Lazy Girl’s Guide to Meal Prepping
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been able to truly “meal prep”. Stocking my fridge with containers of pre-portioned lunches and dinners for the next 5 days just does not appeal to me. I’m also way too indecisive (and frankly lazy) to plan out a schedule of dinners for each night of the week ahead of time. BUT, on the other hand, if I don’t prep anything, my week feels chaotic, and I’m left spending way too much time each night cooking.
Luckily I’ve found a system that works for me. It requires minimal weekly prep time (~1-2 hours depending on how good at multi-tasking you are), and sets you up for a week of easy, throw-together lunches & dinners.
The key is prepping proteins, veggies, bases (aka starch replacements since I eat pretty low-carb), and sauces / dressings that can all be mixed and matched to work in a variety of different meals.
Everything you’ll see in this meal prep is paleo, keto-friendly, gluten-free & dairy-free – yay!
PROTEINS
Always opt for organic antibiotic-free pasture-raised eggs / poultry, grass-fed beef, and wild-caught fish
- Eggs – Either hard-boil ahead of time to throw on salads or have as a snack, or just keep them stocked in the fridge to be able to add a fried egg to bowls (bc everything is better w a fried egg on top). Eggs are such an easy, affordable source of protein, fat, and vitamins & minerals (eat the yolk!)
- Chicken – meal prepping chicken breast or chicken thighs (so good with the skin on for extra collagen) or buying a cooked rotisserie chicken makes adding protein to salads or bowls super easy
- Ground Turkey – I love ground turkey because its SO easy to make (literally can’t mess it up) and depending on how you season it, it can work in so many different meals, from Mexican-inspired taco bowls to Italian sauces.
- Canned Wild-Caught Salmon – Another insanely easy staple to keep on hand. Mixed with a quality mayo, this is such an easy (and nutrient dense) protein to have on hand for wraps or salads.
VEGGIES
- Roasted Veggies – Taking the time to roast up 2-3 trays of veggies on a Sunday will save you SO much time during the week, and make eating healthy so much easier. Some of my fav veggies to meal prep are broccoli, cauliflower (great w turmeric & ginger), brussel sprouts, asparagus, and carrots. Pick your favs and mix it up each week to ensure you’re eating a variety of nutrients. Picking up seasonal veggies from the farmers market is a great approach as well (and very cost effective!).
- Greens & Raw Veggies – I always start of the week with a mix of organic greens – usually kale, spinach, and arugula. I love spinach for throwing in smoothies, arugula for salads or with eggs, and kale either massaged for salads or sautéed with warm dishes.
BASES (starch replacements)
Since I follow a mostly low-carb diet and like to dip into ketosis from time to time, I use foods like cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles to replace carbs like rice, quinoa, or gluten-free pastas.
- Cauliflower Rice – I buy a frozen bags of cauliflower rice and meal-prep them by cooking the entire bag with spices & seasonings ahead of time (usually braggs liquid aminos, garlic, s&p, and lately Trader Joe’s umami seasoning). Perfect for adding volume and fiber to meals.
- Zoodles – You can get a zoodle maker on amazon or buy pre-zoodled zoodles (lol) from Trader Joes or Whole Foods. Having zoodles prepped to throw into stir-frys or use as a base for “pasta” dishes makes for perfect weeknight dinners.
SAUCES/ DRESSINGS
- Salad Dressings – I’m obsessed with Primal Kitchen dressings. They have so many options, and make it so easy to keep your salad game from getting boring (I especially love their caesar). Or to make your own dressing, just follow the simple formula of 3:1 fat to acid (e.g. 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp red wine vinegar)
- Pesto – I love a good dairy-free pesto. You can make your own with fresh basil, or most grocery stores carry great pre-made pestos. Always check that a quality oil is used (you don’t want canola oil in your pesto).
- Mayo – Primal Kitchen, Choosen Foods, and Sir Kensington all make awesome avocado-oil based mayos.
- Hot sauce – Bc everything is better with hot sauce right? I love Cholula for life, but I’ve also been loving Wild Brine’s probiotic, sugar-free sriracha lately. Chili flakes are also a great way to add heat with out adding sugar or salt.
OTHER STAPLES
- Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Olive oil is my go-to for dressings, cooking (under ~350/375, above that go for avocado oil) so having a high-quality one on hand is key
- Avocado – I mean, do I really need to explain this one? Is there anything that isn’t better with an avocado?
- Citrus – Tons of lemons and limes ALWAYS on hand – for lemon water, salad dressings, adding acid to dishes
- Herbs – Fresh herbs can be great for making dressings / sauces, and also just topping dishes
- Nuts & Seeds – For topping smoothies, salads, snacking – I love organic pumpkin seeds & sunflower seeds, pecans, macadamia nuts, hemp seeds, and of course, almond butter.
