Prepper's Web

Plus: 5K Race-day Mistakes to Avoid 

Running season is far from over. It’s prime weather for those who love to pound the pavement, and Door County offers up some fall classics in the weeks ahead.

Hey Hey 5k

Sept. 24, 8 am

Kicking off Autumnfest Saturday in Baileys Harbor, the Hey Hey 5k starts and ends at the Door County Brewing Co. taproom. Register on site Friday from 6-9 pm or Saturday morning at 7 am. 

Run Wild

Oct. 8, 9:30 am

A 5k run/walk or quarter marathon run, plus a third-mile distance for kids all in Potawatomi State Park. Register at runwild.org.

Fall 50

Oct. 22

Run solo (good luck!) or in a team in this run from the tip of the peninsula to Sturgeon Bay that ends with a massive dance party and costume contest you don’t want to miss. Register at fall50.com.

If you’re stepping to the start line of Saturday’s Hey Hey 5K, chances are good that you’ve spent the past several weeks training for the race. Whether you’re preparing for a 5K or a half marathon, training is a huge time commitment, so make the most of those efforts by keeping these tips in mind to calm race-day jitters and avoid common race-day problems. 

Avoid eating too much (or too little) before the race

This is likely the trickiest part about race day, especially if your stomach is sensitive to race anxiety. There’s a fine line between eating too much before the race and risking a side stitch, and eating too little and running on empty. 

Your best bet? Eat a light snack one and a half to two hours before the start time, sticking to foods you know are safe for you. A banana and a plain bagel, cereal with milk, or even a turkey-and-cheese sandwich on whole-wheat bread are all options that will provide you with that “just right” fuel. 

Dress in layers 

September mornings can be chilly and damp, so watch the weather and dress in light layers if needed. And whatever you don on race morning, make sure you’ve run in that clothing before. The day of a race is not the time to experiment with running in a new pair of shorts or shoes. 

Take a step back 

It’s tempting to position yourself at the front of the group at the start, but unless you’re seeded to win the race (think sub-20-minute time), you’re actually better off moving yourself back into the pack at the start. Not only is it good race etiquette, but it’s also to your advantage psychologically. 

That’s because you’ll be more motivated during the race if you feel you’re running within your own pace versus being passed by faster runners the entire time. And don’t be shy: Ask other runners what their anticipated finish time is to get an idea of where might be a good place to start. 

Plus, because most races, including the Hey Hey 5K, use chip timing, your final time – or net time – won’t dock you for the time it took to cross the starting line. 

Overhydrating

Yes, you do want to be well hydrated for any distance race, but being overhydrated can work against your performance just as much as being dehydrated. Drinking too much will dilute necessary electrolytes, which can lead to muscle weakness and cramping. So hit the water stations – or run with your own water – but just like your speed, pace yourself.

Pace yourself

There’s no question that adrenaline is pumping at the start of a race, but curb the urge to take off too fast. The last thing you want is to feel great during that first mile and then be riding the struggle bus for the final two. 

To avoid running out of steam, settle into your chosen race pace shortly after working your way out of the crowd, and challenge yourself to maintain that pace for the whole race. Or, turn the race into a game, making your first mile your slowest mile, then picking up the pace with each subsequent mile so that the final distance is your fastest. 

The beauty of the 5K distance is that no matter where you are in your running journey, it’s an opportunity to put your training into practice. 

The Hey Hey 5K will start at the Door County Brewing Co. taproom, 8099 Hwy 57 in Baileys Harbor, on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 8 am; weave its way along the backroads of Baileys Harbor; and end at the taproom. Each participant will receive a special Door County Brewing Co. Hey Hey 5K T-shirt, a Hey Hey 5K pint glass and a first fill free at the taproom! Learn more about the race at heyhey5k.com.

Sources: Runner’s World, Active.com

When you get serious about your fitness goals (be they strength- or weight-related), often one first step is to get your nutrition in order. You want to get enough protein to support your muscles, fruits and vegetables for health, carbs for fuel, and a total amount of calories that supports your activity and your goals without undereating or overeating.

If you’ve ever gotten to the end of the day and realized you are nowhere near on track for your daily goals, you get the idea behind planning your meals and even preparing (“prepping”) them ahead of time. A bodybuilder who eats the stereotypical chicken and broccoli for lunch every day may get bored with his meals but he also knows how much protein he’s getting without even thinking about it.

