How to eat clean without spending too much time in the kitchen

I'm still going strong on my Sugar Detox! I can't believe how great I feel. I'm not sure if it's from the detox or if it's the Juice Plus+ supplements that I started taking a few weeks ago, or it could be both. I feel better than I have in a long time though! Summer will be here soon...are you ready, or are you still looking to lose a few pounds? If you are looking to jumpstart your weight loss or if you struggle to lose weight, and you are looking for a long term solution that really works, check out my Get Your Body Back Program. It's perfect for anyone who is sick of:

buying diet book after diet book, only to give up on the diet every time.
saying that you will start over "on Monday"or "after _____ (event)" or "once the junk food is gone".
trying every new "weight loss solution" on the market, and either not getting any results, or gaining all of the weight back after they stop.

It can be done as a 28 day program, or a 6 week program, which includes my 14 Day Shred, which is meant to jumpstart your weight loss. And, as my gift to you, from now until Mother's Day (May 8th), I am offering 50% off of both of my 14 Day Sugar Detox (use discount code MDSD50 when checking out) and 14 Day Shred (use discount code MDSHRED50 when checking out) programs!! One of the biggest excuses I hear for why people don't want to commit to doing a program such as a detox or some other type of clean eating program is that they don't have enough time to cook the food, and that they don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. (See below for an alternative option I have for those of you who are looking for a meal replacement type of program.) I tend to cook most of my meals at home because, since there are a lot of foods that I can't eat, I really just feel like crap when I eat out. So, I have definitely spent my time in the kitchen (and it's just me...I can't imagine what it's like for those of you who have a whole family to cook for!).

There have been weeks when I've said that I'm not going to the grocery store, and I'm just going to eat out for the whole week, and, believe me, I do feel like crap by the end of those weeks, and then say that I never want to eat out again, LOL. I also have realized that I don't like any of the "quick" options for food. It would be completely different if I was eating at a farm to table restaurant every day, but that would just be way too expensive. So, I have learned to cook healthy meals and not spend too much time in the kitchen.

Are you and your family eating real, whole food as much as you'd like?

I have found that the best possible way to live a healthy lifestyle and have healthy and delicious meals all week long is by meal prepping once for the whole week.

It saves time, money, and stress, all the while allowing you to stay on track with eating healthy.

This is how I do my meal prep: STEP 1: PLAN & SHOP

I begin meal planning by making a list of recipes and meals for the upcoming week. I create a list based on what I will have for breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners. Since it's just me, I will usually only pick a few different recipes to cook, but if you have a family or a significant other who you eat with, you can probably include a lot more variety. I use a weekly shopping list as my guide and then I’m off to the store! If this step alone overwhelms you, my programs include suggested meals and recipes. Some of them even include shopping lists. Or, you can contact me regarding meal planning. Also, for those of you in the San Diego area, I do offer personal grocery shopping!!

STEP 2: PREPARE THE FOOD

When I get home from the store, I keep out the items I plan to use for my meal prep. I pull up my meal plans and get to washing and cooking! Throughout the week, I typically have a smoothie for breakfast (when I was going to work, I would prepare this the night before so I would just have to add the milk/coconut water in the morning), but I find that many of my breakfast recipes are great for mid-morning snacks, and/or if I am in need of a breakfast on-the-go.

I generally prepare big batches of veggies. I start with washing the greens, then set aside to dry and move onto slicing, dicing, and dividing veggies into containers for use in cooking and salads.

When a recipe calls for sautéed chicken or lean protein, I cook it in big batches in my biggest pan or crock pot! That way, I am only prepping chicken and/or lean meat once for all the recipes! I store the extra chicken in the freezer for use later.

STEP 3: PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER TO MAKE THE RECIPES

To keep it simple, I make a large salad in advance and then add the extras when I’m ready to eat it. If I’m taking it to go, I divide it into containers or use as leftovers. Or, if I'm making raw soups (which I usually prefer to salads), I will make multiple servings and divide it into different containers.

For dinners, I typically make two favorite main dishes, which allows me to prepare and freeze in advance making it easy for during the week.

STEP 4: PUT IT ALL AWAY!

After all the food is prepped and the recipes are made, I put everything in containers and place it in the fridge! That way, I have delicious, fresh, whole foods for all meals during the week in minutes.

If you are still scratching your head, don’t let it discourage you!!! It can take time to learn and get in the swing of things. But, as you can see, it is easy to get all of your prepping done in one day, so you don't have to spend all of your time off of work in the kitchen. If you have kids, it might even be a fun family activity! As I said above, I was going to let you know about a meal replacement plan, check out Juice Plus's Transform 30 program. The shakes are delicious on their own, but, when you join, there are several handouts including one that has different recipes so you aren't drinking the same shake day after day. There is also a Facebook support group! (And, if you are taking any of the Juice Plus supplements, you can actually get them for FREE if you have kids - read more about that here!) Also, if you would like to sign up for a FREE Discovery Session to discuss any health challenges you are currently having, or if there is anything not going well, what your vision or goals are for your health, and what may be preventing you from being there, you can click here to schedule it. And, in case you were wondering how my Tower Garden is doing, there is a picture below. It's growing so fast! I can't wait to see how much it grows this week.!