Just want to mention – this post currently REALLY lacks pictures because my blog is finally being transitioned to a new server and I realized upon writing this post that my current one will not allow more pictures to be uploaded 😦 I will edit this post within the next week (hopefully!). Be on the look out for new, exciting changes such as easier print function for recipes, better navigation, and a more functional layout!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! I’ve been a bit delayed in my getting things together this week. I traveled for about two weeks and lived on Paleo On the Go meals, which was perfect! I got to eat tasty, different things everyday without spending hardly any time in the kitchen. I truly felt spoiled and it was the first “non-touristy” vacation where I actually got to relax – vs usually I’m constantly planning my next meal. PLUS I felt even more spoiled with the fact that these meals are ones that would take a good bit of time in the kitchen and not something I would make for myself. YUM! Ps, if you’ve never tried Paleo On the Go, you can use code AYCE to save $15 on your first order!
I don’t REALLY do the whole New Years Resolution thing, but I sort of do. It’s not technically because of the New Year, but because November and December are so hectic with all the holidays that it’s easy to get off your usual routine… so in January I focus on getting back in routine. Meal planning is one of those things that really flew out the window because I was out of the house so much that I would fix up the easiest protein and veggies and call it a day – my main goal was to get compliant, nutrient-dense-enough food in my belly, fancy not required. Now that I’m back to real-after-holiday-life, I’m back at it in the kitchen! Since I’ve been SO bad about meal planning for the past couple of months, I wanted to have this be sort of my new year resolution (along with working up to a regular exercise schedule, getting more organs in my diet, and still working on those occasional technology-free days). I also know many of you might be committing to a more organized meal plan and eating routine, so I thought this post could be beneficial.
So how do I meal plan when I do? I have a couple routes that I’ve tried and here are my favorite tips and tricks that work for me…
- Pick a source of recipes: I like to choose 1, max 2, cookbooks to cook from in a single week. The main reason for this is because many authors and bloggers tend to have a “theme” of food, a “taste,” and those usually go best together. It also helps to keep grocery bills under control because authors and bloggers usually have their favorite “go-to” ingredients – so less waste. Thirdly, it creates more of an authentic meal – especially when utilizing cookbooks with a theme – like Sophie’s Simple French Paleo. Last of all, it’s much easier to grab a cookbook and go through it “tabbing” recipes you want to make that week… vs going through multiple cookbooks and flipping back to things you saw, etc. Blah! Of course, mixing and matching various cookbooks and blogs is totally ok… but it does take more time and more planning on your part.
- Make a shopping list: I know this may sound like “duh!” but it’s so easy to think you’ll remember what you need to buy… but you get to the grocery store and your autoimmune brain decides to think about other things and gets distracted by things that look tasty and things that might be on sale. Mine does anyway! Now what? All that planning can either go down the drain… or just make that list – including measurements. I usually use the memo app on my phone (I’m also great at forgetting lists at home… even though I like written lists more). If you use paper, you can use a pencil so that you can adjust measurements as you flip through your recipe selections.
- Make an organization sheet: Write down things that need to be chopped, categorized with by those that can be stored in the same container if not using right away. I usually write down the items that need to be chopped from each recipe and how each item needs to be chopped (minced, cubed, roughly). I group the ones that can be kept together and store those in a bowl or baggie. I also draw a line between recipes, so that I can stop prep if I have to and not be in the middle of a recipe. Ideally, I like to do prep as soon as I get home from the store, but often time I am too tired because I tend to do grocery shopping and many other errands in one trip and by the end of it I’m tired. Either way, doing prep is more than half the work of cooking in my book… so getting it out of the way makes the rest of the week MUCH easier if not batch cooking. I also make a list for batch cooking so that I have something to go by as I multitask.
- Set up a “station”: This more-so applies to everyone that doesn’t have a 100% functional kitchen. My kitchen doesn’t have the best layout, so I drag the trashcan
over for easier prep, get extra stuff off the counter, and make a veggie washing station. If I’m handling a lot of meat and veggies, I have two separate counters for that. For the fun of it, I also like to blast music while I prep & cook 🙂 - If you’re on a tight budget…: The best thing to do is to take a look at your favorite stores’ weekly advertisements to see what’s on sale and select recipes for the week based on that. Also, if you see a high price item like quality meat at a good price (usually because it’s about to “expire” based on the sell by date), buy it if you can afford to. Finding meat and freezing it for later weeks is always really helpful! If you have a monthly budget, you could focus on using those meats in the following weeks of the month.
- Timeline: Don’t forget to set up a timeline if you cook daily, so that you know what ingredients need to get thawed out when. If I forget, I usually just stick it in the sink the night before or the morning of. Sources say it’s dangerous to thaw out that way, but I’ve personally never gotten sick. I did read something that said not to refrigerate meat after it has been sitting out… so I follow that which means it HAS to be cooked that day with not excuses.
- Dedicate a day: Deciding on a day to do all the prep work and batch cook means you’re not doing anything else – no cleaning, no errands, no shopping – all those things that can accidentally take up the whole day and leave us hungry!
- Family & friends: Getting family & friends involved is always fun because cooking just sort of happens when you also get to “hang out” in the process of it. I find cooking way less of a burden when my husband helps me – it makes the whole process more fun and gets it done quicker. If you have local friends with similar food restrictions, batch cooking in larger amounts together is a great way to stay on track together!
- Cookbooks with meal plans: Some cookbooks include a meal plan using all of their ingredients and some also provide a shopping list. This is a great way to utilize all the recipes in their book, try things you probably would have skipped over, and save time. One of my favorites that I lived by when I first went AIP is the Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook. Some others that have come out since that time for AIP that have a meal plan & shopping list include The Healing Kitchen, 30 Day Gut Healing Plan & Guide, and Autoimmune Wellness Handbook. Each book provides about a month of meal plans… and The Healing Kitchen provides various meal plans such as “kid friendly,” “quick meals,” and “store-well.”
- Meal Plan Service: This past week I have been trying out Real Plans and I’m in love! Their program allows you to select a preferred”diet” (including AIP) and then make additional modifications to include or exclude specific ingredients. You also get a chance to say which meals you want to cook, how many servings, and what day of the week to begin the week (to correspond with the day that you go grocery shopping). It then puts together a meal plan that can easily be edited using other recipes in the “box” in case you REALLY want something different. You can also delete a meal or add a meal and adjust the serving size if you know you won’t need extra food, if family is out of town, or if you have extra people coming. This automatically adjusts the amounts on your shopping list and inside the recipe. Once you’re ok with the menu, you can view your shopping list and check off things you know you already have. Two parts of meal planning are now out of the way! Since I like to have left overs, I like to make dinners, but in larger portions (about 6) so that I have leftovers for lunch for both my husband and myself. Also, they have an app which makes it easier to do all this and access the shopping list on the go!
What are your favorite tips for meal prepping and planning? Feel free to share below – would love to hear from you!
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*Have you seen the NEW Instant Pot Cookbook circulating the web? I was so excited to be a part of it! If you haven’t gotten one yet, head over to my cookbook sneak peek post here to learn more and get yours today!*
AYCE to Better Health 