How I Eat When I Don't Meal Prep or Grocery Shop - A Burnt Out Week as a Med Student

Hey Friends!

Exhaustion is real in medical school, and truthfully I have weeks where I just do not have the energy or time to do my weekly prep. Meaning, sometimes grocery shopping doesn't happen, and meal prep is a distant thought. We all have weeks when we are wildly unprepared & sort of picking up the pieces as we go, so I want to chat with you about how I do my best to mindfully eat food when I'm doing the bare minimum.

Quickly before I dive in, I want to again preface that I'm not a nutrition professional, this is not nutrition advice, and every person has their own needs so please keep that in mind while reading. On top of that, though I may not have done my weekly grocery run, I've always got staples on hand. Pantry items, eggs, bread, a handful of produce that survived from the week before, etc. Those items do come in handy during these weeks!

Let's begin!

Preparation:

First, I know these weeks are inevitable, so I prepare for them before they even spontaneously happen by getting some of my favorite back-up meals on hand in my freezer. I love Splendid Spoon's meals. They are very freezer friendly, so usually what I do is order a one time box of all my favorites and let them hang out in my freezer. That way I know I always have food on hand that I enjoy and makes me feel good. When I run out or get low, I just order another box. This is far more cost effective for me than subscribing to the meal plan, because I'm only ordering boxes when I need them. Basically, I space out these orders pretty well.

Something to know about splendid spoon is all the meals are plant based, so very high in fiber which I love, but can be a little low calorie sometimes. A lot of times I eat these along with something else in my pantry or a piece of protein I have on hand. I also eat them as a mid-day pick me up when I need it.

Splendid Spoon's Website: https://splendidspoon.com/

Another staple I love is Trader Joe's freezer section. I mean, I LOVE Trader Joe's in general, but their freezer section has some really delicious last minute meals that are perfect to have on hand for when life gets crazy. I've always got my favorites in my freezer.

Tactics for handling the week when it happens:

When these draining weeks fall on me and I know I'm not gonna get a chance to go to the store & meal prep, I make use of resources readily available to me. Where I am in the Kansas City area, we have access to a lot of wonderful local businesses who cater to busy people. I have a couple favorites I will grab food from to sustain me for the week:

1. Social Suppers:

They are a family owned business that essentially takes all the prep out of food. Their goal is to help you get a home-cooked meal on the table with none of the prep. You essentially buy food already prepared by them, and then you just do the last step of cooking. Whether that's putting something in the oven or on the stove really quick. It's a fast way to have a fresh home-made meal, and they are so delicious! They also make big meal sizes for families, so you could feed everyone in your house if you needed to. For people like me who are only cooking for one or two at a time, you can get smaller sizes.

They also make side dishes and desserts - so you literally have every component of a full meal. Their menu changes every month which keeps it interesting, and they have all sorts of types of food depending on your dietary restrictions. You can walk into the store and grab meals yourself, or they kindly deliver (which is great for busy people). They are also extremely affordable. This last week when I was in a pinch, I got 9 meal servings between the foods I picked up, plus an entire package of cookie dough for about $50. Every time I eat their food I feel like I'm eating my grandma's home-cooking. It's so nostalgic and delicious, I just love it.

Social Supper's Website: https://socialsuppers.com/

2. Kitch

Another brand that's local to the Kansas City area (with multiple locations). They are a great option for if you truly want to do nothing to have food on the table. You can walk in (or get delivered) a variety of meals that are all cooked & ready to eat, aside from a quick microwave preparation. They also create foods for many dietary restrictions and are frequently updating their menu based on customer requests! This has been a really good way for me to pick up foods that I know I enjoy & make me feel good that will literally be on my plate after 3 minutes in the microwave.

In summary, my recommendation here is to use the resources that are available to you. Take advantage of local businesses who love busy people. Plus your supporting a small business, so you're putting your money into your community on your busy weeks.

Kitch's Website: https://getkitch.com/

Don't be afraid to ask for help:

If you have family or close-friends in the area, lean on them to help you with groceries or share their meals with you if you need it. People often love supporting those they care about, and if you have people who are happy to help you, don't be afraid to ask!

Eating out:

When I'm busy, lots of times I will resort to take-out on my way home from the hospital. Truthfully, if I'm feeling like an entire pizza or big chunky burrito then I will be living my best life with that. But, I would say my general philosophy when it comes to eating out when you're exhausted, stressed, and very likely have more work to do, is to try to pick foods you know energize you & make you feel good. Sometimes you need a pizza to do that. Or sometimes you need a nice big salmon poke bowl with extra vegetables. Just focus on whatever it will take to power through a tough week.

Overall, my crazy weeks with no influx of groceries/meal prep involves me using my freezer staple foods to fill in, taking advantage of my local resources to get food on my table, asking my family for help when I need it, and trying to focus on foods that energize my tired soul when I eat out.

I hope this post helped give you some ideas for when you find yourself in a food rut or a crazy week. Feeding your body is so important, and shouldn't be based on societal ideals of what "health" looks like. What makes each & every one of us "healthy" is personal and unique, and includes keeping a positive relationship with food. So if you're tired and just want all the Chipotle tacos with the extra chips and guacamole, then there is no shame there! Food does not have morality. There are not good or bad foods in general, but especially when you're going through the wringer.

As always, may your busy weeks still be delicious, may you discover a cute local business that feeds your soul, may you get a couple more hours of shut eye tonight, and of course, may the odds be ever in your favor!

Sincerely,

Natasha LaGrega