Are you having a hard time staying away from junk food?  Do you find yourself nibbling on your kids leftovers? Are you eating foods that give you energy? Try meal prepping. It’s important to keep your fridge stocked with healthy, ready to eat foods that you love. Doing this will also make meal time more enjoyable, eliminating the time spent planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning up. Who has time for that each day?

Incorporate some of these tips to help you eat healthier and save lots of time.

1. Your fridge should never be empty. Always keep it stocked with fruits, cut up melons, chopped greens and washed and prepped veggies, so you can easily toss something together for a healthy meal without spending much time. Eating healthy is a pleasure when the prep is already done!!
2. Weekends are a great time to cook and prepare healthy meals and snacks for the week.
3. Get used to cooking in bulk, don’t make enough just for one meal. Make a large pot to last a few days. Every dish I make is usually enough for 3-4 meals and with soups, I make enough to feed an army. Soups can be so healthy – you can include every kind of veggie you love, but it takes some time to prep, so make the most of your time by making a huge pot, you’ll have it for the week and freeze the rest in small containers for a quick  lunch or dinner. (Food that is meant to last a few days should always be refrigerated right after it has cooled and stored in proper glass containers. Try not to re-warm the same food over and over. Take out what you’ll eat and warm just that.)
4. Don’t shop for groceries every day. Try to shop 1-2 x a week, so that shopping will be a joy, not a drag and will save you lots of time!
5. If you need some ideas, stop at the farmer’s market and see what fruits and veggies are in season and buy some new things to make meal prepping  fun and give your body variety. Locally grown produce and in season is always the best. Keep it colorful too – you’ll get more nutrition that way and it’ll be more fun to eat.
6. Keep the energy in your home and in your kitchen stress free, light and joyful! While cooking, put on music that makes you calm and happy, light a candle, dress in a way that makes you feel creative and free (or don’t dress at all;) Prepping meals should feel peaceful and relaxing, like you’re nurturing your soul.  You are what you eat, so put good energy and love into the food that you consume.
   
7. If you don’t want to eat something because it’s unhealthy or makes you gain weight, don’t keep it in your house. Self control is a lot easier when you don’t see it in front of you.
8. Keep a variety of nutritious snacks in your home so you have something readily available when you’re craving something sweet or salty.
9. You can eat healthy without spending too much money or too much time in the kitchen. Be smart about your shopping and about your meal prepping; come up with easy, quick and healthy recipes that take no time and are very nutritious.
10. Everything you eat should be purchased and prepared with Intention and Love. Think about what you buy, what you eat and please….Read the Ingredients. If you don’t know what an ingredient is, can’t pronounce it or wouldn’t cook with it in your own kitchen, don’t buy it.

Some food prep meal ideas from my kitchen; each dish takes only a few minutes to prepare:

    
Marinated lotus root / Sateed tofu /               Snap pea stir fry / Ground “meat” & spinach
Veggies &  brown rice / Tehini & veggies                 Prepped lettuce / Fruit smoothie

 
Vegetable bean soup / Steamed veggies                   Prepped watermelon / Pineapple
Home-made Kambucha / Farmers market             Kale salad / B rice & quinoa medley
produce

Tip for the week:
What shopping and food prepping smarts can you incorporate this week to ensure that you’re eating better?