I see thumbnails for meal prep videos all the time. Many containers of colourful ingredients, carefully arrayed. And nearly every time, I think to myself that that looks like way too much work.
Back when we did Whole30, I was having some trouble wrapping my head around meal planning. Partly, this was because I don’t like locking myself into having a certain dish on a certain day. What if I get to Tuesday and I don’t want whatever the plan says I’m to eat that day? If I don’t have that thing, it throws the whole plan right off the rails. I won’t have the right leftovers to make meals for the rest of the week. It’s kind of a nightmare.
That’s when I came across this more loosely prescribed meal plan. It involves ingredient prep instead of meal prep. There are certain things that are prepared the same way, week over week, then there’s a big pot of something or other that’s eaten over several days. It’s habit building, and doesn’t involve copious amounts of research on a constant hunt for novelty.
So, let me walk you through how I’ve folded this style of preparation into my weekly routine.
Day 1 – grocery shop and base prep
Certain staples are bought every week, like carrots and celery. Onions and garlic are bought as needed (biweekly-ish). Some kind of green leafy produce, either dark (kale, collards, etc.) or cabbage. Mushrooms are frequently in the house, as is some kind of starchy veg – squash, spuds or sweet potato.
The whole lot is hauled home. Carrots and celery are washed and trimmed. The trimmings and any less-than-perfect specimens go in a big pot. Same with stems of greens and mushrooms, or cores of cabbage, or seeds and pulp of squash. I’ll also peel, trim and chop up some onions, putting just the peels and trimmings into the pot. Since I often make my big batch on the same day, the prepped onions get set aside to go into that.
The pot gets filled with water, plus some kombu, bay leaves and soy sauce, and the whole mess gets simmered for about one hour. If I’m using some for the big batch, I’ll fish out that amount before cooling and straining the rest for storage. Usually, I strain it into a big mixing bowl with a spout so I can easily pour it into 1L jars, then stash them at the back of the fridge.
Carrots and celery go into containers, get covered in cold tap water, and go in the fridge. From there, they can be eaten as-is, or quickly chopped up to go into whatever I feel like making.
Stemmed mushrooms can get stashed in a container in the fridge, so long as they’ve not been washed. If they’re wet, I’d go ahead and slice them up, then saute them if they’re not going into anything specific. Similar can be said for dark green leafies.
Cabbage gets sliced into ribbons and salted. More salt, and it gets fermented into sauerkraut. Less salt, and it goes in the fridge like a storable salad. It can be eaten as-is, tossed with other veggies and dressing, or chucked in a pan with some onions.
Often as not, I do make a big pot of soup, or stew, or chili at this time. That pot does 2-3 meals, which is up to half the week’s suppers.
Days 2 thru 5 – leftovers and rollovers
Time for some definitions. Leftovers are exactly that: the chilled remains of a previous night’s meal that get reheated and eaten as-is. Simple.
Rollovers are like leftovers in that they are also remains of foods past. However, instead of being straightforward reheats, rollovers are altered. Sometimes, it’s a matter of two or more batches of leftovers getting mixed together. Other times, it’s a difference of serving. Chili that was served on rice earlier in the week gets served on toast, maybe with a garnish of avocado or vegan cheese (if you’re into that kind of thing).
Rollovers are more often dishes constructed from remaining sides, like a handful of roasted sweet potato, some sauteed mushrooms, a bit of salted cabbage and maybe a freshly sliced onion. That all goes into a skillet with some soy sauce, a splash of sriracha, and gets served on noodles. With a bit of broth, it becomes soup instead of stir-fry.
Days 6 and 7 – taking a break
If we can afford it, we get some pizza, or a few maki rolls from the sushi place down the street. Or take a break from meals and have some snacks through the day. Rest and regroup when possible. This isn’t about ‘cheating’, it’s about feeling included. Some people don’t need this, but I know from personal experience that prolonged deprivation – even if it’s only perceived deprivation – leads to frustration. We loosen restrictions on calories, on sugar, salt and fat. We don’t go crazy. Just indulge enough to feel indulgent.
Plus, it gives us an opportunity to clear out the fridge for a new week of food. We begin with a fridge that is full, and end with one that is largely empty. This makes sure we’re maximizing our food dollars while minimizing food waste. And we never have mysterious, furry specimens lurking at the back of the shelf.
This seems long and labour intensive, but it honestly takes about two hours from the time I get the groceries home to the time I’m waiting for the big batch to be done. Ideally, whatever day is Day One is one that has enough free time to get all prep done comfortably. Maybe that’s a Saturday or Sunday, maybe it’s Wednesday night. Plus, the more of a habit it becomes, the more easily the work is completed.
It’s more reflex than labour, now. The stock pot gets filled and goes on so other prep can continue during the hour I’m waiting for the broth. I can get any other veggies cut up, seasonings measured out, cans opened and contents drained, so once that burner is free, I can get on with making a big batch. The burner’s already hot, and it’s mostly a matter of dumping ingredients in at the right moments. Then I wait for that pot to be cooked, and it’s all over.
This is how I do it, anyway.
Meatless Year 