Meal Prep Monday

Morning…it’s Monday!   What’s more, it’s the Monday morning after Halloween weekend and the beginning of a new month.   Can I get an AMEN for the extra hour!  Just when I needed it the most, that lovely little hour arrives and rescues me like a story book princess.

Monday is my grocery store day!  Not that I don’t make small runs for all of the crap I will forget, but I make a major shopping trip every Monday.  I call it meal prep Monday. If you have been paying attention, you already know that I live with Mr. Chicken Fried Steak which means that none of my planning satisfies him. His list for meal prep Monday is a bag of chips, shredded cheese and jalapeños for nachos!  Smh. Every week I ask him if he needs or wants anything special from the store.  He will request the usual man items like shaving cream and razor blades, but it turns ugly fast.  He will text me something like this. flour tortillas, pepper jack cheese, shredded cheese, Oreo and oatmeal iced cookies and beer!

Allow me to outfit your kitchen with weapons for the weekly battle field of healthy eating.  The first line of defense is having plenty of fresh artillery at your finger tips. Stock your pantry and frig with the good stuff!  A snap shot of my Monday meal prep routine involves several pots of boiling water. I boil a large bag of frozen chicken breasts, a large vat of brown rice and a dozen or so eggs!  Later, I shred the chicken and season to my liking. The chicken is refrigerated for a weeks worth of meals. I can have it topped on a kale salad or eat it for taco Tuesday!  By Wednesday or Thursday you can add it to some broth and make a great tortilla or chicken soup!  The brown rice is a filling complex carb for lunch or dinner. I season my rice with soy sauce and pepper and eat it with chicken or a can of tuna. Once I peel the eggs, I seal them tightly in a large plastic container. (Warning: boiled eggs will stink up your house like a foul toot). Make sure you have arm and hammer baking soda box in your frig to absorb the horrendous odor.  The boiled egg is great fuel before or after a workout because it is a high protein snack.  It also dices easy for a festive salad topper!  Believe it or not, my one and only Mr. Chicken Fry actually loves boiled eggs. He will occasionally give me a domesticated darling compliment on how good I boil eggs!  (go me, snap)

Rooty tootie fresh and fruity 

I also wash and chop up all of my fruits and vegetables!  I clean and freeze fresh berries.  Black berries, strawberries, raspberries and blue berries are my BERRY favorite to munch on. I prepare and bag celery, carrots and cucumbers!  Oranges and apples require zero prep so I keep plenty on hand.  I also advise that you keep nuts and pretzels handy for the afternoon doldrums. At the time this process can be laborious but having fresh snacks in the frig ready to grab and go is so worth it!  Honestly, not counting lugging all of the groceries into the house, all of this takes about an hour…maybe 45 minutes.

Other weekly staple items on my list are whole grain bread, fresh deli turkey, avocados, cilantro, peppers, corn, whole grain pasta, and potatoes. I grill or bake pork chops or chicken breasts in mass quantities because it packs well for lunch or will reheat easily for dinner.

Side bar and Halloween recap; I think my daughter is hiding her bag of candy from me…I looked high and low desperate for a twix fix but it’s nowhere to be found. 

Do you have any meal prep favorites or tips?  Please share them with in the comment section below.