Keeping it Simple with Meal Prep

Hi! I'm Miriam, the founder of LifeDirt Foods. I am neither a farmer nor a chef. I have some friends who are excellent planners and meal preppers, but alas I am not one of those either.

But I do love my veggies, I do love cooking for myself, and I do feel a holistic difference in me when I prioritize whole foods over processed "wannabe" foods.

I want to take you through a few tips to make things a little simpler for you if you, like me, are just never going to get in the habit of making 10 of the same meals to fit in a tidy stack in the fridge for the week. 

Because here's the thing-

Saving time through meal preparation makes it more likely that you won't reach for the easiest processed food when you're hungry. You've invested in fresh, whole, organic foods for yourself and your loved ones. Now it's time to give them to your body when you're hungry instead of the processed junk that's way too accessible at the store!

So let's make this easier!  

Meal Prep Sundays: You can dedicate part of your Sunday (or any day off) to chopping veggies, pre-cooking grains like quinoa, oat groats or rice, and loosely planning meals for the week ahead. The reason a lot of us don't meal prep is that we don't want to eat the same thing all week long. I am one of these people! However, I also don't always have time to cook fresh meals straight from scratch all day every day. Here are some ways of getting around this issue:

1. Pre-steam:  Steam your veggies, then store them in your fridge to use in a variety of ways throughout the week. For example, you can steam some carrots and use them later by: popping them in a soup, pureeing, chopping up and frying with some spices, slicing and serving with a tasty sauce.

2. Roast it all at once: If you don't love turning on the oven for small amounts of food several times a week, roast a bunch of vegetables (for example, whole squash, beets & potatoes. Just throw them in there- you don't have to get fancy.) and meats on a Sunday evening, and refrigerate or even freeze them. Use them in a multitude of ways throughout the week, reheating on the stove as you season them or add them to a larger recipe.

3. Make weekly sauce: Find a sauce recipe you love and make enough to last you the whole week. You can use it as a base for a salad dressing, as a spread for a sandwich or wrap, or as a drizzle on a stir fry. This is a great way to use your fresh herbs, too. Here are some tasty-sounding sauce recipes from the Ayurvedic tradition. 

 

Take the Lead From Seasonal Produce

LifeDirt’s produce boxes provide a variety of fresh, local ingredients, some of which you may not be 100% familiar with! These can inspire new dishes (with the help of recipes we provide, don't worry) or a twist on an old favourite. Eating with the seasons ensures our bodies are receiving a variety of nutrients and sources of fibre throughout the year, which is hugely important for the health of the beneficial bacteria living inside us that keep us healthy and well-balanced.

Cheers to that. Bon appetit! Buen provecho! 

And if you want to order a box for our next round, you can do that here.