Bite-sized Changes
In an effort to reduce the weekly, shall I say daily, chaos and stress of meal planning and preparing, I recently decided to try something new. I bought a cookbook recommended by a friend that approaches meal planning from a slightly different angle.
Cook Once, Eat All Week[1] simplifies meal planning by preparing three main ingredients on one day that are then used as the base for three entirely different meals throughout the week. By taking the time to do the prep work in advance, when it comes time to actually make the meal, the majority of work has already been done. Additionally, the cookbook also has ingredient substitutions listed for certain dietary allergies or restrictions, which simplifies adapting the recipe to your specific needs.
For the meals I made a couple weeks ago, I prepped shredded chicken, rice, and broccoli. I also chopped, grated, and peeled the other few veggies and spices needed. As a result, it didn’t take much of my time to toss together a rice and broccoli casserole topped with shredded BBQ chicken. The white chicken chili was probably my favorite dish that week and was super easy to put together. It had a nice twist with fresh lime juice added right before serving. Once dished up, it was topped with a fresh sliced avocado (something I would not have thought to add) and fresh cilantro. It was tasty and filling. This recipe will most definitely be on my list to make again. The final meal used the prepared rice, shredded chicken, and broccoli florets to make a stir-fry (of which I ended up with a ton of leftovers as I may have been slightly ambitious on the amount of ingredients I used on my prep day).
Getting off work late in the evenings, it was nice to come home knowing what meal I would be making and that most of that meal’s ingredients were already prepared. I also had plenty of leftovers for lunches throughout the week. It was refreshing to be able to enjoy a variety of meals, even though the meals used the same primary ingredients.
Trying to keep more on budget this week, I looked at the different meal profiles and chose one that works with the groceries I already have on hand. Adapting it slightly, I’m planning on preparing for two completely different dishes using a mix of ground beef and turkey and carrots. From that, I’ll be able to make mini BBQ meatloaves with carrot fries and Korean beef bowls.
I am hoping that as I continue to shift how I plan for and prepare meals for the week, I will be less stressed when it comes time to cook dinner and that I will be able to expand the variety of what we eat. By doing so, meal time will be more enjoyable and I will hopefully have more time to relax and do other activities throughout my week as well.
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[1] Cassy Joy Garcia, NC, Cook Once, Eat All Week: 26 Weeks of Gluten-free, Affordable Meal Prep to Preserve Your Time & Sanity (Las Vegas: Victory Belt Publishing Inc., 2019).