eliminate decision fatigue | Finding delight.

If you didn’t already know, my sister Katie wrote a musical! I know, right?! *Badass alert* She recently found out that Full the Musical was accepted to The New York City International Fringe Festival this August. So, on top of her full time job she’s also running around like a mad woman doing all the million and one things that need to happen to get a production ready for the bright lights of the big city. (Including, but not limited to; rehearsing, costuming, hustling, and coordinating travel from FL->NYC.) I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

She mentioned to me that in the midst of all that madness she felt it was still important to throw down on some food prepared in her own kitchen. And I totally agree. Healthy fuel and a happy wallet are key components to this season of her life. But the perfect meal plan needed to be easy and non-brain-draining. (As well as reserve a few meals for eating out. Ya gotta be realistic, people!)

I told Katie, “Leave it to me, sistah!” You see, I LOVE creating meal plans. It feels like putting together a really satisfying puzzle. In case you have a similarly hectic week coming up, I thought I’d share what I put together for her.

And if you don’t? Thank your lucky stars. Cook elaborate meals. Revel in your free time. And then dig in your pockets to help out this amazing show. (Please and thanks!)

Shopping List –

Oats

2 containers of coconut (or any non-dairy) yogurt

Almond milk

Bananas

Fruit of choice that is on sale/in season

1 onion

1 potato

1 sweet potato

1 (14 oz) can of coconut milk

1 loaf of bakery bread (freeze whatever you won’t be using this week)

Earth Balance

Red lentils

Basmati rice

Garlic

Avocados

Peanut butter

Hummus

Pita Chips (and/or crunchy dipping veg like bell peppers or baby carrots)

Tofu

A couple of on sale/in season veggie choices for sauteeing (think: peppers, zucchini, etc)

1 frozen meal option (think: pizza, Indian food, gnocchi, etc)

1 dessert option (like Joe Joe’s from Trader Joe’s!!!)

(Note: I didn’t include spices or cooking oil on this list so check the recipes to make sure you have all items on hand.)

Meal Plan –

Monday

Breakfast –

Overnight oats (prepare 4 jars on Sunday night. In each jar goes ½ cup of oats, ½ cup of almond milk, and ½ of one yogurt container + whatever extras you want to add – cinnamon, cocoa powder, mashed banana, nuts. In the morning you can top with fruit and a spoonful of nut butter, if you like.)

Lunch –

Out.

Dinner –

Sweet Potato Curry Soup

(Saute chopped onions in a little cooking spray in a large pot over high heat. Add a pinch of salt. Once onions are translucent, add chopped potato, chopped sweet potato, 1 Tbsp curry powder, 1 cup water, and 1 can coconut milk. • Bring mixture to a boil, turn down heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. • Blend or mash mixture to desired consistency.)

Serve with a slice of toasted bakery bread with lots of Earth Balance!

Tuesday

Breakfast –

Overnight oats

Lunch –

Leftover sweet potato curry soup with another slice of bread and a serving of fruit.

Dinner –

Lentils and Rice

(Ingredients:

1 ½ cups red lentils, 7 cups water, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp cinnamon, 2 cups basmati rice , 1 tsp salt + avocado on top per serving

Recipe:

Add lentils, water, garlic and spices to a pot over medium high heat. Cook for 25 minutes, until lentils are soft. Add rice and salt. • Return to a boil, turn heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes. • Top with avocado!)

Wednesday

Breakfast –

Overnight oats

Lunch –

Leftover Lentils and Rice w/ a serving of fruit.

Dinner –

Out.

Thursday

Breakfast –

Overnight oats

Lunch –

Peanut butter and banana sandwich with pita chips and fruit.

Dinner –

Leftover Lentils and Rice

Friday

Breakfast –

Avocado toast

Lunch –

Out.

Dinner –

Brekky for dinner: Tofu scramble, toast w/ nut butter, and fruit salad (your fruit selection for the week and banana…drizzle with honey if you like!)

