Week 4

“I wish I had the time to make home cooked meals!” Have you ever had that conversation with yourself after your third Chick-Fil-A run of the week? As a busy college student with a limited meal plan, I find it hard to carve out the time to cook meals after a full day of classes, club meetings, and work. Sometimes I find myself just popping a microwaveable mac and cheese in and calling it a day. However, getting more than dairy and wheat into your diet and learning how to cook is super important. 

When thinking about meal prep, you may just think of cooking mass amounts of chicken, rice, and vegetables. However, it is much more than that and it does not just have to be chicken. When I first started looking into meal prepping, I went immediately to Pinterest and Tiktok. There are tons of creators who do meal prep series based on different diets, food preferences, etc. Some of my favorite creators are @makalya_thomas_fit, @moveitwithmeag2, and @kirmbole. 

Breakfast Meal Prep

Breakfast meal prep can be as simple as yogurt parfaits, granola bars, or even egg bites. For me, I find it easiest to meal prep fruit to put into yogurt mini bowls and pop some microwavable bacon in the microwave. 

If you are looking for something that is grab and go, look towards overnight oats or breakfast bowls that you can pop in the microwave in the morning. Check out this link to see different ways to make overnight oats during the week. 

If you are an egg lover, try egg bites or egg based burritos. These are basic stables that you can add and change how you make them per week. One week you can add bacon and potatoes, another you can add sausage and spinach. If you love Starbucks, you will love these egg bite recipes. 

Lunch Meal Prep

Lunch prep is so diverse and can be whatever you see as lunch. For me, I need to have meat and two sides to feel fulfilled, but for you, it could be a couple of snacks. 

If you are a snacking lunch person, I definitely recommend getting a snackle or Bento Box. These have various compartments to separate your foods so certain things do not get soggy. My favorite snackle box is from Walmart and comes in a variety of colors. 

If you are short on time or do not have access to a microwave at work or where you will be eating your lunch, there are a bunch of different cold options that will fill you up and ear easy to make. Check out this link for some great cold meal prep recipes. 

Personally, I like a warm lunch, so being able to have a lunch that heats up easily is most accessible. I love a reheated pasta moment, but to each their own. Here are some hot food recipes for meal prep. 

Dinner Meal Prep

If you are working a 9 to 5 or have a full day of school, you do not want to have to prep a meal for an hour and then cook it for another, you want something quick and easy. 

Dump and cook meals and one pan meals are great ways to have a fulfilling dinner that is quick and easy. You can find some great recipes on Pinterest. 

Another great way to have dinners that are easy to make are to dump and cook Crock Pot meals. A Crock Pot can slow cook your meals throughout your school or work day, but can also be helpful if you have more time after work. If you do not know what kind of Crock Pot to get, check out my second entry to see my recommendations. 

My go-to Crock Pot meals are pot roast and vegetables and chicken and gravy. My mom always makes pot roast when I am sick or when I am needing a warm meal when it is cold. 

Meal Prep is What You Make it

If you want something quick and easy, then make it it easy. If you want something that has a lot of ingredients, then you can make it high prep. Meal prep is not one fits all, it fits you, your schedule, and your lifestyle. When meal prepping, it is important to still to eat foods that you enjoy. 

A Look Into Next Week and Thanks. 

Next week, we will be taking a dive into plant-based vegan recipes featuring one of my best friends, Faye Murray who is vegan.

I wanted to send a big thank you to all of you who are interacting and taking part in my blog. This blog has been an outlet for me to reflect on my favorite foods and cooking tips. So, thank you.  Keep cooking and I will see you next week!