I’ve been asked SO MUCH over the past several weeks to shed light on the food prep pictures I’m always posting. You ask.. I deliver… eventually. =)
OK so… I post pictures of my food all the time. So frequently that.. anyone who doesn’t know me would think I am a total weirdo. The truth is, well… I am. But… I am also proud of my healthy eating habits. Sure I have my splurges on occasion, but the majority of the time, my diet is healthy and packed with nutrient dense lean proteins, complex carbs and healthy fats.
“How on earth do you healthy so much of the time!?“… you might ask…
Well… I follow a very simple mantra. “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail”. Prepping my food ahead of time leaves me absolutely NO excuse to turn to a vending machine or the golden arches. If healthy food is there, I won’t eat the junk! I simply toss my pre-made meals for the day in a cooler and I’m off! Easy, simple and stress-free!
Two times a week, I take an hour out of my day (that’s 4% of my day) and cook my meals for half the week. Unfortunately, just as everyone else, I’m only given 24 hours to get done what needs to be gotten done. It really comes down to time-management! I make my health a priority by planning for it!
Heres a play-by-play of my uber-exciting meal prep:
Grocery shopping – I write down everything I need. You can check out my grocery list for the foods that are typically on there. Obviously I don’t buy ALL of these every time I go to the grocery store! Just whatever I’m out of. Swing by on your way home from work or wake up a little earlier and go beforehand if you’re tight on time!
Prep – Oh goody.. on to the fun stuff!
STEP 1: I spread a big sheet of tin foil over a baking sheet. Usually my sheet is way too big and I hate doing it but my mom complains because I’m a terrible dish washer and tend to leave things in the sink to “soak”… which she then winds up having to clean up later because she gets tired of waiting for me to do it… But I digress. =)
STEP 2: I spray the poorly fitted foil with Pam baking spray so the meat won’t stick.
STEP 3: I take the meat out of whatever container-thingy it’s in, rinse it, tear off any excess fat or grossness and plop them on the baking sheet.
STEP 4: I set my oven to “low-broil”… as I’m flipping the channel to some movie on HBO I’ve seen 1238 times.
STEP 5: At this point, I usually sprinkle some kind of spice on the chicken. Sometimes when I’m feelin’ wild and crazy I’ll season each one differently. Mrs. Dash is my favorite because there are a zillion different flavors…. and here’s the kicker… SODIUM FREE! YAY!
STEP 6: While that is a-broilin’ I rinse my veggies and toss them in a microwaveable bowl to steam. I am REALLY bad at timing this so my veggies usually come out super squishy or as raw as the day they were born. THUS… I will not be giving any tips on timing for veggies. Good luck! And let me know if you figure this one out!
STEP 7: Lastly, after the chicken and veggies are done, I take them over to my hand-dandy scale and measure out portions. For my healthy fats, I measure out 1 TB for oils and a serving of nuts. For meats I usually have 3-4 ounces per serving and about the same for my veggies depending on what they are. I try to keep it simple because otherwise I forget which one weighs what and it stresses me out. -___-
Once they’re all measured and separated into individual tupperware, I stick them in the fridge. I try to only make enough for 3 days because anything over that, you’re pushing your luck. Even when you refrigerate meat, bacteria still grows. If you made too much, consider freezing the excess and thawing it out again before consuming. You don’t want to get food poisoning (I hope not anyways) so unless you’ve perfected this art, I wouldn’t risk it. But hey, that’s just me!
When I want to eat them, I usually nuke them on some microwaveable glassware.
I hope I was able to shed some light on food prep! It’s honestly so easy (If I can do it, a caveman could certainly do it) and will save you SO MUCH time in the long run. As inept as I am in the kitchen, it’s a miracle I’m able to eat anything at all. But once you’ve practiced this a few times, you’ll get the hang of it and you’ll realize what a glorious habit it is! Good luck and happy eating. =)
Me… Being Me
Can I do this with shrimp and salmon too?? 🙂
How long do you “low broil” your chicken for? I’m only skilled with a microwave. lol
For steaming your veggies, I highly recommend Ziploc Zip & Steam. They are microwavable steaming bags. My veggies come out perfect everytime. http://www.ziploc.com/Products/Pages/ZipSteamMicrowaveCookingBags.aspx?SizeName=Medium
Um I know this site is obviously more geared toward woman, but it is seriously one of the best fitness-related blogs out there. These tips are so helpful! Thank you.
how do you get the lines to form on your meat? it looks like its grilled? also how long should you broil it for? an hour or so?
