On this episode of Easy Shifts: Conversations on Meals, Life, Weight and Mindset, Martha McKinnon and Peter Morrison focus on the idea of element meal prep as a versatile and environment friendly strategy to meal planning. They discover the significance of planning forward to keep away from unhealthy consuming habits, share insights on overcoming the concern of not being prepared, and emphasize the worth of blending and matching components to create numerous meals.
The dialog highlights the advantages of simplifying meal prep to cut back meals waste and improve the cooking expertise, in the end encouraging listeners to discover a meal prep technique that resonates with their life-style.
Key Takeaways
- Element meal prep permits for flexibility and selection in meals.
- Planning forward is essential to keep away from unhealthy consuming decisions.
- Insights from conversations can result in life-changing realizations.
- The idea of ‘sometime’ is usually simply an excuse for inaction.
- You don’t have to be an professional to share precious insights.
- Mixing and matching components could make meals extra thrilling.
- Simplifying meal planning can scale back resolution fatigue.
- Cooking for one or two will be made simpler with element prep.
- Much less meals waste may end up from a element cooking strategy.
- Preserve experimenting with meal prep methods to search out what works for you.
Element Meal Prep Podcast
Video Transcript
Martha McKinnon (00:00)
Hello, welcome to Easy Shifts, conversations to gas your physique, thoughts and soul. I’m Martha McKinnon from the weblog web site, Easy Nourished Dwelling, and that is my brother and companion, Peter Morrison.
Peter Morrison (00:25)
Hello everybody.
Martha McKinnon (00:30)
Hiya, howdy. How are you?
Peter Morrison (00:36)
Hello, I’m doing good. One other stunning day in Southern California. How are you doing?
Martha McKinnon (00:43)
I’m doing very well. So at present our matter goes to be element meal prep or ingredient meal prep versus extra conventional meal prep. However earlier than we dive into that, what’s thrilling in your world?
Peter Morrison (1:00)
I’m completely satisfied to report we’re on podcast quantity 19.
Martha McKinnon (1:09)
Okay, so we haven’t stop but. We’re hanging in there. We’re persevering with to chip away, discover, study, discover our rhythm. And it’s enjoyable, I believe it’s enjoyable, as a result of I believe that is only a good adjunct, I believe, to what we do on the web site the place we offer numerous recipes which might be low calorie, which might be straightforward, wholesome, Weight Watchers pleasant. And we get numerous questions, we put out emails a number of instances per week, the place we additionally attempt to, I additionally attempt to present some meals for thought and encouragement and inspiration past simply meals.
And now that is simply one other avenue, one other approach to type of take a distinct take a look at a few of these points which might be form of integral to the entire journey, the entire weight reduction, weight administration, wholesome consuming, wholesome dwelling journey. So I’m discovering it enjoyable, are you?
Peter Morrison (2:27)
I’m, I’m. It’s completely different, yeah, having a dialog versus simply writing about one thing.
Martha McKinnon (2:34)
Good. Good. Yeah, and I believe there’s so much, I don’t find out about you, however I’ve had by means of the years, if I believe again on my life, I’ve had like insights by means of dialog with individuals, you recognize, issues that, that bought by means of in a approach that they didn’t get by means of in different varieties, different media.
Peter Morrison (2:45)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Otherwise you’ll hear one thing that can perhaps not even within the second imply something, however a day or two later, one thing will trigger you to suppose in a different way.
Martha McKinnon (3:00)
Proper. Yeah, it’s actually an attention-grabbing phenomenon. The extra you concentrate on considering, you recognize, and alter and conduct and the way it all works. And so that you’re proper. I do know typically you’ll hear one thing and perhaps it doesn’t even register such as you’re saying till a day or two later, the place you instantly reprocess it and also you see one thing in a brand new gentle.
Peter Morrison (3:16)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (3:35)
And that’s occurred many instances for me in methods which have been simply so, so useful and actually life-changing. I believe it’s attention-grabbing to comprehend that, you recognize, you will be going alongside endlessly and ever and ever and simply get a brand new perception, a brand new thought and, you recognize, every thing in that, every thing after that shifts, you recognize, while you get simply this barely completely different approach of seeing one thing. So, I believe that that’s cool as a result of I’m persevering with to study.
Peter Morrison (3:56)
Mm-hmm.
Martha Mckinnon (4:14)
One other basic perception that I’ve is that we form of share and I like sharing and speaking about issues that I’m studying but in addition issues that I really feel like I have to know. And I believe the extra you discuss it, the extra you study and uncover. The extra progress you make in your journey. In order that’s fairly cool. So thanks for these conversations?
Peter Morrison (4:30)
Yeah, it’s good. I’m glad we took the plunge and determined to go for it.
Martha McKinnon (4:33)
Proper, precisely. And we didn’t wait until we have been prepared. That was a brand new perception that I had just lately. I’m studying voraciously proper now. And one idea that actually simply type of shook me was this entire idea of sometime – it’s simply actually, that’s only a thought. That’s only a idea. Typically we’ll inform ourselves, you recognize, I’ll do this sometime. And it’s like, you’re solely ever gonna do something within the now, you recognize, within the second. You realize, sometime – it’s both now or it’s by no means actually.
Peter Morrison (5:14)
Do you suppose that’s simply an excuse we inform ourselves?
Martha McKinnon (5:17)
I don’t even suppose it’s an excuse. I typically don’t even suppose we give it some thought. I believe we typically simply say, properly, sometime I’ll get to that. And I believe we use excuses that we don’t have time, we don’t have cash, or I’m not skilled sufficient. After I get my subsequent diploma, once I take my subsequent course, I believe I do numerous comparability about and I see a world of very, very good, succesful and proficient individuals.
And I believe there’s actual hazard in, you recognize, evaluating your self and saying, properly, and so I believe I’ve performed that so much to myself, you recognize, once I’m feeling like I’m an professional or that I’ve one thing that’s actually precious to say. And I believe that that’s the hazard to, you’re all the time placing it on the market as a result of there’s yet another course, there’s yet another e book,
there’s yet another expertise earlier than you are feeling prepared.
However should you flip it and say, properly perhaps I’m one step forward on my journey of any individual else, or perhaps I’ve one little perception to share. I don’t should know every thing. Possibly I simply should know one factor that might be useful, and to let your self off the hook and say, I’ll simply share the one factor that I’ve realized. And if that helps any individual else, that’s an excellent factor. I believe that that’s been enormous for me, simply to have that consciousness, to present myself permission to do the most effective I can and let that be ok.
Peter Morrison (6:59)
So was that tough for you after we determined to begin this?
Martha McKinnon (7:04)
No, no, as a result of I believe that I’d already began to have these awarenesses. I imply, I believe there have been some enormous shifts for me based mostly on some studying I’ve been doing and a few rules and philosophy that I’ve found inside this previous 12 months. And so while you supplied it up, I believe I used to be simply in that good area, you recognize, to say, okay, let’s attempt it. You realize, I believe the Martha of some years in the past would have been like, wait, there’s yet another course, there’s yet another certification, there’s yet another factor. I believe I’m in a very completely different area based mostly on these new insights and understandings, so I believe the timing was proper.
Peter Morrison (7:46)
Hmm. Wonderful.
Martha McKinnon (7:48)
Cool. So we’re going to speak about element cooking at present or element meal prep. As a result of meal prep is one thing that comes up so much while you’re attempting to eat higher, or while you’re attempting to drop some weight. Planning and prepping will be actually, actually vital. Would you agree with that? That like having a plan, performing some pre-work, should you simply go away it to love the final minute to while you’re hungry with out a plan we’re going to default to what’s straightforward, proper?
Martha McKinnon (8:15)
In our world, what’s straightforward tends to be working out to the restaurant, proper? Grabbing takeout, you recognize, stopping on the drive by means of in order that, you recognize, planning forward, doing a bit prep, I believe is basically vital. It’s been actually vital for me to try this pre-planning. As a result of while you wait until you’re hungry, it’s sport on.
Peter Morrison (8:45)
Proper, properly, any vitamin e book or food regimen e book, they’ve their protocols and their course of, however normally you’re cleansing out your cabinets, you’re grocery procuring, you’re type of planning and prepping for no matter they inform you to do.
Martha McKinnon (8:59)
Proper. However I believe that needs to be balanced with actual life, proper, and a gradual strategy as a result of I do consider that it’s sluggish, small modifications based mostly on my a long time of, you recognize, expertise, that it’s actually the sensible strategy. So I’m all the time on the lookout for methods to make issues simpler, extra sensible. And there’s no a technique both.
Peter Morrison (9:25)
Proper.
Martha McKinnon (9:26)
So I like to supply up plenty of alternative ways in order that we are able to discover one thing that resonates with the widest number of people as attainable.
Peter Morrison (9:30)
Yep. No, no, I simply meant the planning, the prepping a part of it.
