Beginner's Guide to Meal Prep from a... Beginner

WARNING: If you hate food pictures, leave now!! ;)

A while ago, I posted a picture of our meal prep we completed for the week.  Since then, I have been receiving several messages asking about our method.  Just like the title states "beginner", remember that I am a beginner myself and I do not have all the answers.  This is just what I have learned in the last few months.

I will admit, these are not all my ideas.  I pulled them from several places and made it my own.  I would also like to add that I am in no way a health guru; so for all you nutritionalists, don't critique my meals ha!

Shoutout to my girl Ali for topic suggestions for this post. :)

Where it started

Within the last 5 months, we started shopping at Costco more often and it has come to be our main grocery store now.  Of course, Costco's portions are family size and way too much for Riley and I to eat and store.  To keep shopping and saving at Costco, I had the idea to start meal prepping.  I have always wanted to do it to maintain a healthier diet, but never really looked into it.  So, I did a little research and started to form my own method.

Shopping List

This will change week to week depending on the recipes and what you have left over.  But this is the jist of ours that interchanges each week:

Chicken
Ground turkey
Sirloin Steak
Tuna
Tilapia
Chicken Sausage

Broccoli
Red/yellow/orange/green peppers
Green beans
Green lettuce and/or spinach
Cherry tomatoes
Red onions
Asparagus
Sweet potatoes

Pineapple
Strawberries
Blueberries
Apples
Bananas

Vanilla greek yogurt
Granola
Brown rice
Quinoa
Oatmeal (there is gluten-free oatmeal for all you celiacs!!)
Milk
Eggs
Egg Whites

Storage

All the following items can be found at Walmart.

For complete meals, I use a 3-compartment food storage container similar to this:

I really like using the 1/2 pint canning jars for my fruit.  Not only do they stack well, but compared to plastic containers, they keep the sliced fruit fresh throughout the week.

I have used a few salad containers in the past, but I must say that the Cool Gear EZ Freeze Collapsible Salad Container.  Not only will it collapse to save more space during storage, but the dressing container does not leak!  

For yogurt, I use the Rubbermaid TakeAlongs small deep square container:

I'm not a fan of reheating in the microwave; therefore, I store soups/pastas/liquids in glass containers for use in the toaster oven.  

Meals

Breakfast

Egg white muffins + veggies
Oatmeal in milk + honey + berries

Snack

Greek yogurt + pineapple +strawberries + blueberries + granola

Lunch

Prepped meal (Meat + Vegetables + Carb)

Balsamic Chicken + Broccoli + Sweet Potatoes

Chicken Sausage + Sweet Potatoes + Asparagus

Brown Rice + Balsamic Chicken + Broccoli

Broccoli Tomato Feta Quinoa + Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

Turkey Burger Goulash

Greek Yogurt Tuna Salad Wraps

Snack

Cashews/Nuts
Toasted/Unsweetened coconut chips
Salad with desired toppings
Energy bites (great way to curb sweet/candy cravings!)

Dinner (NO carbs after 6 pm)

Prepped meal (Meat + Veggies)
If it gets too late, we substitute for the Vega One All-in-One Nutritional Shake (Berry).  I like it in milk, but to keep it completely Vegan, they Vega recommends mixing it with water.  I am not a fan of juicing/shakes, but I don't mind doing it a few times a week at night.

Benefits

Health

Over the last year, Riley and I have tried to be more health conscious as far as going to the gym, etc.  However, we have not been seeing the results we were wanting.  Between our busy schedules, it is difficult to make healthy meals every day.  Now, I realize that the key to eating healthy is being prepared.  Over the past couple months, we have been able to accomplish the following:

• Cut out fast food
• Eliminate unnecessary sugars (snacking)
• More energy 
• Weight loss (Riley is down 16 pounds and 2 belt sizes!)
• Healthy bodies- no sickness!  
• For all you celiacs (like me) and people with other food allergies, this will help prepare meals to coincide with diet restrictions :)

Money

We have cut our weekly spending to about $50-$100 each week for food prep.  It tends to be on the higher end of the spectrum when we are purchasing meat, but Costco's portions last about 2-3 weeks.

