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nutrition

Tips for Easier Meal Prepping

March 8, 2021 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment


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I love cooking and hosting, so sometimes I’m cooking for a table full of people. Other times, it’s just me. Even then, I actually plan to cook a bit more than I need now, because I’ll always have enough for someone else to drop in, or for my leftovers.

I previously published a giant how-to on meal prepping for an entire week. It makes a crazy amount of food, most of which you can freeze if you don’t use. It’s a great option that shows how to realistically cook a lot of food with just a couple hours.

Read it here: How To Meal Prep for a Week

But what about the times you overcook, or make too much? You’ll figure out systems that work for you, but maybe some of these tips can save you time when cooking food in advance and saving it for later.

More Tips for Easier Meal Prepping

Meal prepping absolutely makes the week go easier if eating healthy according to a plan is important to you. Here are some quick ideas for cooking enough and not wasting food:

  • Batch your time and cook a few meals. Plan on having chicken breasts and veggies in the oven, and rice and ground beef on the stove. This way your prep and cleanup time is batched, too.

  • Invest in good food storage for leftovers. I love Pyrex. It’s glass, so you don’t have to worry about any weird staining or warping. It freezes and cleans easy, too.

  • You can freeze meals you won’t eat for a few days, and refrigerate the rest.

  • Keep a can of tuna or chicken, and frozen vegetables as a backup. If you run out of food or forget to plan, you can always pop open a can, saute the vegetables, and there you have a meal. If you don’t have guests, you don’t have to impress anybody but yourself.


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Read next: My Favorite Recipes

Filed Under: How To, Nutrition & diet Tagged With: food, how to, meal prep, nutrition, nutrition and diet

Four Simple but Effective Strategies for Improving Your Diet

October 27, 2016 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Diet change is always hard and has implications beyond just what you eat. It affects how you feed your family, and how you socialize. But remember: eating healthier makes you feel better, and that stays with you every minute of the day. It is worth it! Do your best and keep making good decisions!

Are you ready to make a healthy change but don’t know where to start? Here are four options. 

1: Get Enough of What You Need. The “Good Enough” Diet.

The “Good Enough” diet is my favorite. It means you don’t focus on what you are cutting out; you focus on what you are eating. Your goal is to eat everything you need to make a healthy day. It means that your priority isn’t restricting things, it’s getting enough of the things you need. For this plan, you first identify how much protein, fat, carbs, water, and fiber you need. You make sure that you reach these targets every day. After that, you can eat and drink other things. 

The beauty of this is that when you were getting enough healthy things, you don’t have as much room for splurges. You also won’t give in to hunger cravings and make bad decisions due to being ravenous (because you won’t be ravenous!). If you want to splurge, you can! You just won’t want or need to as often. 

Another benefit of this approach is that you aren’t going to be deficient in vitamins or nutrients. You’ll be well hydrated, well functioning, and you won’t feel restricted. You’ll be taking in enough protein to build muscle (because you are working out, right?!).

This is the program I usually follow. I get enough of everything I need to nourish my body and grow from my workouts, and I don’t feel guilty if I throw Blue Bell in there. 

This is good for it: holidays. A more relaxed time in life. Maintenance or strength phases, since it might be a caloric surplus.

 

2: Nail Down One Healthy Meal that becomes Easy and Habitual

With this approach, you pick one meal each day that you can commit to eating healthy. This will be the same meal every day. It gives you a foundation upon which to build healthy habits.

Breakfast is a great meal to make your healthy foundation. First, decide your goal for the meal. Let’s say it is 30 g of protein, 40 g of carbs, and 11 g of fat. Build a meal that satisfies those needs. This might be scrambled eggs, sautéed vegetables which you prepared the night before, a piece of toast and half an apple. 

Make it simple, doable, and commit to having it every day. This meal serves as the basis for a healthy rest of the day. From there, try to make good choices at lunch and dinner, but if the wheels fall off later in the day, you know you got a healthy breakfast. Regardless of how you eat the rest of the day, when you get home, plan to make your healthy breakfast. That one staple meal is non-negotiable. Do not get lazy with this one. 

Some people might want to make their staple meal dinner. If you prefer a light breakfast, and don’t have a problem eating a healthy lunch, dinner might be the better option.

If your office mates often go out to lunch, establishing lunch as your healthy staple meal might be the most beneficial option for you. In this case, you scope out the restaurants that you frequent, identify the healthiest meal on the menu, and pick that. That way you know you all your healthy options, and you choose them consistently.

This is good for: People who are busy. It takes a little bit of work on the front end, but from there is easy to maintain. 

 

3: Don’t Eat The Things You Know You Shouldnt: The Common Sense Diet.

Don’t eat the things you know you shouldn’t. This is called the common sense diet because it is common sense. You don’t have to be a nutritionist to know that some foods don’t bring you closer to your goals. 

