Are you eating real, whole food as much as you’d like?

Or does the idea of having to spend hours slaving in away in the kitchen overwhelm you, so you pick up takeout (or even worse, fast food) every night, instead.

I used to feel this way too. Back in the day, the kitchen was an intimidating place for me. So I ate out or picked up takeout every night. I did this so often that I was on a first-name basis with the hostesses of all the restaurants in my neighborhood. They knew my orders before I even placed them!

But then I decided things needed to change - not just for my health, but also for my wallet.So I familiarized myself with my kitchen and learned some basic cooking techniques.

At first, it took me hours to cook a simple meal, but as I got better, I developed a time-saving routine that makes clean eating feel like a piece of cake!  

I have found that the best possible way to live a healthy lifestyle and have healthy and delicious meals all week long is by meal prepping once for the whole week.

My motto is, "Cook once eat three times (or more)!"

It saves me time, money, and stress, all the while allowing me to eat healthily.

Here's my routine:

Step 1: Plan + Shop

I designate 30-minutes each week to plan my meals by making a list of recipes and meals that I want to eat for the upcoming week.

Then I take a quick inventory of my kitchen to see what ingredients I have and what I'll need to buy.

Next, I update my perpetual shopping list in Evernote. I love using Evernote because it syncs across all devices, meaning, I can build a shopping list on my laptop, and it will automatically sync to my phone.

When I have my list, I’m off to the grocery store!

If this step alone overwhelms you, this is where my programs can help! I have done all the work for you! My programs all have suggested meal schedules that are broken down into the recipes, shopping lists, and even ideas for each week, based on the servings you need!

Step 2: Prepare the Food

When I get home from the store, I put away my groceries but keep out the items that I can prep in advance for the week. 

I pull up my meal schedule and get to washing, chopping, and cooking!  

Throughout the week, I typically have a smoothie for breakfast, but I find that many of my breakfast recipes are perfect for mid-morning snacks. 

I start by prepping big batches of veggies. I start with washing the greens, then set aside to dry and move onto slicing, dicing, and dividing vegetables into containers for use in cooking and salads.  

When a recipe calls for sautéed chicken or lean protein, I cook it in big batches in my largest pan or slow cooker! That way, I am only prepping meats once for all the recipes!  I store the extras in the freezer for use later. 

Step 3: Create Your Recipes

To keep it simple, I toss a large salad in advance and then add the extras when I’m ready to eat it. 

If I need meals to go, I divide it into containers or use them as leftovers.

For dinners, I typically make two favorite main dishes, which allows me to prepare and freeze in advance making it easy for during the week. 

Step 4: Put It Away

After all the food is prepped, and the recipes are made, I store everything in glass or stainless steel containers and refrigerate. 

That way, I have delicious, fresh, whole foods for all meals during the week that can be ready in minutes! 

If this sounds overwhelming, don’t be discouraged! 

It takes time to learn and figure out a process that works for you.