Touch it Once: A meal prep strategy that maximizes efficiency by fully preparing an ingredient when you first handle it. Instead of prepping only the portion needed for a single recipe, you prepare the entire ingredient at once, storing the extra for future meals or snacks to save time and reduce waste.
I set a goal to prepare healthy snacks every Sunday and replenish as needed. Does it have to be on Sunday? Not necessarily. On Saturday I was making my bulked-up pasta sauce that includes a variety of veggies. Since I already had the cutting board out and was chopping vegetables, I decided to save time and energy by using the “Touch it Once” strategy.
My pasta sauce uses colorful peppers and zucchini that I washed and cut into large chunks to be chopped by my food processor. I used half of each. With the remaining halves, I cut them into strips and placed them into my snack & sort box.
In the Zone: A state of focus, energy and motivation where you maximize productivity in meal prep and cooking. During this time, you go beyond your initial plan by preparing extra meals or ingredients to set yourself up for future success.
Since I had the cutting board out, I continued prepping & filling my box with carrots, celery, cucumber and cauliflower, while my pasta sauce cooked. I can snack on these throughout the week or I can use them in my meals.
When I set out to make my pasta sauce, I wasn’t initially thinking about prepping vegetables for my snacks & sort box. However, I decided to take advantage of these strategies to save time and energy on Sunday. While having a goal and plan is important, sometimes taking advantage of spur-of-the-moment opportunities can also contribute to your overall success!
-Megan
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