Meal Preparation (Life Tips)

Meal preparation is essential for my sanity. There, I said it! I honestly think it's my saving grace during these busy weeks of school, work and activities. I find that when I'm not prepared, I have the tendency to eat poorly or opt to spend money and eat out. Don't get me wrong, I love a nice meal out but prefer to save those splurges for the weekend. Meal preparation allows me to stay on track from a health perspective and a financial perspective. 

In general, I try to make 2 to 3 "from scratch" snacks each week and prep my fruits and vegetables. I also like to make a large soup or stew on Sunday which kick-starts the week on an easy note. For the rest of the week, I have a menu plan but in general, everything is prepped and ready to go. Ideally that means evenings are less hectic and more time can be spent with the family, helping with homework and getting things ready for the next day. 

This past Sunday, I made a huge Spinach Ziti Soup. I knew it was going to be colder and rainy this week.  Nothing warms us up than a nice, fresh soup! I also made a fruit salad which the girls love. Here's a link to one perfect for St Patty's Day! This week it included mango, grapes, pineapple, cantaloupe and melon but generally, I buy what's most economical. We're definitely looking forward to berry season! I also wash and slice vegetables. Having them handy simply means I'm more likely to grab them for snacks with hummus. I usually roast vegetables as well so they're handy to serve as side dishes during the week or for roasted veggie sandwiches. Rounding out the menu this week included Orange Chia Seed Bread (the recipe to a similar recipe can be found here, I just used orange juice instead of lemon) and simple peanut butter cookies (no flour - only 4 ingredients? GENIUS!) 

Here's hoping this will help make my week a little easier.  So far, so good! What weekly meal tips to you use to make your life more organized and easy? I'd love to hear!