Sunday seems like the most popular day to meal prep, but I seem to get my best work done on Tuesdays or Wednesdays or Thursdays… or days that aren’t Sunday. Mid-week meal prep suits our current schedule, as Sunday nights are often reserved for commutes back to the city from the Cape, frantic searches for missing lunch boxes, and dining on popcorn and apple sauce (for me… don’t worry, the kids are always well fed) while I stare into a nearly empty fridge.
I got all of this (fairly simple, hardly impressive) prep done during baby Nick’s hour and a half nap on Wednesday, with the exception of the muffins, which Grace and I made together this afternoon.
And with that… here’s what I prepped this week, along with a few (non-popcorn) menu ideas.
MID-WEEK MEAL PREP + MENU IDEAS
In the pot: My 900th batch of Sprouted Kitchen’s everyday lentil soup. I’m pretty sure it’s called everyday lentil soup because you’ll want to eat it every day (eternal thanks to my friend Laura for sharing the recipe). If you’re in the market for some lemon pepper, I use Frontier Co-Op (found it at WFM) and love it. (You know, as much as one could love lemon pepper… or whatever.) Other things I love: this cast iron dutch oven.
For breakfasts and snacks, I made a few jars of Lee Holmes’ Energizing Chai Chia Breakfast Pudding from the Naturally, Danny Seo website (scroll down on this link for the recipe). I skipped the stevia and used almonds and walnuts (no cashews in the house… that’s going to be the title of my next jam). Semi-related: this magazine is so beautifully designed.
These are my usual (meal prep) suspects: chopped vegetables, cooked quinoa + a salad (cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, Crave Brothers perline mozzarella, fresh basil). I stocked up on these glass, 4 cup Pyrex containers at Target in February, but I believe they’re still available online.
While the soup was simmering and I was chopping vegetables, I threw a few sweet potatoes in the oven (pierce with a fork, bake at 400 degrees F for 45-ish minutes). I like to reheat these and top with lentils and/or black beans, salsa and some shredded pepper jack for a quick and satisfying lunch or dinner. The kids love them mashed up a bit with a pinch of cinnamon.
And last, but not least, best my mini chef and I made a batch of mini flourless banana and chocolate chip muffins (and a half batch with blueberries instead of chocolate). I goofed around with the recipe a bit and forgot to take notes, but I have a feeling we’ll be making these again very soon. Like… maybe tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ve heard good things about these recipes from Clean Food Crush and Averie Cooks (both are gluten free).
Oh… and popcorn.
Also On Tap for Today:
- The 5 Vegetarian Blogs I Read Every Day from The Kitchn
- Real gymnastics class + also the thing that happens when both kids discover that jumping off the sofa is so fun
- 10 Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas from Domestikated Life
What is your favorite make-ahead meal?
