The 3 Pillars of Time Management and Meal Prep (Part 2)
Welcome to Part 2!
PILLAR 2: Prioritization (in the Kitchen)
So if you read Pillar 1: Awareness/Discovery, you are ready for Pillar 2! If you didn’t read it yet, go back and read it.
Today I will give you practical tips #protips and 3 doable strategies for prioritizing WHAT to meal prep and WHEN. This post specifically maximizes how to organize time in the kitchen, assuming you have already shopped. There is a post on my page about prioritization in shopping as well.
*A note about the manner in which I meal prep.
I meal prep once a week for my entire week of lunches and dinners and some breakfasts. The big deal here is that I “fresh freeze.” Which helps in keeping the food as fresh as possible so I avoid that nasty “leftover” aftertaste that comes from food refrigerated 2+ days. Essentially I cook, cool and freeze my food within a short few hours of when I make it.
STRATEGY 1: Decide how many meals you are prepping. This will give you the best gauge on your time, since from step 1 you already know the total amount you have. Divide into breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here is a breakdown for me.
Breakfasts: 3 Lunches: 5 Dinners: 6
I have 2 hours to make 14 meals. Let’s say for example’s sake, I am making salmon and mixed veggies, chicken stir fry and rice, and protein breakfast muffins with fruit.
STRATEGY 2: Organize your time in the kitchen and maximize the order in which you cook. Our goal is to get from stove to freezer. I use “fresh freezing” which is getting the food to the freezer in as short as a time as possible.
CAUTION: if you don’t already know, freezing/refrigerating food without proper cooling time can cause harmful bacteria to grow, or alter the overall temperature of your freezer/fridge. Both are unsafe…don’t do it. If you don’t have a lot of time to cool things, you can speed up by using an ice bath with cold water, this you can make possible with a sink and your food container. Don’t get sick!
1. So, start your longest cook or cool time item FIRST. This item is most likely your protein, whether its meat, eggs, seitan, tofu or fish (which is meat!!!) lol.
PRO TIP: bake, bake,bake,bake,bake,bake let me see you bake, bake,bake,bake,bake. Hopefully Rihanna’s tune sticks in your head. Baking though….saves calories and gives you flex time, AND allows you to cook 2 flavors in one dish.
2. While your protein is baking WITH A TIMER, start cutting anything that needs cutting OR mixing the next thing to be baked. For me, this is usually the veggies on the side and the fruit for breakfast or the rice. Boil any necessary water at this time.
PRO TIP: Have a race with yourself to “beat the timer.” If you live with others who are willing to help, let them chop it up. Also use a chopper…uniformity is overrated! You can always compensate with your sauté or cook time.
3. Cook your boiled things: rice/pasta/steamed veggies etc. Your baked thing may be ready to come out if it is fish or tofu.
Mix your baked dish and prep it to go in oven at this time. For me this is usually a breakfast bar or muffin. *If it has a lower cook time than your protein…I’d wait on it.
4. Sautee or steam any veggies or put together raw veggies (salads). Place in containers with all other items that are ready and begin cooling. Cooling usually takes me a half an hour.
PRO TIP: Begin plating as soon as things are done. This allows you to prep for dish washing and you’re cooling in the container that you are also freezing in. We realize that metal (pots pans) take a longer time to cool down than plastic.
5. At this time, the only thing you should be waiting on is the last bit of baking for a protein or baking for breakfast baking. Use this flex time to wait on cooling as well as wash dishes and prep for cleaning.
STRATEGY 3: Know your energy! Think back to your original plan of how much you need to do in what amount of time. Use your prime time to your benefit. You are taking steps for your health. The more you meal prep, the more efficient you will become. Your goal should be to beat your time. When you’re grueling over it, just remember that it is only a matter of time before it is over and then you don’t have to cook again for possibly the whole week!