Meal Prep Monday Podcast™

Episode 189 highlights easy vacation meals for family from Allison Schaaf, Prep Dish founder and travel enthusiast. Allison covers a recent trip to Panama that she and her family took and discusses ideas about how to handle meal prep and meals while traveling. She notes the benefit of splitting time between a hotel and an Airbnb as it relates to both local flavors and familiar tastes. ‌ Allison's recommendations include: ‌ Using the "Find Me Gluten Free" app if you or someone in your family needs a Gluten Free menu. This app creates an easy way to navigate local restaurants to meet everyone's dietary needs and experience authentic cuisine while traveling. Making sure to stock up on snacks and water bottles, whether you're staying at a hotel or an Airbnb. Snacks, regardless of the traveler's age, are essential while vacationing! Setting out to maintain a good balance of eating meals out versus eating meals in when you're vacationing with your family. It's always exciting to enjoy a location-specific culinary experience, but familiar flavors from home are comforting, especially to children. Experiencing local produce through your senses. Shopping at a local market during international or domestic US travel allows you and your family to really immerse yourselves in the sight, feel, aroma, and preparation of authentic local cuisine. ‌ Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 ‌ Resources mentioned in this podcast: App: https://www.findmeglutenfree.com/ Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans!

In Episode 188, Prep Dish founder Allison Shaaf shares a brief history of Prep Dish and her behind the scenes experience in the Prep Dish test kitchen. Allison discusses some of her most noteworthy takeaways from testing recipes in the kitchen. ‌ Allison's biggest takeaways from testing meal plan recipes include ‌ Accountability: the meal plan editor relies on Allison's feedback from the meals she's editing each week to optimize recipe success. From a customer's viewpoint, there's also accountability on a financial and time investment with the Prep Dish menus. Expanding her family's meal experience and flavor palate. Being part of the Prep Dish test kitchen process gives Allison's family something new to try and the opportunity to stick to the original recipe without incorporating substitutions. They have experienced many new flavors and pleasant surprises among some new family-approved recipes. Opportunities to delegate the food shopping and preparation. Being in the test kitchen really helps Allison think like a Prep Dish customer instead of solely wearing the home chef's hat. Delegating food shopping, food preparation, and dish day serving instructions allows everyone in her family to participate in the family's meal prep process. ‌ Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 ‌ Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans!

This post includes affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Prep Dish! ‌ In Episode 187, Prep Dish founder Allison Shaaf discusses a recent evaluation and update of her family's meal prep schedule, including when grocery orders are made, food shopping takes place, and when food is prepared. ‌ As a new school year begins, one season changes to another, or even as family dynamics evolve, it can be helpful to reevaluate what's working in the meal prep process in your home and what could be updated to reflect a rhythm that optimizes your time, energy, and season of life. ‌ Allison shares how recently switching up the day of the week that her grocery order takes place and the day she'll schedule the food pickup and prep truly lightens the meal workload when she's spending time with her family. Allison also continues to use helpful tools like curbside pickup at her local grocery store and a Butcher Box subscription to enhance this recently updated food prep routine. ‌ Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! ‌ Butcher Box: https://butcherbox.pxf.io/YgeMMm () ‌ This post includes affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Prep Dish!

In episode 186, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf shares how applying the concepts of consistency and batching to swim lessons for her kids has encouraged huge progress. As part of encouraging consistency, we've had to build the habit of getting in the pool every day. For us, habit stacking has been huge for this. We either get in the pool right before lunch or right after dinner, using mealtimes as a touchstone for building our swimming habit. This same idea of honing skills and building habits a little bit at a time can be applied to meal prep and our Prep Dish meal plans as well. If you're not in the habit of meal prep or even of cooking home-cooked meals, you don't have to go all-in and risk burning out. You can incorporate one part at a time until the habit is strong. Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Ep #141: Batching is Freedom: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep141/

In episode 185 of Meal Prep Monday, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf shares 4 things she learned from hosting a half birthday party for her son, including tips for make ahead party food. What's on the menu? Grapes Orange Wedges Bell Peppers Popcorn Cheese Sticks Cheese Board Cake and Ice Cream Lots of Beverage Options My Takeaways: 1. I loved the approach of low stress food, with a focus on the cake and ice cream. I made a homemade strawberry cream cheese frosting. I also made a honey ice cream with honey from our bees. 2. I kept in mind having foods that were easy to grab in individual portions for the kids. The oranges were cut into wedges. The popcorn was in individual cups. The bell peppers were the mini size. I used scissors to cut the grapes in mini bunches. All of these touches were easy but made the food more approachable and kid friendly. 3. I made a last minute purchase of coconut water and that went over really well. It's a nice item to include for a summer party. 4. I included a nicer option for the adults, a cheese board with fancy cheeses and things. Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Prep Dish Party Menus: https://prepdish.com/shop/party/ 10 Considerations on Beekeeping: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep98/ Prep Dish Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1537447836539716/

In episode 184, Prep Dish founder and meal prep expert, Allison Schaaf, continues this summer miniseries on ice with a focus on two things she's loving this summer. 1. Ice dunks I'm loving dunking my face in a big bowl of ice water both in the morning and at night every day. It's supposed to help with inflammation and puffiness but it also just feels amazing when it's hot outside! 2. Cold Showers I've been taking a cold shower every day. I've tried it in the past but because it's so hot in Texas right now, this actually feels amazing. I just jump into the shower right when it turns on instead of letting the water warm up first. This works out to about a minute and a half of cold water. I love doing this in the morning after my morning walk. I feel like it prepares my brain to do hard things the rest of the day. Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans!

