The BEST way to Guarantee Healthy Eating! Prep a Week of Veggies TOGETHER with me 🌱

[@lynby2108]

I’ve done this a couple of times now ( because of you😀) and it’s great, I’ll never go back to daily headaches of what we should have for dinner.

[@LetsEatPlants]

Aww YAY! I’m so glad to hear it’s been helping you out! 🥰🥰🥰

[@cfauria9171]

You make it look so easy. Thank you for inspiring me to get the prep work done. I love to cook, but hate prepping! I love the way you teach🤩

[@LetsEatPlants]

Awww what a sweet comment!! 🥹🥹🥰🥰 I’m so glad it’s helpful because I really feel anyone can do a prep like this and will get so much benefit from having it done. 😊

[@franciscachesca]

Thumbs up for Maddie 👍 she is the queen of mealprep and she is such a good teacher. Love the healthy snack boxes btw.😊

[@LetsEatPlants]

Aww thanks Francisca! 🥰🥰💖💖

[@Franciuk]

I do freeze some of my beans in silicone molds if I want to keep the water but the most of the times I do freeze all my cooked grains (from buckwheat to oat groats) and beans in silicone bags, all well drained. The trick to avoid they become a solid block is to take them out the first 2-3 hours from the freezer and bang them on the kitchen counter every now and then. I prefer this way because they are easier to defrost and I can really use small quantities and I can mix and match as I like. They other day for example, a friend ended up staying for lunch and I didn’t have anything prepared, I only had a little ratatouille left in the fridge. I took out some barley, some buckwheat, some black lentils and I mixed with the ratatouille and it was quite delicious and only took minutes to put together.

[@LetsEatPlants]

That’s a great tip!! What brand of silicone bags do you use? I’ve been wanting to invest in some but most I see are so expensive! 😢😢

[@joygoncalves4917]

I use some great plastic containers with lids from Winco. They come in 3 1/2 cup & larger sizes. I find that vegetables separate easy when I drop on kitchen floor. Freeze for several months.

[@JohnGiasi]

Such relief - a quick and easy summer oven-free prep!! (Still plowing through your amazing mega-cook!) Didn't know about the Broccoli florets - have to add that to my preps. Post-blanch ice shock? Now that I think about it, I'm cooking a lot more volume so my carryover is higher - so no worries! Whats your mushroom trick for the second half extra week, mine are fuzzed shortly after, so I've been quick-pickling any extras. You've inspired me to do a similar light shop, wash, and chop right now!!! Yay Maddie.

[@LetsEatPlants]

Hahaha glad it was helpful, John! 🤗🤗 I do an ice bath on blanched veggies, but not on steamed ones. And I haven’t found any fuzz on my mushrooms! The chopped keep for a week and the unwashed/ unchopped that go back in their original container seem to stay fresh as long as they’re in their original container LOL. I don’t know why that is, but whenever I’ve tried to move them out they don’t seem to like that as much. However I’ve also heard a brown paper bag works well for storage. 😊😊

[@sadburger]

What a great video. You explained and showed everything so clearly- often the little details of how things are done are left out, but this feels very complete. I’m interested in making some changes to how I eat and you’ve inspired me to really give it a try. Thank you!

[@LetsEatPlants]

That's great!! I'm so glad it was helpful. Don't hesitate to reach out to me on IG if you need any further help. 🤗🤗

[@naomismith4933]

love this level of inspo! just what i need to remind me to prep for the week ahead while off work at weekends.

[@LetsEatPlants]

So glad to hear that! 🤗🤗

[@LulusMom1220]

You do make it look so easy! I am getting better at this because of you! Even got out my collection if aprons! ❤❤❤

[@LetsEatPlants]

Awww YAY! Hahaha I love a good apron collection. 🥹🥹

[@BettyHorn]

It helps when you buy things in already useable size, like gherkins and olives, and even chickpeas can make an awesome snack! Thanks for all the ideas!

[@LetsEatPlants]

Great points Betty! Love all of those for snacks to easily add into the weekly rotation. 😊😊

[@staceyneedscoffee]

Thank you so much for the inspiration and tips. Makes doing things so much less daunting, especially when thinking about such lovely food ready to go! You are so appreciated!

[@LetsEatPlants]

You're so welcome and thank you for the sweet message! 🥰🥰

[@AmandaJYoungs]

Yes, this certainly does inspire me, Maddie. It's so worthwhile to take care of your Future Self! 🙂

[@LetsEatPlants]

Awww so glad to hear it Amanda! 🤗🤗

[@melissalepper5880]

I have been doing this for a few weeks now and it makes the week so much easier. We have a split house me the vegan and the others meat eaters. I have found even prepping the meat it make the week go easier! Thanks for your encouraging videos!

