Quick & Easy Chili

Since the weather is cooling down and honestly the nights are just plain cold, I figured it was a good time to make some chili for dinner. I'm taking a college course, my kids are in school/daycare, military spouse volunteering and then of course a house to keep up; things are just too busy for a long drawn out meal. I like quick and easy meals so this chili is the perfect option. Did I mention it's also delicious and 21 Day Fix approved?!?! 

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. extra-virgin organic coconut oil, melted
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lb. 93% lean grass-fed ground beef (or 93% lean ground turkey breast)
• 2 15 oz cans of beans, drained & rinsed (I used 1 can of northern & 1 can of black)
• 1 15 oz can organic diced tomatoes, no salt added
• 1 cup red wine 
• 1 Tbsp. ground chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and bell peppers. Cook until onion is translucent; stirring occasionally. Should be around 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute; stirring occasionally. 
4. Add meat, beans, tomatoes (with liquid), wine, chili powder, salt, and red pepper. Stir it together and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat and allow it to gently boil for around 20 or so minutes; stirring occasionally. I actually let mine boil until it was done then set it on low heat until we were ready to eat. 

If you are following the 21 Day Fix meal plan then this recipe will make 6 servings and each serving will be 1/2 green, 1 yellow, 1 red and 1/2 tsp.  

I adapted this recipe from the Fixate Cookbook which you can purchase here for 101 21 Day Fix approved recipes.

Squat It Out

I am so excited about my FREE fitness group this month! Typically I do free clean eating groups but this month I wanted to spice it up a little and what better way to do that than with SQUATS?!?!

Each day I will post a workout involving squats. I will provide a nutrition guide and meal plan to help you stay on track all week as well. The group is all about supporting one another and providing some motivation to start (or keep going) your fitness journey. 

 I'll be giving away a FREE Brazil Butt Lift Program at the end of the week. The winner will be chosen based on a point system (posted in the group). The more active you are in the group, the more points you get!

What do you have to lose? Some fun workouts, free meal plan and nutrition guide PLUS a chance to win a workout program....you can't pass this opportunity up! All you need to do is head over to the link below and join the group. The fun begins on Monday, September 28th!

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1495631614064576/

This group is going to be so much fun and I can't wait to get started! XoXo

Why Military Spouses Make Perfect Beachbody Coaches!

As an U.S Army Veteran and now an Air Force wife I understand what it's like to be the one holding the fort down while your spouse is working late hours, working odd shifts or even deployed. Those days that the school or daycare calls to say your child is sick...you are the one leaving work to go pick them up because your job is the expendable one. You are the one taking time off work until your child is well enough to go back to school/daycare. I've been there! When we had our daughters, my husband was an instructor at a leadership school....there was no leaving work for him. If he was teaching then he was almost unreachable for a good 12 hours a day. I know that he never felt good about putting it all on me but I also knew that he enjoys his job and I was aware of what I was signing up for when I became his wife. That doesn't make it easier to know that my needs end up taking second place to the duties I have being a military spouse. Here's the good news though....YOU CAN CHANGE THAT!

Finding balance has been a big aspect of my life lately. Between family, health, school and volunteering....income and and ME time got moved to the back of the line. I knew it was time to find some balance so I figured out ways to take control of each aspect of my life. Once I started using Focus T25 to gain control over my health and losing the 50 pounds of baby weight hanging around from my second pregnancy, I started to realize that it was also giving me the ME time that I so desperately wanted and needed. Then something very unexpected happened...I became a stay at home mom with no income! About 6 or 7 months after becoming a stay at home mom I became a Beachbody coach and that has not only helped me maintain control over my health but it's helped me gain control over my income, school and allows me the time for my family as well as volunteering. 

I know that you would probably love to take control of your life as well. How much would an extra income help your family? Well it's absolutely possible and it's possible by being a Beachbody coach. 

Here are a few reasons why you, as a military spouse, would make a perfect Beachbody coach:

The business moves with you!

Moving every 2-3 years is nothing new to us. With that move comes you quitting your job OR you just don't work because by the time you start a job you only have a year of settling in until you are due for the next PCS orders. That makes it very hard for us as spouses to have careers. Forget about a retirement! We put our careers on the back burner so that our spouse is able to serve our country proudly and we are there to hold the fort down. Well Beachbody coaching is a business that you build NO MATTER where you are! I mean I live in Belgium and my business has moved from good ol' Georgia all the way here to Belgium. You don't have to quit just because it's PCS time. That actually expands your business because you are connecting with so many MORE people! I spend 30 days on vacation just before our PCS overseas and then a month in TLF and guess what....my business didn't suffer at all! If I have internet then I can work. That can be you too!

Providing encouragement is the "norm" to us!

It's nothing new to us military spouses to be there to provide encouragement to another spouse. Think about all those times you were there for that spouse while their husband was deployed. We are able to jump right in there and find the positive in the situation....help lift their spirits and get them through that difficult time. This will help you as a Beachbody coach when you a have a challenger that is struggling in their journey. It could be fitness, nutrition or even just life in general and they will look to you for encouragement and support. You will be able to provide that for them...it's the "norm" for you.

We are probably the most organized people around!

Like I said before, we are the ones who hold the fort down. We get the kids out the door and to school on time, we make the dinners, we get the kids to practices and clean the house....we take care of it all! We couldn't do it if we weren't organized. I believe that this organization also comes with the more time you have been a part of the military lifestyle. The more PCS moves you have been through, the more organized you become. Let's be honest...how many of us make lists....I mean like every day lists so that we make sure it all gets done?!?! It wouldn't be a huge deal to add a few things to that list for 1-2 hours of work to not only build yourself a business but to help others build one as well! We can take care of the kids, the house, a husband on deployment and even work (for some of you)....I'm positive you can manage a Beachbody business as well.

We have a strong sense of community!

Let's face it...we love our family but majority of the time we are so far from them due to our spouse's duty location. We have learned that our closest family is other military members and spouses. We build a community around the families our spouse serves with. We cherish those friendships and grow them even when we have both PCS'd to different states or countries. I have friends that I consider family that live in Arizona, North Dakota, Ohio, Italy, Germany....the list goes on and on. And when we do move to a new base then our friends are more than willing to connect us with anyone they know at that base. We have a military community, a military family really. That becomes true with Beachbody as well. We get to connect ourselves with so many amazing people around the United States, Canada and overseas bases! We share a common interest of helping others live healthier lives. We aren't sales people....making calls and asking them to buy from us...all we do is share our experiences with the products that we use...the people come to us! Since you already have a strong community that trusts you and your opinion you will have a great experience with this.

It's FREE for us!

For any active duty member, active duty spouse or a veteran it is totally free to be a coach. Beachbody waives all of the fees to not only become a coach but also the monthly coaching fee! That's right, you get to become a coach for free and start making an income! PLUS, you get a discount on all products as a coach. The typical sign up fee for coaching is $39.95 which will be reimbursed to you once you submit your paperwork (military orders with your name on them or DD214). Then after you submit your paperwork the normal $15.95 monthly coaching fee is waived as well. So here's the deal:

~ You will get 25% off of all Beachbody products, to include your Shakeology.

~ You will be reimbursed the $39.95 enrollment fee once you submit the appropriate paperwork.

~ You will not pay the $15.95 monthly business fee.

So you get all these benefits and all you need to do is maintain your monthly Shakeology order. Now, if you don't know about Shakeology then you are MISSING OUT! It is seriously an amazing product that my husband, my kids and I drink daily. If you have questions about it then please email me and I can tell you all about it. 

Beachbody coaching has seriously changed my life. By doing just a few daily behaviors (we call them the vital behaviors) I have been able to build a business that provides my family an extra while I am still able to keep our home running smoothly. I can grow my business as fast or as slowly as I would like and I am able to base that around what is going on with my husband's career or even what is going on with my kids. I get to take a day off if my kids are sick and now worry about whether or not my boss will be mad....I AM MY OWN BOSS! Today is the perfect example of just that. My oldest daughter is home sick and we are probably going to have to take her to the doctor. Meanwhile there are some important events taking place at work that my husband can't miss and that's okay! I can not only take my daughter but I can put her to bed after giving her medicine and lots of love then come downstairs and get to work. My hours are set by me! It's an amazing opportunity that I am so grateful for!

You may be wondering if this is really going to be right for you and I totally understand that so I put together a little 5 day sneak peek onto what Beachbody coaching is all about. The group will start on 25 September and is a Facebook group. All you need to do to join is head to this link below and request to join the group. Once you have done that then on 25 September I will post daily information about what coaching is all about. It's totally free! 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/901866886546537/

I hope you join us! XoXo

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

When you make that dinner and your husband looks at you and says "please make this again"! I count that as a WIN...and it's super simple! 

