food faster. Be sure to keep the doors securely closed to keep the foods in a safe temperature zone. The ideal temperature range for a refrigerator is 34 to 37 degrees.
Here are products to keep stocked in the refrigerator:
Dairy products: Milks, yogurts, butters, cheeses.
Fresh fruit: Apples, citrus, precut fruit.
Fresh vegetables: Boxed lettuce, onions, celery, carrots, cucumbers, prechopped vegetables
Condiments: Dressings, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, Sriracha, and so on.
Jams or jellies.
Fresh herbs: Place cut herbs in a glass of water and cover with a plastic bag to prolong shelf life.
Beverages.
Eggs.
Lunch meat.
Freezer wise buys
Keeping your freezer well stocked can make meal planning a breeze. Here are items to keep on hand:
MeatsChicken (whole, breasts, and thighs)Beef (steaks, ground, and roasts)Pork (chops, tenderloins, and ground)Sausage (kielbasa and breakfast)Bacon
SeafoodShrimpFish sticks
VegetablesMirepoix (mix of onions, carrots, and celery)BroccoliGreen beansSoup mixPeasEdamameSpinach
StarchesRicePotatoes (hash browns or chopped)BreadsTortillasPie crusts
FruitsBerriesSmoothie blendsBananasWild blueberries
Premixed soups
Pizza
Sweets
SAVING TIME WITH CONVENIENCE FOODS
While stocking your kitchen with meal prep in mind, consider these convenience items to help shave time in the kitchen:
Fruit and veggie trays: If you’re having trouble eating more fruits and vegetables, consider keeping a tray of precut fruits and vegetables. This can be store-bought or made by you!
Boxed greens: Lettuce, kale, spinach, and mixed greens make for simple salads or bowls.
Hummus: Great as a dip for vegetables or add to a sandwich.
Pizza dough: Turn it into a flatbread side dish or create a main dish pizza loaded with veggies any night of the week.
Boxed broth: Great for making sauces or simple soups.
Marinades or sauces: From barbecue sauce to Italian dressing, find your favorites to keep on hand.
Rotisserie chicken: Check out Chapter 12 for delicious ways to use a roasted chicken.
Shopping with the Seasons
Berries may sound delicious in the winter, but they really aren’t in season in the Unitec States during the colder months. You may opt to buy berries in the winter, but they’ll be a lot pricier and, honestly, probably not as nutrient-dense as you may think. For produce to get to our markets off season, they’re most likely grown in Mexico or South America. Then they’re shipped long distances to get to our tables. During this process, vegetables and fruits succumb to oxidation and lose some nutritional density along the way.
There are many positive aspects to shopping local and in-season produce. The less distance the food has to travel, the better the price and nutrient density.
Here’s a condensed version of seasonal produce around the United States. If you’re in the southern or western states, this list may vary. Check with your local farmer’s market to know what and when produce grows best for your area.
Spring: Apricots, artichokes, arugula, asparagus, butter lettuce, cabbage, citrus, fava beans, fennel, green beans, peas, pineapple, rhubarb, spinach, Swiss chard, watercress
Summer: Avocados, beets, bell peppers, berries, cherries, corn, cucumber, eggplant, grapes, green beans, melons, okra, peppers, stone fruit, summer squash, tomatoes, watermelon
Fall: Apples, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, grapes, lettuce, pears, plums, winter squashes, turnips
Winter: Citrus, collard greens, kale, kiwi, leeks, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, winter squash, turnips
Part 2
Jumping into Meal Planning
IN THIS PART …
Create a meal plan right for you and your family.
Discover ways to accommodate allergies and other special meal-planning needs.
Chapter 4
Meeting the Meal Plans
IN THIS CHAPTER
Meal prep is simply batch cooking or preparing foods in advance for the week. In this chapter, I offer more than 40 meals ideas — eight weeks of five meals per week. You can choose how much prep you do in advance,
