“Get Me Through The Week” Recipes

I recently posted about the misconception that meal prep has to be a complicated ordeal. Our lives are complicated enough – we should simplify where we can, right?! Not only did this post get some great traction, but it was also an opportunity to take my own advice amid an uptick of life stressors including, but limited to, a flooded basement, a sick dog, relocation uncertainty, & sleepless nights.

When life spins out, I’ve learned to get laser-focused on 5 must-do self-care routines: (1) a practice of gratitude, (2) nutrient-dense meal prep, (3) hydration, (4) sleep, and (5) daily movement. I do everything I possibly can to make those things happen. I treat it like a prescription from a doctor.

It’s not as intense as it might seem. For instance, for me “nutrient-dense meal prep” this week was crockpot soups for every lunch and dinner. I ate overnight oats or spinach egg cups for every breakfast. I also managed to make some fresh vegetable juices. A little boring? Pretty much. But when you’re simply trying to stay afloat, stay smiling, and fight the urge to hide for a few weeks, boring may be the best (and easiest).

And notice how I didn’t say daily exercise. My priorities the past few weeks were simply to move each day for at least 30 minutes. Some days that turned out to be vigorous exercise lasting longer than 30 minutes and other days it was a slow-paced walk while listening to a podcast. A few of those days I felt too tired and said … “nope, not today.”

Sleep was the most difficult for me to prioritize the past few weeks. Not for lack of trying, but because sometimes things out of our control disrupt our sleep (a new baby, a partying neighbor, an aging dog, a child with autism, a grandfather with dementia). These are realities. The kind that Instagram filters don’t fix. So even though I didn’t get much sleep, I remained steadfast in my efforts to control what I could. Earlier bedtimes, asking for help, environmental modifications, and keeping alcohol out of the equation, just to name a few.

Why am I sharing all of this on Favorite Food Friyay?! Because I dedicate this blog post to all of us who are overwhelmed! Today, I am sharing my favorite “get me through the week” recipes.