{"id":2423,"date":"2018-05-30T12:49:02","date_gmt":"2018-05-30T16:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybodymykitchen.com\/?p=2423"},"modified":"2018-05-31T19:30:09","modified_gmt":"2018-05-31T23:30:09","slug":"protein-pasta-meal-prep-planning-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybodymykitchen.com\/protein-pasta-meal-prep-planning-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Protein Pasta & Meal Prep Planning Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

This blog post is sponsored by <\/span><\/i>iHerb <\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

\"I recently had a pretty eventful week when my parents were in town for my graduation from Columbia University. \u00a0In addition to attending various ceremonies, my parents also wanted to squeeze in some shopping and socializing with my friends while they were in New York. \u00a0They are both health-conscious individuals with slightly different diets; my dad follows a vegetarian diet and avoids most dairy except for an occasional piece of cheese. I would describe my mom as a flexatarian who is open to eating fish and very rarely eats poultry and lamb. \u00a0So in order to ensure that our busy week did not disrupt our nutrition and that we did not feel overwhelmed with figuring out healthy meals while hanging out in NYC, it was important for me to do some planning before and during their stay with me.<\/p>\n

Although I did not do meal prep that week, as I prepared for my parents\u2019 arrival I realized that my planning was very similar to what I usually do leading up to a big meal prep. So, if you\u2019re looking for ways to optimize your meal prep experience by saving time and money, then follow some of these steps.<\/p>\n

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1. Organize Your Fridge & Pantry Regularly<\/b><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve found that one of the best ways to keep stock of the ingredients I have is by regularly organizing and cleaning my refrigerator and pantry. \u00a0Now, I don\u2019t necessarily mean a grand cleaning. At the end of the week, I usually scan my refrigerator for any opened and unused items or minor spills that I may have missed during the week. I discard anything that\u2019s inedible and try to make use of ingredients approaching the end of their shelf life. \u00a0During this process I also keep track of any ingredients that I need to restock; it\u2019s the precursor to the next strategy.<\/p>\n

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2. Create a Shopping List<\/b><\/p>\n

After organizing my pantry and refrigerator it is easier for me to make a shopping list. \u00a0A traditional pen and paper will do the trick; the shopping lists in the <\/span>Meal Prep Gallery<\/span><\/a> is a great to get a head start on your own shopping lists. \u00a0Now, creating a shopping list may seem cliche but it can help you save money and time:<\/span><\/p>\n