Produce and Meal Prep Tips

Friends- I have good news today! It’s time we level up our produce storage. This entry really excites me because I love learning & sharing all the knowledge I learn, and I love organization. As a Virgo, organization keeps my true “earthy” roots happy. In addition to scratching my organization itch, I am serious about consuming all the vitamins, minerals, and prebiotics my produce can give to me.

I do my weekly prep on Sunday’s. With a cup of coffee, I look for recipes. I pick between 3-5 recipes (some new & some not), knowing these recipes will become leftovers. I’ve become a believer in dedicating one day of the week to focus on food. Why? During the week, figuring out dinner at the end of the day is my least favorite thing to do. So with a little Sunday prep, my week is a lot easier.

Let the Sunday Ritual begin friends!

STEP 1: I recommend while unpacking your groceries removing the plastic bag, cartons, and containers from the store. Plastic isn’t the best choice when storing your produce. Then, line up the produce you need to chop or clean next to the sink.

STEP 2: I like to tun on music or a podcast before the next steps: prep & assembly. I grab a cutting board, knife, storage containers, and towels. I take a moment to clean out my fridge (wipe down shelves). Once you’ve put all your produce in it’s corresponding container, find a home for it.

This isn’t a hard “set in stone” recommendation. The idea is to find what works best for your lifestyle. For me, not creating space to prep & plan resulted in last minute choices that didn’t give me a lot of energy. I was always too hangry, and prepping the produce felt like climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro!

STEP 3: Throwing nutrients, minerals, and money down the drain is an energetic waste. I always feel energetically low when I throw away produce that wasn’t consumed, and rotted. This made me stop and think about my relationship with money, and the realization of privilege. I began reflecting on this question;

If this were the only thing I had available to eat, would I treat it the same way?

Friends, a few simple steps is all it takes. I will say this is a pretty satisfying feeling to check off your list, too. An hour or less of your time up front, will save you money & time in the long run.

STEP 4: Meal prep. This is the next natural step while in the kitchen. I recommend making muesli, roasting nuts, a loaf (I love GF Banana Bread) making a batch of brown rice or quinoa, creating burritos for breakfast or lunch, and for Sunday evening dinner; make extra for leftovers.

I was inspired by nutritionist, Meghan Telpner’s produce chart, and created my own version.