[@LetsEatPlants]

I’m so glad to hear that! 😃👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Totally agree, it’s really helpful to have that done… even my husband is much more likely to cook for himself if the ingredients are prepped. 😛

[@jwest2133]

I have been using 1 cup muffin tins to freeze in rice portions-I never thout of doing beans that way:) My muffin tinis non stick metal, but I find that I need parchment or wax paper on the bottom. Thanks for note about washing broccoli in costco bags; I thought it was washed too, lol!

[@LetsEatPlants]

Oooh great idea to do rice because I’ve been doing it in the big Tupperware too… I should switch to the smaller size! 😆😆 And yes, so glad that was helpful because I definitely didn’t know for a long time! 🥦🥦🥦

[@ahutton49]

I have NEVER washed my cabbage in my life. It’s grows so tight nothing can get inside them. I’m 61 and have been cooking since I was 21 and in all those years never have I ever washed a cabbage.

[@cyndij8312]

Me, either. Just peel off 2-3 of the outer leaves.

[@LetsEatPlants]

Hahaha my mom is the same way (doesn’t wash the inside and never has)… not sure where I got it from! 😆😆

[@Katgirl2024]

I don’t either!

[@ahutton49]

@@LetsEatPlants ole school cooks know. I do wash my mushroom. that growth medium used to grow them wont come off without scrubbing the hell of the mushroom.

[@LeeAnnahsCreations]

Love the music in this video - what type or name is it?

[@LetsEatPlants]

It’s from epidemic sound! The artist is Daniel Gunnarsson. 🤗🤗

[@LeeAnnahsCreations]

@@LetsEatPlants O, thank you!

[@LetsEatPlants]

@@LeeAnnahsCreations You’re welcome! 🤗🤗

[@HerCalifornia]

You can wash and scrub carrots to clean them. Their skin offers fiber, vitamin C and niacin in concentrated amounts. You’re just peeling them for the visual benefits.

[@LetsEatPlants]

You definitely can!

[@susanjohnston4066]

Thanks so much for all that you do. I could not tell if your produce was organic?

[@LetsEatPlants]

You’re so welcome! 🤗🤗 I only buy certain items organic. Mainly the items on the Dirty Dozen (www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php) I try to buy organic, but it’s not always feasible for price. Usually if I don’t buy organic I’ll remove the skin. So in this video I bought organic cucumber and left the skin on, if they weren’t organic I would have peeled the skin. Hope that helps! 😊

[@susanjohnston4066]

I do so appreciate you responding. I was most curious about whether the broccoli you used was organic. I could not tell from the bag that you showed. @@LetsEatPlants

[@LetsEatPlants]

@@susanjohnston4066 No problem! Ohhh the Costco one... It isn't organic, but I can't remember if that one is pesticide free or if only their frozen ones are. I'm pretty sure it's neither, but if your Costco carries that one you can double check! 😃

[@dapurmahen]

Very inspiring, Mother, thank you

[@LetsEatPlants]

You’re welcome. 🤗🤗

[@sigrunasa]

Thank you

[@LetsEatPlants]

You’re welcome! 😊😊

[@davidthescottishvegan]

Another excellent food prep video Maddie. You would make a good teacher ( not that I am recommending you do that because I know someone who was a teacher and they wouldn't want to be a teacher now). Love 🥰 the video and love 💕Maddie & ❤Q.

[@LetsEatPlants]

Hahaha I used to be a teacher! I taught kindergarten for 6 years. 🥰🥰 I loved it, but I also love teaching about meal prep and healthy vegan eating so I’m so glad for KZbin now. 🥹🥹 Thank you for the sweet comment as always David! 💖💖

[@DoreeWomack-zw7ek]

Have not tried it yet do know interested

[@LetsEatPlants]

Give it a try and see how you like it! 🤗

[@JuliaK-H]

Thank you for sharing! I'll have to improve my prep game when having a newborn soon, so your videos are very inspiring! Can I ask - do you store the beans in the fridge with the water but in the freezer without? Thank you 😊

[@LetsEatPlants]

Oh wow! With a newborn, how fun! Congrats! 🤗🤗 I’d definitely suggest getting some freezer meals done beforehand if you can! 😃 You can store cooked beans either way! In the freezer with the bean water/ in the fridge without… either is fine. Some people find they’re a bit dry without some of the water so to help keep them juicy you can store them in liquid. I’ll probably use the freezer beans in soup so it won’t matter as much. 😊😊

