Clean Eating and Meal Prep

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Due to an unfortunately spate of food poisoning, I didn't get to any of the events that I wanted to get to this weekend (which made me really sad - I definitely wanted to check out the festivities going on all this past weekend at Woodlawn Beach, but got stuck with an IV at Mercy Hospital for a few hours instead).

This put a little bit of a damper on my usual Monday review for this week. I had to face the facts - sometimes, best intentions aside, we don't get to fitness classes, and we may not always be as active as we want to be.

However, as I work to recover my body from whatever nasty bug I had, I am reminded of the importance of clean eating - because if anything reminds you to cut excess fats and sugars from your diet, it's recovering from a stomach problem.

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Right now I'm working on a diet of Cheerios (because who in Buffalo doesn't love these little oaty circles?), applesauce, and lean chicken and rice. These, along with a few other foods (bananas, plain pasta, and yogurt - because even though dairy isn't great, it is a good idea to have some probiotics) are the recommended diet for most people recovering from food poisoning, stomach "flu", etc (of course, you should ask your doctor for specifics, especially if you normally have dietary restrictions). Aside from the fact that the rice is "white," which isn't the most nutritious kind of rice, I would call this diet the epitome of "clean eating". I'm getting starch/carbs from the rice, Cheerios, and applesauce, as well as dietary fiber from the Cheerios and applesauce, and the chicken is a fantastic source of lean protein.

HOWEVER... if I have to look at another bland meal like this I am possibly going to scream. It is BORING. This is definitely not a sustainable diet. In fact, no diet is sustainable if you hate the things that you are eating, are constantly craving "no-no" foods, and the thought of your next meal makes you want to bang your head against a wall.

There are great ways to still eat clean, but avoid the bland food head-desk dilemma. Seasonings are the miracle of the kitchen. You can add pepper, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, garlic, or any number of other spices to foods with little-to-no caloric or fat gain. Other ingredients like mustard (9 cal/Tbsp), soy sauce (9 cal/Tbsp), or balsamic vinegar (14 cal/Tbsp) can be added as a binder to hold spices onto things.

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Cooking techniques must also be considered when trying to keep a dish healthy but tasty. For example, there are 120 cal/Tbsp in olive oil (considered the healthiest of cooking oils). If you pan-fry in oil, rather than baking or grilling, you could be potentially adding several hundred calories to your meal. (however, this is not just as black and white as it seems. Olive oil is considered healthy because it has only 14% saturated fat, vs a potential 92% in coconut oil and other oils. It is considered a "healthy dietary fat" because it is full of polyunsaturated fats, rather than saturated and "trans" fats - the more you know!)

Now, you might say - "I don't have time to cook every single night. And I don't work from home - how am I supposed to make this happen when I work in an office without a kitchen?" or even "I live by myself. It's difficult and expensive to cook healthy for one person".  This is where the planning and prepping aspect comes into play. If you're savvy about things, you can pre-prepare meals in one evening for the entire week. You can even get cooking done while you're doing something else, or even out of the house. Ah, the modern miracle of the slow-cooker.

For those of you that haven't heard of "meal prepping", this is something that people who want to eat healthy, but don't have the time/interest to cook regularly can do to keep themselves on track and eating healthy, home-cooked meals throughout the week. It usually involves owning a whole bunch of tupperware, collecting recipes that are good for reheating, and owning decent (read: average) kitchen appliances (I suppose it would technically be possible to do meal prep in a dorm with a mini-fridge and microwave, but it would be a gigantic pain, and would severely limit options for recipes). It also frequently entails (for me, anyways) setting aside one night per-week to cook (but theoretically, this isn't required).

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I have a list of recipes that I know re-heat well in the microwave, and alongside those, I keep a shopping list of what I need to grab for that recipe. I usually do my prep on Monday nights, and do one large grocery shopping trip that same day on my way home from work. Typically I make 3 meals for the week - one in the slow cooker, one in the oven, and one that gets made on the stovetop. That way the slowcooker can cook while I do other things, and the dish in the oven can usually sit in there for 15-20mins while I work on the stovetop dish (usually the most high maintenance). Typically these dishes will include a meat (mine are usually chicken, although I have some for salmon, beef, pork, and even eggs), a vegetable (if there isn't anything in the recipe, I will include some broccoli or sweet peppers that will steam while the meal cooks in the tupperware), and a starch (my most common is rice, although couscous, quinoa, or whole-grain pasta can be used). The meals made with about 1.5-2lb of meat can be divided up into 6-8 portions, and will sit in the fridge, individually packaged and ready to be grabbed by a hungry person.

My favorite is just to do an easy marinade (this involves a little planning - putting the meat in the bag with the marinade the night before). Chicken tenderizes a little from the acidic ingredients of the marinade, gets flavor from the spices, and then will cook up nice and tender in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 min (I cut my chicken up into pieces so that it will cook faster, and so there's no doubt if it's raw). One thing to remember - if you over cook the meat even a little bit, it will likely be pretty gross when you put it in the microwave to reheat it. Watch your times, invest in a good probe-thermometer, and for goodness sake, don't overcook your food.

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Save your cooking - please get a probe thermometer!

Ok, so now that we've touched on the pre-prep that you can do yourself, some of your eyes have probably glazed over. Either that, or you're totally freaked out right now going "woah, no way, that's waaaayyyy too much work, and I don't have time for that.".

Well, here's the good news. I personally do the pre-prep myself to save money (and because I have a few picky-ish eaters in my household). However, there are plenty of places in WNY that will to the prep for you. All you have to do is clear out some room in your fridge, and re-heat the meals in the microwave when it's time to eat. Here's some of the local places that you can contact for delicious and healthy meal options (most have weekly pickup, and an order ahead process):

• WTF Chef (Wellness Through Food) - based in Cheektowaga. WTF Chef is the meal prep service that taught me about meal prep. I did their service for a few weeks - it's only about $5 per meal, which is inexpensive. Some of their options can be a bit bland, but they suggest that you add your own dressings and spices to your liking. Their main focus is sugar-free meals with limited carbs (no super-processed carbs. Whole grains will be digested slower, and keep you feeling full longer). They also offer soup and salad options. 
• Eat Rite Foods - based in Cheektowaga. Meals are about $5.50 apiece, depending on which plan you select. 
• BBG2Go (Buffalo's Best Grill) - based in Blasdell. $5 fit meals (350-400cal). They also offer home-style food for $6/meal. They do offer gluten free and vegetarian choices. 
• 95Nutrition - based in Grand Island. Offering general meal plans, as well as ones specified for men and women's nutrition needs, their meals are about $7 each, but with different plans, it varies (you can even add snacks in). Unlike most of the rest of the places that I looked at, 95Nutrition freezes their meals, rather than being just refrigerated (this may mean that they will last longer, and they can also be delivered farther away). 
• Fresh n' Lean - based out of California. This is a vegan option, for those of you who are less than impressed by meat. 100% plant based and vegan, all organic. The meals work out to around $9.30 per meal ($28/day for a standard plan). I verified - they do deliver in Buffalo. 

Hopefully this is helpful - I've been bumbling my way through the food-prep world for a few months now, and while it can be confusing and time consuming, it is absolutely rewarding when you can eat fresh and healthy meals every day, and don't have to make a trip to Panera on your lunch break. 

Eat healthy, and get moving!