One of the main reasons I was drawn to Garcia's approach is its all-in-one appeal.Unlike other meal prep methods, Garcia streamlines and simplifies the process by using one "main" set of ingredients that can be used in up to five different meals throughout the week. There's also a good range of cuisines represented, from Asian, Italian, Mexican, to Greek.
For my first attempt, I selected the trio combination of baked chicken breast, bell peppers, and spaghetti squash.This produced three meals: sweet-and-sour chicken chow mein, chicken souvlaki bowls, and chicken Tettrazini. Each week's set of recipes also includes two "bonus dinners," so I could have stretched this to five meals, but I figured it was best to start small.
Even my 4-year-old son — whose diet mostly consists of chicken nuggets and sweet potato dinosaurs — has been getting in on the action and loving it. My daughter, however, remains committed to her regimen of string cheese and Cutie oranges.The meals have fit the author's dietary restrictions.We were also relieved to discover more recipes that meet our individual dietary needs — my husband is full keto and low-carb, while I have celiac disease and eat strictly gluten-free.
All of Garcia's recipes are gluten free, and she includes substitutions throughout the book for Paleo, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free eating. Vegetarians and vegans won't find much to enjoy here, though, as all 26 weeks call for meat as a main component. In just a month, Garcia's meal prep ritual has become an enjoyable and consistent part of my weekend routine.I can see this good habit actually continuing long past the pandemic. Though it's been hard to note any sort of savings on groceries just yet — I can easily see how this approach will eventually save not only time, but also money.