This is a very hands off eating plan for people who generally have self control. It means you just don’t eat the things you know you shouldn’t eat. If your goal is weight loss, you know you shouldn’t eat donuts. It won’t bring you closer to your goal. So, choose not to. This requires some willpower, but is the simplest plan. If you have 100 pounds to lose, this plan is pretty simple, does not require counting calories or grams, and can help you progress. Be honest with yourself and make good decisions.

This is good for: people who are looking for simplicity, and people who don’t want to count numbers, but can commit to make themselves better.

 

4: Focus on Fixing Your One Worst Habit

Focus on fixing your one worst habit. This can be a game changer for people who have a really bad habit. The best example is drinking full sugar sodas or sweet teas. I’m a southern girl and I love my sweet tea, but I can’t have multiple glasses every day. (I could, easily. It’s delicious! But I choose not to). 

Perhaps your worst habit is that pint of ice cream every night, or a whole pizza every night for dinner. 

This is actually an ok problem to have, because this adds up so quickly, and eliminating or reducing it will add up quickly in your favor. This isn’t for everyone. If you are already eating pretty balanced and don’t have any excessive vices, this might not bring you a lot of results. 

This is good for: people who have a bad habit that adds up quickly and are willing to eliminate or reduce it.

 

Will These Diets Work For You?

All of these approaches stop short of counting every calorie and every gram. They won’t be thorough enough for people who are looking to compete in bodybuilding or physique. Also, if you have so much weight to lose that your health needs to be your first priority, you will benefit from being stricter than any of these approaches. However, these are great places to start.

 

Need Ideas For Your Staple Meals?

Here are some of my favorites: 

Italian Seasoned Baked Chicken and Brussels Sprouts that actually taste good 

Salmon, Broccoli and Rice

Scrambled Eggs, Grits, and Bacon. Mmm

 

Try It!

Do any of these resonate with you? Have you tried any of these? Let me know if you implement any of these and how they work for you! 

Filed Under: Nutrition & diet Tagged With: diet, food, nutrition, nutrition and diet, start here

Citrus Salmon & Broccoli on Rice

September 22, 2015 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Serves 2+

This meal requires a little bit of time – about half an hour- but it is high in protein, healthy, and deeelicious! Absolutely worth it! By being strategic about the food prep, you can time the salmon, broccoli, and rice to be hot and ready to eat about the same time.


citrussalmoningredients

Ingredients

  • fresh salmon, 16 ounces

  • 1 head of broccoli

  • Zatarains rice

  • 1 orange

  • 1 lime

  • 1 lemon

  • olive oil

  • salt

  • thyme

  • rosemary

  • salt and pepper

  • aluminum foil

  • Parmesan cheese optional

First, obviously, wash your hands. Repeat this a million times throughout the cooking process. 

Then, preheat oven to 350. Gather all your ingredients on the counter so they are ready and easy to grab.

Line 2 pans with parchment paper for easy clean up, then layer with a thin spread of olive oil.

Broccoli


broccoliprep

Wash head of broccoli, then shake and blot dry with a clean dish towel. The drier the better so the olive oil can coat the broccoli. On a clean cutting board, chop into bite size little broccoli trees, and evenly coat about an ounce of olive oil on all the pieces. Line out the little trees on one of the pans, with as much surface area as possible. A bunched up pile of broccoli won’t brown as well or taste as good. 

Sprinkle with sea salt and Parmesan cheese if you’d like. Go ahead and put the broccoli in the oven, and set a timer for 15 minutes. 

Rice

Now measure out your rice and water in separate measuring cups. The package will have instructions, but you generally boil twice the volume of water as rice. Begin the water boiling in a covered pot. If you are needing to have fewer carbs for some reason, have less rice. I usually make more so I can have leftovers.

Citrus

Slice half of the orange into thin slices, and save the other half. Repeat with the lemon and lime, keeping the uncut halves on a little plate. 

Salmon

Place the salmon skin side down on the other pan. Drizzle about half an ounce of olive oil on the salmon, then sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper. Finally, place the citrus slices in a pretty pattern on the salmon. 


citrussalmon

Put the salmon in the oven and check on the broccoli. The broccoli should need more time, so you can reset the timer for about 10 minutes, at which point both the broccoli and salmon should be near ready.

Wash your hands again.

Your water should also be boiling at this point, so you can add the dry rice to the water. It’ll quit boiling with the addition of the rice, but will heat up again. 

This leaves you with a couple minutes until the food is ready, if you have timed it all right. Don’t go too far from the oven because you’ll want to keep your eye on the rice. If you are kid- or otherwise responsibility-free during this break, it’s a good time to put the spices and leftover ingredients back up. 

Salmon should be ready when it flakes easily and is a bit opaque in color. This ended up taking 12 minutes in my oven, so be ready to check it, poke it, and add a couple minutes. 


