One Week at a Time

meal prep breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack

This week, I started the last project of this year and I called it The December Routine. It sounds more serious than it actually is. The real purpose is simple: to keep myself accountable to the routines that genuinely make me feel better, mentally, physically, and in every other way. I don’t want to wait for January 1st to start showing up for my life. Nothing is promised. Not today, not tomorrow, not the new year.

Plan is to stay consistent, focused, and present & these are my basic non-negotiables for December:

• Sleep: 7+ hours every night, with 8 hours as the goal

• Training: 3–5 workouts per week (3 strength + 2 cardio)

• Meal prep: ordering less food, cooking more at home, staying organised, and planning my meals in advance

• Work: posting 1 Instagram and TikTok video per day, focused on the small things I’m doing this December to stay on track, 1 Newsletter per week (aaand some surprises)

• Supplements: taking them daily

• Movement: 10k steps every single day

All of these are already a big part of my life and how I usually live. But with the move and being out of our comfort zone lately, we definitely slipped a bit. We skipped workouts more often, ordered food more than usual, and my 10k steps… let’s not even talk about those.

Beyond the basics, I want to lean into the little things that make me feel better, too, like reading more (I’m currently reading I’m Glad My Mom Died), spending time with family, friends, and my favorite beings, Filip and Benji, and being a little less glued to social media.

This week’s meal prep is a big part of that reset, so let’s jump to the recipes:

Walnut and Chocolate Energy Balls

• 200 g dates, pitted

• 100 g walnuts

• 60 g oats

• 30 g ground flaxseed

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 50 g dark chocolate, melted (for topping)

Add all ingredients except the chocolate to a small food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped and starts to stick together. Using your hands, shape into equal-sized balls and roll tightly. Drizzle with melted dark chocolate, place in the freezer for a short set, then store in the fridge. Ready for the entire week.

Macros (per 1 ball, makes 24): ~90 kcal | P: 2.3 g | C: 10.5 g | F: 4.9 g

Breakfast Frittata

• 2–3 eggs

• 1 tbsp cottage cheese

• approx. 2 tbsp baked sweet potato cubes

• chopped baby spinach

• 1/4 red bell pepper, chopped

• salt to taste

Bake chopped sweet potato cubes with a little olive oil and salt until soft. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, then add cottage cheese, sweet potato, spinach, bell pepper, and salt. Mix well and bake for 25–30 minutes at 200°C / 392°F. Reheat in the air fryer or microwave before eating.

Serving ideas: We love serving it with sourdough and goat cheese (or any cheese you like). You can also turn it into a sandwich with bread, cream cheese, and the frittata.

Chicken Bowl

• juicy oven-baked chicken breast

• sweet potato purée

• cherry tomatoes

• green beans

• garlic

• butter

• olive oil

• salt

• chicken seasoning mix

Cook the green beans in salted water until tender, then drain. Add them to a pan with butter and 2 chopped garlic cloves, season with salt, and fry until fragrant.

When baking sweet potatoes for the frittata, make a bigger batch. Use part of it for cubes, and blend the rest into a purée with 1–2 tbsp butter, a few tablespoons of milk, a little water if needed, and salt to taste.

For the chicken, coat the chicken breast with olive oil and chicken seasoning mix, then bake at 220°C / 428°F for about 20 minutes (depending on thickness, always check).

Chop cherry tomatoes in half and assemble each bowl with sweet potato purée, chicken, green beans, and tomatoes.

Salmon Bowl

• oven-baked salmon

• cooked rice

• vegetables: carrot, bell pepper, zucchini

For the sauce:

• soy sauce

• garlic

• grated ginger

• salt

• maple syrup

• rice vinegar

Bake the salmon in the oven with a little olive oil and salt at 200°C / 392°F for 12–15 minutes, depending on thickness.

Cook the rice according to package instructions. Slice the carrot, bell pepper, and zucchini. In a pan, sauté garlic and grated ginger, add the vegetables, and cook until slightly soft. Pour in soy sauce, a splash of rice vinegar, a little maple syrup, and salt to taste. Thicken the sauce with corn starch mixed with a bit of water and let everything simmer until glossy.

Assemble the bowl with rice, saucy vegetables, and salmon on top.

One week at a time

That’s it for this week. I really hope you found some inspiration here for your own weekly meals. And if you’d like, please write in the comments if you’re interested in hearing more about my December Routine, how it’s going, and how I’m feeling week to week. I’d be lying if I said I’m not secretly hoping for a little glow-up by the end of the month haha.

Stay tuned, take care of yourself, and keep meal prepping. 🤍

Happy meal prepping☀️

Love,
Sanja
@food.journalista