Meal Prepping 101

I always hear people say how they don't have "time" to eat healthy. I get it people are busy and its hard to prepare fresh healthy meals everyday.......but if you're prepared it wouldn't be so hard to eat clean! I to am  very busy...... I'm a full time student in culinary school, going through a certification program to be a personal trainer, work part time, go to the gym 6 days a week and still find the time to eat clean!!!! I like to eat fresh meals everyday so I only pack my meals that I know I'm going to be gone for (which is a lot of them unfortunately).

Sundays are my days to pretty much get everything I need done for the week, this includes cooking a lot of my food. Now like I said I like fresh meals so on Sunday I figure out what I want to be eating throughout the week and then cook the items that take the longest to prepare (like a lot of my proteins or carbs). I wash and cut up my veggies, put snacks together and for the mornings I know I don't have time to make breakfast, I make overnight oats. If I know I'll be gone all day I'll pack my meals for that day that way I just grab them and go & can have NO EXCUSE not to eat clean! This also helps with cravings because instead of browsing through the pantry or fridge to find something to eat I know I already have stuff cooked and ready for me.

I make different things each week so I don't get bored of my food. I like to BBQ, roast, bake, cook stove top, slow cook, pretty much anyway of cooking. Marinades and spice rubs are great to get different flavors. I also like to buy ground turkey because I can do so much with it (burgers, tacos, meatballs, breakfast burritos). This week I decided to make shredded enchilada chicken, spaghetti with 97/3 ground beef & mushrooms, 97/3 ground beef burger patties, egg white turkey muffins (snacks) and some maple cinnamon apple oatmeal bread for my pre-workout meal throughout the week!

Shredded Enchilada Chicken

• 4 chicken breast
• 1/2 can low sodium medium red enchilada sauce
• 1/2 small jar low sodium salsa

Directions:

1. Add everything in a slow cooker and let cook
2. Shred once done

Spaghetti With Ground Beef And Mushrooms

• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 large roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbs. Italian seasoning
• 1 tbs. chili flakes
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• a couple dashes of tapatio 
• 12 oz 97/3 lean ground beef
• 8-10 cremini mushrooms, sliced

Directions:

1. Sweat carrots and celery with oil (you can add onions too, I just cant have onion)
2. Add garlic and tomatoes, cook for about 5 min or until tomatoes get mushy
3. Use a immersion blender to mix everything up
4. Add seasonings, cover and let simmer
5. In a separate pan cook beef, once done add to sauce
6. Place mushrooms in pan and sweat, add to pot once cooked
7. Let simmer on low for 20-30 min 

Makes 6 muffins

Egg White Turkey Muffins

• 4oz ground extra lean trukey
• Liquid egg whites
• 4 pieces turkey bacon, chopped
• Mrs. Dash seasoning (any kind)

Directions:

1. Cook turkey and turkey bacon in a pan with seasoning 
2. Place in a sprayed muffin pan 
3. Top with egg whites
4. Bake at 350 until they look puffy and are tough to the touch

The recipe makes 6 pieces

Maple-Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Bread

• 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal
• 1 1/2 cups liquid egg whites
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. maple extract
• 2 full droplets of liquid Stevia
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 apple, diced small

Directions:

1. Combine everything and bake at 350 until a tooth pick comes out clean

And then I made a burrito with that shredded chicken for dinner :)

Mmmmmmmmm!