It’s another Saturday and that means a new grocery guide! While I do enjoy cooking delicious meals, I also enjoy efficiency. Balancing a full-time career, social plans, and household responsibilities, along with everything else can make you feel like there is absolutely no time to be spent cooking. I feel you, and that’s why I want to share what I have done to make the most of my time to make it simpler to eat healthy. For me, I have learned that supporting my health isn’t what I want to compromise on because it helps me do all of the other wonderful things that make up my life. A few things that support me in doing this include having a plan, prepping a few ingredients before the start of the week, and prioritizing a balanced plate at every meal while getting more creative in the flavors via sauce. Let’s talk through each of these briefly:
Having a plan - Good news! I have solved this one for you. Researching, organizing, and planning can take up a whole lot of your mental space. By the time you are at the grocery store, you’re exhausted and want to opt for take-out because it is just too much. Let me save you some time and effort, below you will find a full menu with delicious easy meals, along with a grocery list to guide you through your shopping experience. Not only is this going to save you mental space and time, but it will help you stay on budget too! No more grabbing random things because you don’t have a plan or ordering take-out because you are so exhausted even the idea of cooking is overwhelming.
Ingredient Prepping - Note that this is not ~meal prepping~ aka preparing for eating chicken, rice, and broccoli everyday. This is ingredient prepping, or doing a little extra work now so your future self will THANK YOU. Each Sunday, I set aside 1 - 1.5 hours to go ahead and batch cook a bunch of protein, veggies, and grains. How does this save you time? Well since everything is happening at the same time (veggies are roasting while you are cooking 3 different proteins on the stove), you are being much more effective with your time. And as I said before, I really enjoy efficiency! Now, when you get home from work or have had a long day running around with your kiddos, all you have to do is heat up the ingredients and you have a healthy & delicious meal. Bonus is that it is even faster than calling your local restaurant, placing an order, waiting for it to be ready, driving to get it, all to think ‘wow, I could have cooked something better and faster at home’. Let’s make your home kitchen faster than any to-go restaurant could ever be!
Prioritizing a balanced plate - You have probably seen the diagram of the plate with the different foods making up a meal and thought ‘yeah, yeah, yeah, but that’s not actually what it is supposed to be like’. Although the diagram may be a bit outdated or overused, I can tell you that the premise they are trying to share is true! I have tried many different styles of eating over the years only to learn that what will fuel my body best is the balance of it all. Not just fruits and veggies; Not just meat; Not just some nuts; What our bodies need is a multitude of nutrients that it gains from the combination of all of the wonderful foods we have available to us. Fruits and veggies, lean meats & seafood, nuts and seeds, and whole grains all come together like an orchestra playing a beautiful tune. Wholesome ingredients can do far more for your body when they are collaborating than any one food has the power to do alone.
So, if you stuck through the details with me, amazing; I am so thankful for you! If not, that is totally alright because you can still use this guide each week even if you don’t have all of the background; and I am so thankful for you too! Oh, and before I forget - I really want you to be able to enjoy all that grace & greens has to offer for you! Use the menu, use the grocery list, use the ingredient prep guide. But, you 100% need the recipes to be able to be the most efficient in your home kitchen, healthy eating experience.
You can access the full experience by clicking this button right here (P.S. You can get a year long subscription for about the same price as just 1 take-out bill):
Menu
Let’s make it easier for you to eat healthy, nourishing meals every day this week!
Before we jump in to the details, here are a few things to note so that we can make these recipes work best for you1:
Dietary restrictions? All of these meals are gluten-free & dairy-free and packed with veggies. For a more plant-forward option, swap the protein for beans.
Each recipe yields 4 servings—2 for dinner the night you cook and 2 for lunch the next day.
Cooking solo? You can freeze two servings for later or share meals with a friend.
For families, simply double the recipes to get two full meals on different days.
This meal plan starts Sunday night and ends Friday night. The weekends are for you to choose, or reuse something from the week.
Recipes
Chocolate protein smoothie — Rich and creamy, this chocolate protein smoothie has a banana almond-butter base, and topped with cacao nibs for a nutrient-packed start to your day.
Egg & Avo breakfast bowl — A high-protein, savory breakfast bowl of venison & eggs and topped with avocado for some morning fuel.
Caesar salmon bowl — A delicious Caesar salmon bowl with broccoli, asparagus, and lemon, drizzled with Primal Kitchen dressing for a light and tasty meal.
