A couple of years ago, I spat out my first bite of a $15 sandwich from Joe & the Juice and held the thing at arm’s length like a bomb. Sure enough, the avocado was covered in tennis ball fuzz. Goddamnit. I couldn’t bring myself to go wait in line for a slop bowl somewhere else, so I returned to the office and ate some pretzels.
It was a shitty afternoon that turned into a seminal experience. Why do I piss away money at these fast-casual chains? Even when the ingredients aren’t covered in mold, are these Midtown meals really that nutritious and satiating? The mileage varied, I realized. A salad bowl with salmon from Sweetgreen, for instance, was probably better fuel for my active lifestyle (I run in the morning, lift after work). But that also came with a heftier price tag: $19.
Around this same time, my fiancée, Xanthe, had started a new job, which required her to get up earlier and generally become a more organized person. We decided to become one of those meal-prep couples you see online. We weren’t entirely sure if it would really stick (it seemed onerous and dull), but hundreds of workweeks later, we’re still going.
How We Made the Habit Stick
There are several reasons meal-prepping seems to work for us. Namely: it’s really affordable ($5 or less a meal), walking to Trader Joe’s on Sundays has become a dependable tradition and (crucially) we don’t mind eating tinned fish. (Also: credit where credit’s due, Xanthe’s a great chef.)
But the habit’s staying power, I think, has had a lot to do with control. Starting the week with a stack of salads in the fridge (we use Stojo) always feels like a fresh start. Especially if we had to go to a wedding or pigged out over the weekend. With a healthy lunch spoken for, we can attack our work tasks, workouts or whatever, and not worry about crashing really hard in the afternoon — or eating expensive mold.
A sample meal-prepped lunch for us usually includes: a whole grain (quinoa, farro), a leafy green (lettuce, cabbage), a cruciferous vegetable (broccoli, kale), a starchy vegetable (sweet potatoes, beans) and a protein. I’m a pescatarian, so I always have tuna, smoked salmon or sardines. Xanthe sometimes carves and freezes meat from an entire rotisserie chicken, which, in defiance of inflation, remains $7 or less at most grocery stores.
Meet the Meal-Prep Master
To confirm I was onto something here, I reached out to Emmy Clinton, a performance chef and writer of the Substack Entirely Emma. Sure enough, she has a similar reverence for meal-prepping and her own bag of expert tricks. “I always prep on a Sunday afternoon,” she says. “I’ll focus on the core ingredients of a meal, instead of a fixed menu.”
Clinton preps three different meats (grilled chicken, salmon and turkey), cooks three carb bases (quinoa, rice and sweet potatoes) and then prepares vegetables two ways. A huge sheet pan goes into the oven for roasting, while fresh veggies get chopped up and sorted into containers. Lastly, she preps a few dressings (homemade tzatziki, a hot honey and teriyaki sauce). That last detail made me realize I was talking to a Jedi master of meal prep. Xanthe and I usually stick to EVOO with salt, pepper and lemon juice, or just dump a bit of a store-bought dressing into individual tins.
“From there, I’m able to store each component separately and build my meals: bowls, wraps, salads or plates using these ingredients. Proteins and grains can be stored together, but I recommend storing the fresh ingredients like avocado and greens individually,” she says.
Here are a few lunches Clinton makes regularly:
- Chicken Burrito Bowls: “I like to make these by grilling chipotle seasoned chicken breast, rice tossed with cilantro and lime, avocado and a fresh pico. This can also be enjoyed with corn tortillas.”
- Roasted Veggies With Salmon, & Tzatziki: “I prep this plate by pan-searing salmon, and roasting sweet potatoes, zucchini and broccoli, then making a homemade tzatziki that keeps well all week.”
- Mediterranean Turkey Meatballs with Quinoa & Cucumber Tomato Salad: “This recipe can be enjoyed hot or cold. To prep this meal, I make Mediterranean turkey meatballs, quinoa and a cucumber and tomato salad. I’ll serve it with Kalamata olives, feta cheese and hummus on the side.”
Life Without Lunch Regret
I’ve found my energy levels rise in kind with these meals. I always feel full in a light way (however unscientific that sounds) in that infamous 3 to 5 p.m. window after eating a thoughtful lunch.
Clinton puts it better: “Lunch is such a critical meal for active people because it bridges the start of your day and can help determine how you end it. A well-balanced lunch will replenish those energy stores, stabilize blood sugar and help prevent muscle breakdown and support muscle repair.”
I don’t eat meal-prepped lunch every day of the workweek. Life gets in the way; sometimes Xanthe and I get home from a trip on a Sunday and the last thing we want to do is schlep down to TJ’s. But even that can be a good thing. If you resolve to never miss a day, you’ll end up despising the whole routine. It’s okay to let a little metaphorical mold creep back into your life; give it a week and you’ll be craving order and energy again.
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