Sunday Meal Prep | Week of March 17
What I'm cooking + few other tidbits that you didn't ask for but might enjoy.
I am an overachiever. Sometimes this is a really redeeming quality of mine, and other times it can make things excruciatingly (and unnecessarily) more difficult.
Case in point: I was an English major in college so instead of reading a normal vacation book like Eat, Pray, Love, I would force myself to read something more literary like War & Peace. Why?
I do the same thing in the kitchen. After posting
’s kitchen essentials (I hope you read it because she has some great picks!), I bought a garlic press and I just cannot believe I’ve been trying to mince garlic myself for all these years. It’s actually ridiculous. So, I’m now more resolute than ever to help myself where I can. Hey, I’m even going to use a mandolin instead of trying to julienne carrots by hand. What am I trying to prove by slicing those carrots so thinly with a knife? It’s silly. No one cares.Back to War & Peace. I just couldn’t get into it, so it sat there in my suitcase taking up space (a lot of space) that could have housed another pair of shoes, and in the end, I read zero books on vacation because I was too snobby to just pick up a normal book.
Where am I going with this? I chat with people all day about their eating habits and there’s one thing that I see again and again: too high of expectations. When you set the bar too high and don’t meet those expectations, the default is to do nothing. When it comes to this meal prep series, you don’t need to cook all of this but commit to cooking something and try to make it enjoyable.
The point of this is to bring more joy to your life, help you to feel better, and make it easier to eat delicious home-cooked meals. It’s not meant to overcomplicate things or add unnecessary pressure. I genuinely believe that eating this way* will give you more energy (and consequently more time) to do all the things you want to do—like hanging out with your friends, partner, or kids, knocking out work, or reading an unputdownable book. I’m proud to say that I have moved on from my literary phase and only read trashy novels now, so send me your recs in the comments because I have a vacation coming up!
* If you’re new here (hi, welcome!!) and don’t know what I mean by “this way,” here’s a meal prep post from a few weeks again the explains the philosophy behind the emails.
* MENU: WEEK OF MARCH 17 *
We’re starting the week with a Sunday curry—the genius of this recipe is that the chicken is made separately so it doubles as meal prep. We’ve also got a Spring-inspired salmon (it’s Spring equinox this week!), a vibrant pasta using leftover salmon, a burger plate, and more.
If you’re shopping today, here’s your grocery list and my pantry bible. I’m continually updating and adding to this, so keep checking it as you grow your pantry. But before we get started, a few things:
Favorite Denim on Sale
25% off with the Code FFVIP25
I’m still in my postpartum “transitional” size, so you can imagine my thrill when I saw that Frame is having a 25% off sale. I plan on buying a pair of jeans and shorts (like these, these, and maybe this cute skirt) and wearing them slightly baggy when I get back to my normal size. I also got this shirt a few weeks ago and have worn it every day except for one—there was a tomato sauce incident, but don’t worry, I fixed it.
ATTN Pregnant Friends
Needed Labs Research Study
If you read this and follow my Instagram, you know that I love and use Needed supplements religiously. The collagen (use my code MIA20 for a discount) has literally been a game-changer for me! Needed Labs is conducting a research study to better understand nutrient status among pregnant women taking a daily prenatal supplement, and they’re looking for pregnant women to participate. You will get a multivitamin blood test (a $400 value), a $50 Amazon gift card, plus discounted supplements.
Okay, let’s cook!