One morning earlier this month, I woke as much as freezing climate and feeling under-the-weather. It was an ideal day to not get out of pajamas—and one factor I felt actually grateful for in that second was that I’d spent a pair hours the day earlier than filling our fridge with the constructing blocks of some scrumptious meals. There was a rooster and rice soup, a lot of contemporary greens and chopped veggies, creamy hummus, and a batch of morning glory muffins able to be slathered with butter.

One among my pals lately advised me that for him, “happiness is a fridge stuffed with meals.” It struck me that there’s a particular consolation that comes from figuring out you’ve got the makings of a scrumptious meal on the prepared. After all, the busyness of recent life signifies that most of us don’t have hours to spend making ready advanced meals.

After I get house on the finish of a protracted day, I need to have some wholesome meals choices on the prepared—and I promise that when you’ve stocked your kitchen, you can also make nourishing meals simpler than ordering takeout. For me, prepping components forward is the one approach that I’m going to stay to wholesome consuming with a busy schedule. Enter: meal prep for the week.

How I Meal Prep for the Week

That’s the place my simple meal prep technique is available in. Each weekend, I make only a handful of easy “constructing block” recipes that I can use as a leaping off level for numerous nourishing meals throughout the week. Roasted veggies can high a salad or fill a sandwich. A pot of quinoa kinds the bottom of a grain bowl, or can change into a comfy breakfast porridge. These base recipes are infinitely versatile, and a part of the enjoyable is getting inventive and determining alternative ways to make use of them. 

Watch the video above to see precisely how I knock out these 5 meal prep duties in about an hour, then learn on for the precise directions. However first, some suggestions for meal prep success.

Prep With the Seasons

How do I resolve what components to make use of in every of those base recipes? For me, it’s all about getting impressed by what’s in season. When you’ve got contemporary lettuces or a deep orange candy potato or completely ripe strawberries, they don’t want a lot to show them right into a scrumptious meal. It additionally means you’re getting the utmost vitamin from these entire, unprocessed meals so that you could actually appear and feel your finest.

Follow Conscious Cooking

For those who assume you don’t have time to meal prep on a Sunday, attempt considering of it as a self-care second—one thing you’ll be able to take your time doing and benefit from the course of. I like to pour a glass of kombucha, wine, or make a sizzling tea, activate some music, and make my meal prep a ritual. And that incredible feeling of opening my fridge on the finish of a protracted day and being met with wholesome, scrumptious choices? The final reward.

Maintain It Easy

You don’t want tons of time (an hour or two is lots!) or any fancy gear. Most of those recipes solely require a knife, a slicing board, and a sheet pan. I attempt to be productive and benefit from my time: whereas the veggies are roasting and the grains are cooking on the range, I make my dressing and my crunchy seed combine. You’ll get in your personal rhythm and ultimately gained’t even have to take a look at any directions. After doing these a couple of instances, you’ll discover your stream.

Pleasant Reminders

• Clear as you go.
• Write down an inventory of what you’re going to do prematurely so you’ve got a plan of motion.
• Keep in mind that even in the event you simply make a few these, it is going to nonetheless make an enormous distinction throughout the week. Do what you’ll be able to!

Prepare dinner the Grains

A container of cooked grains is likely one of the most versatile objects you’ll be able to have in your fridge. Cooked grains like farro or quinoa make an ideal aspect dish to any protein, or use as the bottom for a grain bowl, high with an egg, and even heat it up and add nut milk and cinnamon for a breakfast porridge.

Right now I’m utilizing quinoa. I like its chewy consistency and plant-based protein, however you should use farro, buckwheat, rice, amaranth, or any others. Right here’s the best way to completely prepare dinner quinoa:

1. Rinse 1 cup quinoa in a mesh strainer, then place in a small saucepan.
2. Add 1 cup water and a pinch of salt, then convey to a boil.
3. As soon as boiling, instantly scale back warmth to low and canopy. Let simmer for 20 minutes, fluffing with a fork midway by way of to make sure quinoa isn’t sticking to the underside of the saucepan.
4. When it’s cooked, I place a folded dish towel between the pot and a lid whereas it cools to take away extra moisture.

