How Joanna Gaines Meal Preps A Week's Worth Of Veggies

The word, "busy" seems to be everyone's middle name these days. Between juggling family, friends, work, hobbies, and getting enough sleep, who can even find the time to eat a healthy meal? Whatever busy looks like for you, one thing's for sure, having healthy meals prepped throughout the week is a lifesaver. Joanna Gaines — mom of five, restaurant owner, author, face of the Magnolia brand, not to mention HGTV's biggest personality — is an occupied gal. This is why she relies on efficiency tips in the kitchen, like prepping and cooking a week's worth of vegetables ahead of time. 

"The hardest part to eating healthy is prep work" Gaines related on Instagram with a photo of a sheet pan filled with rows of various vegetables, seasoned and ready for the oven. She then described her three-part vegetable-prepping process of cleaning, chopping and roasting, which only takes her a total of a half hour in a week.  This ensures her entire family has nutritious, veggie-packed meals that are ready to reheat and eat. 

The magic of getting all this done in just 30 minutes is keeping things simple, and opting to roast, which is not just easier but tends to produce better tasting results over other methods. The flavor imparted in roasting is what Gaines attributes to getting her kids to eat vegetables — it's arguably the most delicious and efficient way to prepare vegetables because the high heat brings out their natural sugars, while simultaneously creating a richly flavored, caramelized exterior as the interior remains tender.

Washing and chopping are the most annoying part of veg prep, but it's a lot more time-consuming to do several times a week rather than once. To speed along the chopping step, keep the rough chops of your veggies simple and uniform. Gaines' sheet pan vegetable photo displays broccoli, cauliflower and sweet potato all chopped in the same size and thickness, which allows the veggies to roast evenly. 

Gaines' stated she keeps the seasoning on her veggies simple as well — a nice drizzle of olive oil, sprinkling of salt and pepper and then tossed together to equally coat the veggies. Or perhaps if you'd like to get creative, use a packet of ranch seasoning for your roasted veggies. Have your oven preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, roast for about 20 to 25 minutes and stir halfway through. 

Once your veggies are done, make sure you test how delicious they are and then divide into meal prep containers to easily add alongside the other components of your meals during the week, such as a flavorful seasoned rice. You'll thank yourself when hunger strikes and you remember you have a good, energizing meal waiting for you and your family.