Learning to Meal Prep properly will save you two of life’s most precious resources: Time and Money
Time: Because you can cook a lot of food in one go and quickly reheat them each day to make healthy meals
Money: Because you won’t need to eat out as much, buy frozen meals or order take out
Let’s get started:
Step 1: Choose 2 proteins you know how to cook
Last week I chose boneless, skinless chicken breast (4 lbs) and lean ground beef (93/7 or 96/4) (3 lbs).
Get your kids involved in choosing your proteins! Here’s a list of lean and healthy options: pork chop (or loin), flank steak, ground turkey, ground pork, salmon, tilapia, shrimp, tofu, chicken breast and ground beef (90% or high)
My Meals Were:
Sauteed Chicken Breast Salad with Garlic Toast (similar to what you’d get at Tender Greens)
Hamburgers with Cole Slaw and Baked Fries
Parent Tip for chicken breast: Cut each breast in half horizontally two or three times depending on the size of the portion. This will ensure you get more browning and flavor when you cook them AND they cook faster then one giant piece of chicken breast.
Next up: Cook!
- I seasoned my chicken breast with salt, pepper and garlic powder and had 2 large frying pans going on medium-high heat. The chicken cooked in batches, about 8-10 minutes per batch and I had another baking sheet to place them on to cool.
- While this was happening, I formed the beef into 4 oz patties, and seasoned each with salt and pepper
- When the chicken was done, I kept the same pans nice and hot and cooked the beef patties.
In 45 minutes I had PLENTY of cooked meat
It’s been 3 dinners of hamburgers and Liz and I are still not tired of them 🙂
Step 2: Choose 2 vegetables you know how to cook (or eat raw)
For veggies, I went with cauliflower and a green salad
For the cauliflower: Chop into florets and roast at 425F on a baking sheet with a bit of oil, salt and pepper for about 40 minutes, moving the cauliflower so they don’t stick every 12-15 minutes. Absolutely DELICIOUS
For the green salad: Chop 2 large romaine or iceberg lettuces into small pieces. Do the same for a few tomatoes, cucumbers and onions and put each ingredient in separate containers
For salad dressing, I’ve been loving Bolthouse farms Ranch, it’s a low-calorie version of ranch made with yogurt and it’s good!
Step 3: Choose 2 starches to cook (or not cook!)
Do you see the pattern? 🙂
I went with Russet Potatoes that I turned into lean and crispy baked fries!
For oven fries: Peel and cut 2-3 large potatoes into french fry shapes. Have your kids help season with a bit of oil, salt and pepper. Bake in a 425F oven for 35-45 minutes, flipping halfway. Season with a pinch of salt before serving! Very good with low-sugar ketchup
For garlic toast: Cut a fresh loaf of sour dough or rustic italian bread into slices. Turn on your broiler. Put a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and a tiny bit of freshly chopped garlic on a few slices. You can add some grated mozzarella as well. Broil for 3-5 minutes, until nicely browned. It pairs well with the salad
I also had whole wheat buns for the burgers.
That’s it! It should take you about 1.5 hours and you have lunch and dinners for the week ahead. Mix and match and get creative.
If you like these tips on meal prep I have a cooking course that has an entire lesson with dozens of meal prep hacks you can do with your kids.
Eat Well,
Chef Eric Horwitz
CEO / Head Chef – LIFT Enrichment, Inc.
P.S. For parents at home with kids who won’t eat their vegetables, LIFT Enrichment has a virtual at-home cooking class called“Kids Can Cook At Home Master Class”
- The course has 30 high-quality video recipes designed for you to teach your kids culinary skills and make healthy
- These recipes are loved by over 2,000+ kids who have taken our classes
- 15 lessons on kitchen safety, health education, culinary skills to teach kids, grocery hacks, budgeting tips, art of meal prep and much more!
- You have lifetime access to the course!
- 30 day money back refund, it’s not risk to try it out
Here’s the link for 50% off (originally $199, now only $99) that expires in 48 hours and is just for our parents
=> Click here to join the Kids Can Cook At Home Master Class (coupon expires in 48 hours)
