MCLV Mange: Sunday Prep

How did everyone like Kyle’s Paleo Lifestyle post on Tuesday? Not only do I love hearing from people who are also passionate about food, health, and nutrition, I love to learn about new ways of eating and the benefits people experience after making healthy lifestyle changes. So on that healthy living note, I’d like to share a little bit about how I prepare for my week on the food front.

One of the major changes in my routine that accompanied my decision to eat a healthier, plant-based diet a few years ago was that I started to consistently spend Sundays shopping, cooking, and prepping. Once I decided that I wanted to make better, healthier daily choices, I realized how important it was to have healthy options available to myself at all times in my apartment, purse, and even at my office.

This means more than just keeping my pantry and desk drawers stocked with basics, it also means grocery shopping or going to the Farmer’s Market on weekends and preparing food to be eaten during the course of the week. Some of it is as easy and cutting up carrots and celery sticks to be eaten with hummus for snacks, while other times I cook batches of vegetables or quinoa, or make entrées entirely in advance.

I love sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli, carrots, squash, celery, spinach & kale, zucchini, peas, corn, beans – basically anything fresh, organic, and in-season that I can get my hands on at the grocery store or the Farmer’s Market.

My usual way of preparing vegetables is to roast or sautee them in olive oil, Bragg’s Amino Acids, or Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki and spices. Sometimes I’ll just pile vegetable after vegetable into the pot, and sometimes I’ll feel like cooking everything separately.

During the week I subsist primarily on fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, and nuts. For one or two meals a week I’ll eat either a soy-based protein source like tofu or another non-meat protein source like tempeh or seitan. I’ll also eat quinoa, brown rice, lentils, rolled-oats, and/or groats a couple of times a week, usually with lunch or an earlier dinner, so I’ll make batches of those grains in advance as well.

In addition to cutting up fruit & vegetables and cooking for the week, I also spend Sundays packing up my lunches, snacks, and the things that I need to take into the office to make sure that I don’t forget anything.

Smoothie must-haves. Vegan, raw protein powder, lemon, and fresh ginger.

Are you already taking care of business on Sundays but want to up your game? Check out the tips and recommendations of the experts – The Hungry Hungry Hippie & This Is What I Eat.

Stay tuned for the next MCLV Mange installment or check out previous posts from this series to see what you’ve missed so far below: