Meal Prep Monday Podcast™

Allison Schaaf, host of the podcast, shares her recent grocery order for a hotel stay with tips for healthy hotel room food ideas. She discusses ordering from Whole Foods and Amazon, and bringing snacks like oatmeal, nuts, seeds, and canned tuna. The chapter also covers the cost-effectiveness of ordering groceries compared to room service.

Ever wondered how much salt you should add to your food? As both a chef and an RD, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf has a unique perspective on the best way to salt food, from both a health and a culinary perspective. She shares her best tips today! *These recommendations should not be taken as medical advice and you should of course consult your doctor for any medical concerns related to salt. Most sodium in people’s diet comes from processed foods. If you’re using Prep Dish meal plans, you are likely not eating much processed food. In addition, vegetables contain potassium, which balances out sodium in your body. Adding salt brings out the natural flavor in healthy foods like vegetables. It can help reduce bitter flavors as well! Here are 3 things to think about when salting your food: Salt and Taste as You Go: This is especially true for things like soup, but is always a good idea! Use a Salt Cellar Instead of a Shaker: Use your hands to add salt. This makes it easier to judge how much salt you’re adding. Salt from High Above the Food: This gives a more even distribution of salt. Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! 10 Items Delicious with Just Salt & Pepper: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep86/ How Much Salt to Season Food Properly: https://prepdish.com/meal-planning/how-much-salt-to-season-food-properly/  

Not sure how meal prep would fit into your life? We’re talking meal prep basics today! Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf shares tips on how to make meal prep and Prep Dish meal plans work for you. Specifically, she shares three effective ways of using these meal prep meal plans to fit into various lifestyles. 3 Ways to Use Prep Dish Meal Plans: Prep All at Once in a Weekly Prep Day - Set aside an hour or two to meal prep your whole meal plan for the week, making the rest of the week super easy. This is the most efficient! If you’re new to meal prep, try our Super Fast plans, which are designed to be prepped in just one hour. Break Up Meal Prep - Fit in meal prep in small pockets of time. If you have a little extra time when you’re cooking dinner, chop the veggies for the next night. Check items off as you go to stay organized so you know where you left off! Don’t do prep day! - Our premium subscription includes separated recipes, essentially a more traditional recipe format, rather than a plan organized for meal prep. This is perfect for anyone wanting to use our healthy recipes, but not wanting to do meal prep. You still save a lot of time by not having to search for recipes and meal plan every week. Separated recipes are also great for adding recipes to your weekly meal plan! Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! See Our Super Fast Meal Plans in Action: https://youtu.be/qzuuAn1jGgo  

In today’s episode, meal prep expert and Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf explains the basics of Prep Dish, a meal prep subscription service. Prep Dish offers weekly meal plans in a subscription-based service. Subscribers receive Gluten Free, Paleo, Low Carb and Super Fast meal prep meal plans every Friday. The meal plans include an organized grocery list, a detailed prep day plan and a “dish day” plan with the easy steps to complete each dish. Allison started this company to enable busy families to eat well, without the stress. Having done-for-you meal plans and clean, efficient meal prep instructions makes cooking healthy food for your family SO much easier! Make sure to go to prepdish.com/podcast for a free meal plan to see what it’s all about or go to prepdish.com/subscribe to sign up now! Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! How I Started Prep Dish: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep92/ The Prep Dish Grocery List: https://prepdish.com/meal-planning/grocery-list-tips/ All About Prep Day: https://prepdish.com/meal-planning/prep-day-tips/ All About Dish Day: https://prepdish.com/meal-planning/dish-day-family-meal-time-tips/ A Peek at Our Super Fast Meal Plans: https://prepdish.com/meal-planning/quick-meal-prep-healthy-dinners/  

In this episode, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf shares the super fun story of how their new pet goat had a surprise baby! This episode is the perfect light listen during the holidays. We’ll be back with more meal prep, meal planning and healthy cooking resources next week! Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! The story of how we got Fruit the goat: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep104/  

Whether you’re a cooking veteran or just getting into it, choosing the best pans to cook with can be overwhelming! There are just so many options out there. In today’s episode, chef and RD Allison Schaaf shares the only two pans she uses in her kitchen (plus a bonus!), and how to clean them. Nonstick pans contain chemicals that make them nonstick. If the nonstick coating starts to chip or degrade, that means it’s getting into your food and you’re ingesting it. Stainless Steel and Cast Iron pans last for a super long time and are safe to cook with. Stainless Steel: Calphalon is one good brand but there are other options out there too. Make sure there is no aluminum coating and go for pans that are as close as possible to being completely stainless steel. Always use oil or water to make sure the food doesn’t stick. Keeping temperatures a little lower also helps avoid sticking. If something does stick, boil water and pour it in the pan right after cooking. Put the lid on and let it sit and then everything will come off easily! A sponge or dish brush is also useful. Cast Iron: Make sure your cast iron pan is well-oiled. The more you use it, the less care is needed. Pouring hot water on the pan works with cast iron as well if food does get stuck. You may need to buy a well fitting lid separately to help with cleaning. Avoid using soap on cast iron pans. A wire brush or a stainless steel sponge also work well for cast iron. Bonus: I use stainless steel baking sheets as well, which are great! Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Calphalon Stainless Steel Pans: https://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-2029634-saute-pan-Silver/dp/B07MM3RWMN/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=stainless+steel+calphalon+pan&qid=1633117130&sr=8-5 Stainless Steel Sponge for Cast Iron: https://www.amazon.com/YASUOA-Chainmail-Scrubber-Silicone-Stainless/dp/B08RNBNSV7/ref=sr_1_27?dchild=1&keywords=stainless+steel+sponge&qid=1633116802&sr=8-27 Stainless Steel Baking Sheets: https://www.amazon.com/Checkered-Chef-Stainless-Baking-Sheets/dp/B07Z4NYXQ1/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=stainless+steel+baking+sheets+calphalon&qid=1633117044&sr=8-10  

