All it takes is a little planning and about an hour of your time to make weekly food prep a reality and healthy eating the outcome. Here is a list of healthy foods you’ll routinely find in my grocery cart and prepped on the weekend for a healthy week ahead!
Sunday’s go a little something like this: Mom wakes up about 30 minutes before the rest of the house, quickly changes and heads out the door to Kroger for my BIG weekly grocery shopping trip. I tend to meal plan on Friday night’s and Saturday mornings I make my list and take inventory of what we have in our kitchen. Then Sunday, I’m off running! Preferably without my entourage because that adds about 30 minutes to my grocery shopping run…. easily!
While I tend to buy in-season and change my list accordingly [especially sides and snacks of fresh fruits and vegetables for the boys], there are a few items you’ll ALWAYS find in my grocery cart and on our weekly menu. I’m thankful for shopping at stores like Kroger because a. I can always find these foods OR the ingredients that make them and b. I know I can get them for a reasonable cost that fits my family of four’s budget. Even though I check the weekly circular for deals, these are 8 items or recipes I shop for and prep weekly!
Hard Boiled Eggs: I’m the only egg-eating person in my family— no matter which way I cook these little globes of nutrition. But when the boys are having one of their mac n’ cheese or grilled cheese lunches, I’m usually snacking on a few hard boiled eggs!
Cruciferous Vegetables: These are veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and brussels sprouts. I usually buy enough for 3-4 servings and immediately wash and chop them when I get home from the grocery store. When it comes time to roasting them as an easy weeknight side dish, all I need to do is toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and voila! Time for roasting.
Beans: Anthony and I are the bean-eaters of the fam, so I’ll give him a few handfuls as a little snack or toss them in our Mexican-themed dinners once Joey and Dad have their serving. While there’s not much prep when it comes to canned food, there is time to be saved by rinsing and opening that can!
Mini-Muffins: I’ve said it in multiple blog posts where I shared a healthy mini-muffin recipe, I’m NOT, I repeat, NOT a baker. But for my boys, I do things I’d rather not be doing… such as baking! Blah! But anyhow, to switch up our breakfast or snack routine, I like having a batch of homemade mini-muffins on hand each week… and that usually means I’ll prep and make a batch on Sundays after I grocery shop. [Recipe for the image below].
Tomato Sauce: From dipping to spreading to pizza-topping, my toddler’s eating habits revolve around tomato sauce and other healthy condiments and sauces. A quick 10-minute batch of this healthy tomato sauce gets us through many lunches and dinners during the week! And don’t forget, tomato sauce counts as a serving of vegetables!!!
Shredded Chicken: My method for slow cooked shredded chicken is a staple in my weekly food prep. Just check out all of the ways I use it up during the week here! Oh and Ted uses it as a sandwich filling everyday… thank goodness it’s got him to packing a lunch!
Bell Peppers: Anthony hasn’t quite figured out how to chew and swallow raw vegetables, but Joey could eat a whole bell pepper in one bite— or so it seems. When the boys are clamoring for dinner and I’ve got 15-20 minutes left of cooking time, I usually pull out some bell pepper strips for them to munch on [or in Anthony’s case, to chew and spit out].
Yellow Onions: I guess the same could be said for any onion, but I like to dice and slice a few so they are easy to add to soups, skillet meals, or a simple stir-fry. While I can’t say the boys feel one way or the other about onions, I think they are a staple in most of my dishes!
If you follow me on Snapchat [username: Katie Serbinski] or Instagram, I’ll often share Joey and Anthony’s breakfast, lunch AND dinner, which includes many of the foods I’ve listed above plus a few other fruits and vegetables that do NOT need any prep from Mom. So here’s Mom’s favorite list… aka the healthy food I buy every week at Kroger that does not need prep:
Fruit such as bananas, clementine’s, avocados, and apples, applesauce, and canned peaches and pears
Vegetables such as cucumbers, spinach, baby carrots and green beans [I buy the ones that are bagged and ready to steam!]
As I mentioned before, this is really just a snapshot of the healthy food I’m currently prepping at the moment. Some week’s I’ll add a pound of lean Ground Beef or a batch of quinoa to my prep ahead list. It just depends what’s on the menu or really, what this baby brain remembers to pick up at Kroger! Thankfully we have a few within a few mile radius of our house. I found some other pictures on my phone that will hopefully inspire you to prep a veggie or two this week! Just make sure to have a cup of coffee for fuel first…
Want more food prep inspiration? Then check out my friend Lindsay’s series on weekly food prep. Ladies and gents, she’s the pro IMO!
Make healthy eating a reality by prepping a few simple foods each week! Click To TweetDisclaimer: I am proud to partner with the Kroger Co. of Michigan to bring you healthy recipes and science-based nutrition advice. Because of these great partnerships I am able to share delicious and nutritious family-friendly recipes. As always all opinion and ideas are 100% my own.
[…] If you’d like more info about exact portion sizes for toddlers and small children, I’d suggest this resource from HealthyChildren.org. Or visit ChooseMyPlate.gov to see how much the whole family should be eating. And for a list of my favorite foods to prep each weekly, check out this post on the healthiest foods to prep ahead! […]