Chipotle Shrimp:

~ 1 lb shrimp (I used peeled, de-veined shrimp)
~ 1-2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (depending on how spicy you prefer it)
~ 1 teaspoon chili powder
~ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
~ 4 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:
Mix together the ingredients above in a ziploc bag then add shrimp and toss. Ensure all the shrimp are well coated then place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

After marinating, saute the shrimp until fully cooked then make your taco and enjoy!

We used whole wheat tortillas, homemade salsa, cheese and quinoa in our tacos. DELISH!

Your Mental Approach to Eating Better

It's no secret that MANY people are trying to eat better and lose a few pounds. I know that during the Summer months, while the kids are home from school, can be rough. The food in your house is always what they want since they don't have school making their lunches and then there is always the family vacations just in case you needed any more help falling off track. So I've put together a few key tips that will help you stick to a healthier way of eating.

1. The turtle wins the race!

Diet & exercise is always started with the most determination and the best intentions. We just Dive right in and try to do it all. We think we have to do it all at once and there are no other options. That isn't true. You end up overwhelmed and frustrated if you do that. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Just like when you are training for a marathon...you should start small. Make 1 or 2 changes a week and eventually you will build up to that distance. A couple changes a week means that within a month you have made significant progress yet haven't felt overwhelmed by everything changing all at once.

2. Plan it out!

This is a very important step in order to succeed with changing your lifestyle. You never want to put yourself in the position of not knowing what to eat while you are still learning and making this healthier lifestyle a habit. If you haven't planned it then you will end up grabbing whatever is "quick & easy". You don't want to do that! Compile a list of the healthy foods that you do enjoy, make another list of foods that travel well so that you can take them to work or you can have them while your kid is at soccer practice. You know your schedule better than anyone, therefore you know what will work for you meal wise. I can't stress to you how important it is to plan it out. If you need tips on how to plan your meals then please check out My 5 Step Meal Planning. Always remember that if you fail to plan then you plan to fail!

3. Set realistic goals!

The goals you set not only need to be realistic but they need to be focused. What I mean by that is you want to set goals that have to do with your nutrition and/or weight loss. I say weight loss because if you want to lose weight then you and you know that specific goal then you can plan your nutrition to help you achieve that goal. I also recommend that you stick to just you as the focus. I know initially my goals were for me to eat better along with my family. In turn my focus was on my family and their eating habits as opposed to focusing on myself which was the journey I was supposed to be on. Once you start achieving YOUR goals then you can incorporate your family as well. What you may also want to do with each of your goals is to write down WHY you want to reach that goal. I know that going back to my why is what always motivates me to stay on track. Once you have your goals then write them somewhere that you see daily and as you achieve them...check it off! I have an awesome post about how to set smart goals which you can read here.

4. Make sure it works for you!

Like I said earlier, you are the only one who knows your schedule and what will work best for you. You need to ensure when you set up your guidelines that you are being realistic. This plan is YOUR plan and it needs to work for you and your day to day routine. You don't want to have to scramble at the last minute to try and find a healthy option because you didn't factor in your schedule while planning. You also need to ensure you are falling within your budget guidelines. Utilize recipes and produce that is IN SEASON! That will help you a lot because we all know that a $10 watermelon just isn't worth it when I can buy a couple dollar bag of fresh apples. You can also utilize the farmer's markets. This isn't going to be some super easy thing...you will have to work for it and you won't be perfect!

5. Stay consistent!

Your planning process is what will help you in this area. If you take the time to plan then you really should not have any issues being consistent. I do recommend that you try to eat around the same time each day. The easiest way I have found that works for me is to set an alarm on my phone to go off. I know some of you are probably saying that you won't forget to eat but we all get busy and you really should be eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Those hours pass very quickly when you are at work or dealing with your kids. That alarm on your phone will remind you it's time to eat and since you already planned it out then it's a matter of grabbing it and either warming it up (if you prep) or fixing it quickly. Once your body realizes that you are consistently feeding it every 3 or so hours and you are feeding it with healthy foods, you metabolism will stay engaged and and you will see an increase in energy. 

6. You have to be flexible!

 Life happens! Things come up and your plan has to change. That is okay! If you know you have an event coming up then incorporate it into your plan. I always have a protein bar or two in my purse for those spur of the moment events. If you are dining out then check out my Dining Out Without A Doubt post. It's really important that you get familiar with nutrition so that you have the knowledge to help you understand what is compatible with your plan. You don't have to take a college course or anything though....just buy a few books, read magazines, heck...google it! Flexibility is key to making this change.