Martha McKinnon (9:32)
Yeah, for positive. I believe it’s crucial. I believe anyone will inform you while you’re wanting to alter, you bought to do some planning and prepping. You bought to be performing some pre-thinking, for positive. So numerous the approaches, so there’s plenty of alternative ways you’ll be able to strategy meal planning, meal prepping. And we’ve been offering meal plans, weekly type of Weight Watchers pleasant meal plans now for a number of years. And so we have now an enormous archive on the market which I’d say take the extra conventional strategy the place you suppose forward to the meals that you just need to make, you do your grocery procuring, and perhaps you perform a little prepping forward. And that might be, I’d say, a extra conventional strategy to meal planning.
After which I’d say the meal prep, meal prepping, that you just’ll see put forth is making some sort of meal after which separating it out into particular person containers. So for instance you would possibly make a wholesome stir-fry and prepare dinner it up after which put it within the particular person containers and then you definitely’ve bought your weeks price of meals for lunch and or dinner. In order that’s a extra, a really conventional strategy to meal prep that works for lot of individuals. So that you prepare dinner a couple of times, portion every thing out and then you definitely’re able to go. You may simply heat up your meals. And that works properly for lots of people.
Peter Morrison (10:43)
Hmm.
Martha McKinnon (10:58)
However for some individuals, should you don’t like leftovers, should you like selection, if you wish to be mixing issues up, then that sounds very boring to lots of people. And I do know lots of people who simply say, I don’t like leftovers. And so there’s an alternate strategy that I believe actually displays the place I’ve come to in my life proper now, which I do extra typically.
And I’d name it type of element meal prep or ingredient meal prep. You prep
particular person components that you may then use to combine and match to make quite a lot of completely different meals. And typically I believe I form of use a type of a hybrid of each of those in order that I’d make a soup for instance and that might be extra conventional after which I’d make some parts so I’d use my my rice cooker (affiliate hyperlink) to prepare dinner off quinoa or rice and I’d have that within the fridge. After which I’d take a tray, a sheet pan and roast a bunch of greens and have that each one cooked.
I’d then seize a rotisserie rooster from the grocery retailer or prepare dinner a rotisserie rooster within the air fryer. And what I usually are likely to do is then like debone the rooster instantly simply because I really feel prefer it’s simpler to debone it when it’s heat after which put the entire rooster meat within the fridge. After which perhaps if I’m actually bold, a few of your salad, veggies, pre-washed, pre-chopped and in containers within the fridge. And while you do this, now you’ve bought all of those meals that you may combine and match in quite a lot of methods with completely different sauces, with completely different garnishes to essentially combine issues up and you may get a meal put collectively actually rapidly.
Is that one thing that you just’ve ever tried or does that resonate with you? That entire simply prepare dinner up some components after which put them collectively in numerous methods?
Peter Morrison (13:05)
I’ve by no means performed it that approach. The closest I’ve come is, and I believe we’ve touched on this in earlier podcasts, but when I used to be gonna make a soup or a stir-fry, typically I’d do it
very evenly spiced or like no spice, simply perhaps salt and pepper in order that future iterations or leftovers might be simply different with completely different spices and completely different sauces. In order that’s most likely the closest I’ve come. However I haven’t ready a bunch of various parts forward of time. Not but.
Martha McKinnon (13:36)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (13:50)
And typically it might be simply as a lot as like having a bit little bit of, I used to be fascinated about this and speaking with with Brenda and I believe this type of element strategy or by no means actually ranging from scratch was the best way that if we seemed again at how our grandmothers and nice grandmothers cooked, I believe there was that that form of strategy to cooking the place like there can be like an enormous Sunday meal with an enormous hunk of meat, you recognize, in all these numerous sides from which there can be leftovers. The place the leftovers from that roast may then be mixed with a number of the leftover greens and might be changed into one other meal. Or perhaps you add a salad in. So there was all the time, such as you have been all the time beginning, you weren’t ranging from scratch each night time. You have been all the time form of beginning with some leftovers on which you might then construct your meals, which I believe makes cooking and the entire strategy of getting dinner on the desk each night time so much simpler should you’ve bought some issues to begin with
Peter Morrison (14:39)
Mmm.
Martha McKinnon (14:47)
I do know, for instance, with what I described, I’ll typically do this. And so then you definitely’re simply, you recognize, at time for dinner, perhaps you flip a number of the rooster right into a rooster salad and put it in lettuce wraps or make a sandwich or make a wrap out of it. Possibly you’re taking a number of the rooster – I’ve a recipe that I really like that’s actually, actually easy the place you’re taking rooster broth, salsa, chopped up rotisserie rooster and white beans and also you stir that collectively and also you let that bubble up you recognize for 10 or quarter-hour and it’s a really good soup.
