Weekly Meal Prep - Part 1 - Get Ready
This is the first of a three three-part post walking you through my weekly meal prep. It includes shopping lists, step-by-step instructions, and sample dishes which can be made using the prepped meal components. Although I do cook a couple of dinners using more typical recipes each week, the bulk of our meals, including most of my breakfasts and lunches, are constructed using meal components like these. We easily combine them into a variety of different dishes, and I switch up the grains and sauces, so meals are never boring. Depending on your family size, this prep should see you through about half a week.
Step 1: Make a shopping list and shop for what you need and go shopping.
For this week, we will be prepping ingredients that will make Thai-style Buddha bowls, as well as ingredients that will be more Tex-Mex inspired and can be eaten as burrito bowls and tacos. Feel free to substitute different grains, veggies, and toppings. This is just a template to get you started.
For our sauces this week, we will be making a nutrient-dense peanut sauce and a protein-packed cilantro crema. If you don't like the sound of these, feel free to substitute two sauces of your choosing. These two sauces would also work splendidly in their place:
Spicy tahini sriracha sauce (www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/oil-free-link)
Spicy Cilantro Sauce (www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/spicy-cilantro-sauce).
Or you can find many other alternate sauces here:
www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog?category=Dressings%20and%20Sauces
Shopping List:
Starches -
Quinoa (Or sub out a different grain if you prefer, like farro.)
Rice (I'll be using forbidden black rice, but feel free to use brown, purple, or white.)
Tortillas (Try to find whole-grain varieties with as few ingredients as possible.)
Optional - Potatoes - 1 pound (I like baby potatoes, reds, or Yukon golds, but any will do.)
Protein -
Firm or extra firm tofu (2-4 blocks, depending on how many eaters you have)
Silken tofu (one block for making cilantro crema)
Edamame (bag of frozen)
Black Beans (1-2 cans)
Garbanzo Beans (1-2 cans)
Fresh Veggies and Fruit -
1 head purple cabbage
5-6 carrots (or more)
2-3 bell peppers (For plant diversity, pick a red, yellow, and orange, if possible.)
Snap peas or snow peas
Romaine lettuce (Romaine holds up best to being chopped ahead of time.)
Box of baby spinach
Cherry tomatoes
Avocados
Jalapenos (2-3)
Garlic
Fresh ginger
Cilantro (2-3 bunches)
Limes (At least 8 small. I use lime on everything, so I buy the big bags at Costco each week.)
Mangos (Optional, but if you can find them in season, they are terrific in Thai-style Buddha bowls.)
Optional Fresh Veg and Fruit -
Pea shoots or microgreens
Pineapple
Any other veg or fruit that sounds good to you.
Frozen Veggies -
Sweet Corn (If it is corn season, feel free to sub in fresh corn.)
Frozen Edamame
Toppings -
Peanuts (preferably raw or dry roasted)
Sesame seeds (black and white, if you can find them)
Pepitas (preferably raw or dry roasted)
Condiments needed for making the sauces -
Sriracha
Soy sauce
Maple syrup
Rice vinegar
Peanut butter (look for one containing only peanuts and salt)
Other optional condiments you might enjoy with these meals -
Cholula hot sauce or a hot sauce of your choice
Sweet chili sauce
Salsa (look for one without added oil)
Step 2: Lay out all your ingredients, ready your work surface, and preheat your oven to 400.
Helpful Tools:
Cutting board
A good knife
A high-speed blender for making the sauces
A rice cooker
Citrus juicer
Vegetable peeler
Cookie sheets
Parchment paper
2 Stockpots with lids
Small skillet
Jars for storing sauces
Containers for storing veggies, grains, and proteins
Now that you are ready, please see Weekly Meal Prep - Part 2 for how to prepare your ingredients.
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