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Sometimes I feel as if life has been wild lately… and with little miss napping once a day, getting healthy meals ready has become more difficult than it used to be. I’ve never been a huge fan of rigid meal planning. I know it works for some people, but I like to listen to my body on a daily basis…. see what it’s hungry for and not have a set meal every day for lunch…. and the same snack everyday. Over the years, I’ve changed how I meal plan, and as of recently, seem to have settled into a healthy routine that appears to be working for our family (I shared this last year).

I start by going grocery shopping for the week ahead sometime during the weekend. I typically carve out time on Sunday…. or, if we’re super busy that weekend I use Instacart (this is seriously amazing….). I buy all the groceries that I have listed below:

Grocery List

Vegetables:
Spinach
Kale
Shredded Carrots
Bell Peppers (6-8, mixed red, orange, yellow)
Zucchini (4-7)
Cucumbers (3)
Riced Cauliflower (Trader Joe’s)
Diced Onions
Red Onion
Asparagus
Mushrooms (sliced from Trader’s)
Organic Micro Greens (Trader’s)
Brussel Sprouts (pre-sliced, not every week)
Lemons
Limes
Green Beans (microwavable kind from Trader’s)
Jicama (sliced, from Trader Joe’s)
Mixed Greens Salad Mix
Romaine Lettuce Leaves
Frozen Riced Cauliflower (for smoothies)
Sweet Potatoes (3-4)

Fruit:
Raspberries
Blueberries (fresh + frozen)
Strawberries
Cantaloupe (pre-sliced from Trader’s)
Pineapple (pre-sliced)
Watermelon (pre-sliced)
Tomatoes (mini cherry)
Avocados (5)
Bananas (5-7)
Grapefruit

Grains: 
Quinoa (often it’s the frozen packages from Trader Joe’s)
Rolled Oats (Trader Joe’- this isn’t every week, usually every other)
Purely Elizabeth Granola (love the probiotic chocolate)
Hilary’s Eat Well Veggie Burger + Veggie Bites

Dairy:
Siggi’s Yogurt (for Harper + TJ)
Kite Hill Yogurt (for me… not every week)
Organic Valley Whole Milk (for Harper)
Organic Valley String Cheese (Harper)

Protein:
3lbs Organic Chicken Breasts
2-3lbs Organic Ground Turkey
Shrimp (frozen from Trader Joe’s)
Salmon (2 6oz pieces)
Vital Farms Brown Eggs (2 dozen)
Organic Valley Egg Whites (2 cartons)
Lentils (microwaveable from Trader Joe’s)
Chickpeas
Shelled Edamame (found at Trader Joe’s)
Pistachios, almonds, sunflower seeds (when necessary)
When craving will buy some type of red meat (organic, grass fed)

Beverages:
Unsweetened Almond Milk
Coconut Water
Chamelon Cold Brew (TJ)
Healthade Kombucha
La Croix Sparkling Water

Condiments (when necessary, not weekly): 
Olive Oil
Chosen Foods Avocado Spray 
Vega Vanilla Protein 
Wild Friends Almond Butter 
Salsa (verde, red from Trader’s)
Pico De Gallo
Mustard (honey and dijon for dressings)
Organic Tamari Sauce
Chicken or Vegetable Broth
Frozen Garlic

Bars:
Perfect Bars (5-6)
R(x) Bars (5-6)
Larabar Bites

And then, I follow these seven meal prep tips for the week ahead……..

Meal Prep Tips

1. We bbq on Sunday evenings, which makes pre-preparing chicken and turkey burgers for the week easy. Once the chicken is cooked, I slice it so I can easily toss it in salads for the week ahead.

2. I buy as many items as I can pre-chopped. Yes, I realize that this is sometimes more expensive. Yet, if there is one thing that I remember from my Economics AP course in high school, it’s opportunity cost. For me, the time I save in buying items pre-chopped is invaluable time spent with TJ and Harper on the weekend….. it’s a fair trade in my book. If you have the time to do this, I recommend cutting and chopping all your vegetables ahead of time. That way, you can simply toss them in a baggie, container, or salad.

3. Pre-prep any meals you know you might want ahead of time so you can grab and go. I often make egg muffins as an easy grab and go option, and sometimes I’ll whip up a batch of  chia seed pudding on Sunday evenings. It’s a quick breakfast choice, and both don’t take long to make.

4. Roast items ahead of time. I roast my chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and brussels sprouts ahead of time. That way, I can simply re-heat when I’m ready for them.

5. I always look at the week ahead on Sunday evening and try to have a general idea of what each day will look like. If one day is busier than another, or if I’ll be out all day with little miss, then I make sure to write in my to do list, for the day before, to pre-prepare lunch and snacks.

6. I know that I like to have a few afternoon smoothies a week, so I put all the ingredients for a single serving in one bag and freeze them. That way I can just toss them in the blender when I’m ready…. or if I’m heading to a friend’s or my parent’s house, I can just grab and go.

7. I make hard boiled eggs in advance and store them in the refrigerator. A great grab and go option for salads or a snack.
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That’s it! I’m sure over time, as schedules change, it will need to be shifted. Yet, right now, this helps us all eat clean, nutritious, and filling meals. For next week, I plan on sharing what a week’s worth of eats looks like using this plan and grocery list. Stay tuned.