What Happened When I Tried to Meal-Prep
So I started off this weekend thinking I am finally going to do it and do it right! Meal Prep that is. I was going to figure out a menu, an actual menu for our household to follow, go to the grocery store and get everything I need and then cook it all on Sunday.
That was the plan anyway.
But let me be honest here, I am not really a fan of cooking and Sunday is my day of rest! I work a fulltime job, am a full-time mom and try to keep my household in some sort of order. Trust me I need my rest day!!
I also know that by the time I get home from work after picking up my son from daycare that I don’t have a lot of time or energy to really cook so we usually turn to fast food, sandwiches or a quick microwavable dinner. Not exactly the healthiest of choices.
My plans didn’t exactly goes I thought they would but here is what happened:
Menu:
I gathered my menu ideas from Pinterest like most modern-day mommas out there. Some were ideas I already had but still. I came up with two breakfast ideas and 4 regular meals.
Breakfast:
- Parfaits
- Omelet Muffins
Lunch/Dinner:
- Shrimp Alfredo with side salad
- Tacos/Taco salad
This was the plan. It gave me enough variety that I wouldn’t get bored with my options because I don’t like eating the same thing every day, and they were rather simple to make.
My Grocery Store Trip
So I went to the local Publix on Sunday with my happy little helper (my 3-year-old). Got all the way to the store and realized I left my list at home. Not an uncommon thing for me. I really need to start using my phone for my grocery list. I knew I had a few things at home already that I didn’t need to buy like chicken breasts and frozen fruit and rice and cheese. But I pretty much needed everything else.
I ended up spending $115.40 on the items I needed. Although I did spend more than this at the store because I bought more items not needed for my meal prep but I still thought that this wasn’t bad. If you have ever calculated how much you spend in fast food including your coffee etc. I would highly recommend so that you get a feel for how much you really spend on food. And have an idea how much you throw away.
I did use coupons of course and the BOGO sale items that Publix is known for. If we were near a military post I would have preferred the commissary but we don’t right now.
Containers/cookware:
So I did order meal prep containers last month so that my husband and I can actually meal prep on a regular basis. (He is usually the chef in our house) We ordered these containers that had three compartments and were microwavable and dishwasher and freezer safe.
I also picked up a pack of small 12 oz mason jars for the parfaits. They were a perfect size!
And my new favorite kitchen appliance, my pressure cooker.
How this Meal Prep really went down!
As my menu called for I originally planned for 4 meals for variety, but it is now Tuesday night as I am writing this and there are only 2 that have been made so far.
Sunday I really was tired and nursing a migraine after a night out with the hubby and not drinking enough water. So while I did make it to the grocery store the only item I meal prepped was the parfaits.
Super easy to make and very tasty, I took an idea I found here and changed it a bit. I am not a fan of Greek yogurt so I substituted it out for vanilla-flavored and used frozen strawberries and blueberries for fruit and this granola. Then I layered the ingredients in the mason jars and then put them in the fridge.
I took it to work on Monday for breakfast and it was great! I loved it and I felt better having it than my usual Sausage Egg and cheese McGriddle. Since I didn't meal prep lunch I did take leftovers from our night out.
Monday night I came home from work and decided I was going to cook, after I had to swing by the grocery store to pick up the 3 items I forgot from my list.
If you don’t have a Pressure cooker I definitely suggest it! I threw in dry whole grain pasta, a jar of Alfredo sauce, frozen shrimp, and spices. Set it Rice/Risotto setting changed the time to 15 min. I didn’t have to worry about it again until it was done!
While that was cooking I browned and seasoned some turkey meat for tacos. I also sautéed some veggies, that I bought pre-chopped at Publix because I am not prepared for that yet.
The Finished Product
When everything was done I portioned them out into the containers and added the lettuce and cheese appropriately for each meal. Basically Shredded lettuce and Mexican shredded cheese for the taco/taco salads paired with nacho chips or a whole wheat tortilla accordingly; and American salad mix and shredded cheese for my side salad along with our salad topping mix we have at home.
Altogether I had five containers of Shrimp Alfredo and salad and 2 taco containers and 3 taco salad containers (that was by choice). I only made 3 parfaits on Sunday but have already made more with the ingredients I had purchased.
As for the Omelet Muffins, I have made them before and they are great. I may make them tomorrow but I have just been lazy/busy to do it. When I do make it, I usually take two to work for breakfast.
Because I only made Shrimp Alfredo and the tacos, I still have ingredients left for two more meals and will make them as I see fit that I need them. It makes me feel even better about my $115 grocery bill because it will last me even longer than a week of meals. By not cooking them all now I should reduce the amount of waste I would have potentially thrown away.
Once I make the next two recipes I will let you guys know how that goes too!! As always please let me know how you liked this post and what you would like to see next!!
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