You realize the bowls have turn out to be actually large. We eat so much in bowls. You are taking your grain and your greens and your rooster after which there’s so many alternative sauces now that you may drizzle it with barbecue sauce or some sort of tahini sauce or a peanut sauce or you’ll be able to take it in an Asian course or you recognize add some marinara and take it in an Italian course and instantly you simply have plenty of completely different flavors.
And so that you’re consuming the identical meat however you’re mixing them and matching them in ways in which simply don’t really feel as boring. You don’t actually really feel such as you’re consuming the identical factor each night time. So I simply needed to supply this up as a substitute for just like the extra conventional strategy. Or perhaps you play with some sort of hybrid strategy to this.
And this actually type of performs into our final podcast episode the place we’re speaking about lady dinner. You realize, in case you have all these meals within the fridge, you’ll be able to simply type of combine them, match them, put them on a plate, perhaps add a dip. And instantly dinner simply turns into, particularly should you’re cooking for your self, which numerous our readers are. There are numerous readers who’re, they dwell alone or they’re, you recognize, they’re households of 1 or two.
And this could simply be only a new mind-set about feeding your self that’s simply, I believe, extra conducive to while you’re cooking for one or two.
Peter Morrison (16:55)
And it looks as if it probably may end in much less waste.
Martha McKinnon (17:01)
Yeah.
Peter Morrison (17:04)
As a result of I do know typically you purchase all these components to make a sure meal or one thing and it’s like, properly, now what am I going to do with, you recognize, three quarters of one thing that you just had leftover while you solely wanted a bit bit.
Martha Mckinnon (17:21)
Yeah. That’s an excellent consciousness, you’re proper, as a result of particularly, I discovered that that I actually discovered that the normal meal planning strategy for me by no means labored as a result of I’ve solely ever been a household of 1 or two. I’ve by no means had an enormous household. So typically you do numerous planning, such as you’re saying, you do numerous procuring with this intention that you just’re going to prepare dinner three or 4 or 5 instances within the week after which life will get in the best way. The recipe makes greater than you understand. And so you may have much more leftover. Or any individual invitations you out to dinner, and instantly you may have all these components that don’t get utilized in a well timed method, you and find yourself, you find yourself losing numerous components.
Peter Morrison (17:47)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (17:50)
So that you’re proper. I imply, I’ve discovered that that’s one thing that I discover about my fridge. It looks as if once I examine my fridge to different individuals’s fridges, it doesn’t actually look like it’s not as stuffed. It doesn’t appear as if there’s as a lot in it.
Peter Morrison (18:02)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (18:17)
However it’s meals that may be readily used and combined and matched. It looks as if every time I open the fridge, there’s all the time one thing to eat, regardless that there’s free area in there too. There’s all the time like, you recognize, meals that I all the time open it up and say, you recognize, I can combine this and that and have a pleasant lunch. So that you’re proper. I imply, the waste is an effective level that it does, I consider, result in much less waste as properly.
Peter Morrison (18:31)
Mm. Superb.
Martha McKinnon (18:54)
Does it make sense? You suppose it’s one thing you would possibly attempt? You have got a fairly, I believe after we’ve talked about the best way that you just’re approached to consuming, imply, you’ve created a very nice strategy, I believe, in that you’ve sure meals which might be type of traditions that you just make on sure days of the week, proper? I imply, you just about prepare dinner, such as you grill salmon just about each Sunday, is that proper?
Peter Morrison (19:19)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (19:19)
That’s form of cool, proper? After which do you all the time eat it in the identical actual approach or do you may have completely different sides with it?
Peter Morrison (19:29)
It typically varies by season, but it surely’s normally with a salad. Generally it’s a selfmade salad, typically it’s a bagged salad that you just simply type of add one thing to. And typically should you’re uninterested in salad, I’ll air fry some greens, like broccoli, cauliflower or carrots simply to type of change issues up.
Martha McKinnon (19:51)
Mm-hmm.
Peter Morrison (19:56)
Generally, yeah, typically there’s candy potatoes concerned. Generally there’s quinoa. So sure it does fluctuate.
Martha McKinnon (20:05)
So it’s form of neat although, and I believe it’s an ideal strategy to simplification. I believe one other nice strategy to meal planning, meal prep, should you simply begin to suppose. As a result of I believe we lose numerous time, do, with simply fascinated about what to do as a substitute of simply understanding what you’re going to do. I believe understanding what you’re going to do is like 90% of the battle.
