Noa's Notes: Meal Planning For The Week
As CEO, mom, wife, friend and all other roles I play, it can be hard to have three healthy balanced meals for breakfast on the go, lunch at work, and dinner with the family everyday. Meal prepping has been a real game changer for me and really helps me start my week off right. I recently discovered a local farm that delivers weekly to our house, combined with an essentials list I try to have on hand in my fridge and pantry, I find I can get through the week with healthy recipes that don’t make me feel like I am on the merry go round of the same boring meals every day.
Whether I forgot to set an alarm, am getting the kids out the door, or I am hopping out of the shower to go to work, I have my go to adorable-even-though-I-am-late outfit. I love the Sydney Tank and Rockell Tights in Glacier Marble, because they go with any color sweater, and are so #adorable!
On Sundays I stock up and cook staples that I know will last through the week. My go to’s are beans, quinoa, roasted veggies, and a whole roasted chicken. It takes some time, but with my 3 year old and my 6 year old helping me, time flies and is a nice way to spend time together in the kitchen.
I usually like to get my workout in in the morning, so I like to have a couple jars of Overnight Oats in the fridge. These are great because you can customize them with your fave toppings and mix it up so you do not get bored of eating the same thing. Right now my fave combo is coconut flakes, almonds and fresh berries. Checkout this recipe.
A great lunch option that is a crowd pleaser for everyone is Chicken Fajita bowls. I sub the rice for quinoa and also add some sweet potato to add extra substance. These are great because I can make a bunch of them, put them in glass containers and will last for a couple of days. I warm it up in the microwave or even eat at room temp. This recipe is great!
Another vegetarian option is a kale bowl over quinoa, to get my veggies and grains in, and it is super yummy! The Beauty Chef just came out with their cookbook, that has a recipe for everyone. Their Kale Bowl with Quinoa, Fermented Vegetables, Wakame, and Avocado is a personal fav because I can throw it in a tupperware and my husband Bryan and I can munch on it at work.
During the winters, I love to put the crockpot on before I head to work, and when I get home, a yummy warm meal is there to greet me. The kids love it too! I like to serve this apricot ginger chicken dish over a bed of baby kale and add some other roasted veggies like brussel sprouts, green beans, beetroot and bell pepper. This recipe is my go-to for delicious chicken in the crockpot.
Still need some ideas for how you can better meal plan for the week? Here is a quick list of my must have’s that I make sure are on my list when I do my Sunday shopping for the week:
- Pantry: brown rice, quinoa, black beans, canned tuna, vegetable broth, chia seeds, oats
- Fruits/Veggies: Sweet potato, avocado, bananas, plenty of greens and whatever looks best and brightest for fruits
- Protein: Almond milk, Eggs, Whole Chicken, Ground Turkey, Almonds, Walnuts
- Freezer: frozen spinach and other leafy greens, frozen berries
- Spices/Oils: Bragg’s aminos and apple cider vinegar, avocado oil, tahini, coconut oil, olive oil, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar