Meal prep changed my life!

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Working ‘9-5’ (and i use that term loosely ‘cause let’s be honest – it’s NEVER just 9-5) can be a killer. Squeeze a work out in there, add some kids into the mix and it can be really hard to cook a decent dinner and SUPER easy to make bad decisions. 

A few years ago I was guilty of tucking into vegemite on toast at 8pm because i couldn’t be bothered cooking after a long day in the office. I would also get stuck at work and end up buying fatty lunches and sugary snacks. 

I have learnt that preparation is EVERYTHING and guess what – it also saves you money! Yep. I make my own protein balls (about 20) for $6. I used to buy individual packet ones for $4 a pop! Yikes!

I like to dedicate my Sunday afternoons to meal prep. This includes looking for exciting new recipes to try, writing a shopping list, ducking to the shops and then getting stuck into the cooking.

Meal prep doesn’t have to be overwhelming – even a few basic meals can make a huge difference. I usually spend around 3 hours total prepping which may seem a lot but just think – this means you don’t need to do anything during the week. You can come home, heat something up and you’re ready to go! Its amazing. After dinner I then pack my lunch so I’m sorted for the next day.

In my meal prep today I made:

– Clean butter chicken

– Chickpea biscuits

– Sugar free balls

– Vege patties

– Brown rice

– Boiled eggs 

– Bircher museli 

This food gets me through the week but I also have salad stuff handy and eggs and veggies to whip up an omelette if I need to.

Hint: – a slow cooker is your best friend! You just chuck a bunch of things into it and leave it alone. There are so many delicious and clean recipes out there and you can package the meal into individual containers ready to grab for lunch or dinner. 

Some great recipe books I like to use: 

Sophie Guidolin’s Eat Clean, Live Lean Whole Foods Recipe Book

This book has everything from sauces and salads to high protein and family meals.  It’s full of beautiful images and easy to follow recipes. Definitely one of my favs.

The Candida Diet Recipe Book

The Candida diet is a low-sugar diet, without fruit or added sugars. I don’t follow this diet – I just like their recipes! This book has lots of great muffins and really easy to whip up snacks. 

But of course – the internet is overflowing with amazing recipes so get googling and save some of your favs to refer to later.

I encourage you to set some time apart during the week (it doesn’t have to be a Sunday) and try a meal prep session. Get some friends over, crank the tunes and get yourself sorted for the week.

Happy meal prepping!