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- Hey, munchies, welcome to the channel
if you're new or if you're not.
I'm Alyssia and I am stoked you're here!
Today I am changing up the type of meal prep game.
I often show full meal preps for the week,
and that is how I used to meal prep
when I first started almost 10 years ago.
I was in college, I was trying to lose the freshman 15,
or more like the freshman 25,
and meal prepping everything was a must
because I didn't have time to cook along the way,
being so busy with school.
But over time, my meal prepping methods have evolved,
and now with my current lifestyle and my needs,
I don't want or have to prep every single thing,
but prepping some things still sets me up for success.
So today I am showing you a minimal meal prep,
which is how I actually meal prep now,
and how I use those components throughout the week
to make easy 10-minute meals.
So I think of most of my meals
as being broken up into components.
I don't usually do full recipes for meal prep
because it's so much work and so much planning,
and I would rather have the components ready to go,
that I can throw together along the way
throughout the week.
My meals are typically composed
of veggies, proteins, carbs, and fat,
and of course, I want to season those differently sometimes
so I've got a variety in flavor.
For veggies, I have got a lot of hacks
to keep meal prep quick.
I don't wanna spend a ton of time chopping,
so I buy pre-chopped produce.
Onions are one thing I always get,
shaved brussels sprouts are another,
chopped cauliflower and broccoli,
which sometimes I'll cut down a little bit more,
depending on how big the florets are,
and sometimes I'll get pre-made mixes
like stir-fry or chopped veggie mixes, that sort of thing.
I also usually have some chopped spinach
or mixed green on hand.
Frozen veggies, like cauliflower rice,
I always have on hand, too, and some frozen mixed veggies
make weeknight meals easier.
Don't worry, I'm gonna show you how I use this stuff, too.
Now, if this doesn't look like meal prep
in the way you're used to, you're right,
but meal prep doesn't have to be
what Instagram makes us think.
Meal prep is, to me, peace of mind.
Having items prepared for my meals for the week
so I can easily stay on track
is what makes meal prep work for me,
and again, that's changed over the years,
so be open to that shifting for you, too.
For carbs on my plate, you know, you can do what suits you,
but for me, it's rice, on the stove,
or another time-saver is to have frozen rice
to cook during the week.
I am not huge on quinoa so I don't usually prep that,
but you could.
I also do pre-cut butternut squash and/or sweet potatoes.
I haven't worked with a whole butternut squash
in a long time, because it is so much work to get it cubed,
and it isn't much cheaper to buy it pre-cut.
But you've gotta find what works for you.
Some people really prefer to avoid the plastic.
I get it, and I do try to go with less plastic when I can.
You have to weigh out what's worth it for you,
and there's no right or wrong here, let's be clear,
this is not an ethical or a moral battle,
it's just what you need.
I need healthy food available to eat healthy
because I know if I don't,
it's Postmates all day, every day.
I know that having this food available will encourage me
to eat it, and my health is the most important thing to me,
even though I wanna help the Earth
in whatever way that I can.
But if to you, the most important thing is plastic,
which is also totally allowed,
then the time preparing the food
is the compromise that you might have to make.
We've all got to compromise somehow, and it comes down to
which compromises are worth it to you.
One compromise is not better than the other,
and it doesn't mean that we make that compromise
always and forever.
Maybe on really busy weeks, I buy the cubed squash,
but on less busy weeks, I get sweet potatoes as a carb
and I cube them myself, because it's not that much work
and I'm willing and have the time to do it.
So do the best that you can with what you've got.
Sometimes I will cook the squash or sweet potato
on meal prep days so it's already cooked for me
to use during the week, and sometimes I'll leave it raw
and cook it throughout the week.
It depends on what I need that week
and how much time I have.
Remember, fruit is another great way
to get carbohydrates on the plate in a healthy way.
It doesn't have to be grains and bread and pasta and beans.
It can be but it doesn't have to be.
Sometimes a side of fruit is my carb,
and it doubles as a sweet and I love it.
There's nothing wrong with that.
Okay, protein is the most work of meal prep,
but I've found ways to make it easier.
Pulled pork in the slow cooker is my current go-to,
it's so easy, so tasty, salt and pepper on the pork
and into the slow cooker it goes for nine hours
and that is it, I shared that in a video
a couple weeks ago.
Rotisserie chicken is another, pull the meat
off the bone and you've got meat ready to throw
in a variety of meals.
Another easy one is to put ground meat
and a jar of salsa into a slow cooker.
Two ingredients, one versatile meat.
A cleaner sausage, like a chicken apple or Italian,
these are convenient, pre-cooked,
I can serve them warm or cold and add flavor, protein,
and texture to dishes.
Seafood, fresh or thawed, fish and scallops,
they don't last long so they're not great for meal prep,
but having them available to cook throughout the week
is easy enough, since they cook so quickly.
Just because a food doesn't last long
doesn't mean you can't design a meal prep
that includes those foods.
Just because you don't like leftovers
doesn't mean you can't meal prep.
The key is learning to meal prep
in a way that works for you.
This is literally what I teach
in my Meal Prep Ignite course, which is closed right now,
but I'll link it below if you wanna check it out
and add your name to the list
so that you can be notified the next time
that it opens up for enrollment.