So if you recognize that Sunday is salmon, and perhaps Monday is meatless and Tuesday is tacos and Wednesday is pasta and you recognize Thursday’s leftovers – I believe life will get so much simpler as a result of there’s numerous time we lose in attempting to suppose what to have. I do know I believe an excessive amount of, so overthinking or attempting to determine it’s like the same phenomenon as individuals who’ve simply give you their uniform for work.
Peter Morrison (20:41)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (21:03)
You realize the entire Steve Jobs denims, sneakers, black-turtle-neck strategy, the place it’s like, when you may have plenty of choices to make in your life, you need to determine methods to reduce choices in different areas of your life, simply to make life nicer. And I believe that’s one other factor we are able to do for ourselves on this planet of meals, particularly is simply determine it out, give you a routine that works, give you a plan, and we take simply numerous stress off ourselves, and it turns into straightforward.
Martha McKinnon (21:29)
I believe this performs so much into the entire idea of habits and conduct change. If you will discover new methods to be and new methods to make issues simpler, then you definitely’re simply going to be extra profitable.
Peter Morrison (21:47)
And I really like these days when the meal is already, since you type of know what you’re having. You may not know 100%. And it simply provides you a lot extra time and extra psychological area. Yeah, yeah.
Martha McKinnon (21:54)
Proper.
Martha Mckinnon (22:03)
Psychological area, proper? I believe that that’s what we’re struggling so much from simply, properly, overload, proper? Overload in so many alternative methods. lLike overload in simply choices that have to be made, proper? And such as you’re saying, as soon as the selections made it’s simpler as a result of we lose a lot time within the strategy of attempting to determine.
Peter Morrison (22:27)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (22:32)
They’re not life threatening resolution, however like what we’re going to have for dinner. If we are able to simply begin figuring that out and determining a system to make it simpler, it simply frees up this great quantity of psychological area that you’ve for different issues. It’s fascinating. And I believe perhaps that’s why this strategy actually works. It really works as a result of should you’ve bought a bunch of meals within the fridge, you’ll be able to simply determine some approach to put it collectively. Or if you recognize salmon is on Sundays and also you’re going to do pasta on Wednesdays, your life simply will get simpler.
Peter Morrison (23:01)
Mm-hmm.
Peter Morrison (23:12)
Mm hmm. And it doesn’t should be precisely the identical, know. You can you might simply change it up. And should you’re should you’re somebody like me, the entire paradox of selection, which was a very good e book, it’s you recognize, I’m I’m after studying that e book, I’m a maximizer. It’s like if there’s one thing to analysis and 20 variations to type of filter by means of in your mind, I’m going to I’m going to undergo all of them earlier than I determine.
Martha McKinnon (23:33)
Mm-hmm.
Peter Morrison (23:41)
My goodness it simply takes approach an excessive amount of time and power.
Martha McKinnon (23:47)
I believe that that phenomenon exists within the food regimen world, fairly truthfully. As a result of there are such a lot of completely different approaches to weight administration. And I believe lots of people simply spend their entire lives attempting to determine which strategy to take. I’ve even heard seen that when individuals stroll into Weight Watchers for the primary time. I have to lose some weight however I’m confused. Do I do low carb? Do I do Mediterranean? Do I do vegetarian?
Peter Morrison (23:58)
Hmm.
Martha McKinnon (24:17)
You may simply lose your life, proper? Assessing, attempting to maximise which strategy is the most effective strategy and by no means truly take a step in direction of altering. And I believe it’s an actual phenomenon in our world simply because o like info overload. So after we acknowledge that about ourselves, like no matter we are able to do to make life simpler and higher for ourselves, to reduce our choices is, you recognize, it’s a sort factor to do.
Peter Morrison (24:29)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Peter Morrison (24:49)
Mm-hmm. Nicely, I like the thought of element constructing meals which have parts.
Martha McKinnon (24:50)
All proper.
Martha McKinnon (24:55)
Yeah, and I hope this resonates with others. I imply, we’d like to get your suggestions, for people who find themselves tuning into this, to get your feedback and your ideas in case you have an strategy to meal planning and or meal prepping that you just’ve discovered works for you. And I believe like all of this, you simply bought to maintain attempting, you recognize, attempting completely different approaches to you discover what works for you. And should you attempt one thing for some time and it’s not working, know that there’s plenty of alternate options and there’s plenty of alternative ways to get to your vacation spot. You simply bought to maintain attempting, maintain plugging alongside, plodding alongside, and then you definitely’ll discover what resonates with you.
Peter Morrison (25:35)
Mm-hmm.
Martha McKinnon (25:37)
All proper, we’re going to log out right here and be again once more quickly. Have an excellent one.
Peter Morrison (25:39)
Thanks very a lot. Have an excellent one everybody, take care.