But meal-prepping has its pitfalls. Maybe you will be bored with your meals. Or maybe you won’t even get that far, and you’ll burn out just from the mental and physical effort of cooking a whole week’s meals at once. With that in mind, here are some beginner tips to ease into the process with your sanity intact.

Have a go-to breakfast

Before we start prepping anything, let’s start planning. Most of us are fine with eating the same breakfast every day, and there’s a good chance you already have a few favorites that you can throw together quickly before you’ve fully woken up.

So, your first step is to come up with a breakfast that fits your macros and that is easy to prepare. We’re taking baby steps here, so don’t worry too much about prepping this ahead of time. Just make sure that it will be ready when breakfast time arrives.

For example, maybe your breakfast is yogurt and fruit. That’s easy enough: Buy some yogurt and buy some fruit. In the morning, you can put the two together. Or you can make something the night before to grab on your way out the door. I like to make Bircher muesli two servings at a time, since each calls for half an apple. So on Sunday night, I’ll prep jars for Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday night I’ll make another pair.

Save your takeout containers

When we start packing up dinners and lunches, we’ll need something to put them in. While cute little Bento-esque Tupperwares may look nice, you may decide you don’t actually want all those divided containers. Or the boxes you buy may turn out to be the wrong size once you start filling them. Save money and time by selecting one or two types of takeout container that you get plenty of, and save those whenever you get them. I like the flat rectangular ones and the round one-pint soup containers. (You can also buy them in bulk if you need fresh ones.)

Make one meal at a time

After you get into the habit of eating your planned breakfast every day, the next step is to choose a second meal. For most of us, it will be lunch. This way, you have your first two meals taken care of, and you’re still free to make any dinner plans you like. (It is fine if you never advance past this stage.)

I also recommend, at least at first, not planning for seven days at a time. Since I work a Monday-through-Friday job, I like to prep my weekday meals and then wing it on the weekends. (This usually involves my regular breakfast, some kind of meal scrounged from leftovers, and often a takeout meal or two.)

For your first foray, I recommend finding a recipe that makes three servings. Two such recipes will get you through the work week with one to spare. You can even alternate the two meals.

An important food safety tip: Meals prepped on Sunday aren’t going to be in the greatest shape come Saturday. I recommend choosing one of the following strategies:

1. On Sunday, make one dish and divide it up for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday meals; then on Wednesday night, make another three-serving dish for the second half of the week.
2. On Sunday, make both your dishes so you can alternate. Pop three of the meals into the freezer. Then, on Tuesday or Wednesday, take them out of the freezer to begin to thaw.

Try a recipe before you commit

Ready to start making that first meal? Hold up: Did you choose a recipe you actually like? I’m not asking whether it looks good in photos. The ideal meal prep recipe is something that you have not only eaten in the past, but also one where you have an idea of how well it reheats.

That means that you can stay off the recipe websites for now. Choose an old favorite; you can get experimental later. And if you ever become tempted to make, say, a month’s worth of food on your meal prep day, definitely try that exact recipe out in a one-week batch first.

Be lazy

This is honestly my most important tip. When I started meal prepping, I’d spend an entire Sunday afternoon shopping and cooking. My feet would ache and my other household chores would be unfinished. No time or effort was saved, it was just moved.

I’ve gotten better since then. One of my favorite meal preps is to buy two bags of Trader Joe’s chimichurri rice, and a pound of ground beef, and heat each of them up appropriately and combine them. The job is done in barely 15 minutes, and I now have four lunches for the week that each fit perfectly into one of those round soup containers. Do I care that Mr. Joe gets half the credit for my culinary artistry? I do not.

If you’re going to make everything from scratch, make it easy on yourself. Buy frozen veggies, since they’re already chopped. Get a rice cooker if you find yourself using rice for a lot of your meals. If there’s a special homemade sauce or condiment you want to use, allow yourself that one labor-intensive item, and make sure your other tasks are simple ones.

For example, most items in the animal and vegetable kingdoms can be thrown onto a sheet pan and roasted. I’ll buy some frozen fish and fresh or frozen veggies, and then roast a tray of each with appropriate seasonings. (Olive oil and garlic salt are perfect for broccoli or, to be honest, any vegetable.) Chicken tenderloins marinated in mayo are another protein option that go with anything and can be prepared en masse. Thanks to the extra moisture, they reheat superbly well.