Eggs, I always have eggs in the fridge.
They are a super easy and fast protein to cook.
Scrambles are a weekly go-to for me,
and I will put a fried egg on almost any dinner.
Canned beans and bean salads are another way
to have protein ready for meals.
You can prep an easy bean salad.
I'll link all of the stuff that you're seeing below,
if you want the specific recipes,
but that bean salad can be used
as any other protein would throughout the week.
Okay, so that is a lot of minimal meal prep protein ideas.
Let's be clear, I am not using all of these things
every single week, I'll choose one or two or maybe three,
depending on how busy I am and how many people
I'm prepping for and what I need that week.
For fat on my plate, we have already got some fat covered.
Most proteins have some fat in them,
so the pulled pork, ground meat, salmon, or eggs,
but I almost always have avocado on my plate,
half of one is perfect for me with a meal.
I know avocado seems like it isn't
a meal prep friendly food, but plastic,
please close your eyes, I put a piece of plastic
on the other half and it will literally stay green
for another one to two days in the fridge.
Storing it with the pit always helps,
so eat that other half first.
Another option is to store half of the avocado
with a wedge of onion.
The sulfur gas helps to keep it from browning.
Or you can just eat it brown.
It tastes fine like that, too,
it just doesn't look as appealing.
I also buy coconut pieces, and I love adding these
to my plate as a fat to snack on with my meal.
For flavor, I have got some go-to seasoning combos.
First, never underestimate the power
of simple salt and pepper.
Some of the best meals are simple,
and salt goes a long way if you know how to use it right.
I teach you that in my Kitchen Confidence course,
where I teach cooking skills as well as
how to cook without recipes.
I discuss this in great detail.
I teach you how to season appropriately
and help you feel more confident in the kitchen
without having to listen to someone else
or follow instructions.
Sometimes, salt and pepper really is enough,
but I have a couple of easy flavor combinations
to switch it up for regular weeknight meals.
One is an Asian-inspired flavor profile,
a simple combination of soy sauce and sesame oil
can transform a plain protein and veggies
to make them taste like a fun and inspiring stir-fry.
I'll also often use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
For a more southwestern-inspired dish,
I'll add a classic combo of salsa, guac and/or sour cream,
and taco seasoning.
For a creamy and rich profile, using mayo as a base
and mixing in some citrus and/or coconut aminos
can elevate the texture and flavor.
Balsamic and olive oil is another super easy combo
that can be added to protein on its own,
or veggies and grains.
And then there's always Christian's favorite, burger night!
It is funny how ketchup and mustard with pickles and mayo
can make just about anything taste like a burger.
Some individual flavors I'll use sauces for
are barbecue sauce and hummus.
Either of those can add flavor and variety
beyond the basic salt and pepper, too.
Okay, so that is kinda my basic minimal prep
and some staples that I'll keep on hand.
How do I use those items throughout the week?
The key to minimal prep working for you
is finding confidence to not need recipes.
And it's not a, some of us have got the magic cooking gene
and some of us don't thing, it is a skill
that can be learned, and I teach that
in my Kitchen Confidence course.
I'm gonna give you four 10-minute meal examples
using minimal prep items in this video,
but you can do so much more than this on your own
because your combinations are endless.
I have a mix and match PDF
that is from my Meal Prep Ignite course
that you can download for free in the description.
It gives inspiration for combining these meal components
in different ways for endless variety.
First, let's do an Asian pork bowl.
My base is cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen rice.
I usually do frozen because I don't have to worry
about it going bad.
I start with onions in a pan with cooking fat
and I let those start to get tender.
In goes the sweet potato cubes because I know
that these are gonna take time to soften.
A few minutes later, I add in my cauliflower rice,
which I prefer frozen and thawed.
While that goes, on another burner,
I have some chopped chicken apple sausage.
or your favorite pork sausage.
It is precooked, but I'm gonna char it up
in some oil or ghee because it adds so much flavor.
My pulled pork is already meal prepped for the week,
so I can add that to my cooked cauliflower rice
and sweet potato mixture, along with some snow peas,
which I know don't need much time, so I'm adding them last,
as well as some sesame oil and soy sauce or coconut aminos.
Let that integrate for a few minutes and get all delicious,
and don't forget to add in that sausage.
Season to taste.
This will depend on your prepped items,
so how salty is your protein?
Are your fresh or frozen veggies pre-seasoned?
This is why you have to learn to salt to taste.
And there is my first meal, the Asian pork bowl.
I've got veggies, proteins, carb, fat,
and delicious flavor in 10 minutes.
Seriously, I prefer this to meal prepping the full meals
because I get a fresh cooked meal at a very little time.
Again, there's no right or wrong.
If you like leftovers, then just spending a minute
reheating the cooked food can work for you.
Spend more time on prep day and less during the week.
I prefer to spend less time on prep day,
I probably spend an hour prepping all
of the items on Sunday, and then I only spend 10 minutes
getting the meal together during the week
because everything's ready to go,
ready to be thrown together, and most importantly,
I am confident that I can make it work
with my basic cooking skills.
