Is it just me or do you feel like you’re using Monopoly money when you pay for things using apps/rewards cards/etc.? I downloaded the sweetgreen app a couple months ago and every time I checked out by scanning my phone, it didn’t even register that I was spending actual money. Umm hello reality check. Guys. I looked at my bank statement the other day and had spent $112 on salads in ONE WEEK. That’s horrifying.

Anyway, after that I’ve been making a big effort to meal prep on Sunday or Monday and eat the majority of my meals AT HOME. It’s a great way to save money, so for my third installment of the #GRONKonomics series with 360 Savings from Capital One, I’m sharing what I prepped at the start of last week. My oven is currently broken, so the slow cooker is now my best friend …

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken & Veggies from Damn Delicious

This was SO GOOD. I’m not a big meat eater, but Joe was obsessed with this and I loved the veggies over quinoa. Highly recommend trying it. 

Peanut Butter Protein Bites

I don’t remember my exact ingredient ratios for these but honestly they weren’t amazing so it’s not even worth sharing the recipe (haha). I did protein powder, honey roasted peanut butter, raisins, vanilla extract and then rolled them in hemp seeds. Good, but nothing to write home about.

Butternut Squash Soup

I shared the recipe for this one earlier this week. So yummy! 

Juice

I made a batch of green juice to enjoy the first couple days of the week. 

360 Savings accounts require no fees, no minimums and provide competitive interest rates. You can visit any of the three Capital One Cafe locations in Boston to get more info or visit www.CapitalOne360.com. In addition, you can follow Capital One on Facebook & Twitter and get all of Gronk’s #GRONKonomics tips by following his Facebook page and Twitter account as well. I’m sure some of you hardcore Bostonians already follow him though …

Are you meal prepping this week? Whatcha makin’?

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Capital One. All opinions—as always!—are my own.

Last Sunday, a rare thing happened. The stars aligned and I planned, shopped and prepped the entire week’s food. By “stars aligned,” I mean it rained. If the sun is out on a Sunday in the summer, you couldn’t pay me to spend the day at the grocery store and then in the kitchen, but with sunshine FOMO (it’s a real disease, I swear) out of the question, I decided to get my prep on. Man am I a responsible adult OR WHAT?! Since this only happens once in a blue moon/rain cloud, I thought I’d share my plan and prep for the week in case any preppers out there are looking for some ideas. I did a post similar to this once before, which you can check out HERE if interested.

My Meal Plan for the Week

I like to keep things simple. Dinner leftovers for lunch, repeating the same ingredients and sauces in multiple meals—food doesn’t have to be extravagant to be satisfying! I decided I’d make a big batch of pesto and a big tub of sweet potato hummus and use those to spice up meals and snacks. I’d also make a big crockpot batch of spicy shredded chicken so that I could make burrito bowls and other Mexican deliciousness. With those three things the basis of my variety, I put together this game plan:

Breakfasts

• Eggs, avocado & toast / pesto scramble / breakfast burritos
• Smoothie bowls
• Green juice

Lunches

• Tuna sandwiches (Joe’s request)
• Quinoa salad and/or burrito bowls
• Hummus/pesto veggie wraps

Snacks

• Protein balls
• Hummus + carrots
• Pesto/hummus toast with avocado slices
• Fruit

Dinners

• Crockpot chicken burrito bowls
• Pesto spaghetti squash with salad and quinoa/freekeh
• Baked cod with quinoa + salad
• Sides: roasted veggies (brussles sprouts, sweet potatoes, broccoli)

What Meal Prep I Did for the Week

After making a grocery list of everything I’d need for the above plan (excluding things I already had in my pantry), I went off to the store and then began prepping. Here’s what I made on Sunday to get a head start for the week:

Pesto Sauce

I just doubled THIS RECIPE. Pesto is an awesome thing to have on hand because you can use it during every meal of the day (scrambled eggs with pesto and avocado—DO IT). 

Sweet Potato Hummus

Recipe is HERE. This is great for dipping, but even better as a sandwich/wrap spread. Take your bread of choice, this hummus, spinach, avocado, tomato and any other fixings you like, and say hello to the best lunch you’ve ever tasted. 

Grains: Quinoa & Freekeh

What the freekah is freekah? Yeah I don’t really know either. Haha NOW gave me a package of theirs in the goodie bag I received from that trip I went on, so I figured I’d give this ancient grain a whirl. I’d compare it to brown rice but with a bit more of a nutty taste. I also cooked up a massive batch of quinoa, per usual. 

