K.I.S.S- A Guide to Simple Food Prepping and Cooking

- By Holly Stump and Sumair Bhasin

My motto for healthy eating is K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple, Stupid. No, YOU aren't stupid, but media, the news, and misinformed sources can be! So don’t make this any harder than it has to be or you’ll just:

a) Default back to your old self-defeating ways

b) Spend way too much money eating out! 

When it comes to food prep, I’m pretty sure we don't have Martha Stewart’s skills, or a criminal record for that matter. If you do have skills, would you be my personal chef? With that being said, we also don't always have the time to make exquisite meals. And because of this I now share with you my own method of keeping this nutrition game simple and enjoyable.

My Five Steps of Food Prep

1) MAKE A PLAN

 The first thing you need to do is plan out your week. Yes, plan! When you're buying fresh foods, we often get overambitious , buy too much, and watch as our nutritious foods rot away. So, here are a few key questions to ask yourself when you go off on your grocery adventures:

a) What carbohydrates, fats, and proteins serve the goals I want to achieve?

b) How many people do I need to feed?

c) Are there any special events this week that I won’t need to cook for (ie. birthday dinners, date nights, work happy hours)?

d) What meals do I absolutely need prepared for my work day?

Once you get clear on this, start thinking about your meals and snacks. What sources of nutrients make up your meals, and how are they apportioned? Buy according to what you need, NOT what you think you need. 

NOTE:  YOU DON’T NEED TO COOK EVERY NIGHT! Be open to eating leftovers and even doubling your recipes so that you’re not a slave to the kitchen. Make that kitchen your ___________ . No stop being so vulgar. Make it your FRIEND!

 2)   Research!

 Yes Research!! Use your expert knowledge of social media to leverage yourself for success. You can dive into Pinterest,  The Almighty Google, Instagram, Blogger, Snapchats, am I forgetting anything? You'll find something that strikes your fancy and supports you in pursuing the best version of yourself.

 Remember this too: Just because something has a bunch of chocolate, cheese, and sugar, doesn't mean you can't vary the ingredients. All you really need to gauge from these recipes are a framework. And by framework I mean : Is it a chili, soup, stir fry, baked, grilled, or a blended food? Once you know your framework you can simply just adjust the variables AKA the types of foods/ingredients that go in to make your meal.

3) Make a List

a    Alright! you've made it this far. You've done the research, and you know what meals you want to cook. You are on your way to get the goods right? But wait, not so fast there! First, make a list of the ingredients required to make the deliciousness that caught your eye while perusing through social media. And no, not their exact list of ingredients. The ones that serve you! 

4) Shop 

I usually do my big shopping trip on Sunday and then I’m ready for the whole week. Try not to get caught up going aisle to aisle. That's surely a recipe for disaster. Stick to the perimeter of the store and you will have minimal temptations as you shop.

5)  Chop and prep

      I cook probably 3 or 4 nights a week. This is what works best for me. However, you can always create bigger bulk meals when you do cook. This way you minimize the frequency of cooking each week. Here is my sample cooking schedule:

Sunday: Once I get home from the grocery store on Sundays, I put everything away and try to knock out one of the big pot meals so I have it ready to go. I also make a breakfast dish so it’s on standby for the week. Sometimes I will also put together a big bowl of green salad ready to pair with snacks or sides for my other meals.

Monday: Regular weeknight meal (ie. baked chicken, broccoli, potatoes).

Wednesday: Regular weeknight meal and/or another big pot meal

Thursday: Regular weeknight meal and/or breakfast

Time to Eat!

Breakfast: 

The two options I go back and forth with are a breakfast casserole/frittata OR a sausage and veggie sauté with an egg on top. Sounds fancy huh? On the flip side it's simple to make!! 

 There are tons of breakfast casseroles on the web – be careful though because you can get sucked into delicious crescent roll crusted cheesy deliciousness. Stick to foods like veggies, turkey sausage, sweet potatoes, eggs, and real cheese (none of that canned stuff). I like to keep my framework but just change out the veggies every week. For example, last week I made a frittata with summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes and onions. This week, I stuck with mushrooms, bell peppers and jalapenos. It's all in the details folks.

Lunch

 I usually plan for one or two big pot meals per week. In my world, a big pot meal could be anything like a skillet meal, stir-fry, soup or chili. These will seriously save your life because you can make it in bulk, store it, and warm it up whenever you need to chow down. Voila! you have a balanced and nutritious meal ready for your consumption. 

Sometimes I even put portions into an entrée size tupperware and have it ready to take with me to work in the morning. It seriously pays to plan ahead.

Dinner:

 I plan 2 or 3 basic meals with all of the main components: protein, veggies, carbs and fat. These vary from week to week depending on how busy I am. Sometimes, I do salmon with a sprinkle of my favorite lemon dill seasoning and throw it in the oven for 15 min. Then there’s days I get fancy and do some elaborate chicken dish with a special sauce I have to make in the food processor. It’s your life, you know what you have time for, so plan accordingly.

 Snacks 

      

      Make sure you pack snack items like fruit, nuts, and my personal favorite, minimally processed turkey jerky. Think about some veggies you would like to pair with your snacks. On a standard week, I have broccoli, asparagus, and/or green beans ready to go. And of course sweet potatoes, cous cous, or brown rice are on standby too.

RECIPES, RECIPES, AND MORE RECIPES!


And of course with out further a-do, here are some recipes to get you started! Enjoy!

Breakfast

Garden Vegetable Frittata (I add browned turkey sausage to this for extra protein): http://frugalanticsrecipes.com/2013/05/garden-vegetable-frittata/

Lunch/Dinner

Summer Vegetable Toastadas: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-summer-vegetable-tostadas-10000001215924/

Coconut Milk Baked Chicken : http://shewearsmanyhats.com/coconut-milk-baked-chicken-recipe/

Shrimp with Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes (if you don’t have a spiralizer, just slice the zucchini really thin): http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/04/zucchini-noodles-zoodles-with-lemon.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+weightwatcherspointsrecipes+%28Skinnytaste%29

Asian Quinoa Salad (add grilled chicken for a complete meal): http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/asian-quinoa-salad/

Honey Spiced Glazed Chicken: http://www.nutmegnanny.com/2011/07/27/honey-spiced-glazed-chicken/

Sides/Dips

Cucumber Salsa (awesome with chips or just by itself for a salad, use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream): http://pkstaples.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/crisp-cucumber-salsa.html

Baked Asparagus & Mushrooms: http://mcbodyfitness.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/side-dish-asparagus.html?m=1

Crash Hot Potatoes (So delicious leftover. Can be eaten for breakfast too!): http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

Roasted Broccoli w/ Lemon & Garlic: http://paleogrubs.com/roasted-broccoli-recipe

Big Pot Meals

Coconut Curry Soup: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/coconut-curry-soup/

Lazy Stuffed Peppers: http://www.cherylstyle.com/showcase/lazy-stuffed-peppers-recipe/

Italian Sausage/Veggie Spaghetti Sauce (or eat it without noodles for an Italian style chili):

Brown 1 lb of turkey/chicken Italian sausage, chopped onion, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, salt, pepper and ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. When the meat is browned and veggies are becoming tender, add a large jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I use Classico’s Spicy Red Pepper) and heat through.

And remember just K.I.S.S. :).