Time Schedule

Timing is everything—also true when it comes to healthy eating. It’s so often the case that you want to eat healthy, but that you just don’t have the energy or time to perform miracles in the kitchen on a daily basis. Having a busy life means it’s even more important to prepare as much as possible ahead of time. For each recipe in this book, I provide an indication of the time it takes to prepare it and when the best time is to make it.

Sunday Prep

There are those days off (they don’t have to be Sundays) that are perfect for spending in the kitchen. It’s then that I take my sweet time in the kitchen, make a schedule for the week, do the grocery shopping, and start stockpiling… muffins, breads, spreads… anything that keeps for longer than three days. Doing this makes things so much easier during the week.

Day Before

These recipes are just a bit too time intensive for the morning of—or they need to sit for several hours or need to be cooked and fully cooled. In these instances, I tend to get to work the evening before. These recipes include breakfasts, soups, and salads. I also like to prep my lunch for the next day ahead of time and eat the same thing for dinner that night.

Last Minute

These are the quick recipes that can be thrown together in no time flat. They include drinks, smoothies, and quick breakfasts. Though these recipes often taste best when freshly made, you can make a larger portion and store leftovers for the next day or two.

First things first

It’s important to lay the foundation first. You’ve transformed your kitchen into a Power Kitchen, your cupboards are full of healthy ingredients, and you have the right stuff on hand to freeze and store and take with you. Now it’s cooking time! I always keep a supply of granola on hand, bread in the freezer, cashew milk in the fridge, and chips, cookies, and snack balls in the cupboard. But all this requires a bit of patience. You can’t lay the foundation in one day.

If you start cooking from this book on a regular basis, you’ll build your own pantry automatically. You can also experiment on your own. A loaf of bread can last longer than a week, you can vary the snacks you make, or grab a piece of fruit or buy a healthy snack while you’re out—every once in a while. And feel free to add your own recipes to your weekly schedule.