In episode 183, Prep Dish founder and iced tea enthusiast, Allison Schaaf, shares her tips on making the BEST homemade iced tea. 1. Find the perfect tea for you. For me, I'm loving red raspberry iced tea. It's caffeine free, healthy and tastes a little bit more like traditional iced tea. Quick caveat - it has a lot of health benefits but you shouldn't drink it to excess. I also love iced hibiscus tea, which is another naturally caffeine free herbal tea option. 2. Buy in bulk. If you can find a tea you love that you can buy in bulk, or at least buy loose leaf, you'll enjoy considerable cost savings. 3. Consider how to store the tea. Once you find a tea you love, make a big enough batch for a few days or a week. I actually like storing in a Cotes de Roses rose bottle because it has a beautiful bottle that works well to store in the fridge. I brew a very concentrated cup of tea and then add water to it, which is easier than brewing a huge batch. Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Siply Teas:[https://sipsiply.com/](https://sipsiply.com/ "‌") Cotes de Roses Wine: https://www.wine.com/product/cote-des-roses-rose-2022/1255260?state=CA&s=GoogleBase_CSE_1255260MA_FIREWORKS_type_Wine_RosWine_Ros&showpromo=true&promo=FIREWORKS&region_id=000010&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campaign=DEPT_SHP_Google_Performance%20Max_All_Core_NAMER_US_Wine_ROAS_BAU_19.99under_-_-&gclid=Cj0KCQjwho-lBhC_ARIsAMpgMoe2w0AmcA5SsT_NanDOGxHwv6hr7G27MZ75jevEAMDPK98GzteZfLUaAjrIEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf shares details about an open position here at Prep Dish. We're looking for a Marketing Assistant and Content Creator. The position includes: Writing show notes for this podcast Content creation - this includes graphics in Canva for both Prep Dish customers and marketing materials Assisting in managing the affiliate program and marketing, including writing newsletters and putting together sales copy Helping with the Prep Dish Instagram account, including creating graphics and writing captions Updating content on the website - this includes knowledge of Wordpress Learning new software as needed Testing recipes on occasion 8-12 hours per week We're a small but mighty team here at Prep Dish. We all work independently and offer a lot of flexibility in terms of hours. This is the kind of job you can feel passionate about but that will still allow you plenty of time to prioritize family. Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Details about the position: https://prepdish.com/about/hiring/

In episode 181, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf shares 3 kitchen gadgets that are worth it, and which ones she does not find worth it. Kitchen Gadgets that are Worth it 1. A Great Peeler Little gadgets like this can make a big difference in your day to day cooking. The best one will depend on your preferences but find one that's easy to use that you love. 2. Hand-held Citrus Squeezer While I generally don't love gadgets that only serve one purpose, I do squeeze a lot of citrus and find this useful. 3. A Quality Grater / Microplane These are great for zesting citrus, grating ginger, grating garlic, fresh nutmeg, etc. The smallest bit of fresh nutmeg can be so delicious in pureed soups! Kitchen Gadgets I Don't Think are Worth it I really steer clear of gadgets that do only one thing like egg slicers, avocado slicers, etc. Instead, I recommend Googling the best way to chop various items. (Or, check out my YouTube channel where I share things like how to slice watermelon!) Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! 5 Tips on How to Simplify Life and Actively Fight Complexity: prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep179/ How to Chop Watermelon: https://youtu.be/0jUsBcopRdY My YouTube Playlist on How to Chop Various Items: https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/PLZFbto5QrmmjJxk57t9G11lr1YahPZTea/edit Choosing Quality Kitchen Knives: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep160/

In episode 180, meal prep expert Allison Schaaf discusses the importance of lab work in maintaining your health. One of the best ways to determine where you may have some deficiencies is lab work. If you find someone who specializes in functional medicine, they are more likely to offer more lab work and more specific information about your results. You can fund nurse practitioners or dietitians who specialize in functional medicine. The specific things you should get checked will vary based on your personal health history. You may want to get things like vitamin D, hormones, lipid panels, etc. tested. Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Find a Functional Medicine Provider:[https://www.ifm.org/find-a-practitioner/](https://www.ifm.org/find-a-practitioner/ "‌")