Meal Prep Week 2

So I want to start off with saying sorry for not blogging at all in the last two weeks really. I was having a major case of writer’s block and just could not seem to get through it. Thankfully, this week that block is gone and I finally feel like myself again.

I wanted to write about my weekly meal prep again this week. I am a member of a few Keto groups on various social media platforms and overwhelmingly people seem to want to know A.) What do I Eat? And B.) Is Keto Expensive?

I think the weekly meal prep blogs help answer both of these questions, so let’s get into it.

It’s finally getting warmer in Cleveland and now I hit the universal problem I have with meal prepping: what do I eat when it gets warmer? Meal prep is easy in the colder months because you can eat soups and stews and other heavier foods and it feels good. In the summer and spring, I like to lighten things up, but with keto I can’t just make a sandwich (well….I can….but then I would have no carbs let for Halo Top so….yeah.)

So this week I decided on Caesar salad with chicken, turkey bacon, and avocado. I haven’t even eaten it yet and I am excited. Shopping for this meal was fairly easier. At Trader Joe’s I got a bag of Romaine Lettuce, a bag of Spinach, the Caesar dressing, three avocados, and uncured turkey bacon (I also added in dish soap, turkey burgers, two dozen eggs, a pint of heavy whipping cream, and a bag of dark chocolate covered almonds). Total for this came to $28.68.

Then we went over the Heinen’s and I bought two pints of Halo Top and a bottle of water. That came to $17.36. Finally we went to Dave’s and I picked up 3.57 pounds of chicken for $9.58.

Total Grocery Bill for this Week: $55.62

That’s pretty damn good I think for 5 days worth of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I could easily spend that on one night out for dinner and three drinks. So long story short, no. Keto is not more expensive than non-keto. I would even wager that it is less expensive.

When we got home I threw the bacon on a cooling rack and then put that on a cooking tray and baked it at 350 degrees for 24 minutes. After that was done I took the chicken breasts and put them on a baking tray; seasoned with salt, pepper, and Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning; and stuck it in the oven at 350 degrees. We use a meat thermometer to cook our meat, it helps us make sure chicken doesn’t dry out and steaks don’t get overcooked. Two words: game changer.

After I chopped up the bacon and the chicken I stuck them in Pyrex containers and popped them in the fridge. I assembled the salad this morning before work and oh my gosh am I so excited for it.

If you are looking for a good way to not only keep your spending under control but also improve your health, I highly recommend meal prepping. When I think about how I use to kind of make lunch up as the week went on, it’s no wonder that none of my other diets ever worked. With meal prep, I can control all my macros and know exactly what I have room to eat and what I need. Also...my wallet feels a lot better knowing I’m down to $60/week on food. But honestly all that means is more money for clothes. :D