Asparagus – 2tbs water. Cook high 3-6 mins. Stir once
The Better Homes and Garden cookbook has a veggie cooking guide. 🙂
Broil til it’s not pink inside.. it should be white and the liquid should run clear. It usually takes about 20 minutes. The fish in the picture is grilled =)
What a wonderful compliment!! Thank you <3
You should get the veg steamers. It’s in the frozen food section. U throw the bag in the microwave for 6 min and they come out perfect every time. They are not organic but still good.
You’re very welcome. Ever think about writing a wonderful post regarding pre and post workout nutrition 😉
Do you eat the same foods every day?
Sometimes
No carbs? Not even brown rice? Is the chicken and veggies typical of your daily diet or is this a cutting diet?
How do you keep your energy levels up with so little carbs and such small portions? I have a hard time keeping up with my daily activities and not feeling “fuzzy” unless I work in at least 1.5 cups of complex carbs per day.
Hi there! I just found your site through Pinterest and I am so glad…I have been working out regularly, but haven’t been seeing the results I want. I knew that I needed to change my diet (too much bread/cheese/carbs!), but I wasn’t sure exactly where to start. I will definitely be changing my diet to clean eating. Thanks for taking the time to put out such useful information! You are my inspiration/motivation to living a healthier lifestyle 🙂
I love this blog!! Also I have a picture I can send you about veggies. It’s like my cheat sheet. Just let me know:)
Instead of steaming ur veggies try boiling some water. Once it comes to a boil throw ur veggies in and then as soon as it starts to boil again pull them out. Works perfect for asparagus broccoli and veggies of that nature.
What if I am vegetarian? Would you recommend eating the Morning Star “fake” chicken? Or tofu? Thanks!
What if I am vegetarian? Would you recommend eating the Morning Star “fake” chicken? Or tofu? Thanks!
I do a variant on this, too – I’ve been eating Clean for about 1 1/2 years, and take part of my day on Sunday to prep for the coming week. I usually make a batch of turkey meatballs, broil fish and put it into serving containers, separate carrot sticks and green pepper sticks ( and almonds/raisins/etc ) into small snack sized “grab and go” bags, boil a dozen eggs, etc. I completely agree; if you aren’t prepared to eat Clean, you won’t succeed. It’s far too easy to eat what is at hand or be swayed by your co-workers who are bringing fast food back to the office.
Being prepared is probably the number one tip a beginning Clean Eater can get that will help them succeed.
I do a variant on this, too – I’ve been eating Clean for about 1 1/2 years, and take part of my day on Sunday to prep for the coming week. I usually make a batch of turkey meatballs, broil fish and put it into serving containers, separate carrot sticks and green pepper sticks ( and almonds/raisins/etc ) into small snack sized “grab and go” bags, boil a dozen eggs, etc. I completely agree; if you aren’t prepared to eat Clean, you won’t succeed. It’s far too easy to eat what is at hand or be swayed by your co-workers who are bringing fast food back to the office.
Being prepared is probably the number one tip a beginning Clean Eater can get that will help them succeed.
Stick to unprocessed foods whenever possible. Check out my article about protein for vegetarians! =)
Stick to unprocessed foods whenever possible. Check out my article about protein for vegetarians! =)
Ohhh!! i was so confused! sorry : )
Ohhh!! i was so confused! sorry : )
This is a great idea! I definetely will be doing this once my Chef boyfriend leaves for work in Wyoming for 2 months. It will be easier to get into the groove and help my minimal kitchen skills. I am one of those “skinny fat” people, 5’6″ @115lbs, but I’m soft. I’m working on getting the tone back and building my endurance. Keep up the great work!