You get the idea: Make a lazy meal, make no more of it than you will actually eat, and pack it into the containers that you already have around. Don’t expect to get everything perfect at first; you’ll refine your workflow over time.

   

News

Agronomist says northern Indiana farmers prepping for harvest

An agronomist is Northern Indiana says harvest is just around the corner for farmers in his part of the state.

Jason Harmon is with DEKALB and Asgrow. “We still have a lot of corn that is finishing out nicely,” he says.  “It’s at half milk line to 3/4 milk line. We’re going to get to black layer pretty soon, I’d say in the coming 10 to 15 days, and then we’re going to start drying down. It looks like temperatures are going to get cooler and corn harvest will start clicking out.”

He tells Brownfield early planted Group 2 soybean harvest will likely start around the same time.  Harmon says they’re optimistic about this crop, especially with the less-than-ideal start to the growing season.  “We had zero rainfall from pretty much June 1^st until July 10th in many areas and that was really tough,” he says. “But one thing I’ve consistently heard, and I agree with many of the farmers, is that for what we were dealt, the crop we are looking at is very impressive with how it handled the growing conditions.”

He says overall, both corn and soybean crops have been healthy, but some farmers did battle phytophthora early on in the growing season, and Sudden Death Syndrome crept in within the last few weeks.

NASA is gearing up for a crucial fueling test of its Artemis 1 moon rocket on Wednesday (Sept. 21) that could keep the huge vehicle on track for a liftoff less than a week later.

Artemis 1, the first mission in NASA’s Artemis moon program, will use a Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket to send an Orion capsule on a long journey to lunar orbit and back. NASA originally aimed to launch Artemis 1 on Aug. 29, but technical issues scuttled the planned liftoff twice.

The second of those glitches was a leak of liquid hydrogen propellant, which the mission team traced to a faulty seal in a “quick disconnect” linking the SLS core stage with a fuel line coming from Artemis 1’s mobile launch tower. Technicians replaced two seals at the quick disconnect earlier this month, potentially solving the problem.

Related: NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission: Live updates
More: NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission explained in photos

Wednesday’s fueling test will show if that fix worked. The Artemis 1 team plans to pump supercold propellant — liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen — into the SLS on Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The operation is scheduled to begin at 7:15 a.m. EDT (1115 GMT) on Wednesday; it “will conclude when the objectives for the test have been met,” NASA officials wrote in an update (opens in new tab) on Friday (Sept. 16).

You can watch the test live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the space agency (opens in new tab).

NASA will hold a press conference on Monday (Sept. 19) at 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 GMT) to discuss the fueling test. That briefing will stream live here as well.

The participants in Monday’s discussion are:

• Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for Common Exploration Systems Development, NASA headquarters
• Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, NASA headquarters
• Jeremy Parsons, deputy manager, Exploration Ground Systems Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
• John Blevins, chief engineer, Space Launch System Program, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

If Artemis 1 cannot hit the Sept. 27 launch opportunity, a backup window opens on Oct. 2. 

The Artemis 1 stack rolled out to Pad 39B on Aug. 16 from KSC’s huge Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). If Wednesday’s fueling test does not go well, SLS and Orion may have to go back to the VAB for more extensive work. 

Artemis 1 might also have to roll back to the VAB for another reason. The mission’s flight termination system (FTS), which is designed to destroy the rocket if it veers off course during launch, was certified for just a 25-day stretch. That time is already up, and NASA needs a waiver from the U.S. Space Force to let Artemis 1 launch in its present condition. (The Space Force oversees the Eastern Range for rocket launches.)

NASA already received one such waiver, from 20 days to 25 days, and has requested another one. If that second request is denied, the FTS would have to be recertified, which would require a rollback to the VAB.

Mike Wall is the author of “Out There (opens in new tab)” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall (opens in new tab). Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or on Facebook (opens in new tab).  

Syracuse, N.Y. — The last time Purdue played at an indoor venue was in 2017.

It was Jeff Brohm’s first game leading the Boilermakers, and his program faced off against Louisville at Lucas Oil Stadium. Purdue lost that game 35-28 but has found increasing success under Brohm since.

