Meal Prepping On The Go
Between work, practice, and competitions, some of which you have to travel for, all while taking care of family life at home, it can be difficult to find time for nutritious whole food meals when you’re always on the go. The easiest way to solve this issue is by doing some simple meal prepping, which is what we’re going to talk about today. After reading this you’ll walk away with a few easy strategies that will not only save you time in the kitchen, but your mind and body will thank you for providing it with the natural medicine of whole foods. By incorporating natural whole foods into your meal prepping, you’ll be fueling your body with what it needs to operate at it’s most efficient level, especially when you’re on the go, taking care of everything your life requires.
The first step in meal prepping for me, is the recipes. I like to keep things simple, so I usually stick to a handful of regular meals with the same ingredients, but different spices. Choose your favorites and rotate them so your taste buds don’t get bored. I also like ingredients I can easily make large batches of to divide into portioned meals for the week. Below I will share two of my favorite meal prep recipes, but some of my staple ingredients include olive oil, rice, beans, potatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, leafy greens, and just about all vegetables, with sparing portions of meat consistently mostly of all natural chicken, or 100% grass fed beef. Once you’ve got your favorite recipes picked out, the next step is to set aside time in the kitchen.
Chances are, you can either set aside time on a day off to cook multiple meals and do your prep for the week, or you might have a day of the week where you’re going to cook anyway, so you can take advantage of that, which is what I normally do. If you’re cooking one meal, you’re already in the kitchen, the cutting board and knives are out, the oven and burners are going to be hot, so you might as well maximize your time by preparing some other meals. When cooking the two recipes below, I do all the chopping for both recipes at once, and then I cook them both at the same time. I do use 2 skillets, and 2 baking dishes, so if you only have one of each I would recommend doing the ingredient prep for the second meal, once you start cooking the first meal.
Potato Veggie Bowl
Makes 4 servings
4-5 of your favorite potatoes (2-3 if large like sweet potatoes)
1 of your favorite medium sized onions (I use red, white, or yellow depending on what’s cheapest when shopping)
3-4 whole carrots
1 of your favorite bell peppers (I prefer red, but get whatever’s cheapest when shopping)
8 oz of your favorite mushrooms
4-5 cloves garlic
5 T olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste (I like to use coarse sea salt)
Preheat oven to 425 F
Cut up all the ingredients however you’d like. Chopped, diced, sliced, your call. Once cut up, place all ingredients in a 9×12 baking dish. Pour in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix vegetables until fully coated with oil and seasoning. Place in oven, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes, checking in at 30 minutes. Remove from oven when potatoes are soft. I personally like to wait until everything gets a little crispy. Scoop and serve into bowl. Double this recipe to put into two 9×12 baking dishes and cook at the same time.
Rice & Bean Veggie Bowl
Makes 4 servings
1 C Rice
2 C Water
1 of your favorite medium sized onions (I use red, white, or yellow depending on what’s cheapest when shopping)
1 of your favorite bell peppers (I prefer red, but get whatever’s cheapest when shopping)
2 15oz cans of your favorite beans (I like to use black and pinto beans)
1 15oz can diced tomatoes (can use 2 real tomatoes if on hand)
4-5 cloves garlic
3 T olive oil
1/2 T Cumin
1/2 T Paprika
1/2 T Chipotle
Salt & Pepper to taste
First start the rice per directions on package.
Heat up oil in skillet on medium high heat. Cut up onion, pepper, garlic, however you’d like. Chopped, diced, sliced, your call. As you’re cutting up these ingredients just add them as you go to the pan while it’s heating up. Mix in pan and cook until onions are translucent and peppers are soft. About 15-20 minutes. Once you have onion and pepper mixture cooking, start on the beans by pouring drained beans into a pot with diced tomatoes. Turn heat up to medium. Add cumin, paprika, chipotle, and salt and pepper to taste. As soon as the onion and pepper mixture is ready, dump into pot with the beans and continue to simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Serve over rice in a bowl, or cook up a tortilla and make give yourself some burrito love. Again, just double this recipe and cook at the same time if possible.
I actually cook double batches of both of these meals, with the one going on inside the oven, and the other on top of the stove. Once cooked, and I’ve had a plate, giving the food time to cool down, I just load everything up into airtight containers and stick them in fridge for quick healthy meals my family can just grab, heat up within 2 minutes, and have it downed in 10 before we’re back out the door on another one of life’s adventures. You can medicate these meals by using infused olive oil, however I’m not skilled enough yet to explain this process. I do however consistently consume cannabis, typically marijuana flower, while cooking. It keeps me focused and zoned in on what steps I need to take next when cooking double batches of 2 meals at the same time.
By fueling yourself with healthy meals, focused around natural whole foods, and giving your body the right nutrients, you will have more energy to take on all life has to throw at you. Be the healthiest you, just by setting aside time to cook your favorite nutritious meals, and portion them out into containers. This will eliminate all those last minute stops at fast food, or other restaurants, which will also save you money, you can then use to treat yourself. I mean honestly, we all deserve a little treat. In fact, one of these upcoming weeks I’ll share some of my favorite recipes for natural homemade granola bars and trail mix that keep me going while I’m on the go in the car.