Saturday

Breakfast –

Pancakes

(Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats, 1 ripe banana, 2/3 cup non-dairy milk, + peanut butter for topping

Recipe:

Blend together oats, banana and water. • Add batter to a skillet preheated to medium high heat. • Cook as you would normal pancakes, flipping when bubbles start to form on the side. • Top with peanut butter!)

Lunch –

Out.

Dinner –

Saute vegetables and tofu in a pan with soy sauce. Serve with rice and sriracha.

Sunday

Breakfast –

Pancakes

Lunch –

Leftover stir-fry.

Dinner –

Frozen meal.

SNACKS FOR THE WEEK:

Pita chips and crunchy veggie of choice with hummus.

DESSERTS FOR THE WEEK:

Dessert option and banana soft serve.

And there you have it! What do you think? Would this meal plan work for you? Do you have any tips + tricks for eating well when you’re balls deep in busy? Ya girl is all ears.

P.S. No but for real, you should DONATE to Katie’s show. Those set pieces aren’t gonna haul THEMSELVES to The Fringe Festival. Thank you!

P.P.S. Love meal plans? Here’s another one that’s super budget friendly and here are 7 easy steps for beginner meal planners!

Here’s the deal. I KNOW I feel better when I take vitamins. Remembering to take them consistently is something I always promise myself I’ll be better at. But the thing is, for YEARS, as hard as I tried I just couldn’t fall into the routine. Some brands gave me a stomach ache unless I swallowed them just the right time after eating a meal. I would miss the window once, twice, and then never pick them back up. Others I remembered to take for weeks…and then forgot to re-purchase once I hit the end of the bottle. I sorta resigned myself to this pattern.

But then I found out about vitafive. Holy smokes! Why didn’t someone think of this sooner? As you may know, I’m all about eliminating decision fatigue and automating aspects of life to use that brain space for more important things. I’ve found ways to do this with my money, my clothes, even my snacks! Why not my vitamins, too?

So, here’s how this genius system works! For about $1 per day vitafive will ship you a 4 week supply of gummy vitamin packs. You can either choose from one of their pre-formulated packs or create your own custom pack. I opted for the Essentials Pack which includes a multivitamin, Vitamin D3, and Omega 3. Other pre-formulated options include:

Beauty Pack – Biotin, Vitamin C, Omega 3

Active Pack – Vitamin D3, Calcium, CoQ10

Brain Pack – Omega 3, Vitamin D3

Heart Pack – Vitamin C, Omega 3, CoQ10

Sleep Pack – Multivitamin, Melatonin, Vitamin D3

Immune Pack – Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Omega 3

(There are also packs for kids!)

I love the convenience factor! Your daily vitamins are pre-packaged together for each day of the week so they’re all in one place and ready to go. This is absolutely perfect for tucking in your purse as you head out the door or packing in your lunchbox along with your food. And signing up for the subscription service means you don’t have to think about re-purchasing a bunch of different bottles at different times as you run out. You’ll simply receive a package with your next month’s supply!

And look how cute these little gum drop vitamins are! There’s something to be said about the convenience of a gummy, too. I’m not embarrassed to say that, even as an adult, swallowing pills isn’t all that fun. If there’s a way around it I’m all about it. It certainly helps that this particular option tastes delicious. So, they’re fun to take post-meal or as a little mid-morning “snack”. They’re also all gluten free and vegetarian (some are vegan, too!).

I definitely wouldn’t want to swallow a huge horse pill on the beach. A delicious dose of gummy vitamins? Yes, please!

I would recommend vitafive to ANYONE looking to live a little healthier, searching for consistency when it comes to taking vitamins, or seeking an easy and fun vitamin option!

And great news! Vitafive is offering Finding Delight readers 30% off their first box with the coupon code beth30 (all lowercase). Just enter in this code at check out. No commitment necessary. You can cancel any time. So check it out! And let me know if you do. I’d love to hear if you like these little brain space savers as much as I do!!!

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.