Two of my big (but easy) resolutions
this year:
1. Spend less money than I make
2. Eat more veggies
The first seems simple enough. I’ve
been pretty lazy about following a budget this past year, turns out when you
don’t budget it’s easy to spend more than you actually have…oops!
The second, is something we can all
get better at, right? I’ve already been eating a plant-based and gluten-free
diet for a few years now, so plants and I are best buds. I love it and want to take it further; by
cutting back on snackie foods, that are heavy on corn; like chips, crackers,
gluten-free bread and replace it with less processed things, like veggies.
Easy enough, right?
Turns out many of the things I was
already doing can help me out with both goals:
Minimalist meal planning + batch cooking
If you eat dinner at home five nights a week,
spending 15 minutes doing a little planning can save you at least
five hours a week – no joke. Meal
planning takes a few minutes of thought, and roughly 2-3 hours in the kitchen
on a weekend. Split it up over two days
at an hour or so each, easy right? The
results are well worth it, saving time, money and energy.
Now, you might be thinking, I don’t eat a
plant based diet. If you want to, this is not a guide on how to go plant-based,
there’s many resources out there for that.
And even if you don’t want to eat a plant-based (aka ‘vegan’) diet, you
can follow this simple guide to eat more veggies + add in all the animal
products you like.
Cool?
Let’s roll…here’s how to do it and keep your
head from spinning:
1. A pantry stocked with the
basics
Check out my minimalist pantry list,
nothing weird. Well, except nutritional yeast. If you’re already a fan of
dairy-free milk, this’ll be your friend to replace anything you would have used
Parmesan cheese on.
2. Map out your meals
This is a map, not a plan. If you like
prescribed meal plans that tell you precisely what to eat; half a cup of rice,
6 almonds, 8 leaves of lettuce, then spin in a circle 6 times and pat yourself
on the head, stop reading this guide right now. This is a loose, easy, but
effective way to get more home-cooked food (with less fuss) into your belly.
Start with dinner, how many dinners will you
be home for this week?
Survey the fridge and pantry for items you need to
use up or restock. Dust off your favorite cookbooks, think about what’s in
season, what you’ve been craving, or browse my barefoot kitchen to
pick your dinners for the week then make a list of the dinners you want to eat. Check out the
meal mapping template to keep you organized. Once you decide on
dinner, the rest falls into place. Dinner turns into mix + match leftovers for
happy lunches.
The best way to avoid
veggies going bad is to eat them.
Inspiration starts with fresh + local produce. My plan begins with my weekly produce delivery, which when I lived in Milton came from Plan
B Organics. A few days in advance, I’m notified of
what’s included in my order. I work every item of fresh local organic goodness
into healthy meals for the week. Because I paid for it, I refuse to waste it! Ordering a produce box will save money
because the food stays fresher, longer. No joke. Kale will last 10 days in the
fridge. Here are 16 more reasons to order a produce box.
4.
The pre-game
- Soak beans if using dried
- Make (free) veggie stock if
making your own
- wash + dry leafy greens + herbs (a salad spinner is your
best friend), wrap in towels
- peel carrots, chop or shred them for easy use to throw into
salads, stir fry’s, sauces or smoothies
- freeze bananas (peel, break into chunks, put into a baggie + freeze) for smoothies
- leave the following alone until you’re ready to use: beets,
onions, tomatoes, fruit
5. The Big Cook
This is where the fun begins. When you get home from the store,
crank some tunes, put on a movie, meditate…whatever floats your boat + get to
work.
- roast veggies like chopped carrots, broccoli, cauliflower,
squash, potatoes, root veggies
- rice and/or quinoa – cook a big batch for the week (2-3 cups
dry) – use for curries, rice bowls, soup, burritos, salads
- soup – make a big batch of soup; squash, potato leek, stew, are
all easy and keep well in the fridge
- dips – bean
dip, hummus, nut
cheese
- sauces – tomato
sauce, pesto
6. Ready,
set, assemble!
Once these cooked + ready-to-go foods are in
your fridge; your kitchen becomes a healthy
fast food restaurant. Mix + match all your prepped items – hummus goes on
pasta, as a snack for chopped veggies, or in a sandwich or wrap. You can even
mix it with roasted potatoes; add some chopped kale + you’ve got a satiating
lunch. Rice can be a base for a quick stir fry or stirred into soups to make
them more filling. This is where you’ll tap into your creativity; even if you thought you weren’t the creative type.
meal map inspiration
breakfast
- spinach, blueberries, banana, chia, cinnamon, water, cocoa
powder, peanut butter
- kale, cucumber, kiwi, mango, flax, water
- spinach, broccoli stems, banana, apple, water, hemp
seeds
- romaine, pear, parsley, mango, hemp seeds, water
- overnight oats – quick cooking oats stirred with water or
plant-based milk, nut/seed butter, chia/flax, honey, nuts – refrigerate
overnight and it’s ready to eat in the morning – heat it up if you like.
- banana burrito breakfast
dinner
I realize dinner is listed before lunch. This
is because I start with dinner, cook more than you need and you will always
have easy + healthy lunch options
·
fajita salad – beans, greens, tomato, avocado, cilantro, lime,
peppers, onions
·
portobellos with roasted carrots and mashed potatoes
lunch
leftovers rule – improvise leftovers from dinner to mix + match
for lunch
·
curried
squash over salad
·
kale,
pesto, chickpea, hemp seed salad
·
salad
with shredded carrots, beets, walnuts, avocado
·
black
bean and rice soup
·
bean
burgers, avocado and tomato over mixed greens
·
portobellos
in lettuce or collard wraps
·
pureed
cauliflower or broccoli soup
more time for things
you love – 8 reasons to become a batch cooking mama
1. only have to clean bulky things like
the food processor once a week
2. no roasting pans to wash
3. little to no pots and pans to wash,
only use them during the week for making pasta or reheating
4. less cleanup – cutting board is
cleaner, knives stay clean
5. leftovers are easily assembled for
lunches
6. easy to customize all meals to each
family members tastes or needs
7. oven is only used once a week, saves
energy
8. less cooking splatters on your clothes
means less laundry
The prep and cook usually takes me 2-3
hours on a weekend for a hungry plant-strong family of
four. The satisfaction when I’m done and have a fridge full of
ready-to-eat food is HUGE. So is coming home from work hungry, and being able
to assemble + heat dinner in 5 minutes.
Jacq would love to live in a world
where green juice flows from taps, going barefoot is totally cool, + homes
downsize instead of up-size.
Plant-based cook + urban-minimalist,
her un-fussy food and minimalist musings have been featured on Kris Carr, Happy
Herbivore + Mint.com to name a few.
When she's not simplifying busy
people’s plates + getting more fresh whole foods people, you can find her
devouring books on food + culture,
flipping tractor tires like a boss (and whining about it later) + indulging in
red wine with a hunk of raw chocolate.
She'll show you how to re-connect with
food + un-fuss everything about your cooking + home, so you can have a more
experience-rich life.
