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5 Things I make when I meal prep

Hey there,

It’s no surprise that planning ahead and being prepared is SO HELPFUL to make better choices.

Today I’d like to invite you into my kitchen and share 5 simple things I make ahead on the regular to make eating healthy easier. Grab your apron and let’s go to work!

1. Sauteed cabbage: If you follow me on Instagram (www.instagram.com/tanja_shaw) you’ll already know about this one. I often share my meals in my stories, and sauteed cabbage is the star of a lot of my lunches.

How I Make It: I sometimes use a food processor but mostly just chop the cabbage by hand. I use a large cutting board, cut the cabbage into quarters, remove the stem, and chop each quarter into long, thin(ish) strips. Some cabbages are tightly packed and are best chopped quite thin. I prefer, if I can find it, the more ‘fluffy’ cabbages. I also find that they taste better.
I heat up my wok or large frying pan on medium high with about 2 tbsp coconut oil. then add the chopped cabbage, season with salt and garlic, and saute until it’s soft. I use tongs to toss the cabbage. Careful not to let it burn; I’ve burned many batches by getting distracted in the kitchen or having it on too high.

 What I Do With It: I use it as a low carb base for pasta dishes or curries. I also warm it up and mix it with mashed avocado and a hard boiled egg for a quick and easy meal.

2. Roasted Cauliflower: I used to make cauliflower rice a lot, but realized that roasting it is just as good and takes fewer steps.
How I Make It: I wash the cauliflower, cut it in half, take out the stem, and then roughly chop it one way, and then the other (I don’t bother making it into florets). Again, I use a large cutting board so I don’t have cauliflower confetti everywhere.
Put on a large baking sheet with a bit of olive or avocado oil (about 1-2 tbsp) , sprinkle with salt and garlic powder, and bake at 375 until it’s cooked to your liking, stirring every 20 minutes or so. I usually bake for about 30 minutes, and then turn off the oven and leave the cauliflower in the oven. It gets nice and soft that way, which I like.

 What I Do With It: I love warmed up roasted cauliflower mixed into my salads (with avocado dressing, and nutritional yeast). It’s also great as a base for other dishes like chili or stews. Or as a side for anything else you’re making!

3. Roast Beef: My son eats ham and cheese sandwiches most days at school. For a slight edge improvement (less processed food) and for a lower cost alternative, we started roasting meat and slicing it up for lunch.

 How I Make It: Sprinkle the roast with salt and garlic, then sear it in high-heat oil (I use coconut oil). Put the roast on a pan with some water (I used an 8 x 8 brownie pan) and bake at 350 until it’s done to your liking. I use a meat thermometer to tell when it’s done and I roast it until it’s rare. Once it’s cool and sliced, the roast is a nice pinkish colour, and not really that rare as it cooks more as it cools.

 What I Do With It: Sandwiches, quesadillas, or chopped up into salads.

4. Hummus: Hummus has been a staple food for my husband, and instead of buying it, I now make it. I still haven’t perfected the recipe (it might help if I actually measured the ingredients instead of eyeballing them!), but follow something like this: https://www.inspiredtaste.net/15938/easy-and-smooth-hummus-recipe/
I used to make hummus a lot in my early 20s and often used peanut butter instead of tahini. It makes the hummus a bit nutty. I like it.

 What to Do WIth It: Use as a dip for veggies or spread for sandwiches. I also mix it with mashed avocado to make a creamy salad dressing.

5. Hard Boiled Eggs: They take no introduction; hard boiled eggs are a staple in my diet.

 How I Make It: Put eggs in a pot with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Once the water boils, turn off the stove and let the eggs and water cool.

What I Do With It: I mostly add hard boiled eggs to salads or to sauteed cabbage. They are also great standalone food, or you can put it in a wrap.

There you have it; a little insider’s look at my regular meal prep. I hope this has inspired you to keep up your meal prep or to start doing a few things to make eating healthy EASIER.

I’d also love to know, what’s one thing you regularly make?
-Tanja x