Today’s episode wraps up Allison Shaaf’s miniseries on efficiency. Today’s tips can be applied to meal prep, but they’re also applicable beyond cooking. Have a Plan It’s always worth it to take a moment and think about a task before you begin. You may even want to do a short meditation, or at least gather your thoughts, before beginning a project or work session. Determine the most important thing you want to accomplish. Start with that #1 thing. This is specifically for work, but it can absolutely apply to home tasks as well. That way, even if you don’t get everything done, you will have completed that most important task. Set a Time Constraint You may want to try the Pomodoro Method (https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique). Set a timer for 25 minutes before taking a few minutes for a break and repeating the cycle. Time constraints can help you focus and work as efficiently as you can. Strategic Placement of Things Sometimes having an extra item where you need it is worth it for efficiency gains. For example, I used to always go to the kitchen every time I wanted tea while I was working, but would frequently get caught up in other things that were going on in the house. Now I have an extra hot water kettle in my office and it’s so much more efficient! Bonus: Avoid multitasking whenever possible! Doing one thing at a time makes for a calmer, more enjoyable life. Plus, multitasking is not usually actually more efficient! Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! How I Started Prep Dish - 5 Tips From an Entrepreneur: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep92/  

Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf continues her miniseries on efficiency today, focusing on batching. Batching Breakfast: You can approach this two ways. First, you can prep breakfast for the week ahead. Examples include a big batch of oatmeal, a frittata or prepping veggies for a quick breakfast hash. My favorite way to batch breakfast is to create some freezer meals! Smoothie bags are great for this. Divide smoothie ingredients into individual bags so they’re easy to toss in the blender. This works best if you freeze in a single layer before adding to the bags to avoid big clumps. Breakfast burritos are also great for stocking the freezer. These work really well for lunch or a filling snack as well. Muffins freeze well too. Don’t forget frittata muffins! Egg and veggie or egg and sweet potato frittata muffins freeze quite well. Lunches & Dinners: First, you can batch ingredients. For example, make a big batch of a grain, such as rice pilaf, to eat a few times throughout the week. You can serve it with a different protein each time. Similarly, you can make a roast or other large protein to enjoy in different ways throughout the week. Batch your chopping through chopping all of your veggies all at once to save time throughout the week. Another way to batch lunches and dinners is, again, to use your freezer! Any type of casserole freezes well. Lasagna and shepherd’s pie are some of my favorites. Sauces also freeze really well! Next time you make pesto or a marinade, make a double batch and freeze. Soups and stews also freeze well. Bonus: Batch your supplements! Get a days-of-the-week pill box and divide up your supplements to avoid opening different bottles every day. Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Batching Beyond the Kitchen: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep4/ 4 Overlooked Items to Batch: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep36/ Orange Carrot Smoothie (w/ Smoothie Bag Tips): https://prepdish.com/recipes/orange-carrot-smoothie/ Very Berry Muffins: https://prepdish.com/recipes/very-berry-muffins/ Eggplant & Grass Fed Beef Lasagna: https://prepdish.com/recipes/eggplant-grass-fed-beef-lasagna/ Cook Once, Eat Twice Carnitas: https://youtu.be/rJIlLjI4LM0  

Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf shares her best tips for efficient meal prep today. Even little time savings really add up from week to week! Here are the meal prep tips: Stop and Think: Take a moment before you begin and think through what you need to get done and what will take the most time. If something needs to bake for an hour, start with that right away! Batch Wherever Possible: Wash Everything at Once! To maximize efficiency, wash all of your produce at once before you start chopping, instead of going back and forth to the sink. Set Up Your Station: Gather everything you need (trash can or compost, meal prep container, cutting board, knife). This is not only more efficient, it feels much calmer. Efficient Grocery Shopping: How many times per week do you grocery shop? Is there a way you could eliminate one of those shopping trips, or switch to grocery delivery? Could you outsource grocery shopping? Is there something you can bulk purchase to shorten your weekly grocery list? Set Aside Time: Make sure you actually schedule time for meal prep, rather than hoping available time will pop up. This will help ensure you’re calm and prepared for meal prep, which is both more efficient and much more pleasant. A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place: Meal prep (and life!) is so much more efficient if you can immediately find everything you need. Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Washing Produce in Vinegar: https://prepdish.com/meal-planning/give-your-produce-a-vinegar-bath/ My First Trip to Costco: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep67/ Tips to Cut Meal Prep Time in Half: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep2/ Batching Beyond the Kitchen: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep4/ Details on Our Prep Dish Super Fast Menus: https://youtu.be/qzuuAn1jGgo  

Today’s episode is a little bit different! In honor of Thanksgiving, host Allison Schaaf is sharing the details of her daily gratitude practice, as well as other small ways she includes intentional gratitude in her life. Do you have a gratitude practice? We’d love to hear from you! Please share on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1537447836539716/ ) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/) how you remember to be thankful in your life. I’m also sharing a few Thanksgiving resources below, so you won’t be totally without meal prep inspiration this week :) Happy prepping and Happy Thanksgiving! Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Healthy Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup: ​​https://prepdish.com/roundups/healthy-thanksgiving-recipe-roundup/ Dairy Free (Paleo) Mashed Potatoes: https://prepdish.com/recipes/dairy-free-paleo-friendly-mashed-potatoes/ Entertainment Bundle (w/ Prep Ahead Thanksgiving Menu!): https://prepdish.com/shop/party/