Okay, the next meal I'll show you is a chicken burrito bowl.
This one is done as a sheet pan meal,
which is another way I keep meals quick during the week.
I start with pre-chopped broccoli
and then I cut some red onion into wedges on a pan
and season with oil and Trader Joe's chili seasoning blend.
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For protein, I usually use boneless chicken breast
or thighs, I prefer thighs for flavor.
I pat them down with a paper towel.
Getting them dry will help them crisp up a bit more
in the oven, and it's definitely a good idea
with a dry rub, which is essentially what I do
when I sprinkle on some taco seasoning.
How easy is that?
And it can totally go on the same tray as the broccoli.
This is why confidence in the kitchen is important.
Once you understand that it doesn't actually matter
what the oven temperature is, but more importantly,
what you're cooking, what you're pairing it with,
and then how long you need to leave it,
you can pair items together so that they can go
into the same oven at the same time.
In my Kitchen Confidence course, I have a cheat sheet
that shows which veggies and proteins pair well together
and at which temperatures they best cook.
It's pretty cool, but the more confident you get,
the more you won't even need the cheat sheet.
Now, yes, that has to cook for more than 10 minutes
because I want it fresh, but it took like five seconds
to prepare, and I can be doing other stuff while it cooks.
So the payoff for getting to eat a fresh cooked meal
is worth it to me, it might not be to you.
You could totally have those sheet pan items
already cooked on meal prep day and just reheat them.
I just don't prefer to eat my meal prep leftover-style.
While that cooks, I get my meal prepped rice
and heat it on the stove and add a little bit
of lime juice, cilantro, and canned corn,
a super easy addition that took no time
and adds flavor and variety, boom.
And when my sheet pan is done, I can serve my entire meal,
maybe add a little salsa and cotija cheese,
and I have got a Mexican or southwestern-inspired meal.
Okay, next is a salmon salad that is so dang quick.
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I add salt and pepper to my salmon.
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Heat a pan with some ghee and then I get that salmon
in there, skin side up, letting it sear
for about two minutes, and then I just flip it
and let it cook another two minutes or so,
and this really depends on how thick the salmon is
and how rare or done you like it.
I tend to prefer it less done, but it'll only take
another two minutes or so if you want it more done.
While that's cooking, I combine the salad,
which is just arugula, red onion,
which I can either buy chopped in advance or chop that night
if I have the time, some meal prepped butternut squash
that I roasted previously.
I am serving it cold in this salad.
And I top that off with a bit of olive oil and balsamic,
tossing to coat.
Then I add the salmon on top with a lemon and avocado,
and like I said earlier,
I will often put an egg on anything.
I didn't do it here, but a yolky egg on top of salmon
is one of my favorite things.
Plus, on salad, that egg yolk
becomes like a part of the dressing,
which I know is hit or miss for some of you,
but I am all about that yolk.
I have got one more meal to show you today,
and it's a veggie scramble, which I make
almost every single day in some variety.
You can really use whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Today I start with oil and onions in a pan
and let them soften.
Then I add in some other veggies, and just like before,
I'm considerate of how long they're going to take.
So if I'm going to add potatoes or squash,
those will take longer, and I wanna get those in first.
Today, I'm gonna start with broccoli for a few minutes
and then add in bell peppers,
which are softer and need less time.
Confidence in the kitchen will help you make that choice
without needing a recipe, and that makes it easier
to use up vegetable you already have in your fridge.
I am not telling you this so that you'll go
and enroll in my course.
Actually, you can't enroll in either course right now,
because we're not open for enrollment.
But I'm telling you that because once I realized
that having meal prepped food available
wasn't what actually helped me succeed,
but rather it was the confidence
to make the day to day choices and decisions
in the kitchen about what I need and how to cook,
that made a meal prep so much less stressful.
I have got my eggs scrambled in a measuring cup,
and then I add them into the cooked vegetables,
letting the egg cook as it hits the hot pan.
I can top it off with cheese if I want,
or maybe avocado or salsa, it depends on the day,
but this is a great combo for variety,
because you can add in cooked protein
or veggies or any toppings or seasonings,
there are really endless possibilities.
And if you don't want to add carbs into your scramble
like I'm doing today, why not serve some fruit on the side?
I love it.
I hope you'll get creative
with these easy mix and match meal ideas
and that you're finding some inspiration
for a minimal style meal prep that might work better for you
than prepping every single thing.
For most people, prepping everything isn't just more work,
it's also more than they need.
I hate it when I prep food for the week
and then I don't eat it and it's wasted.
It took time and practice for me to realize
that actually prepping less serves me more.
I just had to find the way that worked for me,
and you have to find the way that works for you.
Let me know if you like this kind of video
and wanna see more of it.
I want to start sharing more
about how my own relationship with food and meal prepping
has evolved over the last few years,
because I think it is a much more sustainable way to do it,
and I hope you're open to seeing it.
Remember that you can get the free mix and match download
in the description, and feel free to put your name
on the waitlist for the courses if you're interested
in being notified when they open up again
for enrollment later this year.
I'll be back next week with another video,
and remember, it's all a matter of mind over munch.
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