Microwave Haters Need Not Apply

So, if you’re anti-microwave, this blog won’t be for you. Just sayin.

The majority of my weeknight meals comes from a microwave. However, the important part is that they weren’t bought in a package. I put them in the freezer first.

Meal prepping is a huge part of how we maintain a healthy diet with a busy life schedule.

It’s taken me nearly FOUR YEARS to figure out what works. What freezes. What doesn’t reheat well. What should be in the crockpot. What should be on the stove. And, it always changes. A child stops eating this. We start doing that. My husband finds a new food he’s into. My step kids have a new health issue arise. So we adjust. But underneath it all, there’s three principles that make up a good meal prep.

1. Easy
2. Cheap
3. Nutritious

In this first post, I’m going to talk about Meal Prep being easy. It’s a lot easier than a lot of these Pinterest folks make it look!

I’m not going to lie, it will take a little bit of work, but we’re not restaurant chefs, we’re not building a taste profile for Food & Wine Magazine. We’re just trying to get food on the table. So it may take some chopping and slicing, but we don’t need to make a ju from scratch.

Think about meals that your family likes - then think about how you can duplicate them. You like hamburgers? Make 8. Use 4, freeze 4. You enjoy spaghetti? Make the whole box. Use half, freeze half. You like tacos? Make a double batch to reheat for two meals. It’s easy to have extras.

Another part of ease is the reheating. Freeze it in a way that allows the reheating to be a breeze. Portion them out from the get-go. Freezing in single meal or double servings, that way you’re not packing up the leftovers or wasting food. Remember your microwave was invented to speed up the process. Nearly anything can go into it. Frozen veggies, oatmeal, leftovers, soups, etc.

Another easy hack is to change it up with spices. Basic foods can take on many different meals, just by adding different spices to the mix. For instance: Buy a pack of chicken breast. You make two breasts with buffalo sauce, two with italian seasonings, two with bbq sauce, two with lemon pepper, etc. It’s easy to get into a rut, but even easier to switch it up. Find a rotation of spices and sauces that you always have on hand, so you’re always ready for an easy fix.

Here are three really easy meals that are super easy and have lots of nutrition for your family.

1. Spaghetti - Make them into separate lunches for easy reheat through the week - yes, you make the whole box at once. 
1. One box of high-fiber noodles 
2. Three jars of sauce 
3. Bag of frozen peas and carrots

Makes approximately 6-8 servings, depending on size. Adding the peas and carrots (either in the sauce or on the side) makes it a more well-balanced meal. 

1. Fajitas - Easy dinner, with virtually no clean up. 
1. Add peppers, onions and chicken together (I use the ratio of 2 peppers, 1 onion and 1.5 chicken breasts)
2. Place on a cookie sheet in the freezer
3. Once frozen take out and put in a container or Ziplock bag
4. To reheat, simply dump bag, 2-3 TBSP of fajita seasoning and ½ cup of water into a pan
5. Let cook all the way through, about 20 minutes

1. Stir Fry - Good for when you want the ease of take out, but don’t want to spend the money - easy fresh or frozen
1. One bag of stir fry veggies from the frozen section
2. One jar of sauce of your liking (I like the Trader Joe’s Soyaki sauce) **watch out for sodium or high sugar content. 
3. Protein of your choice (chicken, shrimp, ground pork, etc)
4. Put it all into one pan and let cook all the way through, about 20 minutes

These are just ones I have found to take the least amount of time and be popular across the family. There’s many ways you can enhance it and make it yours. Try new spices or sauces. Try different proteins you find on sale. Add veggies or fruit to add to the flavors. It’s all up to you. Do what works for your family.

~T