How a Busy Mom Conquers Meal Prepping

As a health and fitness coach and mom of two under two, spending a day prepping meals is a weekly MUST for me. If I don't plan for success, I tend to make terrible choices driven by busyness. This comes in the form of not eating at all until 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon or rushing through the nearest drive-thru only to fill my body with junk.
It has been requested that I share with y'all EXACTLY what I do each and every Sunday to help you prep meals that are quick and convenient for your busy, mom lives.

Step One: Pick Your Day
Find a day/time that you can devote to meal planning, grocery shopping, and prepping. For me, Sundays after church work best. My kids usually nap after lunch so I can spend time planning, and my husband is home all day so I can head to the grocery store kid-less. For you, it may be Monday mornings after the kids go to school. Or maybe Tuesday afternoons while the littles are at Mother's Day Out. Whenever it is, make sure you have a couple hours to devote to this. Yes, it may be time consuming during that ONE day, but it will save you so much time during the rest of your week!

Step Two: Meal Planning
This is the process of figuring out what breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks you and your family are going to have throughout your week.

Some tips to make that have made this easier for me:

• I usually have 1 of 2 things for breakfast EVERY morning. It's either oatmeal with a teaspoon of peanut butter and half a diced banana mixed in OR 2 pieces of turkey bacon, 1 egg with spinach and salsa, and 1/4 of a diced avocado. Giving myself fewer options not only makes grocery shopping easier, but it makes the actual preparation of breakfast quicker.
• I always double up my dinners to make tomorrow's lunch when possible. For example, if I'm making spaghetti for dinner, I make sure to double my recipe so I can quickly reheat the leftovers for lunch the following day. The initial prep time is exactly the same, but I have a delicious and healthy meal waiting in my fridge when hunger hits the next day!
• I make sure the snacks I purchase are grab-and-go friendly! Greek yogurts, superfood shakes, Larabars, fresh fruit, baby carrots and hummus, etc. I can quickly stuff my face with these in those rare moments both kids are distracted and not feel sick or guilty! 

Step Three: Make Your List

This step is crucial to making sure you're not buying the junk food you don't need, and it will actually save you money in the long run because you're only buying what you need. No waste! This step used to be my least favorite because it took the most time. However, I recently discovered a service called Plan to Eat. GAME CHANGER, Y'ALL!! This site allows you to plan your weekly meal calendar with your recipes, and it generates your grocery list with the exact ingredient amounts you need for your week. You can upload your own recipes, pull them from Pinterest, or even gather them from your other Plan to Eat friends. I'm obsessed! Because they know you'll fall in love, they give you a free 30 Day Trial. However, it's only $39 for a year long subscription after your trial ends. Well worth it to me!

Step Four: Grocery Shop

Bring that list, and check it twice! I highly recommend some quality Ziploc or Glad containers if you don't already have some.

Step Five: Prep Meals

On Sundays, I will grill up 2 or 3 chicken breasts, cook a small pot of quinoa or brown rice, and cook a few servings of my favorite veggies. I'll divide them up into proper servings and store them in my Ziploc or Glad containers. This is a healthy protein, complex carb, and delicious veggie that I can quickly reheat on the days I need it. I keep the meals interesting with the seasonings. My favorites are from Flavor God. (Lemon & Garlic and their Everything spices are my particular favorites!)

That's all there is to it!

This routine, along with regular exercise, has played the biggest factor in keeping me and my family healthy. To make things even easier on you, I have a free meal plan, grocery list, and recipes to share with you! If you'd like this detailed 5-day cleaning eating guide to get you started on your journey to health, click here. If you have any specific questions about meal-prepping I didn't address here, leave them in the comments below, and I'll answer them!

I'm rooting for your health, mommas!

xoxo, 

Molly