Meal Planning and Prep for a Busy Week
Next week is going to be my first week back to classes, and I’ve been trying my best to prepare for it. I’ve got a pretty heavy workload this semester, and it’s kind of stressing me out. Don’t get me wrong—I’m really excited for my classes, but I’m also nervous about how I’m going to manage it all. So, I did what I always do when I’m stressed: I planned. I made a meal plan for this week, which I usually do, but this time I made sure to focus on a weekly meal that fits my class schedule. I also picked out some recipes to prep this weekend. Usually I don’t meal prep, but as I said, my classes are kind of crazy. I’m hoping that by sticking to my weekly meal prep, I can spend the week not having to worry too much about what’s for dinner.
As someone who works out in the mornings and has no time for breakfast, I decided to try out these meal prep breakfast sandwiches this week. They’re simple enough to make and can be stored in the freezer, then microwaved for a quick breakfast. For lunch, I’m making my “Salad Bar.” I just prep some salad vegetables and store them in separate plastic containers. I usually do arugula, lettuce, sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, grated carrots, and sometimes roasted cauliflower or sweet potato. I’ve learned that adding paper towels on top of the arugula and lettuce helps them last longer. Sometimes I’ll also make some chicken breast or shrimp for protein. I then store everything in the fridge with my homemade dressing, making sure they’re on a shelf that’s easy to reach. That way, my family can make their own salads for lunch whenever they get home. It’s honestly been a game-changer. Everyone can mix and match their own salads and change it up every day. Having these vegetables prepped in the fridge is also a great help when I’m making a side salad for dinner.
For this week’s dinners, I have four different meals planned. The first is a recipe my grandmother used to make. It’s like a meatball mix except instead of forming it into balls, she spreads it flat in a baking dish. She then tops it off with some sliced tomatoes and ghee and bakes it in the oven. It’s her version of meatloaf. I usually serve it with white rice and a salad. For this week, I plan to make a double batch of it on Sunday and have it for dinner on Monday too. On Tuesday, I plan to make a roast chicken with a tray of carrots and potatoes and a side salad. I’ll marinate the chicken beforehand, then just pop it in the oven when I get home. On Wednesday, I plan to make my quick and easy chicken stir-fry with a side of white rice. I pack the stir-fry with veggies like zucchini, carrots, and broccoli, then pull everything together with a simple stir-fry sauce. Finally, for Thursday’s dinner, I’ll make meatball subs—a family favorite. I use the same meatball recipe I used in my Tahini Meatballs, and I always make my own marinara. Especially in a simple dish like this, making the sauce from scratch takes it to the next level.
And that’s about all I have planned for this week. I’m going to take a few hours this weekend to prep the veggies, the breakfast sandwiches, and a few things for dinner. I’ll make sure to update you guys next week on how this week goes. I hope this post gave you some inspiration for your weekly meal plan too. Stay tuned for updates on how this plan works out!
