Meal Prep: A Slew of Benefits

Over the past few days, I’ve been considering what else to say on my latest trial, weekly meal prep. I feel as though what I’ve said so far really captures the experience so far. This week will be a bit different than some of my other posts. Think of this week as a recap episode, read the highlights, or click on the links for more details!

Week One – The Time Save

After the first week, I was loving how much time I was saving during the week not worrying about cooking and cleaning for each meal. Funny enough, it was the week that I spent the longest time cooking.

Continuing this trial, I am thinking about switching things up to possibly increase efficiency in my meal prep session. I am actually thinking of switching out the chicken, the longest cook time by far, for lentils as a protein source that will cook up in a fraction of the time. Time will tell how I will tweak this process, but for now, I am enjoying the time Monday to Friday in which I can step in the kitchen and a meal is ready to go.

Week Two – Simplify

As a few of my trials have proven, simplifying my life has been a theme of many trials. From the minimalists’ challenge to wearing the same outfit each day, meal prep definitely fell into this category.

There is time for experimentation while prepping, but once cooked, the base meals are set for the week. I did try adding some variety this week. With some fresh picked jalapenos from my aunt, I baked one of the chicken breasts covered in cheese and sliced jalapeno. It was certainly different than the other days I experienced this week. So even when keeping the base meal of chicken, veggies, and rice the same, there is wiggle room for distinction.

Week Three – Save That Money

Last week, I focused on how meal prep has helped me to reduce my grocery and dining spending. Knowing exactly what I need to get at the store helps eliminate grabbing random ingredients that I may or may not need. It also helps avoid buying some ingredients but am forced to buy large quantities. I’m looking at you herbs.

While the grocery store definitely has a spot in my weekly spending, eating out can sometimes creep into a much bigger bill if let run wild. I like to think of myself as a frugal person, but even I found myself eating out 3-4 times in a work week. The problem always arose on the tough days when the last thing I wanted to think about was cooking and cleaning.

A story from this week actually applies to this exact feeling. After lunch yesterday, I had a bad craving for fast food. I had just watched a video prepping Harold & Kumar’s White Castle order and I got the crave. With an unfortunate lack of White Castle here in Dubuque, I was ready to settle for anything. Luckily, when work got out, I was able to pop in the kitchen, throw my dinner in the microwave, and eat. It was actually easier to eat in than get fast food.

In Conclusion

In the end, I really enjoyed this trial. Finding a new habit to save time, money, and stress is always a successful trial. I do plan on continuing over time. I’ll be experimenting more with the base meal to be sure. If you have any recommendations let me know!

This is normally the spot in which I tease the next trial, but for the next few weeks, I want to take some time and reset a few existing habits that have been slipping. I’ll still be writing, but I will be covering a variety of topics and habits.