn't feel well after eating them. My allergies blew up again and my stomach was unsettled. I want to continue making better choices for my body, my health, and my state of mind. After years of feeling so so and being unhappy, I'm again feeling like the old me. The one that isn't afraid to talk to strangers in the grocery store or smile at a stranger. I practice yoga on the weekends and cook myself healthy meals. Better choices all around, not just with my food.

I spend a few hours in the kitchen on Sunday, and I literally don't have to cook during the week. I can simply pack up my food, heat up, and enjoy at work or at home. It is one less thing I need to think about or worry over. It helps me to manage stress and nourishes me to have the energy to get through the week. When you realize that food can change your mood, it can change your perspective, it can change your self worth, you make the right choices. I can choose to indulge and know that I have something to fall back on. I have the routine and the habit of my meal planning.

This week's indulgence includes dark chocolate covered strawberries to enjoy with a glass of Cabernet Franc, since Valentine's Day isn't just for couples. I can love my life and celebrate all my blessings with or without someone (says only single people I'm sure).

Sunday Prep

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Sautéed Chicken Sausage, Onions, Pepper, Mushrooms

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Chicken Piccatta

Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries 

Frittata with Herbs and Smoked Salmon

Everything Seasoned Potatoes

This will feed me Monday-Friday morning. I eat all of the leftovers and reduce my food waste exponentially, because I planned. Really I'm saving the planet one Sunday at a time! Because everything I made this week is nutrient dense, I won't need to snack a lot (unless I have some intense workouts) and I will feel full between meals. Don't skip out on the healthy fats and protein that is what keeps you satiated and feeling full. To make it easy on myself, the oven is like a revolving door. I started with the squash roasting at 425 degrees for 45 minutes. Next, the frittata at 350 for 30 minutes. Then the brussel sprouts at 425 for 20 minutes. While the vegetables are roasting I prep whatever is up next or I cook on the stove top. The potatoes, chicken piccatta, and chicken sausage/peppers/onions/mushrooms were all done on the stove. To reduce dishes I use the same parchment paper and pan for the roasted veggies.

Putting this all together my meals will look something like this:
Breakfast: Frittata with Smoked Salmon, Everything Potatoes, piece of fruit (Orange or Apple this week)
Lunch: Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Chicken Sausage/Veggie Saute, handful of spinach and the jarred Artichoke Pasta Sauce
Dinner: Chicken Piccatta with Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Mashed Cauliflower
Lunch/Dinner: Flank Steak with Chimichurri and Mashed Cauliflower

Breakfast is the same everyday. Lunch and Dinner rotate depending on what I feel like. Variety is the spice of life, so I tend to prep 3-4 different meals that I can interchange. For dinner tonight, I'm making Flank Steak with Chimichurri and Garlic Mashed Cauliflower. There will be enough leftovers to serve over a bed of spinach for lunch one day this week.

SNACKS! 

Plaintain Chips with Salsa

Banana Chips with Nut Butter 

Snacks are only if I need them, which now I typically don't have time for or don't find myself hungry enough to want. If I teach a tough class or take a run, then I will definitely need the extra food. But, I'm mindful to portion out the snack and make the decision first, if I actually want it. I hope this helps you start your week off right with some tips to take with you. I'd love to hear from you, so let me know what was helpful, what looks good, or what else you would like to hear from me! Thanks for following along!

Chicken and Broccoli Lo Mein with Sriracha Sauce

Here's to another meal prep Sunday in the books! I've been traveling so much lately that having a weekend at home to clean, cook, and relax was exactly what the doctor ordered. I've had such a great time visiting family and friends but there is nothing quite like coming home and taking a deep breath. It was a gorgeous weekend and I was finally able to make use of the pool. I spent a few hours soaking up the sun, reading a ridiculous romance novel (my favorite guilty pleasure), and swimming mini laps. It was the perfect Sunday afternoon. As the old saying goes, a Sunday well spent is a week of content? I think I messed that up :) Any who, while the pool was fantastic, cooking up food for the week was essential. I have approximately 8 weeks until my summer vacation to Cape Cod, Bar Harbor, and Portland, ME with my mother and sister. I have to keep my healthy eating on track and the best way for me is to meal plan. If I plan it, I stick to it. Not only does it keep my eating in check, but it keeps my budget in check. Seeing as I want to fully enjoy my vacation, I need to keep a mindful eye on my expenses for the next two months. 

Here are my meals for the week:

Breakfast: 

Broccoli Cheddar and Tomato Frittata 

Kale and Mixed Fruit Smoothies (made as needed, not prepped) 

Lunch/Dinner:

Summer Gazpacho with Avocado and Croutons (Recipe found HERE)

Lo Mein with Chicken and Broccoli

Mongolian Beef over Cauliflower Rice and a side of Green Beans 

Mediterranean Shrimp Couscous with Green Beans 

Snacks: 

Diced Watermelon

Strawberries

Carrot Sticks with Hummus 

It's not too fancy but it keeps my palate interested. I intersperse the bigger meals between lunch and dinner so that I'm not having the same thing day in and day out. This helps me from getting bored. I also shop for ingredients that I will use in multiple meals, keeping cost and waste down. Eating healthy doesn't have to be complicated or hard. It does take a little work and there are certainly days where I  simply wish to get take out and past out on the couch. But once I prep, I never regret it and honestly the meals I eat are probably better than most take out. My mom so generously reminded me that it has been a while since I've posted a recipe. So this one is for you! 

