During the school year I realize my husband and I are constantly running on the go between work, activities, school, and more. It is always convenient for us to grab dinner on the go because it is quick and requires little clean up. We noticed we were overspending, and packing on the pounds by doing this! So we decided to jump on a crazy diet fad (I know, I know, the fad diets make me nervous too) and start trying to meal prep our weekly meals.
We noticed right away that by planning our meals out (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks!) we were automatically saving a ton of money. Our meal plans allowed us to limit our over eating because we were adhering to strict portion control, and not grazing during the day. Most importantly it was saving us time during the work week, and that meant more time we could spend with our boys after work! Over the last 6 weeks by meal planning, portion control, and overall better budgeting I have lost 27lbs and am starting to save $35-50/week on groceries!
So, What Does Meal Prep Look Like?
Aside from having our typical grocery list, we also make an extensive meal list outlining what each one of us will eat during the week. We spend a few hours on two Sundays a month cooking our meals and then measuring them out based on the portions. The majority of our meals go in the freezer to save room, and we portion out our snacks too. I won’t lie, it is an exhausting process, but in the long run the reward pays off. I would rather have time at night when I come home from work to help my son with his homework, or reading extra books to our boys, then cleaning up and cooking for the family. I don’t know if I can ever look back
Some helpful supplies I learned I needed in order to stay organized, and portion control our meals, included:
- silicone cupcake liners
- microwave/freezer safe meal prep containers (we have close to 60 of them!)
- digital scale
- measuring cups/spoons
The meals we prep are either measured by weight, or by volume. Having both a scale & measuring cups, or spoons, is helpful.
This week our meals include:
- Breakfast: Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls by Keto4Karboholics
- Lunch: bunless BLTs
- Dinner: Chili with cauliflower rice
The cinnamon rolls are out of this world, and you will be surprised that you won’t be missing the carbs when eating them! I have learned that the easier lunch to prep for us during the week is a simple bunless BLT. You can make it however you want, but for us we each have the following:
Bunless BLTs
4 slices sugar-free bacon
3-4 leaves of butter head lettuce
1/4 cup vine-ripe tomatoes
1 tablesoon mayo
1 tablespoon cheddar cheese
Take 1 leave, spread a portion of mayo on the leaf, and top with a slice of bacon, cheese, and tomatoes. Roll the lettuce like a burrito. Enjoy!
