One of the biggest questions in our household is "what's for dinner?" When asked after a long day when my heels aren't even off yet I succumb to anxiety and defensiveness: "I don't know - what are you making for dinner?" or "Good question!" Alas. But after much back and forth, Sweetie and I have come to an agreement: I'll be responsible for the food if he's responsible for the laundry since this division of labor suits our current strengths.
So, what does this mean for me? It means I need to get my act together! As much as I detest the nitty-gritty and regimen and would prefer to eat whatever sounds best that day, the truth is we need a plan. I'm not alone: from The Fresh 20 to one of my fav blogs "What Would Gwyneth Do?" everyone is talking about "meal planning." We all lead busy lives and need healthy, quick and yummy food to keep us at our best. The key, it seems, is planning for the week ahead and shopping, chopping, and cooking in advance.
Since we're "vegan" now I personally really like Kris Carr's menu planning tips. I put vegan in quotes because for ease of life we rarely, but sometimes, cheat if it's "cheat or starve" - for example while at an expensive Easter brunch with only strawberries and mimosas on the vegan menu and you want to cry because it's 11am and you are ravenous for more than booze and berries. This also fits into Kris' "bad/better/best" concept: do the best you can with what you have. We still stay away from meat but will occasionally partake in a tiny bit of dairy, eggs or fish if we don't have as much control as we'd like over the food served. Anyhow, back to menu planning a la vegan goddess:
1. Flip through cookbooks & choose recipes in advance.
2. Cook double batches & freeze half.
3. Dress up leftovers with wraps, grains & greens.
4. Prep your juice and smoothing ingredients in advance (and make enough for a second serving later in the day).
5. Shop twice per week, for example Sundays and Wednesdays.
6. Keep snacks handy: hummus, nuts, goji berries, etc.
Even better, she gives you a great meal planning worksheet! Thanks, Crazy Sexy. You rock.
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