Chicken and Broccoli Lo Mein

Adpated from: Baker by Nature

For Chicken and Broccoli: 

2 Tbsp. Coconut Aminos (or Soy Sauce)

1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil

2 Tbsp. Sriarcha Sauce

1 tsp. Arrowroot Powder (or Cornstarch)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. brown sugar 

1 package Chicken Thighs, trimmed of fat and cubed

1 head of broccoli cut into bite sized pieces, blanched (boiled for 2-4 minutes, then placed in ice bath)

1 egg, scrambled and cooked with red pepper flakes 

For Lo Mein:

1 package Lo Mein, prepared using package directions (boiled for 4 minutes) 

2 Tbsp. Coconut Aminos

1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil

2 Tbsp. Sriracha Sauce

1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 inch fresh Ginger, grated (using microplane)

1-2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 pkg. Snow peas

2 large Carrots, grated or spiralized 

3 Green Onions, sliced green and white parts separated 

In a large wok or skillet, brown cubed chicken thighs (seasoned with salt and pepper). While chicken is browning, combine sauce (coconut aminos, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, arrowroot powder, garlic, brown sugar) in a small bowl. Add the blanched broccoli and sauce to the chicken, cook for an additional 5 minutes. While chicken is cooking, prepare lo mein noodles as directed. Remove chicken and broccoli into a large bowl and set aside. Using the same wok or skillet, place a bit of oil and cook the egg with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Once cooked, remove and place in bowl with chicken and broccoli. In the same wok, cook snow peas, green onions (white part only, reserve green part), and carrots until charred about 3 minutes. Prepare Lo Mein sauce as the snow peas cook (coconut aminos, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, sriracha sauce). Add noodles and sauce and mix until coated. Add chicken, broccoli, and egg. Combine until all ingredients are coated completely. Garnish with the greens of the green onion and a drizzle of sriracha! Enjoy! 

This had a nice kick to it, but feel free to adjust the level of sriracha based on your taste preference. Remember you can always add more! If you can't find Lo Mein noodles, whole wheat spaghetti would work just fine. Make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken and substituting tofu, yum! I would do it!  This is ten times better than any take out you'll get and I promise you won't mind eating these leftovers! This recipe serves about 4, so I will have plenty for the week! This took approximately 45 minutes to make and with all the extra steps it was definitely one I would make on a Sunday instead of during the week. 

As always, let me know if you try the recipe! Pictures would be great! Comments/Suggestion always welcome! Love you guys!

 Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there. Especially to Cliff! Dad you are the best and I can't wait to cook you up something delicious for 4th of July! 

Meals on a Budget

Cheers to extra time to enjoy this view! 

It's Wednesday evening and I'm able to enjoy a relaxing evening here at my desk indulging in my favorite hobby, bloggin. Why am I not exhausted and tired? Why am I not stuck in the kitchen doing dishes until all of hours of the night? Well people, it just happens to be a little thing I call meal planning. Two posts back I gave you a peak at what a typical weekly menu looks like for me. Well this past weekend I did a little budget work to go along with that planning. Next week, I'm having a non-invasive outpatient surgery and I needed to ensure my funds could cover the pre-op testing and out of pocket costs that come with any medical treatment. And looking at my measly budget I realized something had to give. Unfortunately, that was my grocery allowance. I looked at my typical spending on food in a month and I nearly passed out at the astronomical numbers. I mean no one said eating healthy was cheap or easy!!

So I pushed up my sleeves crunched some numbers and decided I could only spend $37 on groceries this week :/ AHHHH... Now, I have literally never walked out of a grocery store spending less than $60-75 on my weekly rations. I know I'm only one person, but I workout for a living and need to replenish the calories I burn throughout the day. This girl needs some mental fuel! I had no clue how I was going to pull this off. Luckily, I had some chicken in the freezer and a flank steak that was yet to be cooked so my protein was pretty much covered for the week. Protein being the most costly items on my grocery list, I thought I would be set. But that still left all my vegetables, eggs, coffee, and staples. Hmmm...this was a problem I was sure I couldn't overcome.

If this were TV I would now tell you that not only did I stay within budget, I happened to be two dollars under!! HA! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I didn't quite make it. I stuck to my grocery list, used by savings card, bought items on sale and still was over budget by $20. Ughhh real life... That being said the total rang up to about $57. This did include olive oil which cost about $8 that I was not planning to get. So, without the olive oil my total would have been $49. Not too shabby! I could eat for the entire week and not go hungry. That is a victory in my book. I'm going to continue my master budgeting and weekly meal planning and hope that at some point it doesn't seem so daunting. Lucky for me, Mom is coming down next week to take care of me post-op. And when she's in town you know I will be eating well. Wish me luck on the surgery! Sending you all lots of love!

This week's meal prep included: Garlic Cauliflower Rice, Chicken Sausage Sweet Potato Hash, Chicken Panang, Hard Boiled Eggs, Brownie Roll Out Cookie Dough (courtesy of the Smitten Kitchen cookbook), Steak with Asparagus and Potatoes