Good morning! You may have seen my post last week about wanting to be more intentional about meal planning and meal prep on a weekly basis. I’ve been inconsistent for years and I am focused on alleviating the stress of meal time so it frees me up for quality time with the family. I also think it promotes healthier habits which I am all for. This week I planned our dinners (they are listed below) and included meal prep of a yummy Mediterranean dish for lunches or last-minute meals.
What I experienced last week was life changing. To be able to open the fridge and have a healthy meal ready to go at lunch time was seriously awesome. It saved me time and money. My husband and daughter also used a couple of the meals when they needed something healthy and quick. It definitely motivated me to keep this going. I made homemade grassfed meatballs using this recipe. The fresh dill, mint and parsley smelled incredible. It made it all the more fun to be prepping. And not to worry, it was very quick.
After making the meatballs, I let them cool on a paper towel lined platter while I prepped the bowls. I added a handful of arugula to each glass container.
This recipe made 12 meatballs so I was able to place three in each lunch.
GRASSFED MEATBALLS
I tossed red onions and cherry tomatoes together and added to each lunch. I then added a spoonful of humus and garlic Tzatsiki sauce from Trader Joe’s (it’s sooooo good). Done and done!
Pro Tip: If you eat at home you can remove the meatballs and put them on a dish to reheat. If you take these to the office consider placing a piece of parchment paper under the fresh ingredients. You can easily lift that out while you reheat the meatballs. Then toss all together in the glass dish.
MISS LAST WEEK?
In case you missed last weeks meal prep you can get the recipes here.
DINNER PLAN
This week I relied on Clean Food Crush for my menu. She rocks. It took 30 minutes for me to choose meals, plan lunches, and create a shopping list. Time well spent. Now I don’t have to think about it again until next week. This will take us through Thursday. We will most likely have leftovers on Friday and the weekend we play by ear (with needing another visit to the grocery store, of course).
- Creamy Tuscan Soup
- Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos
- Shrimp & Tomato Basil Stir Fry
- One Pan Honey Garlic Sausage & Veggies
Let me know if this is helpful. Here’s to putting in the time early in the week so we can enjoy more time with our families later in the week.
Yes, this is so helpful! I cook every night, but with our hectic schedules, it is not an enjoyable time for me. It has become a stressor as I struggle to throw things together last minute. You’ve inspired me to try weekly planning again. Hopefully I’ll stick with it this time!
Jamie, that is EXACTLY how I was feeling. What should be a pleasant part of the day felt so stressful. Plus I would throw something together and wake up the next day thinking, “OMG . . I need to pull another dinner together tonight!” I just felt so frazzled and it wasn’t good for any of us. This has taken ALL the stress out of it. I hope it works for you.
I love meal prep ideas! I have tried for years to get my husband on board with planning out our week’s meals, but he is always worried that he won’t feel like eating whatever we had on the list for that night. *sigh*
I keep trying! And in the meantime, at least I have planned out my kids’ lunches.
I have another suggestion, which has really worked for me. When you make something that freezes well, like soups, meatballs, and muffins, always double the recipe. Half for now and the other half can be frozen for another time. Shop, chop, cook, and cleanup once, but have something for now and something for later. It’s been great for those times when I haven’t had a chance to get to the grocery store or need something on the table quickly.
Loving the meal prep suggestions. They are helping me keep my portions sensible.
I love these types of posts! It’s always nice to have some new recipes already vetted by someone I trust 🙂