• One-stop grocery store trip
• No fast food
• Little, if any, leftover/wasted produce

Time

We usually set aside about 3 hours every Sunday for food prep.  It starts to feel like a chore, but it is rewarding to always have a nutritious meal ready to go.  Meal prep allows us to have more free time throughout the week.  Instead of using our mornings/evening to cook or prepare lunches, we have more time with each other, to workout, and for Riley to study.

Tips

• Divide and store everything!  I notice that if I don't prepare everything, I either forget or get too lazy to eat/prepare when the times comes.  For example:
• Vitamins
• Bagged cashews, granola, oatmeal, etc.
• No carbs after 6 pm!  Prepare meals accordingly.
• The key to staying motivated and consistent to do meal prep is VARIETY!  There is not way I would be interested in eating chicken, broccoli, and rice all day every day.  You have to switch it up.  I try to have two separate meals prepared each week and alternate/find new recipes every week.
• The healthier the meals = the healthier you.
• Don't discouraged if you have an off week.  This week, for example, we had a couple birthdays/bbqs along with having family in town.  We weren't able to follow our plan exactly, but today we picked up where we left off and prepared for a new week!
• As you go on, you will learn tricks of your own and better understand portion requirements and how much you should buy depending on the size of your family and the recipes you prefer.
• Research different ideas and then find the method that suits you best!

If there are any questions or recipe inquireies, please let me know.  

Happy planning! :)

Lean On Me

When I moved to Utah in 2009, my eyes were opened to all the amazing natural attractions in the western region.  One of these places was the gorgeous Havasupai Falls in Arizona.  It is extremely difficult to get permits to, but we were fortunate to tagged along with another group this last weekend.  So, after five years, I finally visited this little paradise in the desert!

This trip was memorable one.  We met some awesome new people and had some good conversations.  It was a unique opportunity for us to step back and truly remember what matters most.  Too often we get tied into work, school, and technology, that a weekend in pure nature really reminds you of how incredible our world is.  Beautiful places like Havasupai make it really hard to deny God.  He truly has an artistic hand that continues to leave me in disbelief.

I was also grateful for the opportunity I had to try out our new camera.  Ever since I was in high school, I wanted to get into photography (actually considered art school for a while), but never did.  This is just another avenue to take my creative imagination and Havasupai was a perfect place to start!

I wish the pictures could justice for how incredible the falls really were.  There were four different sites we visited and it was the most refreshing, blue, clear water I've ever seen inland.  It is difficult to describe it in words, so I will in pictures instead!

(Video Courtesy of PJ)

When I describe the infinite beauty we experienced, it didn't come without a cost.  After our 6-hour drive, it was an 8-mile hike to the Havasu village and another 2 miles to the campground.  We carried our 3-day packs in the whole way in.  Once we arrived to our campsite, we still have shorter hikes to each waterfall.  In all, we hiked a little over 30 miles in 3 days...  Crazy!!  Riley and I learned that we are not quite the backpacker type haha.  It took a few days to get over the blisters and soreness.

Throughout the weekend, we grew more convinced we were to take the 10-minute helicopter ride out.  We were tired, sore, and hungry.  We were supposed to stay until Monday morning, but decided to leave on Sunday because it started storming.  When the time came to leave, we had all the opportunity in the world to leave in the chopper, but instead we decided to make the 10-mile trek back out.  Luckily, we were able to fly our bags out for $20/bag (best $40 ever spent!!).  

We left with a two friends we met on the trip who happened to be a couple of Hulks that booked it along the trail.  I am concerned that they didn't even break a sweat during the final mile-long vertical up the mountain ha!  I'm so happy we had them with us because they really pushed us and got us to the car in half the time as when we hiked in! 

Despite how difficult it was, I wouldn't have changed a thing.  More than the physical, it was such a great experience for Riley and I as a couple.  Not only was it a completely new and crazy adventure, but we also had to rely on each other more than ever before.  I remember telling Riley while we were hiking back to the car about how happy I was because it was something to say that we did.  It would only hurt for a short amount of time, but in the end we would be grateful we pushed through it... together.  Thus, are some of the trials we face in life.