The subtle changes in weather are nodding to fall… 

and we couldn’t be more excited to start preparing for the coziest season of the year. While we refresh our interiors for fall, we’re also looking to care for our yards and gardens. We chatted with a handful of our favorite gardeners and asked them to share their top fall gardening tip. From bringing your herbs indoors, to enjoying a moment of Zen in the garden, here are all the ideas for making the most of your garden this season. 

 The following content may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.   

Alan Calpe & Christopher Crawford –

@thegardenheir 

Though it’s been a scorching summer, with the transition to fall, it likely means it won’t be long before the arrival of the first frosts (at least in our northern region). One easy task we like to do in anticipation of dropping temperatures is to transplant some tender herbs from the garden into pots for the home. Once the plants are carefully lifted and placed in terracotta pots amended with good soil, you’ll want to give the plants a week or two outside to acclimate. When indoors, place potted herbs in an area that receives ample light, take care to water when the soil is bone dry, and you’re set. You’ll be able to enjoy the herbs in kitchen meals all throughout the colder months, and their fragrance, color, and form lend new life to your interiors while the garden outside sleeps. 

Image by The Garden Heir

Christopher & Eric Feml-Nelsen –

@GrowforMe5b 

Fall is a fantastic time to take advantage of sales and clearances at local garden centers! But more importantly, anything newly planted at the end of summer through fall needs to keep getting watered much deeper and later into the year than one might think. Our tip is to water newly planted items up through Thanksgiving in our growing zone 5b. A deep, weekly soaking of the root ball is essential. Use a slow trickle to reduce water runoff. Doing this ensures that the plants will be ready and rooted to take on the cold, and a potentially dry winter. And you’ll set up your new plantings for success come spring!

Images by Christopher and Eric Feml-Nelsen

Christian Golbreski –

@romanandivy 

My favorite fall garden tip is a bit different from the usual dividing of perennials or planting of bulbs. I like to take the last of summer’s blooms — such as dahlias, daisies, or any annuals you may have planted earlier in the season — and create a floating “Zen Garden.” Find some containers in various sizes (without drain holes), then add water, clip your blooms and float them on the surface. Adding ferns provides a nice touch as well. Try placing them by a front door for a colorful welcome, or any spot in your garden or terrace!   

Image by Christian Golbreski

Tony Spencer –

@thenewperennialist 

Embrace the wabi-sabi in your garden. No, it’s not about tree hugging ;) Wabi-sabi is a Japanese philosophy about finding beauty in imperfections and learning to accept the natural cycles of life. In the fall garden, that means finding beauty not only in flowers but in the patterns of their intricate seed heads, the elegance of decaying leaves, even the plant skeletons of winter. No need to cut anything back until late spring. The foraging birds and insects will thank you, too.

Images © Tony Spencer from his gardens in Mono, Ontario, Canada

Joy Wujek –

@camilliabloomsbury

I love to keep the leaves on the ground and the dried plant stems standing until spring. Leaves help protect the root systems during freezing temperatures, return nutrients back to the soil as they degrade, provide a habitat for beneficial insects, suppress weeds, provide a hideout for butterfly and moth caterpillars and pupae, and harbor insects that birds depend on in the early spring. If you have too many leaves on your property, you can mow them into mulch, or make a compost pile for future garden seasons. (It takes 1 to 2 years for leaves to break down and become viable mulch for the garden.) As busy gardeners, we earned a rest this fall and can tend to the cleanup in the spring. 

Images by Joy Wujek

Our Favorite Gardening Tools –

McGee & Co.

McGee & Co. Terracotta Planter

McGee & Co.

Rattan Gardening Tray

McGee & Co.

Wood Handled Secateurs

McGee & Co.

Lotte Watering Can

Williams Sonoma

Sophie Conran Everyday Gardening Gloves

McGee & Co.

Edene Ceramic Planter

McGee & Co.

Brass Garden Tags (Set of 4)

McGee & Co.

Lined Rattan Basket

McGee & Co.

Matte Gray Planter

McGee & Co.

Gardening Shears

McGee & Co.

Bolsa Planter

HANDLANDY

Long Sleeve Leather Gardening Gloves

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Shane Beamer’s not sure of what to expect from his defense — and that’s even before this weekend’s game with No. 1 Georgia.

The Gamecocks (1-1, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) will be without starters defensive end Jordan Strachan and linebacker Mo Kaba, both lost for the year after ACL injuries in last week’s 44-30 loss at No. 10 Arkansas.

