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Many of you are resolving to eat better this year, but you may think it’s just too time consuming. With a little advance planning and some staples on hand, cooking and food prep becomes a breeze.

First off, invest in a crock pot! This is key for quick meal prep–then set it overnight to be ready for breakfast, or set in the AM when you leave for work so that dinner is ready when you get home. Basic formula is to brown a chunk of meat on all sides (you can even skip this step if you’re super pressed for time); rub with herbs; chop an onion and layer in bottom of crock; then place meat on top of it and set to low for 6-8 hours. Here’s a great recipe from Make it Paleo authors Bill Staley and Hayey Mason.

Easy Lamb Roast
Ingredients:
2.5 lb lamb roast, bone in
1 fist of garlic, cloves separated peeled and smashed
15 kalamata olives, plus 3 tablespoons of olive juice
One handful each of fresh rosemary and thyme (a tablespoon each of dried rosemary and thyme are also an option if you cannot get fresh herbs)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of water or broth

Process
Place lamb roast in a large crock pot.Top with garlic, olives, olive juice, salt, and pepper.Pour water into the bottom of the crock pot around the lamb.Place the herbs on top of the lamb, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours. So easy!

Also, keep canned salmon and sardines on hand when you’re pressed for time, and you can flake out of the can onto salad greens and toss with dressing and avocado. Dinner in 5! If you’re absolutely too busy to put anything together, stop by Whole Foods and get a rotisserie chicken to shred over salad greens or sauteed spinach (which takes about 5 minutes to cook). Then you’ll have leftover chicken for the next couple days!

As I mentioned in my previous post, sit down on Sunday and make a list, then shop for the week’s meals. Cook a big batch or meat and veggies for Sunday dinner, then adapt into meals for the week for leftovers. With a little advance planning, it’s a breeze! No excuses.

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