Meal Prep Monday Podcast‪™‬ Allison Schaaf

220.  High Protein - Is It Worth the Hype? | EP#220
 
In episode 220, Allison Schaaf, founder of Prep Dish, talks about the popularity of healthy high protein recipes and shares why she thinks they’re worthy of their moment.
 
Earlier this year, Prep Dish featured a special bonus high protein recipes menu that went out to all subscribers, and those were a huge hit with the meal prep community.  Behind the scenes, our food editing team reviewed the Prep Dish meal plans to confirm that most meals do reach the optimum 30 grams of protein mark to ensure those counting macros could find meal plans that support their health goals.
 
Prep Dish is excited to announce we’re launching an educational protein workshop that digs into reasons why increasing protein at meals can be beneficial, help you to discover why high protein can support your health goals, and provide creative, tasty protein recipes that you can make in your own kitchen.
 
The protein workshop begins by finding out the “why” behind increasing protein and will guide you to discover your personal motivation:  whether it’s to keep up with the kids or grandkids, aid in intense workout recovery, or to reach a healthy weight so you can enjoy your favorite hobbies, the aim is to bring motivation front and center.  Then comes the fun part of discovering a carefully-curated menu of irresistible, easy recipes that reach the optimum protein mark per serving.
 
The Protein Workshop begins Saturday, May 4, 2024.  Premium Prep Dish subscribers get free access to the Protein Workshop after opting-in from their accounts.  Now is a great time to upgrade and gain free access!   Listeners who aren’t current subscribers can get a $10 discount on the workshop with code JOINMPM.
 
Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/
 
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Sign up for the Protein Workshop: http://prepdish.com/challenge
$10 off the workshop with code JOINMPM
Health Metrics with Laura Ligos: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep205/

In episode 219, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf continues the meal prep basics series by addressing a common question: what’s better to have in your kitchen - a blender or food processor?
 
Though Allison does have both tools in her kitchen, she advises that just having either a blender or a food processor is necessary.  But which one to choose?  A lot depends on what you’ll be whipping up in the kitchen.  Blenders work best for recipes with mostly liquid ingredients.  If you’re mixing up smoothies, marinades, dressings, homemade nut milk, or soups, then a blender is the way to go. Pro chef tip: elevate your simple salad dressing recipes with a stick (hand) blender.  It makes all the difference in taste and texture!
 
A food processor is the kitchen tool of choice for making energy bites, thicker pesto or dressings with herbs, homemade flours, or in baking recipes such as when making a crust.  Head over to our Facebook group and weigh in on which kitchen tool is in your meal prep space - we’d love to hear from you!
 
 
Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/
 
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans!
 
Vitamix: https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/
Prep Dish Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1537447836539716/

In episode 218, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf discusses basic kitchen skills in a month-long series and shares some of the best ways to keep your knives sharp.
 
One of the number one items on Allison’s list of kitchen equipment must-haves is a good quality knife, and she encourages meal preppers to upgrade their kitchen knives.  Some brands Allison has in her kitchen include Wusthof, Shun, Nakano, and Eberhard Schaaf.  Allison notes that the best way to find the right kitchen knife for you is to put it in your hand and see what feels most comfortable.
 
Once you’ve got a high-quality kitchen knife, it’s important to keep your tools in top shape on a regular basis, preferably sharpening them twice a year.  Allison has used local sharpening services, door-to-door services, and most recently Kife Aid, which sharpens your kitchen knives by mail.
 
Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/
 
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans!
Choosing Quality Kitchen Knives | Ep#160 https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep160/
Three Must Have Knives for Your Kitchen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icilR3xb164
Knife Aid https://knifeaid.com/

In episode 217, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf welcomes cookbook author, chef, and seasoning mix creator Michelle Dudash to chat about healthy flavorful meals.
 
Michelle is a Registered Dietitian, personal chef, seasoning mix creator, and one of Allison’s earliest mentors when she started her career.  She is the cookbook author of Clean Eating for Busy Families and Clean Eating Kitchen: The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook, created her own seasoning mix line, SpiceKick Seasoning Mix, and loves helping people get delicious, healthy meals on the table.
 
Allison and Michelle discuss what inspired the beginning of the SpiceKick Seasoning Mix line, as well as helpful kitchen tips and tricks to flavor food that everyone in the family can enjoy.  Plus, Michelle shares what’s worked best in her family when it comes to serving up food her two children love to eat!
 
Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans!
Michelle Dudash:  https://www.michelledudash.com/
SpiceKick Seasoning Mix:  https://spicekick.com/

In episode 216, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf shares about clothing management and how her working from home clothes evolved into a new uniform.
 
Allison enjoyed many benefits from streamlining her closet during a home renovation, and maintained a smaller wardrobe even afterward.  She notes that many of us have a go-to wardrobe for working at home or in the office.  Allison finds that when she changes into her work clothes and maintains a simple skincare routine to begin her day, she feels more put together and productive, which often leads to having a productive day.
 
The new staples in her work from home clothes came about after receiving a gift of two new skirts.  From there, Allison’s uniform became a skirt, a tank top, and a sweater or cardigan as needed.  She loves the brand Mate the Label for their organic cotton material, especially for workout clothing that lies close to the body.
 
We’d love to know:  what’s in your work from home (or office) wardrobe?  Do you have any staples that are your go-tos?
 
Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/  
Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast
 
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans!
Mate the Label https://matethelabel.com
Best of Both Worlds Patreon (Jan 25 - Work Uniform): https://www.patreon.com/bestofbothworldspod

In episode 215, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf talks about how she manages closet clutter and shares her Rent the Runway review after trying the service for a year.
 
While renovating their home, part of the plan was to include Allison’s master bedroom closet.  Allison discovered that the Rent the Runway service wasn’t just relegated to fancy dresses for black-tie events, but that the service also offers clothing rentals for everyday outfits and she decided to give RTR a try.  She streamlined her closet and made a commitment to minimize additional clothing purchases while using this clothing rental service.
 
Allison found several uses for the RTR service, including having a wardrobe ready for events (gatherings with friends, work events, date nights), a travel wardrobe, for filming video footage for work, as well as going out for dressier events like weddings and other celebrations.
 
Perks Allison found with RTR include fewer decisions about what to wear, sticking to her commitment of minimizing additional clothing purchases, having a much smaller wardrobe in her closet, and confidence in the up-to-date clothing fashions she’s wearing.
Allison recommends the RTR or similar services for those who aren’t as much into fashion and the process of clothes shopping and putting together outfits.  She also learned to always read the reviews, especially with sizing notes for your own reference.
 
 
Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/  
Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777
 
Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans!
Rent the Runway $30 off link:
https://www.renttherunway.com/shares/u68eQKP2_DgrS0-19L5Omg==
email info@prepdish.com if code is expired