Let's say you've been on a health kick for a bunch of days and you're feeling great. You feel like the queen of the world because you've been so committed to eating nutrient dense foods and passing on the processed stuff. But then you have a crazy busy day and you get home from a long day of work, errands, or social events, and you're STARVING. You have zero energy to cook so you throw a pot of pasta on the fire and ransack the fridge for whatever you can find. You end up munching on a granola bar or cookies while you're waiting for the pasta to cook. Your energy was already drained from today, but this meal puts you in a food coma that leaves you feeling sluggish and exhausted.
When we're tired we naturally crave energy in the easiest-to-digest form it comes in, aka sugar and refined carbohydrates. If they're around and readily available, that's what you're most likely to eat. It's not a reflection of your discipline or willpower. It's a strong biological survival force, and understanding that this force underlies most of your dietary behavior choices can help you hack it in a way that serves you and your health goals.
Now imagine if instead you came home to a hot, ready-to-eat, delicious and healthy meal that you could dive into right away. You'd surely make the healthier choice because it's already ready. This becomes easier than taking out the pot and the pasta and waiting for the water to boil. This is why meal planning is so critical- it ensures that the healthy option is easier to eat than the unhealthy one. Crockpot dump meals are even better because the food is already hot and fresh! It took me less than 10 minutes the night before a busy day to prep this meal and then literally just took 2 minutes to add everything to the crockpot in the morning. I got home and instead of fretting about what to do for dinner, this delicious meal was waiting for me.
Ingredients:
1 kilo or 1/2 lb of ground beef
1 can kidney beans
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
4-5 cloves garlic
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp dried cilantro
To top, optional:
1 avocado
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Chili lime seasoning
mixed baby greens side salad (prewashed and cut to make it quick)
Instructions:
The night before you plan on making this, chop all veggies and store in a glass container in the fridge.
Measure out all spices and combine. Store in a cool, dry place.
The next morning, add all ingredients to a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 2-4 hours. Easy peasy lemon squeezey!
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