Food Prep in the Finn Household


Remember earlier this year when we did a post about how we both utilize our Sundays to get ready for the work week ahead?

In that post, we chatted about how food prep was a big part of each of our Sunday afternoons. Okay, wait scratch that “our.” Instead, let’s replace it with “our husbands’” Sunday afternoons. Finn & Matt are the cooks in our households, and they often do the food prep for the workweek lunches. (Yes, we know we are lucky girls!)

packed-lunchBack when we chatted about our Sundays, a lot of you expressed interest in seeing what food we prep for the week. We were honestly a little surprised because our daily lunches are pretty boring, but heck…if you’re interested, we’re always up for sharing!

finn-kitchen-cookingSo I convinced Finn to allow me to take some pics on a Sunday afternoon as he made our lunches for the week. And today I’m going to share the exciting healthy details of our daily lunches.

First of all, we typically eat the same thing just about everyday for lunch at work. I know, totally boring right?! But we usually indulge on the weekends by eating out, ordering takeout, and enjoying our fair share of cocktails. So healthy lunches during the weekdays are actually welcomed with open arms after indulgent weekends.

broccoli-sweet-potatoesHere’s what Finn usually cooks for our work week lunches:

  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes
  • Roasted Broccoli
  • Grains (typically quinoa or our favorite Trader Joe’s grain blend!)
  • Grilled Chicken

We buy frozen broccoli and frozen chicken breasts in bulk from Costco every month. That way we always it on-hand for our lunches. Finn typically de-frosts the chicken, while he works on the veggies & grains.

finn-broccoliWe roast the broccoli when it’s still frozen, on a pan covered in foil for about 30 minutes at 425 degrees. Finn coats it in olive oil and seasons with salt & pepper for extra flavor. I love when it’s a little bit charred…one of my favorite parts of our lunches!

sweet-potatoesI buy sweet potatoes whole from the grocery store and Finn peels and chops them up before baking them in the oven. Again, these go for about 30 minutes on a high heat. So yummy.ย food-prep-supplies

We buy quinoa in bulk from Costco too, but sometimes we’ll change things up and use the Harvest Grain blend from Trader Joe’s. It’s seriously delicious and features a mix of cous cous, quinoa, and orzo. Finn just follows the directions, and uses vegetable broth to really give it flavor.

finn-cookingFinn usually makes a marinade for the chicken and depending on the weather he’ll sometimes grill it outside. That’s my favorite! If it’s raining or cold (which is about 80% of the time around here….) he’ll just bake the chicken in the oven. Again, still good and I can’t complain since I don’t contribute much when it comes to cooking.

fruitAdditional Items in my lunchbox:

  • Black Beans (sometimes I’ll add some to my lunch for a bit more protein)
  • Avocado (I’ll often bring one to cut up and put on top of my lunch)
  • Salsa or Marinara Sauce (if I’m looking for a little extra flavor I’ll top my lunch with one of these!)
  • Banana (morning snack)
  • Apple (afternoon snack)

cutting-broccoliAdditional Food Prepped on Sunday:

  • Chopped Veggies for Hummus
  • Rinsed & chopped berries for breakfast

lunch-food-prep

Once all of the food is prepped and ready, I’ll portion out my lunch in tupperware and pack it all up in my lunchbox.ย packed-lunch

That way in the morning all I have to do is grab my lunchbox and walk out the door.ย finn-kitchen-cooking

So there you have it…our not-so-exciting weekday lunch plan! Kudos to Mr. Finn for taking control as the chef of our household. That man keeps me happy & well-fed. But I will say that for the couple of hours when he’s food prepping, the TV usually looks like this….watching-sports-cooking…with sports on and the TV turned towards the kitchen. So he doesn’t have it that bad ๐Ÿ™‚

packed-lunch-workOkay, now I want to hear…what do you guys make for lunch each week? While we love our lunch routine, it would be nice to shake it up and add more healthy essentials to the menu!

Casey


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.