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When the rice, broccoli, and salmon are done, arrange them in a pretty set up on your best dishes. No sense in holding back on the good stuff. Lay the salmon down first, and arrange the rice and broccoli on the side. 

Squeeze the fresh lemon and lime halves on the salmon before serving. 

Half of this meal is approximately

  • Protein: 51 g

  • Fat: 10 g

  • Carbs: 53 g

  • Calories: 506

Leftovers? Pack it up over ice and have it for lunch tomorrow!

Make this and let me know how it turns out! I love to hear how people make recipes their own. Let me know! 


citrussalmondone

Filed Under: Nutrition & diet, Recipes Tagged With: broccoli, diet, nutrition, recipes, rice, salmon

The Ultimate Quick and Easy, Protein Packed Southern Breakfast Recipe

April 20, 2015 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Good morning, all!

What’s the best part of waking up? Folgers in your cup? Community Coffee, in my case, but also BREAKFAST! It would be hard to pick a favorite meal, but breakfast might top the chart.

Breakfast literally breaks the fast of sleeping, and prepares us for the day. I am not dogmatic enough to believe that every single of the 7 billion people in the world must have breakfast, or else he or she will become obese, infertible, diabetic, and cranky. 


Do you really think all these people need to  eat exactly the same way? Earth by geralt.

Do you really think all these people need to  eat exactly the same way? Earth by geralt.

As a lifter, however, you must realize you are not like the general population. You need more protein than if you didn’t lift, you will do well to drink more water, and you will perform better if you eat with the intent to get effective workouts.

Now, food is not only fuel. That term kind of bothers me, because we aren’t little untasting robots who refuel our body with an unmeaningful blend of macronutrients poured into our fuel tank. As you know, I’m southern. Meals are important to me! 

That said, food can make or break a workout.

Many prep coaches advise fasted cardio in the morning. Competition prep is a whole different animal, and that’s a whole ‘nother blog post! But even competitors will tell you, you will have a better workout when you are not in a fasted state, so fuel your workouts properly to prioritize your workouts. If you are purposefully eating in a caloric deficit to lose weight, structure your meals through the rest of the day to reach your goal number of calories.

It is of utmost importance to eat so that you can get a good, hard workout! Eat at the right time so you can get the best workout for the best adaptation (i.e., results!). 

Timing of Breakfast in Relation to Training

If you workout immediately upon waking up, you will not have  time for multiple meals before. In that case, have some carbs and protein even if it is a shake or smoothie, and even if it is a smaller amount. 

If you are a mid-day exercise, you will have a better workout with a meal or two in your belly before you lift, so it will help you to begin with breakfast.

So here we go: here is the ultimate, easy to make, protein packed southern breakfast. I eat this every morning. The only exception is that I don’t always add avocado, either because I’m out and need to make a grocery run, or I choose to get all this meal’s fats from egg yolk.

The Ultimate Breakfast

Prep time: 10 minutes, if you’re good like me. Maybe 15 til it becomes habit.

Macros: Protein 31 g, fat 8 g, carbs 30 g. 316 calories total.

Ingredients:


breakfastingredients.jpg

  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 slices turkey bacon
  • 2 oz mushrooms (about 2 medium)
  • 2 oz tomatoes (about 6 cherry tomatoes)
  • avocado
  • Tony Chachere’s seasoning
  • 1 packet instant grits
  • Pam spray or olive oil
  • salt & pepper 

Gather all your ingredients, because I mean it when I say this recipe is easy and fast. Spread a small amount of olive oil on the pan, or spray Pam on the pan over the sink, so you don’t also coat your entire stove top. Place the turkey bacon strips in the pan, then wash the mushrooms and tomatoes. 

Dry the mushrooms and tomatoes off, and slice them. The mushrooms saute better when they are sliced into thin strips, and the tomatoes are best halved. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes to the pan. Flip the bacon.

Boil a cup of water. If you do this on the stovetop, you might want to start before you even prepare the bacon. I use the microwave and it only takes 1-2 minutes.


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The bacon should now be done, so move it onto your breakfast place. Add 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites to the skillet. They will take up the flavor of the bacon grease. It’s delicious. Add Tony Chachere’s seasoning to the eggs also.

By now, your water should be heated, so pour it into a bowl, then add your packet of instant grits. Stir and let sit.


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Continue to scramble the eggs until they are done. 

You’ll love this part if you’re from the south, or if you’ve discovered grits. Add the scrambled eggs and vegetables to the grits. Mmm delicious.

Add 2 or 3 slices avocado and salt to taste.

Here is your finished product of the ultimate, quick and easy, southern protein packed breakfast. Bon appetit!


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Filed Under: Nutrition & diet, Recipes, Training Tagged With: breakfast, diet, eggs, how to, nutrition, protein, recipe, timing

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