Sunday Night Prep

One thing that makes my week SOOOO  much easier is prepping for it on Sunday. While this may seem like a hassle at first, over time it becomes second nature to your weekend routine. Sunday night has become my prep night for the week.  If I spend a couple hours Sunday night getting ready for the week, it’s pretty much a given that we will eat clean, healthy meals the rest of the week.  Since we were out of town last week, I came home and cleaned out the refrigerator completely before heading to the store.  Now it’s safe to show you the inside.

REFRIGERATOR AND PANTRY CLEAN OUT:
Before heading to the store I clean everything out.  Check what I have and don’t have and make a list.  I don’t do much meal planning, I would love to one day, but for now I have my staple items I pick up and then if I decide to try something new I’ll make another trip to the store later in the week.
PUTTING AWAY GROCERIES:
There are a few things I do to make the rest of the week easier when I’m putting away the groceries.  This takes some time to do, but it’ll save you so much time throughout the week!  If you clean and slice everything when you first get home you don’t have to constantly clean the cutting board, knives, and colander, and the fresh fruits and vegetables are easier to snack since they are ready to eat!

• Fill the sink with water and distilled white vinegar mixture (about 10 parts water to 1 part vinegar) and rinse all the fruit and vegetables, and rinse everything.  Then set it on a towel to dry.  I rinse berries in a colander separate since they are so soft.  Or you can make the Dr. Oz Produce wash to clean everything.
• Slice and chop anything that needs to be, and place them all in separate bowls so they are easy to grab for snacks, salad, or to throw in the juicer or blender.
• I like to cut celery into about 4″ sticks and place it in some water so it stays crisp
• Breaking down garlic will save to lots of time throughout the week.  I love garlic in everything and it’s easier to use when the cloves are separated and cleaned.
• Marinate all meats (chicken, fish, beef) and place them in freezer bags. The ones that will be used immediately (within 3 days) can stay in the fridge will the rest can be stored in the freezer. The night before you are planning on eating meat, simply toss a frozen bag into the fridge to thaw it out. 

-Clean Eating in College