Meal Prep: Week of January 1

These past few months, I’ve been a complete and utter mess, totally off my meal plan and not taking the best care of myself. The holidays are always a rough time to get back on track, so I decided to just hold off until after Christmas to sort myself out.

In the past, I never attempted to meal prep. I usually found myself throwing random things into my lunch bag in the morning, then running out the door. Sometimes that led to odd combinations and lots of cold lunches. I’d like to have a hot midday meal without having to deal with dicey choices at fast food restaurants, so I’m giving prepping a try!

Below is what I’ve put together for this week. I am not prepping dinners at this time because I actually enjoy cooking in the evening, but that may be something I try in the future. In addition to the items below, I also have snacks like almonds and string cheese on hand.

Nutritional information below is per serving, based upon the information found on myfitnesspal.

Breakfast Casserole

This is a hearty breakfast dish that I’ve been making for quite a while. It’s super easy to make and reheats well. I divided it into 8 portions, but I almost think those might be too large. This makes a great brunch dish, too, topped with a bit of salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

Servings: 8
Calories: 633
Protein: 29 g
Net Carbs: 6
Fat: 57 g

Antipasto Salad

I’m obsessed with this salad. It makes a great side dish or snack. I used Kalamata olives, black olives, and cheddar cheese stuffed olives, but any variation works. I also switch up the salad dressings from time to time to give it a different flavor. I used Olive Garden Italian this time, but garlic peppercorn dressing from Aldi is also a low carb fave.

Servings: 10
Calories: 273
Protein: 12 g
Net Carbs: 3
Fat: 23 g

Garden Salad

Not the most exciting item in the world, but I always like to keep salad on hand. I usually just make a giant bowl with random ingredients, then measure out a cup or two, depending upon how hungry I am. This time, I measured and weighed out each ingredient. Carbs from veggies are healthy, but can quickly add up. I’m not strickly going keto at this time, but I do want to keep my daily carbs around 25.

Servings: 6
Calories: 276
Protein: 8 g
Net Carbs: 6
Fat: 23 g

Pork Meatballs with Tomato and Cabbage

My intention when I bought these ingredients was to make cabbage rolls, but this was an easier option. I sauteed the cabbage in some bacon grease and baked the meatballs in diced tomatoes. Tomatoes are a higher carb item and I didn’t pay close enough attention to the nutritional information when I was shopping. I’ll be on the lookout for a better canned tomato option in the future. I may try using Mid’s pasta sauce.

Servings: 4
Calories: 433
Protein: 18 g
Net Carbs: 8
Fat: 35 g

Shredded Chicken with Green Beans

Chicken tends to dry out when reheated, so I wanted to use some sort of sauce. Next time I’ll probably go with sugar free barbecue sauce, but I chose an A1 marinade this time. I baked the chicken with salt and pepper, shredded it, then poured the marinade on after it was cooked.

Servings: 4
Calories: 185
Protein: 27 g
Net Carbs: 6
Fat: 5 g

I’m excited to see how this week goes! I’ll be back to logging my food on myfitnesspal, if you’re interested in seeing my food diary.

Have you ever tried meal planning?