How to meal prep? part 2

 Here we are. (For context, you will have to read part 1)

I was at the grocery store getting all the stuff I needed to prepare my meals. I got vegetables I was used to seeing in the HelloFresh box (meal kit). At that grocery store, I decided that I would only prepare vegetables this weekend. I would make the rest of the ingredients for the meal prep from the next weekend. So that's exactly what I did. I bought the vegetables, and I bought a bunch of sauce jars. I had enough grain to go through the week, so I didn't need to buy any grain. 

Today, I prepared the vegetables, cooked them in the oven, and stored them in the fridge. Hopefully I have enough vegetables to last me the week. I'll be able to course correct over next weekend. I probably will be able to make a sauce or two this week as well. That gives me time to research and make something I would be happy with, and something that could be mixed between different meals. 

I have a good base to start off with this week. But I need to continue building on it to get to my dream of being able to prepare a healthy meal on weekdays in less than 15 minutes including cleaning time. (This dream is driven by my liking for HelloFresh meals, but dislike for how long it takes to prepare those meals.)

Finally, on the question of proteins, I think I'll be able to squeeze in some lentils and tofu throughout the week. However, I will have to calculate the amount of protein I am consuming. It will ensure that I am not falling far below the recommended amount. At the same time, I'll go through the grocery store looking for high protein snacks and ingredients.

How to meal prep?

That was my Google search. I don't know. I am just starting out. Today will be the first day I try to meal prep. 

What I have figured out based on 2 months of near daily cooking:

1. You need a carb rich base that will fill you. 
2. You need a flavor adding component, usually a sauce.
3. You need vegetables, to make it healthy and satisfying. 

That's the basics of a lot of the Hello Fresh cooking I have done. This was the pattern I recognized. 

Now then, what is the plan? 

1. Get 2 base grains that I can eat throughout the week.
2. Make 2 different sauces that can be consumed throughout the week. 
3. Buy loads of vegetables, cook them in the oven. 

Whenever I need to make a meal, I can swap out between the different options. 

This is the plan for the first week. 

The specifics:

1. Grain: Rice and Quinoa
2. Sauces: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
3. Vegetables: Onions, Potato, Sweet potato, Avocado, Beans, Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Garlic, Chillies, Carrots, Mushrooms, Zucchini, Tomato, Chickpea, Corn, 

(Yes, I know all of them are not vegetables, but can be placed there as oven going ingredients.)

Finally, I will also need a spice mixture to ensure that there is some taste in the vegetable, will decide the spice mixture at the store I visit though. 

Finally, while I do have the 3 main components available, it will be important to have protein, and some variety. 

Wish me luck.