Whole 30: Prep work

One of the most valuable habits from 30 days of whole food is the habit of preparing my meals for EVERY DAY at work. In all my years of teaching school, at least 1 day a week is eating the cafeteria food. In the past 4 weeks, I’ve dragged my lunch box every day.

Here is how it starts.

1. I usually make some type of soup or stew. If it’s really good, I could eat it 3-4 days in a row. A good chicken soup from a quality whole chicken works wonders for appetite and for cold days dealing with sinus infections.

2. After the soup, I have made roasted sweet potatoes each week. These are great for pre-and post workout snacks. Drizzle some almond butter on them, and they are a rich dessert.

3. Next up is a batch of protein. This week, I made chicken thighs.

4. Some weeks, I make a breakfast casserole or breakfast cups.

5. The last thing I make for week is a big pan of roasted veggies and/or prep a ton of greens for salads. 

6. Once all that is made and stored in the fridge, I make sure the fruit bowl is loaded with easy grab apples, oranges, clementines, lemons, and limes.  I keep a bowl of stemmed strawberries and blueberries in the fridge.

Now that the prep work is done, all I have to do each night is decide what to take for lunch and 2nd breakfast if I go to am CrossFit. It takes some time on Sunday afternoon, but just like scheduling a long run on Saturday, if it’s important to me, I will do it. And both running and meal prep are very important to me.

Now, on to the chicken thighs.

1. flatten and season. I love shallot salt and seasoned pepper.

2. Heat a grill or grill pan. Oil liberally. Lay chicken on and DO NOT TURN for 5 minutes. Let the sear magic happen.

3. Turn and let the searing finish for another 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.