One of the hardest parts of meal prepping isn’t actually the meal prepping itself, its the figuring out the right foods for you that you will actually eat throughout the week. For me some weeks my meal prep game is right on, other weeks…. not so much. The past two weeks have been the not so much weeks.

These weeks usually happen when I either a) don’t leave myself enough time to actually meal prep or b) when I try to make every meal something “healthier” or out of my comfort zone. During week 28 I tried to make two fully plant based meals…one of them was pretty good for the first couple of days… the salad, I only ate once and either opted out of that meal or found something else to eat.

And those weeks happen. So what do you do in that situation? You listen to your body, make note of what you are craving and plan accordingly the next week. Another tip: when trying to make “healthier” food choices you don’t have to jump into the deep end with it. Add a veggie to a dish you already love. Swap out a processed snack for some veggies or fruits. Swap one or two meals out for something you deem healthier and leave the other meals as items you know you’ll eat. Remember, food is fuel but it doesn’t have to taste bad and it doesn’t have to be raw kale at all times.

Week 29 is going to be a week that we get our meal prep, minds and bodies back on track. What does that mean for me? It’s simple. I’m following my tips above. I’m trying new twists on recipes I know I already love and will eat this week. I’m listening to my body and trying to be mindful of eating more veggies and less highly processed items. I’m moving my body every day and showing myself compassion. And you can do it too! Set some minor goals that help you nourish your mind, body, and soul this next week and you’ll thank yourself next weekend for doing so!