Zero Waste, Meal Prep Week Six

It is week six and we're still going strong with the meal plans. Let me know if you're still finding these helpful! I can go down to two a month if they're starting to be overwhelming. It is definitely encouraging me to be a better planner. 

You can head on over to my instagram to see the prep live through insta stories. But it will only be around fro 24 hours so head on over fast! 

If you're looking for help on where to start meal planning, check out my tips for making a five-minute meal plan. 

This week was very unique. We are working with free food! So some of the normal headers don't apply. 

inventory:

I was running very, very low on food. I have some apple slices and cauliflower in the fridge. I also have some wilting spinach and several lonely bananas. 

budget:

This week we're doing it on a budget of $0! Yes, you read that right. We didn't pay a cent for all the food you see photographed above. And a couple of other things that weren't photographed. 

My biggest advice is - get to know your farmers! Head to the farmers market as it's wrapping up. Ask about some deals. If you know your farmers really well, you can score some very ripe/imperfect produce. 

Which means that it all needs to be prepared and ready to be eaten ASAP. 

shop:

Lots of veggies! It was a free for all. 

plan:

BREAKFAST

• K - Green Smoothies, Banana Bread
• J - Strawberry Smoothies, Banana Bread

LUNCH

• K - Southwestern Salads: Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Corn, Black Beans, and Romaine
• J - Ham Sandwiches, Pretzels, Cookies, and Carrot Sticks

DINNER

• Carrot Top Pesto Ravioli 
• Cheesesteak/Balsamic Mushroom Subs
• Fried Buffalo Cauliflower/Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli
• Veggie Fried Rice
• Roasted Veggie Quesadillas
• Waffles
• Loaded Veggie Baked Potatoes

prep:

This weeks prep took 2 hours. I Have six green smoothies and three strawberry smoothies for Justin. I made carrot sticks and diced an onion. With the carrot tops, I made carrot top pesto which is a rift on my pesto recipe. But, even better! I included 1/4 cup of cashews with 3 Tablespoons of nutritional yeast. 

I made three salads for myself and a burrito bowl. Justin has all the fixings to make his daily lunch sandwich. And, I made a whole loaf of banana bread. 

I think we're set for the week. What are you prepping for this week? 

Zero Waste Meal Plan Week 1

Y'all have been loving my rough meal plans on insta. After I go to the farmers market I take a picture of my bounty and then tell you what I'm planning on doing with all of that gorgeous produce. 

Most of the time it's really simple stuff - like nachos. You know I love my nachos. I thought it'd be fun to try and do weekly posts about my meal plans. Then I can see some recurring themes and try to shoot video and make posts about some of my favorite seasonal recipes. 

We're going to also talk about my food budget. I try to buy everything local, organic, and without packaging on a budget of $60 a week. I go bulk shopping once a month and that shopping trip kinda messes up the $60 a week budget. So, it works out better to say $250 a month of two people. But, since we're doing this weekly - 

Week 1

First things first, I got wayyyyyyy too carried away last week. So, I have a lot of leftover produce. All of it looks great though. It matters how you store your produce to keep it looking fresh. 
 

step one: inventory

Before going grocery shopping you should always see what you have left in your fridge and try and make a plan to eat that first.

I have the broccoli, cucumber, peppers, radishes, cilantro, eggs, and basil leftover from last week. 

I prep radishes to throw into salads and they last quite a while in the fridge. Cilantro lasts a long time if you keep it like cut flowers in your fridge. And, we don't eat eggs very often so that carton will last us almost the month. I'll bring the carton back after we've finished with it. 

step two: budgets

Set a budget. I try not to spend over $30 at the farmers market for a weeks full of produce. Granted if I have a lot left over from the previous week, I can buy a couple more special items. I don't buy specialty items very often due to budgets, but occasionally it's fun to splurge! 

step three: shop

Shop till you drop! 

Ok, so not really but this is what I bought this week. 

• $7 Bread: I typically make bread, but they were selling it without any packaging and I couldn't resist hauling a delicious loaf home. I slice it almost all the way through, wrap it in the orange reusable bag from bagpodz and then place it in a pillowcase inside the crisper in my freezer.
• $4 Jam: I only buy jam once or twice a year. But, I am definitely looking forward to toast this week! 
• $1 Red Potatoes
• $2.50 Tortilla chips
• $1 Limes and Jalepeno 
• $10 Romaine, Tomatoes, Squash, Zucchini, Carrots, Cilantro and Arugula

Total: $25.50

step four: plan

Breakfast: Toast with Jam, Bagels with Mayo and Tomatoes, Plain Bagels, Freezer Smoothies with Almonds/Granola

Lunch: PB&J, Farmers Market Salads, Roasted Veggie Sandwiches, Quinoa and Veggie Bake

Dinner: Margherita Pizza, Nachos, Caesar Salad and Pasta, Fajitas with Rice and Beans, Fried Rice, Burgers

step five: prep 

I'm not very good at executing step five. But, I will probably make some salsa this week, it's why I have hordes of cilantro. And, whenever I make veggie burgers I always make extra and keep them in the freezer so I have them on hand. 

We make a lot of really simple meals that can be tossed together quickly. A lot of them have the same ingredients, so if I'm roasting veggies I always roast a little more than necessary for tomorrows lunch. 

What are you planning for this week?