I get asked a lot for help with meal prepping. You know, where you cook once on Sunday and eat it for the rest of the week. Yes, this will save you time but is this good for your health? I suppose if you are going to the drive thru every evening, then yes, it may be better. But here are a few reasons why I don’t meal prep and what I do instead.
- A few years ago, I was watching a health segment on CNN, and some food scientists/biologists took swabs of food kept in the refrigerator at 1 day, 2 days, 3 days and up to a week. I can’t find this study, but believe me, if you could see the bacteria on the food, you would never eat leftovers. What was surprising was that even 1 day old food had quite a bit of bacteria! GROSS! (For lack of a better word:)
- As a practitioner of Ayurveda, food is always cooked fresh and just enough for that day. You never eat leftovers as the food loses it’s vitality, it’s prana, or chi. Basically, it’s now dead food and there is no nutrition in it. Growing up, my mother never warmed up leftovers, so this is something that has been passed down in Indian culture but she never told me that this is an Ayurvedic thing. (Basically, I didn’t know why she did that:)
So, dead food with diminished nutrition that’s full of bacteria, no thanks.
So, instead, I meal PLAN. This saves me a ton of time because, honestly, thinking what to cook is what takes me more time. I can’t tell you how many times I have been at one of my child’s events, work, on a hike with friends, or wherever and I am thinking about what I am going to cook for dinner tonight. It make’s me feel inauthentic as I am not in the present. Once I have a schedule with all the ingredients in my kitchen, it goes much faster. Not to mention, fresher, more nutrition and full of good energy. I don’t have to worry because I know exactly what to cook when I get home. I don’t like eating out much and when we do, my kids usually say they prefer my cooking to the restaurant.
I usually plan my meals on Sundays and do the grocery shopping or farmer’s market so I have all the ingredients for the week. I sometimes shop twice a week (Sunday and Wednesday to get fresher produce).
Yup, I save a ton of time, money and make delicious foods.
But the problem with most meal plans is that there are a a lot of inflammatory ingredients. I am constantly modifying recipes to make it healthier. I can take any recipe book and swap out unhealthy ingredients for healthier ones.
Most of my patients cannot eat these so-called healthy meal plans as many them have a wheat, dairy, or an egg allergy. Everytime I go somewhere and they say this is a Gluten free establishment, there is still dairy or soy in the dish and honestly I don’t feel like most people get it. Most people who are allergic to wheat are also allergic to dairy. Especially pasteurized, homogenized dairy and soy.
Especially our patients who are the littlest and have the most sensitive stomachs.
Most meal plans are not specific . They are general meal plans. For example, take a look at any personal trainer who has a meal plan touting egg whites are healthy. Don’t eat fat. Really?
Whether it’s a kid friendly lunchbox, gluten free meal plan, an anti-candida meal plan, or a low-carb paleo diet or maybe you want to switch to a plant based diet and need a little help? Maybe you work a lot and don’t want to cook for more than 30 minutes and you need quick and easy recipes made fast. I gotcha covered. Maybe, you just want to learn how to just eat real foods? Maybe you have health issues that are more complicated and need an elimination diet meal plan or an auto-immune meal plan, low FODMAP meal plan? What ever it is, I am here for you. I have been cooking for over 25 years and I am an avid recipe modifier. I’ve had to do this with my own kids.
If this sounds like something you need help with, please reach out. I am here for you! Here is the link:
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app.acuityscheduling.com
Schedule your appointment online with Raising Sages Pediatrics Health Coaching
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Love, Light and Health,
Sapna Fliedner