Meal Preparation

WeeKly Meal PREPAration

Meal prepping is crucial for us especially because we love homemade food. No restaurant can produce meals that reflect our specific tastes, nutritional needs, and in the portion sizes meant for us on a daily basis. Not to mention, meal prepping is also budget friendly and it is a form of self-care. I learned a lot about my mind and body needs from cooking for myself. I am an advocate for home cooking and meal prepping is an essential part of that process. It is all about creating a structure and staying organized so we can focus on other important life things.

STEP 1 - Figure out what cuisines or flavors you are naturally attracted to. We enjoy South Asian, East Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisines so my meal prep is usually a fusion of the three. I rarely branch out unless its a special occasion.

STEP 2 - Keep a notebook and pen in a kitchen drawer specifically for Meal Prep and use it. Planning is key. I spend a few minutes to quickly jot down all the items I plan to cook the following week (usually just by ingredients and “cuisine”). I also set a reasonable timeframe that works for me, the recipes (rarely - usually cook by intuition), and decide if I will be marinating anything the day prior. Want to take planning up a notch? Make a list of the kitchen tools you plan to use.

STEP 3 - Create a grocery list. Shop and stock up in advance so your ingredients and tools are accessible on meal prep day. By doing this, I can marinate, soak, or thaw what needs to be. Shopping and meal prep on the same day is exhausting for me.

STEP 4 - Meal Prep Time! Figure out a process that fits YOU. I have tried to prep all my ingredients first before beginning the cooking process - it “simplifies” the process but takes way too long. Because of that I have learned to prep and cook all at once. (For example, I will let my onions caramelize while I prep my ginger and garlic paste, and most times I am able to prep more.) This can be chaotic if you are new to meal prep which is why STEP 2 and STEP 3 are important.

Let’s take a closer look at my meal prep process -

BREAKFAST, LUNCH, and DINNER

For us, weekends have been convenient for meal prep. I like to do it all at once, non-stop, within a 4-hour timeframe or split it between Saturday and Sunday if I do not have enough time. I will list down all the things I plan to prepare and this is how it usually goes -

  • Two different vegetable dishes - usually a type of lentil with greens and another vegetable like green beans, brussel sprouts, egg plant, cabbage, or more greens

  • Protein - chicken, beef, or seafood, sometimes pork

  • Grain - usually quinoa

  • Tomato salad - mainly for lunch to go on chopped mixed greens

  • Hummus

  • Plain yogurt or raita

  • Soup (optional) - for easy scoop-n-go lunch if the protein and veggie dishes have aromas too strong for a workplace

  • Oat muffins (mini) - for breakfast or snack

  • Boiled eggs - for breakfast or snack (also optional)

I don’t always follow through with the list, here are the exceptions:

— Some weeks I skip on boiled eggs because we either make fresh smoothies, or oatmeal for breakfast.

— If my protein is in a soup or curry loaded with vegetables, I usually only make one vegetable side for the week.

— We are fortunate to receive food from our parents now and then - those weeks I will substitute out a side, or just over-indulge because why not..

Homemade sauces make our repetitive meals much more enticing. I prep my homemade sauces in large batches once a month, sometimes every other month, since they hold up for a while in the fridge and freezer. We like to use three different homemade sauces -

  • Red sauce

  • White sauce

  • Green sauce

(I will release the recipes to these soon)

Time to serve! So here is how we usually do it -

  • We like our plates, but we love our bowls even more! We serve most of our meals in bowls mainly because we love to mix and match different flavors together to create unique tastes (and a big mush). Bowl meals happen for lunch and dinner. Breakfast can vary.

  • We do not weigh or count but we do have an intrinsic understanding of our portion sizes. We divide our bowls by grain, protein, and two veggie sides or a large salad. We like to enjoy our meals with our homemade sauces and dips/condiments (hummus, raita/yogurt, etc.).

Here’s a little visual for you guys -

itsageorgesdaybowlportion.gif

Pretty straight forward - we eat mostly plants and meat. Our meal prep and portion needs change depending on lifestyle and fitness regime but the foundation has stayed the same - one grain, one protein, and two veggie sides.

SNACKS

Every weekend I check to see whether we have fresh fruits and nuts listed in the “Pantry Must-haves” page. Those, along with the mini-muffins, boiled eggs, nut bars, or eggplant chews are our sources of energy between meals. I indulge in processed foods like chips and ice cream whenever I want to. I like to believe eating mostly from home gives me the room to snack on whatever I want whenever I want. It is all pertinent to personal responsibility and accountability.

The kitchen is kind of a sacred place if you think about it. We receive our primary sources of energy from this very area of our home. And somehow, a lot of us lack orderliness here.

I made it a priority over the last couple years to figure out a kitchen routine. Although it’s continually evolving, I think I’ve got the basics down. At this time, I am sharing my own personal tips and tricks on how I make healthy eating habits happen for us. The way I structure my kitchen life may be helpful for professionals, students, and parents who not only want to eat for nourishment, but also love their food their way.

My recipes compliment my kitchen life.