Following the Super Shred Diet requires a lot of planning ahead and food preparation. Rob and I spent about 3 hours on Sunday slicing, dicing, and baking almost everything we would need for the entire first week of the plan. This is in addition to the time spent shopping for all of the ingredients and pre-made foods we would need. Here are some of the things I do to make food prep and planning less stressful and easier on everyone!
1. Make a List
This post isn’t so much about meal planning (Check out my Tips on Meal Planning for that!). Right now, I’m assuming you have a general idea of what you will eat throughout the week. Before you go to the store, making a list of everything you absolutely have to get. I also leave a little wiggle room for things that just look fresh and delicious at the store too, especially when something is in season.
2. Buy in Bulk
Most of my shopping is done at a Produce Outlet and at BJ’s Wholesale. I reserve the regular grocery store for random items that I don’t need in mega-size and for special sales. I feel like it makes planning a lot easier when you buy in bulk though. You make less trips to the grocery store throughout the week. You can do all your prep on one day. You don’t have to stress about it the rest of the week!
3. Prioritize Items
There are some things that I just buy pre-made either because they are too difficult to make at home or I am not very good at making it myself. For example, I could make trail mix and granola bars but I buy them in order to save time. I pay a little extra so I have more free time.
4. Slice & Dice
After I bring my bulk veggies and fruits home, I get to work. It is easier to take out the cutting board once and plow through a pile of veggies than to use the cutting board over and over again all week (and wash it many, many times). Give your veggies a quick wash and get to work. Make sure you have a stock of nice containers that stack well in the refrigerator for better organization!
5. Batch Cook
One thing to make healthy eating successful and easier is a lot of repetition. Grilled chicken gets consumed at a lot of meals around here. You can just add a little dressing or sauce for variety. Roasted veggies are also a favorite of mine. Bake 4-5 meals worth of chicken at once and you don’t have to do it again for days! Same thing with sides. Just make sure that whatever you make reheats well for leftovers. A bonus is that when you are rushed and hungry, you can just grab something you already made and not reach for fast food!
6. Save for Later
There are some bulk recipes that just make too much for me to eat in a week. Big batches of soup often don’t get used up. To ensure it doesn’t get wasted, you could learn to can (something I have yet to master) or you can simply freeze it. Did you know that Ball Jars have a freeze line? You can also write on them with permanent marker (it simply washes off or you can use a little rubbing alcohol if it is sticking). I just pack up any extra for a later date when I might be short on cooking time.
Then, it is off for an easy week of healthy eating! With my lack of time during the week, it is so much easier if I do this all on Sunday. I don’t know how I would survive my long 14 hour days if I couldn’t just throw my food together in the morning. It takes a lot of energy to do this all at once. It took us a few hours of shopping and then about 3 hours of slicing, dicing, and baking but it is totally worth the saved time for the rest of the week!
How do you make eating healthier easier in your daily routine?
Awesome! I’ve really got to learn to do this!
So easy, especially since we have the produce outlets nearby!
Next time I go bulk veggie shopping, you’re going to be haunting my brain! When I come back from the farm in the summer I tend to do lots of prep, but not so much the rest of the year…I need to do it more! Thanks for the inspiration!!
Maybe it seems bigger after the farmer’s market? I get lazy when I buy in small batch but when its big batches like this, I feel like I need to get it done!
I defiantly just to follow these and feel so accomplished after getting things chopped, baked, and cooked for the week
It did feel good when we were done (and could finally sit on the couch for a bit!)
i like to wash and cut veggies and batch cook a grain and bean, as well!
Ooh yes, gotta cook some easy sides! I like to have “cauliflower rice” steamed and ready to go to add to dishes during the week!
I spend a few hours in the kitchen on Sundays but its worth it! It makes it so much easier to eat healthy meals throughout the week! I’m bad at the freezing part though!
I kept having to throw away food I didn’t eat in time. I finally realized that if I just looked mid-week at how much I had gone through and how much I could reasonably eat before the end of the week, I could save food by freezing it! Just gotta be on top of the schedule! (Or freeze ahead of time and defrost later in the week – works both ways!).
Thank you for all these tips. I have been working on weekly food prep and it makes the mornings so much easier and less of a hassle!
I’m out of the house every day for at least 10 hours and I only leave maybe 15 minutes in the morning to pack my food so this is a lifesaver!