Hey Fusion Family!

I wanted to write this quick blog on how I (we, Adam too) meal prep in hopes it will give you a little guidance and motivation. We are going to run a nutrition program at the end of September and we as a coaching staff started it 8/24 to test run and make any adjustments. We want this to be an easy, sustainable way to not only eat but also relieve stress! 

1. Clean out the fridge
   1. This is always the #1 thing I do when we are heading into some intense meal prep. I take everything out of the fridge, wipe it down, and throw out anything that is expired! For me, this relieves stress and motivates me to fill it with easy grab and go food.

      

2. Deep Clean the kitchen
   1. Similarly to cleaning out the fridge I like to take 30 minutes to deep clean the kitchen. I get everything cleared off the counters and all the dishes done. This lets me know that everything I need for meal prep is clean and ready to go. I hate having to clear space to chop or wash a pan. We have a very small kitchen so counter space is valuable!
3. Create Meal and Shopping List for the Week
   1. The first thing I do is make a list of meals I want to eat for breakfast lunch and dinner. After I have my meals planned out I like to plan my snacks and drinks. If you have kids that will eat something different than you make one sheet for them and one for you. Have them help you pick what they eat for the week! It might look like this picture.
   2. From my meals, I make a grocery list and only buy the things on my list. If I have Oreos in the house I will eat them and sometimes I plan for that and sometimes I don’t. If you want faster weight loss leaving those things off the list is best! I am not concerned with weight loss right now, just trying to eat enough to have a good milk supply for Callen! I leave my fruit list very vague because I just choose what looks best or is in season.
4. Grocery Shop
   1. Pre COVID we did our grocery shopping but now we use Instacart and get our groceries delivered. The extra few dollars per grocery order is worth it for us to get some more time with Callen and feel safer about getting groceries. We did sign up for the CSA at the gym and are really lucky that my parents (own a farm in the UP) give us beef, venison, pork, and chicken. I highly recommend signing up for a CSA and going to a local butcher shop for your meat!
5. Cooking Time!
   1. Prepping first. I wash and cut all the fruit and veggies while Adam prepares the protein. Depending on how we are eating our veggies I may put them in tinfoil packets for the grill, place them on a cookie sheet to be roasted in the oven or leave them raw!
   2. How we cook. We use our grill as often as we can for meal prep! We also use our Instapot! We have this veggie chopper and it saves SO MUCH time. Sometimes I’ll get fancy with a recipe but we definitely have our favorites- like tacos!
6. After cooking we use bento boxes as an easy way to measure our food for meals. These are placed in the freshly cleaned fridge for easy access. For snacks, like fruit and veggies, I cut and prep and then put them in Tupperware and in the fridge! It’s all about convenience for me if it is easy to grab, reheat, and eat it is easier for me to stay accountable!

Let me know what you think or leave your meal prep hacks below!