Sunday Meal Prep

So things they are  a changin’ around here! I’ve gone and got myself a job! Haha. So I start this morning and I am so excited. It is an e-commerce position which is new to me, but I am excited to learn something new! So with this new venture ahead of me, I knew that I needed to get my plans in check, mainly regarding my meals and what I am eating all week. Since I have been on this journey to maintain a healthy lifestyle recently, I want to keep this up.

Ever since I have started learning more and more about this whole “healthy lifestyle” community, including the Tone It Up team I have been involved with on this 6 week Tone It Up challenge, to all the gym rats and meal preppers I follow on instagram and in the blogosphere, I see what a difference it makes when you meal prep at the beginning of the week! It really helps you stay on track with your fitness and health goals.

So I set off to accomplish my first meal prep this weekend! Sunday, I sat down with my Fitness Binder and planned what I was going to make for dinner each night. Then I listed my “breakfast options”, “lunch options,” & “snack options” to take to work underneath my dinners, not really in any specific order. So after I decided what all I was going to be eating this week, I made my grocery list of what I needed.

After I get back from the lovely trip that Walmart always is, I went down my “Meal Prep Checklist” that I made so that I would not forget anything. Now this meal prep may be pretty basic compared to some peoples. But I just wanted to share with you what I did/made!

Using my Protein Pancake mix I posted about from TIU, I made mini protein muffins for easy breakfast bites! I experimented with this, and this is the verdict: They come out better if you just spray canola oil straight in the pan, not using the cupcake liners. Bake for 9 minutes at 350 degrees.

Next I put on boiling eggs while my muffins were baking! I made 7, because that’s what I had left in 1 of my cartons. After they were done, cooled and peeled, I put 2 eggs per ziplock bag, so that they are easy to grab in the mornings.

Next were my smoothie bags! I love drinking the protein smoothies during the week as one of my snacks! This way I can just grab a bag, pour it in my blender, add the extras that can’t go in the bag, and shake! No slicing and dicing when I’m in a hurry. In each bag I added: 1 handful spinach/kale mix, 1/2 cut up banana, 3 strawberries halved, a bit of coconut. My greek yogurt, protein powder, and almond milk I’ll add in when I get to it, so it doesn’t get to soggy. I made 5 bags.

I went ahead and cut the rest of my strawberries and put them in clear tupperware so I can use them with my Greek Yogurt or in other ways for a healthy snacks. Also- I have learned to freeze my blueberries. They stay so much longer, and its great to throw a handful in to a smoothie for extra coldness and antioxidants 🙂

Then I continued to cut up more fruit. I sliced two oranges, making 8 slices per orange. I bagged 4 slices per ziplock bag for easy lunch sides. I also cut up and bagged 2 lemons (8 slices per lemon) so I can throw them in my water! That lemon water is important!

Here I cut up 2 apples for more healthy snacks or desserts. I’ll do a post soon on a super delish and healthy dip to eat with apples slices!

The only veggies I cut up this time were peppers. I feel like I eat peppers every day with multiple things. I love them. I eat them with hummus for a snack, on wraps, in mixed veggie bowls, in dinner one way or another. This way I don’t have to keep getting the peppers out to cut them each time I want to eat them, I can just grab the bowl and grab what I need and its ready to go.

That is all I did! I’m hoping that doing these few things are going to make the week easier and to help me make healthier eating choices! This all took me probably around 1 hour 30 minutes. I’ll probably get faster at it once I do it more.

I did not make any full meals or dinners, because I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to get home, thaw the meat I need for my meal as I work out, and then make dinner! And since I have each dinner planned out, I’ll know exactly what I’m making and I won’t have to  waste time deciding! One more advantage I also have that some of you in the work place won’t, is that I literally live 1 minute from my new office, so I will be coming home on my 1 hour lunch breaks to eat. That is also why I did not make lunches ahead of time either. But all my fruit and veggie cuts will make it so much easier all around!

Share any great meal prep tips you may have! Eager to learn more!

Have a fabulous week! Xo, Erin