Meal Preparation

I really do look up to my best friend Catie; she's always making such healthy decisions - both body and mind. I really wanted her to share the benefits of meal preparation and how conducive it is to a salubrious work-week. Thank you, Catie, for writing this post and sharing these amazing recipes and tips. I can't wait to try them out.

Catie:

For those of you who don’t know me, I like to plan EVERYTHING in advance.  So naturally, I like to plan my meals out for the week and prepare accordingly.  Not only does meal preparation save you hours of cooking during the week, but it also guarantees that you’ll reach into the fridge for a healthier option.  It saves money as well.  I know that if I have a yummy, nutritious meal waiting for me in the fridge, then I won't feel the need to dine out and make a potentially unhealthy and expensive meal choice.

Typically, I use Sunday to get everything ready for the week.  That way, I can pack a nutritious lunch for work and have a healthy meal waiting in the fridge when I come home after a long day.  I find it most useful to prepare options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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Breakfast:

Normally I prepare energy bites or hard-boiled eggs.  Both options are wholesome and high in protein so I can receive the fuel I need to start my day.  Both of these options are also great pre- and post-workout snacks!  It’s awesome to be able to come home hungry after a hard workout and reach for these healthy, satisfying snacks.  They’re also easy to eat in the morning as you head out the door for work.

Here is a link for the perfect hard-boiled eggs! (It took me a while to master these):

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Here is a link for some delicious peanut-butter energy bites: 

No Bake Energy Bites

Lunch:

Typically I’ll pack one or two of my hard-boiled eggs, or I’ll pack a healthy salad topped with avocado and fresh feta cheese.  My favorite meal to prepare ahead of time is a healthy chicken or tuna salad with Greek yogurt.  It’s super easy to stir up and throw in a Tupperware container to take to work.

See this link for a tasty tuna salad recipe!

Greek Yogurt Tuna Salad

Dinner:

Normally on Sundays, I’ll put together a quick, healthy casserole for the week or a quiche. Both options are simple to throw together with ingredients you have on hand. Also, both options can bake in the oven while you complete your other chores. Recently, I tried the ground turkey casserole below and the yummy crust less quiche!

Ground Turkey Tortilla Casserole

Jackpot Crustless Quiche

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I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did and good luck as you prepare your meal ahead of time! You won’t regret it -- trust me :)

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Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

What you'll need:

- 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- Cooking spray

How to make it:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

2. Cut your raw chicken breast into bite-sized pieces.

3. Add the chicken with the oil followed by the salt, Italian herbs, garlic salt, oregano, and black pepper. Toss and massage until coated evenly.

4. Add the chicken, Panko bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese to a zip-lock bag.  Seal the bag and squeeze the bread crumbs onto the chicken multiple times.

5. Spray your baking sheet with cooking spray and then lay your chicken nuggets in a single layer.

6. Spray the top side of your nuggets with cooking spray.

7. Bake for 8 minutes on each side and then serve immediately.

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Big thanks to Alice Currah for this fantastic meal.

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Poached Egg with Avocado on Toast

Poached Egg with Avocado on Toast

What you'll need:

- 1 slice of any bread you desire
- ½ of an avocado
- 1 egg
- Small bowl
- Garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper

How to make it:

First, I'll teach you how to make a poached egg. As you can see in the picture above, I made mine a little softer today. It all depends on how you like your egg yolk.

1. Take out a skillet and fill it with water (about an inch). Add a pinch of salt into the water and let it boil. While you're waiting for your water to boil, crack open your egg into a tiny bowl.

2. Once your water is boiling, slowly pour your egg out of the bowl into the boiling water.
Note: Christi's boyfriend, Cam, taught me to take a fork and spin the water around as you're pouring your egg in. This helps the white form around the yolk better.

3. Turn down your heat slightly and set your timer to 5 minutes. This is where you can change it up. Start off with 5 minutes and see how your egg looks. If the yolk looks too yellow, keep the egg in the water for longer! Sometimes I love my egg yolk solid... Keep an eye on it until you think it's perfect. You may notice that the top of the yolk has whitened. This is good!

4. As your egg is cooking, toast your bread.

5. Once your toast is done, spread half of an avocado on the top and spice it up any way you please! You can use hot sauce, red pepper, garlic powder, salt, pepper, whatever!

6. Once your egg is the way you want it, take a slotted spoon and lift it out of the water and on top of your avocado toast.
Note: You may notice some white froth around the sides of the egg. Before you lift the egg out of the water, you can take your slotted spoon and cut the edges off a little so you don't get the froth or stragglers.

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