7. Enjoy the journey, don't focus on the destination! 

You can have a lot of fun on this journey! A big part of the fun for me is finding at least one new recipe each week to try out. Some are great and others are total failures but hey...it keeps life interesting! You can also turn it into a fun little competition. My sister and I are notorious for this! If you don't enjoy the journey and are only focused on the destination then you will miss out on all the smaller accomplishments and those are worth celebrating! You don't want to miss out on them!

8. Make it a habit!

It takes 21 days to make or break a habit. So commit to at least a month! After that month, everything that seemed so hard to start with will now start to feel a lot easier. You will make better choices without even having to think about it.

9. Know you will have setbacks...turn them into a comeback!

You will not be perfect at this! I repeat, you will not be perfect at this! I know that is hard for those of you like me who are perfectionist. It's okay...and expected that you will have slip ups. You may miss some meals, you may end up having a couple of days that are full of "cheat meals". You are not the first person and you will not be the last person to do it! What's important is that after those setbacks, you get back up and pick back up with your plan to get you to your goals. Don't be hard on yourself! Turn your setback into your comeback!!!!

10. Reward yourself, just not with food!

This is my favorite part! As you reach your goals and you accomplish the things you want then reward yourself. It could be something as small as that new nail polish you want, a manicure, a massage....whatever you choose as long as it's NOT FOOD! You are not an animal therefore don't reward yourself with a treat. I like to set these rewards along with my goals. For example, let's say you have a goal to lose 20 pounds. At 5 pounds lost you get that nail polish you have been wanting. At 10 pounds lost you get to buy a new workout outfit. At 15 pounds lost you go get a massage. Then at your final goal of 20 pounds lost you go get 5 new outfits (or a new wardrobe LOL). That will definitely up your motivation to reach those goals!

11. Keep going!

This is where you need to keep pushing yourself and keep making new goals as you accomplish the ones you previously set. I know you have a long term goal so set small, doable steps so that you aren't overwhelmed. No matter what....just keep at it. KEEP GOING!

No Pain, No Gain...RIGHT?!

So yesterday I did a new workout, one that I have never done before. Then add to the fact that it was weight training based, which I never do, and you can only imagine the amount of soreness that I am feeling today. I absolutely fell in love with ChaLean Extreme but man it kicked my rear hard yesterday. I could have used this as an excuse to skip my workout and take a rest day but I didn't. Instead I did a Cize workout which focuses on dancing so it's more of a cardio/ lower body. Since I was feeling this soreness today it got me thinking about how many of you probably experience the same thing and either don't know why or you aren't sure how to get back to the sore free days. 

 What's important to know is that as a beginner you will almost definitely experience muscle soreness but even if you aren't a beginner when it comes to working out, if you are doing a different type of workout then you will probably experience it as well. For example, I typically do high intensity cardio based workouts so doing a workout that focuses on weight training means not only am I likely targeting different muscles, I am doing it with weight. If you don't want to be sore then your only option is to not workout....which isn't an option! At least not for most of us! Working out is GOOD for you and the muscle soreness does go away so don't let that detour you!

We all experience the "fire" in our muscles during the workout. That is just your muscles working and doing their job. It's a good thing and I've actually come to enjoy "the burn"! I KNOW I am getting a good workout in if I feel the burn. That feeling normally goes away within an hour or two after your workout. Doing your cool down will help this go away and make you feel great. So don't skip that cool down!

What I am experiencing today, the day after my new workout, is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). This is the soreness that gradually increases 24-48 hours after your workout. Now many people believe that they have hurt themselves because they are sore but in reality it just means you  have worked your muscles more than what they are accustom to. You end up having microscopic tears in your muscles but it TOTALLY NORMAL! This doesn't mean you have an excuse! 

Excuses don't burn those calories...so instead let's talk about some ways to relieve the soreness and maybe even prevent it. 

1. Make sure you ALWAYS complete your warm-up and cool down. That helps your muscles gradually work instead of a total shocker. "Hey, it's time for 12 tricep extensions with 10 pounds weights...sorry I didn't warm you up tricep"....you should not be saying that! LOL

2. Stay active! Keeping your muscles moving keeps the blood flowing and helps your muscles repair themselves. Go for a swim, a walk around the neighborhood, maybe even a light short jog.

