Prep Days are not just for Restaurants

 

 I think the most common reason people struggle with the transition to a Paleo lifestyle boils down to convenience.  The average American family is busy!  We work long hours and deal with a stressful commute.  Then our children have swimming lessons, choir practice, etc...  Somewhere in all that chaos we are expected to feed our family nutritious food, encourage quality exercise, and get plenty of sleep?  Seems a fruitless ambition doomed for failure.  I am here to tell you that it won't be easy at first, but with a little persistence it will get easier.  There will come a day when this whole lifestyle feels natural and you won't know how you used to live any other way.

If you are new to the Paleo lifestyle this is the most important lesson I can share with you!  Set aside a day of the week to plan your meals and prepare your kitchen.  Restaurants call this "Prep Day."  So turn up the radio and get cooking!   Start with sitting down (together as a family when possible) to plan meals.  Keep in mind upcoming events and plan accordingly.  If I am scheduled to work a few days I plan a large meal ahead of time that can easily be reheated.  Always have staple items prepped in your kitchen.  We like to have hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken, and some chopped up veggies available at all times for those on the go moments.  Try to involve the family and make a day of it.  The more involved you can get the family, the more excited they get for real food, the more likely they are to succeed with the Paleo diet. 

Yesterday was prep day in our house. Here is a list of the foods we prepped: zuchinni spaghetti, cole slaw, sauteed cabbage, hard boiled eggs, steamed carrots, mashed sweet potatoes, grilled chicken sausage, Scottish eggs with Wild Boar Sausage, fruit salad, chopped veggies, lemon cherry fruit bars, and almond flour chocolate chip cookies.  My husband isn't always available to do these prep days with me but he was yesterday and it was a lot of fun to cook together again.  Try to have one person keeping up with washing as you go so you don't feel overwhelmed by a big mess.  This is an opportunity for your family to spend time together so try to make it fun and upbeat.  My kids love helping even if it is just banging on the pot lids with a spoon.

Pic of me during our prep day yesterday

If you take the time to commit to this I guarantee you will not find yourself so easily tempted that week.  Instead of ordering a pizza when practice runs late you will have healthy snacks and a delicious meal at your disposal.   Preparation is key to success! If you find meal planning to be difficult I highly recommend buying Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso.  Her cookbook includes meal plans and advice for transitioning the whole family to a Paleo lifestyle. 

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

― Benjamen Franklin