I rarely eat out. If I am going to eat out it is going to be a special occasion, or spending quality time with a friend, and going to an ethnic restaurant like Japanese or Indian that I cannot make at home (at least not with the expertise and authenticity of someone who grew up eating and cooking that type of cuisine… now I rarely go out for Italian because I am a snob about Italian food and usually like my own cooking better than some “Italian American” restaurant.) But for me going out to eat is a treat. Not a regular occurrence or how I typically fuel my body.

There are a few reasons for this:

I love cooking. I like creating my own meals and putting what and how much I want of certain ingredients in spices (like putting cinnamon on everything because it literally goes with everything.) I like controlling and knowing what goes in my body. You are what you eat. I have certain dietary restrictions like no dairy, red meat, and I also try to keep a diet low in sodium and sugar (which very few restaurants serve foods that are low in sodium and sugar!) I like weird combinations like using hummus as a sauce for anything even pasta. I love being creative and coming up with different meals. I am a very frugal person and cooking for yourself is SO MUCH CHEAPER. Ya girl only spends on average $25 a week on groceries (Aldi is a life saver). I know some people spend more at Starbucks in a week. I am extremely busy and I usually take lunch and dinner to the dance studio every week day since I’m pretty much there from noon-9pm, sometimes even earlier.

Speaking of busy… so how do you cook all your own meals if you are always running around –> meal prep and prioritizing time to cook for yourself and treat yourself.

So how do you meal prep?

Some people meal prep whole meals. I don’t like to do this. I personally like to meal prep individual ingredients (a la carte) and then “assemble” them each morning, adding whatever spices and sauces (usually just some good EVOO) that I’m feeling that day.

So I have a very simple formula:

Protein + Carbs + Veggies

This covers all of your macros

Fats I usually add last right before I am about to eat, because raw olive oil is the healthiest.

Veggies add micronutrients, aka vitamins and minerals. So you want to make sure you have a wide variety of veggies

Good Protein sources:

Grilled chicken + garlic powder + black pepper ( Pro Tip: grilling chicken tenderloins is super fast because you don’t have to cut/prep them you can just throw them in the pan)

grilling chicken tenderloins is super fast because you don’t have to cut/prep them you can just throw them in the pan) Tilapia/barramundi/salmon/other types of fish: I usually cook fish the morning of because it only takes a minute or two. If you do want to cook fish ahead of time, here is a really good salmon meal prep.

Egg whites/whole eggs: again I don’t cook these ahead of time because they cook so fast, but sometimes I will boil whole eggs on Sundays!

Lentils: These are awesome because they are carbs/fiber/protein all in one yummy vegan package!

99% Lean ground turkey (or beef but I don’t eat red meat): you can either just grill the ground meat or make some yummy meatballs. I like to make curried turkey meatballs!

Carb Sources:

Sweet potatoes: Because sweet potatoes are life. Either bake them whole in aluminum foil at 400 degrees for about 45 min OR cube them and roast them at 400 for 25-30 min with EVOO, cinnamon + sage.

White couscous or rice: I prefer to not have a lot of fiber at dinner, so I usually opt for white carbs. Also because I need a lot of carbs, but I get full very easily. If you are looking to lose weight or need more fiber I would recommend whole wheat and brown rice!

Quinoa: Like lentils, again a good source of carbs/fiber/protein.

Veggies: (Just a few examples of veggies I like to meal prep)

Mushrooms: good source of fiber, protein, folate, iron, manganese, vitamin D, B6, etc.

Peas: good source of fiber, protein, folate, manganese, B1, etc.

Peppers: good source of vitamin A, C, and B6

Green beans: good source of fiber, protein, iron, vitamin A, B6, calcium, etc.

Spinach: good source of iron, vitamin B2, B6, A, Magnesium (which helps you poop btw), manganese, folate, etc.

Zucchini: good source of vitamin A and C, etc.

Eggplant: good source of fiber, vitamin B1, copper, manganese, etc.

FROZEN VEGGIES: You need to keep these in your freezer at all times, so if you ever run out of veggies mid week or they accidentally go bad, then you always have some handy! And they’re better for you than canned vegetables.

I usually just steam cook most of my veggies on the stove.

The Assembly

What You’ll Need:

Various sizes of tupperware These are the best damn things in the world especially if you’re like me and like food to stay really hot. And they are usually on sale for $4.99

Food scale (Here is a cheap one you can get on amazon.)

Olive oil (or choice of fat/oil but I am Italian and EVOO is life.)

A cabinet full of spices (I always have: garlic powder, onion powder, basil, sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne, paprika, chipotle powder, etc.)

How To:

Pick a time to meal prep all of the ingredients. Usually Sundays work best for people. It may take you a while,but I’ve found that the more you do it, the more you will learn to multitask, and it will become much easier and faster.

Choose cooking method: Again I usually grill, steam, or roast. I do NOT add any seasoning during the cooking period, I add these the morning of. So if I am feeling curry one day I can add curry spices or whatever.

Every morning: Choose a carb, protein, and veggies (I usually like to have at least 2-3 veggies with every meal. Add whatever seasonings your heart desires. Get creative and try new ones. ( Pro tip: cinnamon and sage tastes like warm and cozy happiness and goes on everything. Cinnamon does not just have to go with sweet things!) Bring oil/sauce in a small container or keep it at your work! I always have EVOO at work. And enjoy!



What do you like to meal prep? Is there anything different that you do in your meal prep? I’d love to hear! Comment below!