Chimichurri chicken thighs — Savory chimichurri chicken thighs served with roasted veggies and bone broth quinoa for a flavorful, high-protein dish.
Venison cilantro tacos — Tender venison tacos with roasted bell peppers, fresh cilantro, and zingy green salsa on almond flour tortillas make this a healthy and satisfying meal.
Sun-dried tomato chicken & creamy coconut rice — Bright sun-dried tomato chicken paired with creamy coconut rice for a flavorful, comforting meal that is packed with nutrients.
Bell peppers & beef bowl — This easy bowl is perfect when you don’t feel like cooking. An easy ground beef quinoa bowl with bell peppers and bone broth for a nutrient-dense, protein-rich meal.
Pesto turkey bowl — A nourishing bowl with rich and flavorful pesto covering roasted Brussels sprouts, warm quinoa, and lean ground turkey. You have to try this bowl!
Grocery List
To make your grocery shopping easier, I recommend copying this and adding it to your notes on your phone.
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Fruits & Veggies:
10 bananas
4 avocados
1 bag kale
1 bag spinach
2 limes
2 lemons
1 bunch asparagus
1 yellow onion
1 eggplant
5 bell peppers (mixed colors)
3 zucchinis
2 bunches cilantro
1 bag brussels sprouts
3 cloves garlic
Protein:
4 salmon fillets
2 lb venison
1.5 lb ground beef
1.5 lb ground turkey
3 lbs chicken thighs
1 dozen eggs
1 bag chocolate protein powder
Frozen:
1 bag broccoli (frozen)
Packaged Goods:
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
1 can tomato paste
1 jar pesto or homemade following this recipe
1 bag almond flour tortillas
1 packet of Bare Bones bone broth powder
1 bottle Primal Kitchen Caesar dressing
1 bag cacao nibs
1 bag of pistachios
1 bag of flax seeds or triple seed mix
Items You Might Already Have at Home:
olive oil
crunchy chili oil
almond butter
hot sauce
white rice
quinoa
Spices: cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, ground cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, ginger powder
Ingredient Prep Plan
I set about an hour and half aside on Sunday to prepare me for the week ahead. It helps that I grocery shop on Saturday so that I don’t spend the whole afternoon preparing our food. In that time, I am able to get a lot done (remember, we love efficiency!)
Here is what you can do this week to keep meal prep time to a minimum during the busy weekdays:
Prepare Caesar Salmon Bowls: Cook the entire recipe to enjoy on Sunday night. The great news is that you are going to throw everything on a sheet pan and set the rice cooker to do the rest of the work.
Bake Chicken Thighs: With a simple salt & pepper seasoning today, you can create a great base flavor and dress these up later in the week when you go to eat them in a dish. For today, go ahead and bake a large pan of the chicken thighs (2 lbs) so you can save time later in the week.
Roast Veggies: Wash and chop the eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and brussels sprouts. Since the oven is already on, these can go in after the chicken and salmon is done cooking. A simple olive oil, salt & pepper seasoning will do the trick for this ingredient prep. I used 1 pan for eggplant & zucchini, 1 pan for bell peppers, and 1 pan for brussels sprouts. (Tip: Use parchment paper to save you extra time during clean up)
Cook Proteins on the Stove: Venison, ground beef, and ground turkey are all going to be prepared on the stove. While everything else is in the oven, this is a great time to knock out preparing these proteins. For the ground beef and ground turkey, I keep it simple with salt & pepper, garlic and onion powder. For the venison, I used homemade taco seasoning, but you can also grab a packet at the store if that’s easier for you.
Cook Bone Broth Quinoa: Make a big batch of bone broth quinoa to use as a base for several meals after the rice is done cooking. (Tip: I make this in a rice cooker and use a packet of Bare Bones bone broth powder for the protein boost!)
Prepare Sauces: While everything else is cooking, you can save yourself some more time by preparing the pesto and chimichurri ahead. I use a food processor to blend all the ingredients after washing. (Tip: You can also purchase these sauces if you don’t want to spend the extra time.)
Your efficient home kitchen is setting you up for a healthy and successful week. You should be proud of yourself for prioritizing your own health, so you can do all the rest of the things that make up your wonderful life with the energy they deserve. As always, I love to see your creations, so please, tag me on TikTok and Instagram if you make something that you enjoyed. You can also find me on YouTube.
Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great week,
Grace Barker
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Please note that the information provided here is for general knowledge only and should not be considered as personalized nutrition advice. I am not a registered dietitian and cannot provide medical or dietary guidance for specific health conditions. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet.
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