This trip was truly symbolic of the strength we have in our marriage.  Although it is not ideal, living away from our homes is seriously the best thing we could have done.  Over the last four years, we have learned to rely solely on one another.  If we need a ride, a favor, etc, we have to allocate our own resources to execute whatever we need done.  We have spent a lot of holidays without our families, missed important events, and spent a lot of nights missing the little things.  However, the lessons we have learned about responsibility, hard work, accountability, and independence are worth more than we could have imagined.  The trials we face living on our own can be difficult, but it makes the successes at work and school that much sweeter!

I am sad to see some of my good Omaha friends moving away this year, but I could not be more anxious for them.  If there is one piece of advice that I (I can speak for Riley on this too) would give to a young person/couple, it would be that they need to move away for at least a brief period of time.   My time at Utah State and beyond has allowed me to reach a new level of maturity that I would not have been able to reach otherwise.  All my sisters have lived or are living away from home and I think they would all agree with me on the subject.  I have grown to truly appreciate my home, friends, and family.  I am proud of where I come from and it is always so exciting to go back to visit.  

I think we all need experiences every once and a while that make us step back and examine our lives.  Every now and then, do something that takes you away, reminds you of what truly matters in life.  Something that reminds you of your belief in a higher power and the beauty that we have been blessed with.  I've noticed myself stepping away more from social media this last week and focusing on school, work, etc.  Needless to say, I've been very productive!  I am so grateful for Riley and the loyalty and strength that he has shown me over the last four years.  We have been fortunate to travel together and experience the world together.  As our four year anniversary approaches on the 21st, I can say that I love him more every day and I look forward to more adventures to come.

I shot this at the very end of our hike back to the car.
Remember: No matter how rocky the road, there is always something beautiful about it.

A Woman Worth Following

I have been fortunate to grow up with and be surrounded by some pretty amazing women in my lifetime and I often ponder what it is that makes a strong, leading woman.  This was an article posted on The Daily Positive.  I absolutely love it.

4 Signs of a Woman Worth Following:

• She Wisely Wears Her Rubies: By this I mean her immense wisdom. Wisdom being worth far more than rubies. I love how Proverbs describes a woman of wisdom as: “A rich desire for knowledge and a love for humanity”. Wisdom has a voice and it’s feminine! A woman worth following doesn’t stand in silence. She listens to the voice of courage and change and it guides her in making choices that display discretion, patience, and understanding. 

• She Lives Beyond Herself: She’s filled with compassion for the least, the last, and the lost. You know, those who few like, no one sees, no one hears. A woman worth following always thinks beyond herself. She’s not a narcissist.  No, a woman worth following is mindful of those who are suffering in the world around her. Empathy fills her and causes her to act. She spreads joy, love, and laughter wherever she goes. Ultimately, people feel safe to be seen by her. 

• She’s Got Guts: She’s not opposed to risk. In fact, I would say that most women worth following are willing to take risks. I’m not talking about risks of immaturity, like driving home drunk. I’m talking about wise risk like self-publishing that manuscript you’ve worked on for 5 years, or taking that trip to Central Africa in order to encounter another culture that’s always fascinated you. A woman worth following has got the guts to risk. And not only that, she’s counted the cost. Calculated the leap. Whether it’s an investment of her time, money, energy, or relationships, she’s willing to pay the price, take the jump, and go for the glory. 

• She Is an Original Voice, Not an Echo: She doesn’t mimic others, she creates. She’s an original. She’s got something unique, different, and distinct about her. She marches to the beat of her own drum. To do this takes courage. Boldness. It’s not easy to put yourself “out there”, to present your voice, your ideas, your life itself for others to critique and examine. But a woman worth following does all of those things, time and time again, because she knows there’s a unique contribution that only she can make to the world.

Women: be bold, secure, independent, humble, and most of all

strive to be that woman worth following...