“What’s for dinner?” A question that is asked virtually in every household, everyday. In my household I like to meal plan for the week in advance. This helps to create easy dinner plans, especially on late work nights. I then know I will have healthy meals without a lot of prep work needed.
Thankfully the internet has an endless supply of free recipes! Although, I am the type that loves an actual cookbook. There is just something about paging through a cookbook and finding a recipe that sounds delicious. If you go to www.cleanlifefamily.com/resources/ you will find a list of my favorite cookbooks.
First you need to make a plan, to meal plan! I like to pick out my recipes and make my grocery list on Sunday. I have a weekly calendar and I write a recipe for each day. I gather all my recipes and make a grocery list for grocery pick up. I prefer to do grocery pick up for two reasons. First off I don’t have to bring my daughter in and try shopping with her, especially if it is nap time. Second, I value my time and if someone else wants to take the time to shop for me and bring it out to my vehicle that is amazing! By not spending the time in the store shopping I instead get my meal prepping done in that time. I also find that I do not spend extra money on random purchases in the store because I am not walking around the store.
I am a promoter of eating organic food whenever you can. It is possible to buy organic food in the store and save money. Some of the bigger chain stores have cheaper organic produce. Now that summer is here in Minnesota the local farmers markets will be stocked with produce, grass fed beef, and free range eggs. Talk with the farmers and see how they like to raise their animals and grow their produce. There are local farmers that focus on grass fed beef, free range chickens, and growing organic food. Or you could always test out your own green thumb and try having a garden this year! Even if it is only a few plants in a bucket on your doorstep it will save you money in the long run!
Since we live in a small town area there are not a lot of options for affordable healthy pantry goods. I like to buy pantry goods online through websites that do not have a membership fee. This helps to save on costs versus paying a high price in the grocery store for the same product.
Now that you know how and where to get your food you need to know how to prepare it. I personally love slow cooker meals and/or meals that can be made in a pressure cooker quickly. Those types of meals are ones that I like to make after a long day of work and running around. Now if I have the time to cook and prep a meal at home I enjoy cooking my meals on a large outdoor cast iron griddle.
Sunday night I like to prepare food and salads for the week. I bake at least 5 chicken breasts in the oven to be used in various recipes throughout the week such as in a salad or wrap for lunch. I wash and cut up all of my salad veggies and store them in glass mason jars. I know I will eat the veggies and salads if they are prepped and ready to go! All I have to do is add some protein (usually the pre-cooked chicken I made,) pour on some dressing on and eat it!
I am a big advocate for making extra portions to freeze. For instance if you make a large batch of chili have some freezer safe soup containers on hand. Then freeze single serve portions of the chili for an easy meal in the future. If you have easy meals on hand you will be less likely to cook a pizza and more likely to eat a healthy alternative if that alternative has already been prepared.
To prepare my grass fed ground beef I cook it in bulk and don’t season it. I then freeze it in one pound portions. During the week I will take the frozen cooked beef, warm it up, and add seasonings or sauce to it for tacos, spaghetti, or whatever else needs ground beef that week!
The main reason people don’t make healthy meals is because they do not know how to cook healthy. We can teach you how to cook healthy through the nutrition coaching program with Emily. If you have healthy food in your house you will eat the healthy food! If you have junk food in your house you will eat the junk food. On your next grocery trip swap out one junk food item with a healthier alternative. Make one small step this week towards a healthier you.
If you want to learn more about specific places where I buy my produce, grass fed beef, organic eggs, and pantry items contact Clean Life Family. Learning how to eat for life also not only helps you, but it also helps your entire family that you are cooking for. If you want to learn how to eat for life sign up for nutrition coaching with Emily today.
Clean Life Family is located in Hibbing, MN. Clean Life Family specializes in Nutrition Response Testing and Nutrition Coaching. All services at Clean Life Family are tailored towards your specific goals, because we know no two people are the same. Every program is personalized specifically to you! Are you ready to heal your body from the inside out for future generations to come? Are you ready to learn how to eat for life? Are you ready to help your family and improve their nutrition as well?
Brianna Lofquist is a Registered Nurse, Nutrition Response Testing Practitioner, and Certified Emotion Code Practitioner at Clean Life Family. If you are interested in learning more about healing your body from the inside out please call 218-248-7014
Brianna Lofquist, RN, BSN, CECP
Nutrition Response Testing Practitioner
Call or text 218-248-7014
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