But Beamer said the lineup could be minus starting defensive backs R.J. Roderick and Cam Smith, starting defensive tackle Alex Huntley and backup DB David Spaulding, all banged-up heading to practice this week and questionable to face the Bulldogs (2-0), who start SEC play Saturday.

“Our depth,” Beamer said, “isn’t where it needs to be.”

Especially when facing the defending national champions, who’ve looked flawless in picking up where they’ve left off. Georgia’s outscored opponents No. 25 Oregon and Samford 82-3 behind quarterback Stetson Bennett and a host of playmakers on offense.

South Carolina’s defense, which figured to take significant steps forward in Beamer’s second season, is off to a sluggish start.

The Gamecocks surrendered 200 yards rushing to Sun Belt opponent Georgia State and trailed 14-12 in the second half before special teams had two punt-block TDs in a 35-14 victory.

Last week, South Carolina couldn’t slow down Arkansas’s potent ground game as the Razorbacks went for 295 yards rushing in putting away the Gamecocks. Rocket Sanders had 156 yards and two of Arkansas’ five rushing touchdowns.

Things don’t figure to get better this week. Georgia is averaging an SEC-leading 525 yards a game and 7.66 yards gained on each snap.

Linebacker Sherrod Greene, in his sixth season, expects to see more playing time with Kaba sidelined. Greene, who’s 2020 and 2021 seasons were cut short because of injury, had eight tackles at Arkansas and feels as healthy as he has in some time.

Losing Kaba and Strachan hurt the unit, Greene said, “but a lot of guys got to step up and try to fill their positions.”

And leadership, Beamer said. Strachan, who led South Carolina with three tackles for loss, was a defensive captain opening week with Kaba a captain for Arkansas.

Beamer said there were too many missed tackles against Arkansas, something the Gamecocks can’t afford if they hope to compete with the SEC’s best teams. He deferred to defensive coordinator Clayton White about how many such errors are acceptable during a game. “But even one is too many for me,” Beamer said.

Both Kaba and Strachan will need surgery, which will most likely be scheduled sometime in the next four to six weeks, Beamer said.

Both Kaba and Strachan had worked hard in the offseason and were off to strong starts. Injuries, Beamer said, are a sad and disappointing aspect of college football. “That’s part of it. Hate it, but no one’s sitting around feeling sorry for us,” he said.

Practices, so far, have been spirited and focused, according to the coach, with the understanding the defense must look forward to what’s next.

“It’s a next-man-up mentality and we all have to be better,” Beamer said. “And the best way we can honor and play well for Mo and Jordan is to go play well this week.”

There are no guarantees. even with a healthy defense, that South Carolina would match up with the Bulldogs. The Gamecocks are just 1-9 in their last 10 games against a ranked opponent. They’ve won just once in six all-time meetings against No. 1.

Beamer knows things will be difficult with Kaba and Strachan out. There’s a belief among the players the improvements they made in spring and summer will eventually show up on game day.

“We’ve got to play smart and efficient football,” Beamer said. “That’s the thing we haven’t done the first two weeks.”

___

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://bit.ly/3pqZVaF

BOONE, N.C. (WBTV) – The Mountaineers of Appalachian State University have done it again. 15 years after the big upset of #5 Michigan, App State took down #6 Texas A & M on the road. It’s one of the biggest wins in school history and has opened the door for Boone to host ESPN’s popular GameDay broadcast this Saturday.

The scene Saturday night in Boone was celebratory with students rallying on King Street, and many taking a leap into the duck pond on the Appalachian campus.

Coverage: App State uses 2 turnovers to stun No. 6 Texas A&M 17-14

“There’s so many people everywhere…it was like a mosh pit, there was 100′s if not 1000′s on King Street, on campus…police officers everywhere, it was an incredible experience, Jalen Boleratz, a cheerleader and sophomore from Durham.

On Monday, a much calmer day on campus and in town. At Mountaineer Mania, preparations are underway for a big weekend with a home game with Troy and a first ever visit by ESPN’s Gameday.

“Oh, they didn’t even come after the Michigan game, it makes us feel like we made it,” said owner Melody Pineda.

David Jackson s a former play-by-play announcer for the Mountaineers and now heads up the Chamber of Commerce. He says the win in Texas and ESPN recognition is important for the school, and the community.