3. Stretch it out....this helps break the pattern of soreness to muscle spasm to contraction and tightness. Stretching is not over-rated and is totally worth the 5-10 minutes.

4. My GO TO muscle soreness relief is soaking in an Epsom Salt bath. I fill my bath tub up with warm water and dissolve about 2 cups of Epsom Salt in it and then soak. I always get out feeling so much better. 

5. Ice, Ice baby! (Sorry I had to!) Seriously though, icing the muscles also helps. I am a wimp when it comes to cold so I typically don't ice unless I am in SERIOUS pain. I would rather sit in a nice warm bath LOL. My husband is an icing type though and it helps him. 

6. I can't tell you how many times I have used Aspercreame! I swear we really should have taken stock out in that stuff! It's not a long term relief obviously but I have been known to rub some on my shoulders or calves when I was working in an office. 

7. There are some really great after workout/recovery drinks on the market that many of my friends and I use. I personally LOVE the new Beachbody Performance Recover drink. It's a chocolate flavor and not chalky at all. You know me and my taste/texture issues! Definitely my go to recovery drink to ward of my soreness. (I did not have any to drink yesterday and I am totally blaming that for my soreness!)

8. I know a lot of people that use foam rollers but I can not give my personal opinion on them since I have never used one. What I hear from my fellow coaches is they are awesome though. 

9. Drinking Shakeology within an hour after working out seriously helps relieve so much! Your body needs amino acids, carbs, and proteins to help repair your muscles and if you get those within an hour after exercising that significantly decreases pain an soreness. Shakeology has all those things PLUS more. I worked out AFTER I had already had my daily Shakeology and I regret it now! I wish I would have worked out then drank my Shakeology with an added scoop of Beachbody Performance Recover added to it. I did not make that same mistake today though! 

Finally, number 10, don't skip your workout! If you are sore the next day then I totally understand but skipping your workout the next day is not the answer! I'm not saying you should be doing some HARD CORE workout the next day but you still need to actively engage your muscles and keep the blood flowing. Your muscles need the blood flow and oxygen in your blood to repair just as much as they need the nutrients from your diet. 

I'm not saying you won't be sore and I am definitely not saying the 10 items I listed above will prevent or cure your muscle soreness. What I am saying is it's totally normal to be sore and we have all been there (or are there). Just please don't use it as an excuse. Use the 10 items above to help you get through it and within a week or two of doing your new routine it will be the new normal for your muscles and you won't experience the soreness. 

If you want information on how to get started on your journey or want some extra motivation and support then please don't hesitate to contact me. My passion is helping others reach their own potential and I would love to help you. XoXo

Meal Prep 101

If you fail to plan then you are planning to fail! That is one of my all time favorite quotes. I am honestly not sure who said it considering there are some that say it was Winston Churchill and some say it was Benjamin Franklin....whoever it is they are pure genius! 

Meal preparation is all about setting yourself up for a successful week. Whether you are on a weight loss journey, a healthier lifestyle journey or just a normal American who is always short on time, meal prep is an essential way to get through the week with a little less stress. I NEVER did meal prep until I started my journey to lose the extra 50 pounds from my second pregnancy. I mean why would I spend my precious weekend time to prep food for the week when I can do that in the evenings or something?! Well because it NEVER happens unless I make it part of my weekend routine. How many times have you woke up late only to find you forgot to make your lunch to take to work...or you said you would make it in the morning and now here you are running late and have no time? I'm raising my hand right now! We have all been that person and then we decide that we will just grab something from that restaurant around the corner from your office. Problem is that you are likely grabbing something pretty unhealthy and now you are spending MORE money than if you would have just packed your lunch. 

I am not saying it's easy to get in the routine for meal prep because it honestly was a rough start for me. When you are new to it then it takes you longer to figure out what to prep and then a system to store it and all that fun stuff. The GOOD news is that the more you do it then easier it gets. I actually look forward to meal prep Sundays at my house because it's time that my husband and I get into the kitchen together, work as a team and knock out breakfast, lunches and snacks all at once. That frees up our evening from getting lunches together and keeps us from grabbing those unhealthy snacks. 

So how do you meal prep is probably what you are asking right now. Here's the system that I use and hopefully you find it useful. 

Plan it out!

You will never be able to meal prep appropriately if you don't plan your meals and snacks out for the week. I almost always use Fridays during nap time to get my meal planning done. Now, my children don't always eat what we eat (they are pretty picky toddlers) so I do two meal plans, one for my husband and I and one for the kids. If you aren't sure how to do a meal plan then you can check out my My 5 Step Meal Planning post to help guide you through it. 

