My All-time Favorite Meal Prep
Minced Salmon Burger over Kale Slaw
I got really serious about meal prep almost one year ago. Before that time, I made dinner every night or ordered takeout. After having my son it became too time consuming. I still cooked but went to bed close to midnight on some days (after cooking then washing dished THEN cleaning the kitchen). Meal prep has been my savior in many ways:
It saves a ton of time in the kitchen - By making meals for several days, I can use my free time for other things like homework, exercise, and sleep!
You waste less food - How many times have you purchased a bag of vegetables, made dinner for one night, plan on using it later in the week. And don’t. That used to be me. Now, I just steam/fry/sauté the entire bag in one sitting and store in glass Tupperware. The key to having vegetables still taste great later in the week is not overcooking! Make sure your veggies still have a crunch when you first make them. This also helps retain the most nutrients.
Less money is spent on lunch and takeout - Being too tired or busy to cook is probably the #1 reason I spend money of takeout food. Meal prep has helped me save a ton of money because I’ve learned to make a few great tasting meals that can be used for lunch at work and dinner at home.
At the end of each week I prep for meal prep and then I meal prep (try saying that five times!). I start my prep on Saturday morning by taking an inventory of the fridge and making my grocery list. I make a list of the basics (18 count eggs, milk, orange juice, ect).I then note items that are leftover from last week to see how they can be finished off (extra parmesan cheese from my kale salad last week can be used for a pasta this week). Then I pick 2 meals and 3 sides for the week (two meats, two veggies, one carb). My shopping list is made into categories organized by where the items are located in the grocery store (type-A shenanigans). Shopping is done on Saturdays. Prep is done on Sundays.
My #1 rule for cooking: It can’t take more than 30 minutes to make!
“Anything that takes longer than 30 minutes is not happening in my kitchen”
Below is my all-time favorite meal prep: spicy minced salmon burger over kale slaw. It takes less than 15 minutes and tastes delicious!
Ingredients
3 Salmon burgers
salt or season salt
pepper sauce or any spicy seasoning
black pepper
olive oil
any chopped vegetables (I use kale slaw from Whole Foods)
Directions
Warm a pan of olive oil. Break the salmon burger into minced pieces in the hot oil. Add seasons (to taste). Cook on medium for about 7 minutes. You’re done! Top veggies with salmon burger and enjoy :-)
I love meal prep. It can be fun once you get the hang of it. I have my staples but I’m always searching for new tasty recipes to shake things up. If you need to save more time or money, meal prep might be answer you’ve been looking for.