Nut Butter Protein Balls

There are a gazillion ball recipes out there, but half the time I just wing it. This coming week I’m going to share a good “outline” recipe for protein powder and nut butter bites that’s super easy to customize with your favorite flavors. Stay tuned! This week, I did almond butter, vanilla plant protein, coconut, vanilla extract, hemp seeds & quick roll oats. Delish! 

Spicy Shredded Crockpot Chicken

This is so easy to make and Joe LOVES it. You basically just dump a thing of salsa, chicken breasts and some taco seasoning into a crockpot and let it do its thang. I actually forgot to buy taco seasoning though so I ended up making my own, and that was also surprisingly easy. I’ll share the “recipe” (I just dumped random spices into a bowl and crossed my fingers) soon in case you ever find yourself in the same jam. 

Lightened Up Tuna Fish

Joe requested tuna fish sandwiches to pack with him for lunch because he’s 32 going on 9, so I made up a big tub of tuna, Greek yogurt (it’s a great swap for mayo!), raisins and celery. And for the record, I’m totally kidding—tuna fish rocks at every age.  

Juice

I only made a small batch (enough to have a glass the next two mornings) because juice starts to lose its nutritional value after a few days. Lately, I’ve been adding in chia seeds and letting them soak in the juice over night. It gives the juice an amazing texture that I absolutely love! 

Ok, it honestly took me almost the entire day to plan, shop and prep all this. That’s why these things don’t happen very often. But man does it pay off. Joe and I had an amazing week of meals! The fridge and pantry were stocked with options whenever I was hungry; putting together lunches and dinners took much less time; and I saved money by not buying meals on the go all day.

Are you food prepping and meal planning this week? What’s on the menu?

Woof. I promise this isn’t meant to be a bad Easter joke, but I feel like I’ve just come back from the grave. Thursday night I got hit with some terrible stomach flu and couldn’t leave my bed until Saturday morning. Fever, nausea, couldn’t eat anything, too exhausted to open my eyelids. Although I’m still weak, I feel much better today and decided to do something I always wish I did more regularly: meal plan, grocery shop and food prep for the week.

It saves time, money, and really helps with staying on track with healthy eating—so what better time to share an example week than the night before the DietBet starts? Even if you’re not participating, having ready-to-eat snacks, prepared lunches and the ingredients on hand to make healthy dinner makes the week that much easier.

Example Meal Plan for the Week

I keep things simple—my apartment kitchen is not a restaurant, and serving up a different dish every meal of every day would be cray. I think of it as switching things up week by week, not day by day (this helps keep the bill down, too!). Here’s my thought process when planning meals for the week:

1. I pick one or two new recipes I want to try.
2. I think of other things I like to eat using some of those same ingredients.
3. I fill in the rest of the week with the basics.

I want to recreate the coconut “fruit” pops from Whole Foods without dairy, so I added that to my list along with a pea soup using coconut milk as the base (Joe loves pea soup). Those will be my new recipes to have fun with this week.

Joe usually buys lunch or has lunch meetings, so I don’t worry so much about planning those, and between me teaching late and Joe playing hockey late, we only have a couple nice “together” dinners and then the rest of the week can be leftovers or quick meals.

Keeping in mind that I’m not going to eat every meal/snack/bite of food at home, here’s what I planned to have on hand in the apartment this week:

Breakfast

• Juice
• Smoothies
• Eggs, avocado & toast

Lunch

• Salads
• Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
• Coconut Pea Soup

Snacks

• No-Bake Chewy Granola Protein Bars
• Coconut Popsicles

Dinner

• Cod Topped with Fruit Avocado Salsa over Quinoa (make enough for leftovers)
• Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
• Coconut Pea Soup
• Roasted Veggies (side): Brussels sprouts, sweet potato

Food Prep I Did Today

After hitting up Whole Foods, I did some food prep with my glorious bounty. Actually, first I watched three episodes of Scandal and took a nap. I’m getting over the flu! Don’t judge me!

Here’s what I made today:

• The granola bars
• The sweet potato veggie burgers
• The soup
• The popsicles (<– might need a re-do with this recipe)

Here’s what I prepped today:

• Skinned and chopped up a bunch of sweet potatoes for easy roasting
• Cooked a massive pot of quinoa
• Cut up some bananas and put them in a baggie in the freezer for smoothies

The majority of my shopping is done in the produce aisle and at the bulk bins. Man are they a beautiful sight.

Do you meal plan and prep for the week? What are some of your go-to dishes?