Cooked quinoa retains within the fridge for 5 days. To freeze cooked grains, unfold them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and switch to the freezer for not less than two hours. After the grains are frozen, you’ll be able to retailer them in a freezer-safe container. 

Roast Veggies

Just about any vegetable tastes approach higher roasted—cooking at a excessive warmth concentrates the flavour and provides a caramelization that I like. 

Listed below are a couple of of my favourite veggies to roast:

• candy potatoes
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• butternut squash
• beets
• child pink potatoes
• cabbage
• brussels sprouts
• tomatoes
• eggplant

Add spices and herbs in order that they all the time style completely different and fascinating. Typically I’ll toss mine in taco seasoning, different instances I’d drizzle with harissa or infused vinegar, and even simply preserve it easy with a pinch of Italian seasoning. Salt and pepper is all the time a should. As soon as made, they’re an ideal addition to salads, grain bowls, tacos, and sandwiches. 

Right here’s the proper technique for roasting nearly any kind of veggie:

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and unfold the veggies in a single layer, leaving some room round them so that they roast as a substitute of steam. You need the sides to get crispy and brown.
• Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper (and every other spices you’re utilizing) and toss them round. Roast till caramelized. (Cooking time will fluctuate primarily based on the veg.)

Make a Dressing or Sauce

That is the step that will get me enthusiastic about utilizing my prepped veggies all through the week. Grains and veggies can get slightly boring and not using a flavor-packed sauce to drizzle over every little thing and make it devourable. Having a mason jar stuffed with dressing on the prepared means you’ve got a salad dressing and a sauce for bowls, tacos, and veggie sides. You’ll be able to drizzle over a roasted candy potato or use as a dip for uncooked veggies. It’s really your finest buddy with regards to making simple and scrumptious meals in a flash. 

This week, I’m making one in every of my favorites, Turmeric French dressing. It’s tremendous easy to make—simply add all these components to the blender:

• 1 shallot, peeled and halved
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons heat water
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• Squeeze of honey
• Teaspoon of floor turmeric
• huge pinch of salt and pepper
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix every little thing up, then retailer in a mason jar all week.

Prep Your Salad Greens and Uncooked Veggies

Are you 10x extra more likely to eat your veggies in the event that they’re already washed and prepped within the fridge? SAME. And my children are, too. I’ve began retaining a lidded container within the fridge stuffed with chopped carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers in order that after they come into the kitchen trying for a snack proper earlier than dinner, I can level them to the crudité bowl. And we all the time have guacamole, hummus, or my weekly salad dressing (above) that they’ll pair with their veggie for dipping.

Plus, when you’ve got contemporary lettuces and different chopped veggies on the prepared, it’s really easy to throw collectively a salad with no matter dinner you’re serving. I’d a lot favor to do all of the prep in a single go, somewhat than getting out my salad spinner and slicing board again and again. Right here’s what I do after my weekend grocery run:

• Wash and dry my lettuce in a salad spinner, then wrap in paper towels to soak up moisture and retailer within the produce drawer of the fridge.
• Peel and slice carrots, cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, and every other uncooked veggies I’ve laying round, so I can simply throw them into faculty lunches throughout the week.

Make the Spicy Seed Combine

I’m huge on including crunch to only about every little thing—generally it’s only a handful of chopped nuts or seeds, however I like to have some form of spicy seed combine within the fridge that I can sprinkle on every little thing from salads to bowls to veggie sides. It simply offers it that little one thing, ya know?

This recipe is tremendous adaptable to any seed, nut, or spice you’ve got available. Typically I’m going slightly sweeter and add maple syrup or orange zest, however at present I’m going savory with sea salt and coriander. Right here’s what I do:

• In a small sauté pan, add pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, and sunflower seeds. Toast on low till they begin to odor aromatic, then add sesame seeds, a pinch every of sugar and salt, and a few coriander.
• Toast till every little thing begins to get slightly golden brown, then switch to a mason jar and retailer within the fridge.