Meal Prep Made Easy For Families

When I started working out I knew I needed to change how I was eating.  Its so much easier said than done though, especially when you need to cook and provide meals for your family as well. My hate for cooking grew as my husband was deployed and I became a mother to three. I started to prep so I could go to the gym in the evening and not need to still make dinner when I got home. Along the way I have learned a couple tips and tricks that I can share with anyone who wants to meal prep but struggles on knowing where to start.

Before I get into details about what I eat, you should know that I do not meal prep to loose weight and I do not count macros. I strictly meal prep to avoid wasting money and my health in the drive thru at Taco Bell. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

First I get a lot of inspiration on Pinterest. Actually, even when I was not meal prepping I would find recipes to cook for my family on there. So naturally I use it now to look up meal prep recipes. You can type in anything you like, for example you could search "Chicken Taco Bowl Meal Prep" and a ton of recipes will pop up. Pick your fave and follow the recipe. I promise, its that easy. 

I look for recipes that will make A LOT of food because I am feeding five people. So things that have rice, or even whole grain pasta. I also try to look for things that are similar to things our daughters like to eat but healthier versions. For example they really like pasta salad, so for a lunch prep I have made a protein pasta salad that was super simple. 

-high protein pasta (found in Walmart pasta isle)

-Grilled or baked chicken

-tomatoes and cucumbers

-low fat Italian dressing

Its fast to make, taste good and last at least a week in the fridge! 

I also like to keep my recipes as simple as I can. When I first started I was making these elaborate meals, which were super tasty but they took SO LONG to prep. I was not into cooking for hours, then putting them into containers for just as long. I am just too lazy for all that when it comes to cooking. Now, I keep my meals very, very simple. Tasty but easy.

Find durable tupperware. I found some meal prep containers at a store in my town, but you can also find them on amazon I am sure. Make sure they are microwavable!! These are great because they stack well in your fridge and lunch boxes. If you cant find these you could use any durable plastic ware you find in the store. I have even made a large meal and just stored it in a big container in the fridge, we'd just take some out as we got hungry and needed a meal. 

When it comes to feeding my toddlers, I always make a bit extra so I can offer them what I am eating. They don't always want it so I make sure I have some of their favorite things to eat too. I mean come on, were moms we know the struggle on getting these little monsters to eat. They don't want whats on their plate, only whats on yours. 

Meal prepping can look intimidating but it really pays off during the week. I used to prep all three meals, but now I just stick to lunch and dinner. Less prep to make at once, and less waste when it comes to throwing meals out. We arent huge breakfast eaters in my home but if you are there are some great recipes online that you can try out. If I do breakfast my go to is - boiled eggs, fruit and a protein shake.

You will need to alter your eating plan to what your specific goals are when it comes to your body and fitness regime. Start with simple, easy to make meals and then grow from there. Once you do it for a few weeks you will start to find your grove and your favorite meals to prep and eat!

sunday | Pits and Peaks

I think I am going to dedicate my post on Sunday's as a review of the week. The pit and the peak of things that happened around here. As you saw in my post from yesterday, Saturdays will be "Small Biz Saturday" and will feature different BOSS ladies that I know running their own home based businesses. The cool thing about these post will be the stories each lady has behind her business, their WHY. So I hope you stick around to read their stories and maybe you'll find something new to try when it comes to a small biz! 

The PITS

-My husband had to spend his Saturday doing funeral detail for a veteran who passed away.

-I have two kids teething which leads to grumpy little ones.

-Doctors appointments for my Crohns Disease. They are always a pain in the butt. Literally.

-The heat. Even though I grew up in the desert, I dont enjoy 99% humidity and 90 degree weather.

-I didnt get to go to the gym near as much as I would have liked to. 

The PEAKS

-We had a BLAST at the Fort Bragg Fourth of July celebration! They had an awesome Golden Knights jump and flag/cannon presentation. Fair food and the best part- a Chase Rice concert. Yes lawd. We walked back to our car directly under the fireworks, it was a neat experience to see them that close, but loud- very, very loud. 

-My Crohns Disease is being managed very well with my new medication. My inflammation levels were normal. 

-We started looking for a new home, goodbye apartment living!

The great thing about 'weeks' are you get to restart them, what was your week like and what are you doing to have more peaks than pits? I am going to be sure I work out more this week and try to stay cool by the pool!

Small Biz Saturday | Scentsy Lady

My husband is in the military, which means we move, A LOT! As a spouse it can be hard to have a career of my own and I found this out a few years ago upon our move to a new base. We were living in El Paso, Texas and the language barrier was REAL. It was impossible to find a job if you did not speak Spanish, we were struggling to pay bills and living check to check. We didn'
t have babies at this time and I desperately wanted to work. I sent resume after resume, even tried to go back to school in a different field. Nope, none of it worked and I was STILL unemployed. This was a hard pill to swallow for someone who just left a great job in another state.

A friend of mine started an in home business called Scentsy. I had no idea what it was and even though she had talked to me about it and joining her team I really had no desire to. A few months went by and I finally gave in, I NEEDED an income. I NEEDED to help my husband. To my surprise my business really took off, selling one thousand dollars worth of product in my first month! I built a team of nineteen wax slingers, promoted one step under Director and then quit.

Yep. You read that right. I gave up.

I had two babies, a husband in the military, a disease and no motivation to make the sales I needed to stay a consultant. So I stopped trying. I went inactive. Last year I decided to sign back up. I cant help but kick myself when I think about where I could be right now had I never thrown in the towel. If i never got inside my own head and told myself I couldn't do it anymore. YOU become your thoughts. They are so powerful. My sponsor just went on a PAID vacation to South Africa because of Scentsy. She quit her job as a nurse because she was able to from her monthly commissions. I strive to be there one day!

IF you have animals or garbage stank in the house, I have something to help. Gross gym bag? Check. Toddlers in the car? Got that too! Laundry piling up, you guessed it- I can help! IF you dream to be your own boss, and run your own business I can help you get there! I know how to sling wax, build teams, things you NEED to thrive. Home based businesses are great for military spouses because no matter where you live or move- your business goes with you. Stop looking for new jobs and start being the employer!