Meal-planning and prep takes work, but once you get in a groove it's like a lightbulb going off and it's the easiest thing in the world. The key is routine, honestly. I do most of mine on Sunday, generally after dinner. I have a TV with DVR & AppleTV in my kitchen, so I either treat myself to a movie or watch something I've DVR'd during the week while I prep, so that makes time go by a LOT quicker.
I basically shop for protein once every two-three weeks (unless there's something REAL specific I want - like shrimp or steak) - and usually in bulk. I split everything up into 1-2-3 portion servings (depending on the protein) or by pound and I make a checklist that hangs on my cabinet by the fridge:
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As I use things, I check them off. I tend to only buy vegetables fresh or a day or two MAX in advance. I've found that I've drastically reduced waste this way, and enjoy the freshest vegetable offerings, plus it's almost guaranteed that I'm going to be in the mood for that, say, asparagus instead of thinking that I'll want asparagus on Friday when it's Sunday. The only things I buy in advance are lunch/snack vegetables. So, generally the night before, I'll pull something out of the freezer to start thawing and then will make a plan for what sides I want.
I make dinner from scratch - it's usually a protein and two different colors of vegetables ... if I'm grilling, I cook them on the grill (like glazed carrots or brussels sprouts), or I have no problem being lazy and using a frozen bag of steamer vegetables. I try to avoid lots of carbs or starch, so I'll do something like rice every other day. I cook dinner Monday through Friday, and I usually grill or smoke some form of meat one night on the weekend (like burgers, or smoked chicken wings).
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On Sundays, I meal prep breakfast, lunch and salad/snack vegetables:
Breakfast options could be:
+ Oatmeal
+ Muffins
+ Hard-boiled eggs
+ Roasted sweet potatoes
+ Diced vegetable mix for microwave egg white "omelette"
Lunch options are generally either:
+ Smoke a turkey breast (so I don't have to buy lunchmeat)
+ Pressure cook a whole chicken (same reason as the turkey)
+ Tomatoes and basil to go with cottage cheese
Vegetables/Fruits:
+ Wash, spin dry and chop lettuce
+ Slice cucumbers and separate into baggies for grab-and-go
+ Separate baby carrots into baggies for grab-and-go
+ Dice onions, save for cooking
+ Dice bell peppers, save for cooking
+ Deal with any melons (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, etc. - I chop those up and store them in a big Pyrex bowl with a lid)
+ Rinse off all berries, grapes, etc.
Snacks:
+ Slice up cheese and portion
+ Slice up and portion any cured meat (summer sausage, salami, etc.)
+ Portion nuts for grab-and-go
+ Make snack salads for the week (cucumber and tomato, quinoa, pasta, etc.)
If I think I'm going to cook something in the Crockpot in the next three days, I may go ahead and put that together in a liner bag - like boneless, skinless chicken thighs, a whole sliced onion, some spices and a jar of salsa ... 4-6 hours later, shredded chicken for tacos! Or use barbecue sauce instead of salsa, and you've got bbq chicken to either go on a bun or (my favorite) over a baked potato.
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I really don't discriminate between fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, honestly. They're both just fine. Like - smoothies ... I normally just get frozen mixed berries for those.
I also try to clean out my spice cabinet every few months, but I keep this little list hung on the inside and when I run out of something, I highlight it. I just did a cleanout today, so you can see all the things I need to buy tomorrow:
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I also have a grocery spreadsheet that I use sometimes, but lately I've just been using the Post-It system (similar to my meat list) ... I have Post-Its hanging on my cabinet for the three stores I go to (Mexican Grocery, Whole Foods/Central Market/Hipster Grocery and Tom Thumb/Kroger/Regular Grocery) - and when I run out of something (peanut butter, milk, butter, shred cheese), I just put it on the Post-It so I can just grab that and take it with me when I go to the store.
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Anyway. Find something that rewards you for meal prepping and planning ... for me, it's a movie and booze. And then everything is done except for whatever I make for dinner! You could even prep whole vegetables in advance (like cleaning and cutting broccoli crowns, snapping green beans, etc.) if you plan to consume them in the next couple of days. I've found the life-span of most "altered" vegetables is about 3-4 days before they get questionable, and that's usually in Pyrex or freezer bags.
The other key is liking to cook - which I do! And also it helps if you don't mind being a bit of a creature of habit, which I am.