Meal prepping is something I recommend to my autoimmune friends because not only does it help you save money and time, but it cuts down on the fatigue that comes with cooking. Getting a hot meal on the table every night is a struggle by itself, and when you’re chronically ill cooking can be difficult for many reasons like standing up for long periods of time, weakness in hands, and pain. Sometimes I would feel so sick by the end of cooking that I couldn’t eat with my family. Meal prepping has saved me so much time and energy preparing food and cleaning everything in one day!
Meal prepping changed my life and has allowed me to eat fresher and healthier more consistently. It takes me just a few minutes to plan my meals for the week and in return, I save loads of mental and physical energy!
Decision fatigue throughout the week is always what gets me if I don’t meal prep. I never want to cook and being chronically ill my battery level is never 100% to get out after work, go to the store, figure out a meal to make, overspend because I couldn’t check what I already had at home, get home, unload the groceries, cook, save the food, and clean up the mess. If I operated this way I know that even if I did go through with cooking I would be so tired afterward the food wouldn’t get put up, and I would be too tired to do my self-care and prep for the next day, and that’s if I hadn’t already just given up and gone through the drive-thru on the way home haha!
Cooking and cleaning dishes once a week allows you to use your energy elsewhere. I like to give the example of thinking about your energy like a battery. When you are chronically ill you may wake up already at 15% battery. Meal prepping and planning has become a blessing on days when I start with a low battery level.
In today’s post, I’m going to lay out exactly how I meal prep to save the most time and money possible!
Step one
Go through your fridge and pantry and see what you already have. I’m big on trying to reduce the amount of food waste if possible.
Step two: Pick your recipes
As of right now, I am eating paleo, and if you have cooked anything paleo before you know the recipes can involve a lot of prep!! So I only choose a couple of big meals to make. Then I will choose a breakfast, and snack of the week. I love the recipes Paleo OMG has. I’ve never made a recipe off her site I didn’t love!
Click here to get a copy of our weekly meal planner. It’s really helpful to see exactly what you’re going to have for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks each day.
Step three
Make your list. If you’re going in the store go ahead and make a grocery list, but if you are like me go ahead and start having your grocery delivered. I’ve tried every grocery delivery service in my area; by far, shipt has been my favorite.
Step four
This is defiantly the most important step in my opinion because it controls if I’m actually going to cook or not. PREPARE YOUR COOKING SPACE/ FRIDGE. I clean out my fridge, clean all dishes, clear the dishwasher, and get set up to cook. I go as far as putting out meal prep containers, a cutting board for snack prep, and every pot and pan I will need. This honestly is what makes me meal prep. If I didn’t set up before I cooked I wouldn’t cook. Once you are done cooking let it cool. Put it in the jars, and go ahead and clean your dishes. Before I would waste money and order take-out while the groceries went bad.
Setting up beforehand is what helps me not get too tired to cook. Either way, I pull up a stool so I’m not standing up the whole time. Little modifications like having a stool are what make cooking while chronically ill doable.
If you prepare and store your meals properly it tastes just as fresh as if you had made them that day! All you have to do is thaw a meal in the refrigerator the day before(some can be cooked from frozen) and throw it in the oven, slow cooker, or skillet, plate it, and dinner is served! Meal planning makes life with chronic illness a whole lot easier. During the week you will thank yourself when you have a delicious meal ready and waiting on you. Let us know your favorite hacks that keep meal prepping quick and easy!
Click here if you want to check out our free meal prepping printables!
