Cook Once, Eat All Week

Set aside a few prep hours on Sunday, and for the rest of the week, don’t give cooking a second thought.

What is the key to a keeping your diet clean? In one word, preparation! If you have your meals for the week all mapped out, chances are good you won’t stray from your healthy meal plan.

The strategy here is not just preparing food, but assembling meals. So make sure you’ve got your BPA-free containers on standby. Once the cooking is done, load them up for grab-and-go meals that simply need to be heated up. Also, have a number of healthy snacks on hand, so you won’t go bolting for the vending machine when your stomach starts grumbling between meals.

Here’s what you need to keep the fridge stocked and your tummy satisfied.

The ideal combo goes like this: lean protein, complex carbs, leafy greens. Cook up a couple of each for mix-and-match meals. Choose proteins that would also be nice sliced up in a whole wheat wrap, giving you a fresh alternative for lunch.

Protein:	Leafy greens:	Complex carbs:	Snacks:
Salmon, chicken, ground turkey, lean steak, tempeh, tofu, legumes	Broccoli, spinach, rapini, kale, Swiss chard	Wild rice, quinoa (also a source of protein), couscous, sweet potato, whole wheat pasta	Hard-boiled eggs, nuts, sliced veggies, dried and fresh fruit, steel-cut oats, string cheese, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese