Hi Reader,

The rain finally showed up in Colorado this week, which is good timing because the garden is coming together. We have potatoes, spinach, and kale on the deck, tomatoes and basil and lettuce inside, and the boys each planted their own section of the yard.

I also had friends over, finished a chunk of eating disorder coursework for my practice, and did what I always do when life gets full: leaned hard on the pantry.

This week that looked like bean and rice tacos. Eden Organics sent me their canned pinto beans and rice as a gift to try, and they've earned a permanent spot in the pantry. I served them with black beans, fajita vegetables, store-bought guac, and cotija, with everyone picking their own toppings at the table. Having good canned beans and grains on hand makes meals like this feel less like a fallback and more like intentional cooking.

The leftovers did three things: breakfast burritos the next morning with scrambled eggs, lunch the day after pretty much as-is, and the beans doubled as a chip dip in between.

That’s the version of meal prep I actually believe in. Not the aspirational, color-coordinated container kind. Just cooking something that works more than once. It takes the pressure off any individual meal and makes the whole week feel more manageable.

A few recipes from the blog that work the same way:

• ​Vegetarian Chili serves a crowd on its own, works as a dip, and is delicious spooned over a baked potato or veggie burger the next day.
• ​Curry Stuffed Peppers is a smart way to use leftover coconut curry. If you’ve already got the curry made, stuffing and baking the peppers takes almost no time and makes it feel like a different meal.
• ​Lemon Tahini Dressing goes on a salad one night and pulls double duty over a grain bowl the next day. Make a big jar and it does most of the work for you.

If you find yourself either overthinking meals or avoiding thinking about them altogether, that push and pull is something I work through with people a lot. There’s usually something worth exploring underneath it. If you’re curious, a discovery call is a good place to start.

Warmly,

Stephanie

Hi, I'm Stephanie

I'm a registered dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor. I help people stop fighting food and build a way of eating that feels steady and satisfying, with plant-forward recipes and one-on-one support.

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Find me on Instagram for recipes and real talk about food freedom, and on Pinterest for more plant-forward inspiration.