Friday 5 October 2012

WHOLE30: DAYS 5-10 & FOOD PREP



Here are some more ideas of what I'm been eating during my Whole30:

Breakfast
Crustless Quiche with Spinach & Sausage

Lunch/Dinner*
Pecan Encrusted Basa
chicken stew
cabbage rolls with sausage, butternut squash & spinach
coconut shrimp

Snacks
fruit (raspberries, banana, apple)
raw nuts
almond butter
coconut chips

Sides & Veggies
roasted sweet potatoes
roasted carrots
sauteed kale
avocado

And about how I'm feeling these days?

The diet is a lot easier to follow now than it was for the first few days. Although there are still some foods that I miss (cheese, anyone?), I'm content with the foods I am allowed to eat and I'm finding a lot of creative ways to prepare them. From Crustless Quiche with Spinach & Sausage to Pecan Encrusted Basa, I'm taking old favourites and giving them a facelift with whole ingredients like seasonal vegetables and raw nuts.

Now, you might look at my list of lunches and dinners from this week and think, how was I able to make all of this? Where'd I ever find the time? Well, to be honest, I only work part-time right now with my mornings free. But regardless of this, I don't find the time. I make the time for food preparation, something I think that anyone who is looking to eat healthy should do.

Try it: one day a week, do as much advance food preparation as you can for the entire week. No, I'm not kidding.

Yeah, you already pack your lunch every night, but try planning and preparing in advance your breakfasts, snacks, and dinners. Here are a few pointers to help get you started:

Plan and go shopping (yes, shopping!). Decide what meals you are going to prepare for the upcoming week and make a list of all of the ingredients that you'll need. I actually check the flyer for my local grocery store to see what's on sale that week, and create my menu based on that. If you need inspiration for what to cook, check out Pinterest (you can find my healthier recipe pins here) or fire up the ol' Google. There are also a number of food blogs on my blogroll, including PaleoOMG, The Food Lovers Kitchen, and Health-Bent, all of which have a Paleo- and/or primal-focus.

Pick a day, any day. I like Sundays, but since R has been getting busier and busier with work, I often opt to spend Sundays with him. Luckily, I don't have to pick up the kiddies until 3 each day, so if I don't get my food preparation done on the weekend, I always have Monday morning. Whichever day you choose, try to be consistent.

Make a list of everything you need to make and make it. Easier said than done? If you're just starting out, the planning, shopping, planning some more (never mind actually cooking the stuff) might feel a bit overwhelming. I love to cook and so thinking up new ways to enjoy food is exciting for me. If this isn't the case for you, advanced food preparation might be like pulling teeth. In which case, making a list is even more important.

Take baby steps. Do what works for you. Referring back to the list-making tip, maybe your list is only comprised of a few items to prepare, maybe it's ten pages long. Start slow and do only meal preparation for breakfasts. Then, when you're feeling more ambitious, take on snacks and dinners, too.

I was only kidding about the whole "you already pack your lunch every night, woopity-doo." If you pack your lunch everyday for school/work, you're already headed in the right direction. I realize advanced meal preparation does take some organization, but it's really not that difficult once you make it a part of your weekly routine.

Here is my sample list for this past week's food preparation:

-chop and boil sweet potatoes
-chop carrots
-chop onions
-cook ground pork with onions & spices
-make Crustless Quiche with Spinach & Sausage
-roast butternut squash
-prepare cabbage rolls and refrigerate
-transfer shrimp to refrigerator to thaw

The Crustless Quiche with Spinach & Sausage serves as a great meal any time, although I mostly stuck with it for breakfast. I used half of the carrots and onions in a chicken stew I made for Monday evening. My pre-assembled cabbage rolls sat in the refrigerator overnight and went straight to the crock pot Tuesday morning for dinner the same day. Even though I got home a little later than usual on Wednesday, I made a quick batch of coconut shrimp. Last night, I ate leftover cabbage rolls (I've been eating them for four days...) and tonight, R and I will enjoy some salt and pepper ribs.

And that's that.

With a little planning, I've got meals for the week. I generally try to prepare dinners that yield leftovers, so that I have lunch for the following day.

So, what are you waiting for?

Happy food prep!

*all new recipes coming soon!


DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist, physician, or any kind of health professional. Everything that you find on my blog is based on my own knowledge and opinion. If you require specific health and fitness advice, please seek a qualified health professional.

No comments:

Post a Comment