Sunday has always been my day to plan out the week with food, sitting down with my calendar, and making goals for the upcoming week. I used to do minimal prep on Sunday for food, but I’d make sure I had what I needed for the “menu” I had planned out for dinners, and would check to see that there was enough of our everyday items to grab for snacks and lunches too.
I recently have made Sunday my day to really get things ready for the week to try to eliminate rushed mornings and unhealthy snacking or trips through the drive thru. I have found that taking an hour or so at the beginning of each week really helps the morning go smoother and maybe more importantly, makes our choices for snacks and meals a little healthier.
Each week changes a little, but here are a few of my weekly food prep time savers.
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- Cut up fruits and vegetables for the week and put into smaller containers. This is something I’ve done on and off for awhile, but I’ve loved having these little bags or containers ready to grab to take in the car or to give to my kids when they are asking for a snack. I usually pick up whatever is on sale at the store, and cut into bite size pieces for snacking. This week we have pineapple, cucumbers, bell peppers, and blueberries.
- Yogurt cups. This one is a new one for me, but I got an Instapot for Christmas and I absolutely love it. I have been trying something new almost daily, and one of my new favorites and weekly items is yogurt! Both my daughter and husband eat yogurt everyday, so to save a little money I started making my own. It’s so easy. I use a gallon of Fairlife milk, 2 TBL of starter yogurt, place on yogurt setting for 8 hours, chill overnight and divide into smaller cups. Since this is plain yogurt I add in a couple tablespoons of berry preserves that I froze from local strawberries and raspberries and we have our own little yogurts!
3. Energy Balls. I love having these on hand too! They replace granola bars filled with preservatives, and they are so easy and delicious. Mix together 1 cup of whole oats, 1/2 cup of almond butter (or PB), 1/3 cup raw honey, 1/4 flax, 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips. Chill for an hour and roll into balls.
4. Baked Oatmeal. I’ve shared this recipe before, but since we all love it, I make a large pan at the beginning of the week so it’s there for breakfast every morning. When we have extra time we often will make eggs, but this is one of favorites and easier to have made ahead.
So, there’s a couple of my favorites to help make my week a little easier. What do you do at the beginning of the week to prepare for the week ahead?
