Time to Prep for the Week!

By now you know that your cabinets should not be filled with boxes and bags of even the low-cal, fat- free products.  Your freezer should not be filled with ‘Smart Ones’ (they aren’t) or ‘Lean Cuisines’.  You have to commit to changing the way you prepare the foods you eat, in addition to the commitment to making healthier choices of what you eat if you want to develop eating habits that will benefit you for the rest of your life. And that is the point, right? We are ‘Making better choices for a healthier lifestyle’-forever.

This can be quite a hurdle for many, and unfortunately for some, it is the deal- breaker. They can’t or won’t commit to the task (or even the idea) of having to spend the time planning, shopping, prepping and cooking healthier food.  If this is you, please reconsider!  I want to help you discover that this is not an unsurmountable task.  There are lots of ideas, tools and resources that can make this easier for you. This is an attainable goal and it is inextricably tied to your overall, long-term health and wellness. If this is not you-and you are someone who believes you are making good choices about what you eat and how you prepare it-please stick around!  Most of us think we eat healthier than what we actually do! So I may have some helpful suggestions for you, too.

Food PREP Strategies and Suggestions from the DASH food plan start with “cooking foods ahead for quick meals. On weekends, grill several chicken breasts, which can be used for other meals, as salad toppings, or for chicken salad. Make lots of hard-boiled eggs. Peel, and pop into zipper bags to store in the fridge. Use for quick breakfasts, salad toppings, egg salad, or tuna salad. Grill several burgers on the weekend, to use for quick meals. Make chili, spaghetti, or sloppy joes to use for several meals.  Remember your goals. Then plan to succeed.” (Heller, 2012)

So guess what I did this weekend? You got it-eggs are in the fridge, as well as three different proteins-recipes below.  It only took about an hour to get most of the week’s entrees prepped as well as a couple of sides, a big veggie –filled salad and sprouted rice. That is really all it takes. If I can do it, so can you!  So take a shot at it, find a few simple recipes and start there.  I guarantee, if you follow this pattern and develop the habits of planning and prepping for your nutrition, you will feel accomplished and successful in taking control of this part of your journey!  Good luck, and enjoy!! Your Bff

Recipes:

Balsamic Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves

1 ½ tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, or ½ tsp dried

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. salt

2 T. EVOO

4-6 T. white wine (optional)

¼ c. balsamic vinegar

Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Combine next 3 ingredients in a bowl.  Drizzle chicken with oil and rub in spices.  Cover and refrigerate –several hours or overnight.  When ready to cook, spray roasting pan with cooking spray, add chicken and bake in 450* oven for 10 min. per side. Add wine if it sticks to the pan.  Pour vinegar over the chicken as soon as you remove the pan from the oven. Drizzle liquid from the pan over chicken when you serve it. Nutrition: 183 cal., 26 g. protein, 4 g. carb., 6 g. fat, 270 g. sodium

Herb Marinated Chicken

6 bnls, skinless chicken breast halves

½ c white wine

2 T. EVOO

1 T. white vinegar

2 tsp. dried crushed basil

1 tsp. dried crushed oregano or tarragon

½ tsp. onion powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

Put all ingredients in a ziplock bag and turn to coat.  Refrigerate 5-24 hours.  Drain chicken, reserving marinade if you’d like.  Grill and use marinade, making sure to cook well after last coat of marinade. Nutrition: 185 cal., 26 g. protein, 1 g. carb, 6 g. fat, 75 g. sodium

Marinated Flank Steak

1 small red onion, quartered

1/3 c. balsamic vinegar

¼ c. capers, drained

2 T. chopped, fresh oregano, or 1T. dried

3 cloves minced garlic

1 ½ lb. flank steak

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Put all ingredients in a ziplock bag.  Marinate for 1-24 hours.  You can even freeze it this way, then thaw and continue with grilling. Remove from marinade and discard it. You can grill or place in broiler 4” from heat.  Grill 5-6 min per side and let rest 5 min before slicing. Nutrition: 176 cal, 19 g. protein, 3 g. carbs, 9 g. fat, 230 sodium, 1 g. fat.

Resources:

Agatston, Arthur, M.D. (2003). The South Beach Diet. [Kindle version]. Retrieved from   http://www.amazon.com

Heller, Marla (2012-12-18). The Dash Diet Weight Loss Solution: 2 Weeks to Drop Pounds, Boost

Metabolism, and Get Healthy (A DASH Diet Book) (p. 30). Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Edition.