[@JuliaK-H]

@@LetsEatPlants Thank you so much for your answer - your tips are super helpful and much appreciated 😊🤗

[@LetsEatPlants]

@@JuliaK-H You’re welcome! 🤗🤗

[@kefirheals7383]

I need to look into writing out a meal plan. Inevitably, I'll start pulling things out to prep for a meal, and find out I'm out of "one thing." Ugh! Especially for my sauces. I'll be in the mood for a small batch of mayo or some other sauce, and find, "oh, I'm out of cashews, or Mori-nu Silken Tofu," or something else. I can't run to my neighbor and borrow, as she doesn't stock what I stock as a WFPB eater. Back in the day, we'd run back and forth. Or another problem, I'll over-buy, and some of my produce goes bad. I have gotten better at freezing stuff though. These prep videos help a lot.

[@LetsEatPlants]

A meal plan will definitely help with that! I’m big into improvising, but you’re right, sometimes you just need the exact ingredient. I usually do a loose plan before I shop, make my list (and make sure I stick to it so I don’t overbuy!) and that helps a lot. 🤗🤗 Freezing is great too! That’s good you’ve started doing that. 😃

[@vduback]

I don’t refrigerate my tomatoes because the texture and flavor are impacted. You can keep them on the counter

[@LetsEatPlants]

I do the same with big tomatoes… with small ones I usually just prep them like this and luckily haven’t found any difference with keeping them at room temp!

[@cathienagle3082]

For the frozen bean cubes, do you add a little of the cooking liquid to each cube to keep them from drying out too much in the freezer? Thanks!

[@LetsEatPlants]

Yes that definitely helps! You can use as much or as little of the cooking liquid as you like. Some people cover them fully, or just a small amount. 😊 Just keep in mind liquids expand so if they’re in a tupperware or jar, leave about 1 inch of space at the top. 😃

[@ncook19701]

Thank you for the great video

[@LetsEatPlants]

You’re welcome! 🥰🥰

[@Carolina-uu5ji]

Gracias❤this kind of video is so blessing with rea ideas real life my 1 video in yourchanel new subscriber from central america

[@LetsEatPlants]

Welcome! So glad you’re here. 🤗🤗

[@stevefield6972]

A couple of things if you don’t mind. Lol. You put the inner portion of the lettuce “back“ in a mesh bag and put in the fridge for later. is that a reusable produce bag? And if yes, my real question is, how do you keep them organized while shopping? I just bought a set and they tangle up so fast. Lol. Also the bag producer says you can store anything BUT leafy vegetables.… next, washing equals rinsing? I do see the veggies being immersed and then rinsed. But you are not using anything fancy like baking soda or vinegar or other “sterilizing“ type product? And also not using any kind of spinner? I have tried searching through your other videos About washing veggies. A lot of those products do seem to be geared toward fruit like strawberries, etc. Thank you so much for your videos.

[@cyndij8312]

I use straight vinegar in a spray bottle if that helps.

[@LetsEatPlants]

I don’t mind! 🥰🥰 Yes the mesh bags are just produce bags, and I keep them organized by color since they are color-coded by size. I just keep the same size together by putting all into one of the bags. 😄 Yes, when I wash I just rinse. For berries and grapes I do use vinegar to help keep them fresh longer. With veggies I haven’t noticed a need for that and Dr. Greger says vinegar doesn’t reduce/remove pesticides so I gave that up LOL. I will occasionally add vinegar if I feel they’re quite dirty … mainly just for the peace of mind. 😆😆 I don’t use a salad spinner because mine is broken, but it’s a great tool if you have one that works!! Some berries/ veggies are best stored well-dried, but like I mentioned with the leafy greens I find that storing them just slightly damp actually helps keep them fresh. Although I’ve also seen many have success with drying them fully in a salad spinner first, so you might try both ways and see which you prefer/ which keeps better for you! Hope that helps! 🤗🤗

[@cyndij8312]

@LetsEatPlants In "How Not to Die," Dr. Greger says, "One effective method is to use a 5 percent acetic-acid bath--in other words plain white vinegar, which has been found to remove the bulk of certain pesticide residues....Unfortunately, a diluted white-vinegar bath only seems marginally more effectivethan tap water." So full-strength vinegar, not diluted. Page 335. Perhaps he's read updated research and changed his mind about the effectiveness of vinegar? He also said that a 10 percent saltwater rinse has been found to work as well as full-strength vinegar.

