Tomorrow is Day 1 of the new Meal Prep Mania challenge group! I am so excited! Before I dive into what I did to prepare, let me just give you an overview of what the group is. Although we are officially starting Day 1 tomorrow, we are still welcoming others to learn tips and tricks of fitness and nutrition.
The group was created by 3 women: Robyn, Meg, and me. Although we are scattered across the globe, we used the same method to regain our health and confidence, and so we are paying it forward and teaching others.
Meg McCarthy - Georgia
I've never formally met this woman, but I have watched her transformation from the sidelines. She is one of the most positive, inspiring women you will meet. She isn't afraid to be transparent and share the good, the bad, and the ugly about her journey. You will ALWAYS see a smile on her face - and if you follow her social media, she is always 100% with meal prepping, taking her products, and exercising.
Robyn Partin - Tennessee
Despite being in another state, Robyn is one of my BEST friends. She works full time as an exercise physiologist, but she is always willing to help others outside of work. She was a collegiate athlete and then trained pretty intensely for decathlons. She literally trained herself into the ground. She joined one of my challenge groups a few months back and has been hooked ever since. She's now stepped up to teach others about fitness, nutrition, and the importance of supplementation.
Jessie Ferrell - Texas
Yes, that's me. I work full time as a PA, but I've always had a calling to help more people. After I gained confidence and self love through my fitness journey, I felt compelled to share what I learned with others. I love meal prepping, AdvoCare, and all things fitness.
So now that we covered that, lets dive into what I did to prep for this week. If you belong to my group already, then you also have a grocery guide that shows you how to create a well balanced meal. You also have some money saving tips.
1. Check inventory - freezer, pantry, etc. If you have things on hand, USE THEM. :) Write down things you have like brown rice, black beans, frozen veggies, meats, etc
2. Check ads for things on sale. Again, stick to the grocery guide. If pizzas are on sale, walk riiiiiiight by. This is about eating clean and healthy.
3. Once you checked inventory and ads, start looking up recipes you can make with those. My favorite is Pinterest.
4. Grocery store then home to prep. ;)
Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
When prepping, I always start with things I can throw into the crock pot since those take the longest. For this week, it was the pulled pork stuffed sweet potatoes. The recipe called for 2# pork loin, so I cut my loin in half and threw the remaining 2# in the freezer for a recipe next week. :)
Next, sweet potatoes. I threw them in the oven for 45 mins. When they were done, I just let them cool and placed in the refrigerator until my pulled pork was done.
Final result:
Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken
Since I have 2 slow cookers, I try to do 2 slow cooker recipes, and remaining between stove top and oven. Gives me more options to multitask. This recipe was SUPER easy!
When it was all done, final result:
Sauteed chicken chunks, quinoa, and broccoli
The original recipe calls for brown rice, so I could've made a double batch of brown rice on the stove top, but for whatever reason, I decided to do this recipe with quinoa.
See - chicken, quinoa, and brown rice going. 2 slow cookers going to my left also. MULTI TASK! :)
When my chicken was done, I set it aside and then sauteed the veggies to add to the cooked quinoa. Sooooo good.
My next 2 recipes called for grilled fish and chicken. Since I don't have a grill, I broiled them at the same time, but on 2 separate pans. I just realized I didn't take a picture of this - but that's ok!
Broiled Flounder, Asparagus, Cauliflower mash:
I took my 4 flounder fillets and put chipotle lime rub on them from Wildtree. I broiled for 3 mins on each side.
Asparagus, I just sauteed in a pan with some olive oil and seasonings.
Sriracha Lime Chicken Chopped Salad
Remember when I said I broiled chicken with the fish? Well, the chicken is for this recipe. It looks soooooooo good. I cannot wait to dive into this!
I always make my salads in jars becase they keep better in the fridge. Layer dressing, chicken, veggies and pineapple, lettuce. (I used romaine)
No Noodle Pad Thai
Since I made Thai peanut chicken and had all of the ingredients, I figured I'd make this easy recipe also. It involves tons of veggies so I did my chopping after I chopped veggies for the above salad. (Note: I probably should've left the peanut sauce on the side and mixed right before eating - but I guess now I know for future reference!)
Lastly - snacks.
I ALWAYS make sure my fruits are washed and chopped and put into appropriate containers. Its much more convenient and I don't waste produce.
Well, that's all for today. I cannot wait to see what other recipes the members of the group come up with! Check out the past blog posts for more recipe ideas. :) Happy Sunday!
