Meal Prep for the New Year, Virtual Cooking Classes, and Thai-Inspired Sweet Potato Soup
See you later 2021!
Hello and welcome to The Nutritionist’s Kitchen newsletter. I’m so glad you’re here!
If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, you can do so here. I’ll be offering new subscriber-only features that you don’t want to miss including access to personalized nutrition recommendations, every recipe and meal plan I post, early bird class discounts, giveaways, and even gifts. Thanks for your support!
Woof. We did it.
We made it through 2021! Well almost… What do you have going on for the next three days of 2021? We’re flying FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER TWO YEARS to visit Tom’s family in the midwest. Wish us luck!
Now for a ***friendly reminder***
This is that time of year again when you’re about to be bombarded with diet messaging and billion-dollar sales pitches for the new year, new you!
Be careful not to get swept away in the magic-pill-mentality and buy into another diet plan or promise (well-intentioned or not) that will sorely disappoint.
If you’re feeling stuck or lacking inspiration, try something different this year. Think of all the foods you can add into your diet, not take away. What would you like to eat more of in 2022?!
When I’m lacking inspiration and I’m needing extra support with my diet and meals, for whatever reason, I like to meal plan. Gentle structure that helps me organize my thoughts, meals, and kitchen.
Meal Prep for the New Year
Meal planning is a wonderful and helpful tool to add to your toolbox. It’s not for everyone, but for many it has the power to revolutionize the way you eat and potentially even transform your health (and your family’s health).
Meal planning is not a diet nor is it an exact science. There is no right or wrong way to meal plan. It’s an organic and flexible process that works differently for each individual and/or family.
As a dietitian, I’ve helped countless people over the years find the best approach to meal planning to meet their specific needs… and they all look different. I’m sharing this so that you stay curious and experiment with meal planning to find what works best for you.
Here are a few tips and tricks that have helped people master meal planning…
Identify which meal(s) you need the most help with and how many new meals you need each week
Designate time each week to search for inspiring recipes
Set aside time each week to meal prep
Stock up on reusable oven and microwave-safe containers and storage bags
Find what works for you! Some people only want meal planning help with dinner. Some like to meal prep twice per week for shorter amounts of time versus at once for a longer amount of time. Some don’t mind eating the same meal four times in a row. Would you?
For my family and I, we need the most support with weeknight meals and three new meals each week is our sweet spot. Our meal planning is ingredient-driven—we like to feature three ingredients each week to make searching for recipes easier (this also simplifies meal prep). As a dietitian and mom this approach also helps me plan for more balanced meals by focusing on macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat) or ingredients from three different food groups (grains, fish, vegetables, for example).
So, where do I start?
8 Steps to Successful Meal Planning
1. Choose your featured ingredients. Example: chicken, kale, and sweet potatoes.
2. Find simple yet inspiring recipes featuring those ingredients. Example: Thai-Inspired Sweet Potato Soup, Kale Caesar with Chicken Salad, and Chicken and Sweet Potato Enchiladas. Choose a theme to simplify your search. Do they share similar ingredients like those listed above? Take 30 minutes or less to make? Are they all Mexican recipes? Are they all vegan?
3. Can you change anything to better suit your needs? Example: Change all recipes to use baked chicken instead of two different preparations or substitute store bought ingredients whenever possible to save time.
4. Map out your week. Keep it simple. Make it visual.
PS: I skip Saturday because we usually order take out or go out or do something new and exciting to “spice” things up, but you do you!
5. Any variations? Consider adding one or two new (and easy) elements to spice things up especially on repeat meal days such as a beloved condiment or topping or something you’ve already meal prepped.
6. Write out your meal prep plan and schedule a day/time. Considering all of your recipes, what can be prepped ahead of time and when will you prep?
Example: On Sunday at 4 pm, I will…
Wash, destem, and chop kale
Roast chicken and shred or chop
Wash and chop sweet potatoes
7. Write a grocery list. Use your phone, a pen and paper, a chalkboard and then take a picture… whatever works best for you.
8. Give it a go! Stay flexible and be experimental. Give yourself time to find what’s sustainable for you and your family.
For more meal prep support and information, including a cooking demo for the three recipes I mentioned above, join me for my virtual cooking class at PCC Community Markets on January 11, 2022 at 5 pm PST. You can register for the class here: https://www.pccmarkets.com/class/meal-prep-for-the-new-year/
Virtual Cooking Classes in 2022
Join me from the comfort of your home kitchen! I’ll be offering new and exciting virtual cooking classes in 2022 through PCC Community Markets.
Sign up now and reserve your spot by clicking on the links below…
Meal Prep for the New Year Gluten-Free; January 11, 2022
Wild Edible Seaweed Gluten-Free, Vegan; January 13, 2022
Healthy and Flavorful Weeknight Meals Gluten-Free; January 19, 2022
Food as Medicine: Chocolate Gluten-Free, Vegetarian; January 20, 2022
Gluten-Free Whole Grains 101 Gluten-Free, Vegan; February 10, 2022
Natural Sweeteners 101 Vegetarian; February 16, 2022
Thai-Inspired Sweet Potato Soup
This soup is inspired by Thai flavors such as coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, galangal (a relative of ginger), and fish sauce. The outcome is a really nourishing soup loaded with fiber, vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, and so much more. The lentils add an extra boost of protein, iron, and folate, too. Omit the fish sauce to make this soup completely vegan.
8-10 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons peeled and chopped fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon lemongrass paste
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
Juice of 1 lime
4 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (meal prep ahead of time)
8 cups vegetable broth/stock
2 cans unsweetened full fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional)
1 ½ cups red lentils
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
Coconut milk drizzle
Fresh cilantro
Crushed red pepper flakes
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven on medium heat, add the coconut oil and sauté the onion with salt for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the ginger, garlic, lemongrass paste, coriander, and Thai curry paste, and sauté for an additional minute or until fragrant. Careful not to burn the garlic or it will become bitter.
Add the lime juice and deglaze the pot for 30 seconds or so stirring the contents around with a wooden spoon. Add the sweet potatoes, broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, and red lentils, and stir together. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil then reduce to low and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and lentils are soft. Turn off your heat source.
Using a ladle, carefully transfer the soup into a blender (likely in multiple batches) and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender, but I think a standard blender works better. Transfer the blended soup back into the stock pot and season to taste with salt. Serve hot with optional toppings.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer leaving one to two inches of headspace in your container(s) for up to 3 months.
Copyright 2022, C. Knowles, Original recipe.
The Nutritionist's Kitchen: Transform your diet and discover the healing power of whole foods
"The Nutritionist's Kitchen offers a thoughtful, accessible, and mouthwatering answer to a question we've all asked: 'What should I eat?' If you want to cook in a way that's just as nourishing as it is delicious, you need this book!"
Jeanine Donofrio, author of Love and Lemons