Fruits and Veggies Monday: The "Root" of Meal Prep

Happy Monday!!  It seems like this was another week that just flew by, but at least it means it is time for #fruitsandveggiesmonday again already!  @lenasveganliving did a good job picking the day for this challenge as it really does continue to strike the right tone for the week. :)

I was able to get back on my meal prep routine this week, but I decided to do it a little differently than normal to show you guys another option.  I believe there are a few of you on here who use this method, as well.  Instead of making full meals this week, I decided to do more of a "build your own" style prep.  We have no problem eating the same thing every day.  However I know a lot of people get bored with that so having a little bit of freedom to adjust day to day can be nice.

My title implies a little play on words in that I did pick a lot of root veggies this week to try to stick with what is closest to being in season (like my celery root or celeriac above) and the root of meal prep is really just doing a little bit of cooking ahead of time.  People can get overwhelmed with the idea of spending a lot of time in the kitchen, so just preparing a few staples on Sunday can alleviate stress during the week while also allowing you time to enjoy the weekend!

When I first started cooking I had to have a recipe to follow.  I was so new to it that I couldn't even imagine coming up with a recipe or meal on my own.  Now I absolutely love going to the market and coming up with ways to use all of the beautiful produce.  That is another benefit of not having a totally set meal plan--you can buy whatever is fresh or save money by finding what is on sale.

It does help to have a basic idea of at least the number of meals you are going to make so that you can buy accordingly.  I also check in with my pantry and freezer to see what I can pull from there before I buy anything new.  I recently stocked up on black rice from Costco, so I knew I could make a big batch of rice for a bowl base.  I also always have plenty of beans and legumes batch-cooked that I can just pull out of the freezer, which means usually I just have to get some fresh vegetables to round out my meals.

The other good thing about doing a similar types of vegetables is that you can cook them all at once.  While my rice cooked on the stove I roasted beets, celery root and sweet potatoes.  I made a few bowls for myself already with some of these and added in chickpeas, dried cranberries, pistachios and a drizzle of balsamic.  When I cooked my vegetables I left them pretty plain so we can switch up our toppings and flavors as we like each day!  My spice cabinet and vinegar assortment also stay well-stocked so there is always plenty of ways to jazz up our meals.

I will probably do most of my meals like this with some extra leafy greens tossed in, but @dksart likes to mix things up with throwing the veggies into a soup or making a few wraps with whole grain tortillas.  Whatever we make will come together quickly since the bulk of the food is already cooked!

Don't forget to use as much of your vegetables as possible, as well!  The tops of the celery root are bright and delicious, and beet greens are full of nutrients.  Just make sure you wash them well before using.  I chopped mine up to add to my meals, but you can also save them to toss into a smoothie.

I really didn't even spend that much time in the kitchen yesterday either, which was wonderful because most of the day was stunning outside!  @dksart even came for the meal prep assist by being nice enough to grill the other half of our veggies for the week.  I'll share that in another post, so I'll just leave you with a glory shot of the delicious portobello mushrooms that were one of the stars of the meal. ;)  Have a healthy week everyone!