[@LetsEatPlants]

@@cyndij8312 Yes, I remember reading from his website that the salt water bath was most effective. That’s what I used to use, but I was going through a lot of salt as 10% of the bath is a fair bit of salt. LOL. 😆😆

[@HighSpeedForLives]

Everything is nice except for the cucumber. Does it really hard to cut one of it just before a meal?

[@LetsEatPlants]

You can definitely do that! Sometimes I do that with things like onion. You’re right, cutting one or two items just before you eat isn’t bad. 😊😊

[@Smudgemom2003]

Mushrooms….I use about 1/2 then about week or two later, discover the other half in the back of the frig in a slimy water state😆 nutz

[@LetsEatPlants]

Oh no! 🙈🙈 It can help to keep a fridge inventory with a list on the outside so you don’t forget. 😃

[@maryknight289]

Can you refresh my memory on the bathroom wbody weight scale you bought. After using it for a while would you buy it again?

[@LetsEatPlants]

Yes definitely! Granted, I was using a non-digital scale before so it was definitely time to upgrade. 😆🙈 But I really love the new scale because of all the health details it shows in the app (which is a free app you download to your phone). I don’t have to record anything myself because it saves all the info automatically in my phone and I can track my progress easily that way. Not to mention knowing all the other health numbers I feel is really helpful. Even if I’m not checking the specific health info on the daily, it’s being recorded so I can always go back and look at it. That’s just peace of mind for me knowing it’s there. LOL! Here’s the link in case you want to check it out further: bit.ly/FitTrack_scale and the discount code is EATPLANTS for 20% off. 🤗🤗

[@marionfletcher7973]

My biggest problem is knowing how long to keep things in the fridge. I throw out lots of fresh produce. Meal prep would be a start. I notice you do not label your freezer prep how do you remember what is in each Tupperware?

[@LetsEatPlants]

Oh yes, meal prep can definitely help with that! I am much more likely to use something if it's prepped and I have definitely had issues with having to throw out things that have gone bad. 😓😓 I don't label as I use things up pretty quickly and can pretty easily tell what I've stored just by looking in the container... but labels are very helpful if you prefer to use them! Also dates are generally a good idea for freezer items as well. 😀

[@MarziaTurello]

do you use all hlass cointainers? i have few plastic ones.. or i llhave spend little fortune

[@LetsEatPlants]

I do try to use glass… but we switched over slowly! I always recommend using what you have first and when it’s time to replace those then you can buy glass instead. No point in getting rid of perfectly good containers just bc they’re plastic! 😃

[@anncillaj]

No I clean n wash cabbage first n then chop

[@doveandolive1153]

I find weekly prep a must and feel lost without it. Would love to see a series of videos where you do your prep then release videos using the ingredients. Follow me for the week, just a suggestions. ❤ all your videos!

[@LetsEatPlants]

Totally agree! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 And I love that idea!! Like a what I eat in a week with the prepped ingredients? 😃

[@doveandolive1153]

@@LetsEatPlants Yes!!! I think it can help a ton of people not only your followers but also attract new follower. It's one thing to prep with great intentions, knowing what do with them can be totally different. The series can have so many options. A - 1) weekly prep video 2) then provide a video showcasing the daily utilization, or a video that encompasses the daily utilizations for the next 5-7 days (you'll know the better algorithm- meaning a video per day or a week worth )😉 hope this makes sense B) - Seasonal produce (spring, summer, fall, winter) - showcasing in seasonal products and how to utilizing them differently per season - from prep to how to serve them weekly

[@LetsEatPlants]

@@doveandolive1153 Love all of these ideas!! 😃😃 Thank you for the suggestions. I’ve definitely been thinking to do some what I eat in a week vids, and these other ideas are helpful too. Thank you! 🥰

[@justynaaleksiejuk1802]

Of course I wash my mushrooms! They literally have soil and poop on them, lol

[@LetsEatPlants]

😄😄 Yes I’m always surprised when people tell me they don’t!

[@aroundandround]

Freezing and thawing negatively impacts the taste for me though.

[@LetsEatPlants]

I haven’t noticed that for beans! I usually season them after I defrost if that helps. ☺️☺️

[@LauraLouLou]

I adore you so much but Tupperware is a brand name and it’s definitely all plastic. It tickles me how many young people just call all storage containers Tupperware. I’ll confess I call all tissue, Kleenex 😂

[@LetsEatPlants]

LOL… the fact that you referenced the Kleenex means you know exactly why we do it! 😂😂 I guess tupperware is lucky they have become synonymous with storage container because I never hear people say that. Maybe 3 syllables is just easier to say than 5! 🤣