“It’s another level because it’s the nation’s visibility for the sport for a day and it’s coming from here,” Jackson said. “People will see the mountains, Howard’s Knob, campus, and that as their start to a day of college football and some important matchups that will go on in week 3.”

App State Athletics announced on Monday that all tickets for the team’s home game on Saturday against Troy have been sold out.

Copyright 2022 WBTV. All rights reserved.

Launched in 2004 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, September as National Preparedness Month is dedicated to encouraging the public to assess and prepare for local disaster risks and unplanned emergencies. This year, FEMA’s campaign theme is centered around “Lasting Legacies: The Life You’ve Built is Worth Protecting; Prepare for Disasters to Create a Lasting Legacy for You and Your Family.”

FEMA’s 2020 National Household Survey found that a growing number of people are investing in disaster-preparation activities. Approximately 68 percent of respondents have taken at least moderate steps toward and have set aside funds in preparation for an emergency — up 6% from the previous year.

Whether responding to a surging heat wave, volatile hurricanes or regional flooding, having a preparedness kit and emergency-response plan is the highest priority, but what about protecting your personal information and the value of your belongings?

The Better Business Bureau recommends the following tips to help minimize the negative impact that may arise from being unprepared and/or underinsured:

Know the risks for your area

Research and understand the risks in your area. Is the region you live in highly prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, etc.? Identifying those risks will help determine what you need to prepare for and the potential scope of the damage. It’ll also help you understand the type of insurance coverage you may need.

Speak with a reputable insurance agent

Start by speaking with your current homeowners’, renters’ or auto-insurance companies to find out what additional coverage you may need to add on. For example, most homeowners’ insurance policies generally do not cover flood damage, so you’ll need to purchase a flood policy separately. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners lists the types of coverages you can add to your current policy.

Research past natural disasters in your area to determine whether the families affected had the appropriate level of coverage. Ask multiple insurance agents for their take on the level of coverage they recommend and determine whether you’d like to increase your coverage. The last thing you want is to be underinsured and not have enough compensation when it comes time to clean and/or rebuild.

Consumers can look up companies on BBB.org for ratings, consumer alerts, complaint trends and examples of how the business responds to their customers.

Take photos

Having pictures or videos of your car, home or business, and your valuables before possible damage can help with future insurance claims. Keep these in a separate album so they are easy to find in the event something gets damaged.

Store important documents

Keep important paperwork, such as passports, birth certificates, medical records, and deeds of ownership safe by storing them in a waterproof/fireproof safe-deposit box. You may want to store important sentimental items, like family photos, in a similar way. Keep such items in a central place where you can easily take them with you if you need to evacuate.

Back up your files

Don’t leave important data on computers in places at risk of fire or flood damage. Store them on a secure portable hard drive or in a digital cloud away from your home or business.

For more consumer tips, visit BBB.org.

•••

Roseann Freitas ismarketplace manager Hawai‘i, Better Business Bureau Northwest + Pacific, 900 Fort Street Mall, Ste. 1310, Honolulu, HI 96813 808-260-0643, bbb.org.

Danielle Walker told Mashed that picking themes is the perfect way to help newbies in the kitchen. She stated, “I always say hold one night or two, because you can go in with great intentions and think that you’re going to cook seven nights a week, but life throws curveballs at you.” The “Against the Grain” author mentioned that planning for five nights of dinners is the best solution, as you may grab takeout one night or leftovers the other. Walker said her kids thoroughly enjoy breakfast for dinner, so that is usually her backup on a day she needs to improvise a meal.

Picking a theme for each night is the simplest way to choose what you want to meal prep, according to Danielle. She added, “I’m like, ‘We’re going to do beef on this night and fish on this night,’ or some people say, ‘I want to do taco Tuesday,’ so Tuesday is going to be our Mexican-themed night. Then I want to do something that’s Italian.” She continued, “That’s the best way to do it — either decide what proteins you want to do each night or decide a theme.”

By deciding on a theme and shopping only once a week at the grocery store, you can save money on wasted food. Walker recommended using the protein that will go bad the fastest at the beginning of the week, such as seafood. To get you started, “Healthy in a Hurry” has six weeks’ worth of meal plans and grocery lists available. Meal prepping just became your favorite activity!

Check out Danielle Walker’s Instagram page to keep up with her latest recipes. You can order Danielle’s new cookbook, “Healthy in a Hurry,” on Amazon.