The MUST haves...

Okay, so the biggest must have is a good set of Tupperware! I use these for mine and my husband's lunches and/or snacks. I bought a few packs of them so typically I have enough for lunches for 6 days for each of us and then I can put the day of snacks into one on it's own. I absolutely love them and will probably be purchasing the two section ones (since I already have the three section) for my snacks. I am a super organized person so I like the way my fridge looks when I have done my meal prepping and everything is all organized in these containers LOL. They stack nicely and I can even label them with the day if I get overly excited that week. I also always have my 21 Day Fix containers on hand so I can portion out my items. This may or may not be important to you but if you are trying to lose weight then I HIGHLY recommend this program because the nutrition plan is on point and super easy to follow. You also need to ensure you have the right tools to get the job done. I have some more info about that in my It Starts In The Kitchen post. 

What about time?

This is a two part answer. The first time question, how long will it take for me to prep my meals for the week? Well there is no definite answer for you on this one. It all depends on how much you are prepping and for how many days. Some people prep twice a week and only do a couple of days at a time and that may work for them but I use my Sunday afternoon to prep for the whole 5-6 days. I would rather knock it out and not do it again for a week. This also means that I spend a good couple of hours in the kitchen. I have done it in less but that's when my husband helps me out with some of it. I will say it took FOREVER the first time I meal prepped but it was because I was learning what would work and what wouldn't. The time it takes you will lessen the more you do it. The second question, how many days do I prep for? Again, this depends. Like I said, I prefer to prep for the whole week but if you are just starting and that seems like too much for you then start out with just doing a couple days at a time. That system may work better for you. I just know that during the week I am so busy with kids, my business and spending time with my husband that I don't have time to prep so it HAS to be done on Sunday or it's not getting done. 

The prepping begins!

Once you decide how many days you are prepping for then you need to look at those days and decide which meals/snacks can be prepped. I personally plan my days out so that I can prep my breakfast, snacks and lunches. If it's not something that I can prep then it likely won't be on my meal plan (unless it's my breakfast omelet because those I LOVE). My snacks are typically fruits or raw veggies so to prep those I simply wash, cut, portion out and then place them in a container or ziploc back. I also like my boiled eggs so my husband typically boils a dozen or two of eggs for us. Basically, look for the items that you know you can prep and store for the week. Even if you don't cook it, the simple act of cutting the items up and portioning them out helps like you wouldn't believe. Unfortunately I can't tell you the items you should prep simply because, again, it depends on you. One thing I can say is that I never prep my dinners except maybe cut the veggies up. I like my dinners to be fresh. If it's a dinner meal being heated up then it's probably my lunch. What you can do is place items together in the fridge so you can just grab them or you can marinate your chicken and then freeze them. Then they will be ready as soon as they defrost. Small things like that will help you on busy nights. A huge part of my prepping is cutting and portioning. Even my dinner items, I like to cut and portion so I know that I only have to grab two portions (one for me and one for my husband) and cook it up. 

This is a week worth (7 days) of snacks and lunches. 

The low down, dirty truth!

* Food prepping is not always fun! I actually enjoy it NOW but when I first started it was so boring and seemed like a waste of my time. I have made it fun by either listening to music or I grab the iPad and put Netflix or Hulu Plus on to entertain me. 

* Again, I can't stress enough that food prepping takes TIME. You will spend way longer in the kitchen than you ever thought possible when you first start. It does get easier though! 

* Your kitchen will look like a hurricane hit it! I always have a HUGE mess to clean up when I am done BUT I always tell myself that it's easier to do it all at once than to continously clean up each day. I spend a lot less time washing dishes or loading the dishwasher each day because the majority of my meals are already done. My daily dishes consist of two or three tupperware containers, dinner dishes and the kids lunch dishes. 

* You can feel discouraged by how long it takes you, the mess, your fridge being taken over by tupperware or even the haters that don't understand food prepping. DON'T let any of it get to you! Try food prepping for a month and if it doesn't get better or you still just downright dislike it then you haven't lost anything but I am betting that you will end up liking it and the feeling you get when it's done. You will LOVE that your whole week runs so much smoother because you have PREPARED for it! 

If you have questions or would like some personal guidance then please feel free to contact me! Those awesome little buttons at the top of my page (under my photo on the right) will take you straight to me! Now go forth and prepare for the week! XoXo