3 P's of Efficient Meal Prep

thekitchengirl.com The Kitchen Girl® 3 P's of Efficient Meal Prep

When the 3 P's happen...THIS awesomeness happens...even on a busy weeknight!

When we do the 3 P's, we naturally...

Do LESS of this

wonder "what's for dinner...?" rely on instant food dine out too often overspend our food budget

And MORE of this eat...a decent meal...at a decent hour cut down cook times on busy days control our ingredients save $$$ The Kitchen Girl® 3 P's of Efficient Meal Prep

#1 Purge The Fridge (weekly)

"When in doubt...throw it out!"

A) Each week (before you grocery shop), purge your fridge by tossing expired perishables to make room for new. If you have any doubt about the edibility of an item, throw it away. The reward is not worth the risk when it comes to food safety and your health.

B) Once you've purged the fridge, take note of the perishables you have on hand (veggies, fruits, animal products) to avoid overspending and unnecessary spoilage.

TKG Tip: Label refrigerated food items with the date opened/made to remove the question "How old is this?" The Kitchen Girl® 3 P's of Efficient Meal Prep side note... When the 3 P's happen...THIS happens! Even on a busy weeknight!

(click for recipe)

Eat The Rainbow Kale Beet Power Salad The Kitchen Girl® 3 P's of Efficient Meal Prep

#2 Plan Your Approach (weekly)

...and make your time and money work for you!

1. Create a rotation of your fav, healthy, EASY, recipes. * 2. Pick two that you will make on a given week. 3. Select recipes that cross-utilize ingredients. 4. Plan to make either/ both recipes before the busy week kicks off, or prep ingredients ahead.

1. Build your grocery list around the two recipes. 2. Grocery shop ahead of your food prep date...not the day of. 3. Pad your 3 P strategy with familiar, convenient options (as a backup...always have a reasonable backup). * NOTE Start with TWO recipes if you're new to the 3 P's. Add more when you get more comfortable with it

TKG Tip: DON'T force yourself to buy or eat something unfamiliar b/c you heard it was healthy. Have a strategy in place...like a yummy recipe from your pal, The Kitchen Girl. The Kitchen Girl® 3 P's of Efficient Meal Prep side note... When the 3 P's happen...THIS happens! Even on a busy weeknight!

(click for recipe)

MEATLESS BURRITO BOWLS The Kitchen Girl® 3 P's of Efficient Meal Prep

#3 Prep Ahead (weekly)

True Story...

If we invest a little thought and time up front, we spend LESS time struggling to prepare great meals and MORE time enjoying them...and each other.

Here is our general Sunday FOOD PREP list. We use the two recipes we've committed to as the guide for what tasks we'll tackle before the week kicks off:

Make-ahead salads and dressings (for lunch/dinner) Cook grains (Brown rice, whole-grain pasta, or quinoa) Cook proteins (poultry, beef, pork, tofu, or tempe) Prep produce (wash, chop, slice, refrigerate)

If you prep your meal components ahead of time, you can assemble recipes on the fly when it's GO time.

TKG Tip: Don't expect to rock the 3 P's out of the gate. Give yourself time...you'll be a pro with a little practice! The Kitchen Girl® 3 P's of Efficient Meal Prep

About The Kitchen Girl®

Smart eating happens on TKG’s food blog where Traci (The Kitchen Girl) publishes original, healthy recipes emphasizing MORE plant-based ingredients and LESS processed foods.

She writes recipes and recommends kitchen tools that will help you “eat the rainbow” using simple, familiar ingredients that won't break the bank...or your palate.

For TKG's healthy, 30-minute recipes, visit thekitchengirl.com

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