In episode 221, founder of Prep Dish Allison Schaaf discusses some of the best small kitchen appliances and compares the Instant Pot vs. Crock Pot to help determine which one can work best for you in your kitchen.   While the majority of Prep Dish customers either have an Instant Pot or a Crock Pot, you certainly do not need to have both in your kitchen.  Allison discusses how each kitchen appliance can be most useful when cooking up family meals, and notes that timing is what really...

In episode 220, Allison Schaaf, founder of Prep Dish, talks about the popularity of healthy high protein recipes and shares why she thinks they’re worthy of their moment.   Earlier this year, Prep Dish featured a special bonus high protein recipes menu that went out to all subscribers, and those were a huge hit with the meal prep community.  Behind the scenes, our food editing team reviewed the Prep Dish meal plans to confirm that most meals do reach the optimum 30 grams of protein mark to...

In episode 219, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf continues the meal prep basics series by addressing a common question: what’s better to have in your kitchen - a blender or food processor?   Though Allison does have both tools in her kitchen, she advises that just having either a blender or a food processor is necessary.  But which one to choose?  A lot depends on what you’ll be whipping up in the kitchen.  Blenders work best for recipes with mostly liquid ingredients.  If you’re mixing up...

In episode 218, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf discusses basic kitchen skills in a month-long series and shares some of the best ways to keep your knives sharp.   One of the number one items on Allison’s list of kitchen equipment must-haves is a good quality knife, and she encourages meal preppers to upgrade their kitchen knives.  Some brands Allison has in her kitchen include Wusthof, Shun, Nakano, and Eberhard Schaaf.  Allison notes that the best way to find the right kitchen knife for...

In episode 217, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf welcomes cookbook author, chef, and seasoning mix creator Michelle Dudash to chat about healthy flavorful meals.   Michelle is a Registered Dietitian, personal chef, seasoning mix creator, and one of Allison’s earliest mentors when she started her career.  She is the cookbook author of Clean Eating for Busy Families and Clean Eating Kitchen: The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook, created her own seasoning mix line, SpiceKick Seasoning Mix, and...

In episode 216, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf shares about clothing management and how her working from home clothes evolved into a new uniform.   Allison enjoyed many benefits from streamlining her closet during a home renovation, and maintained a smaller wardrobe even afterward.  She notes that many of us have a go-to wardrobe for working at home or in the office.  Allison finds that when she changes into her work clothes and maintains a simple skincare routine to begin her day, she...

In episode 215, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf talks about how she manages closet clutter and shares her Rent the Runway review after trying the service for a year.   While renovating their home, part of the plan was to include Allison’s master bedroom closet.  Allison discovered that the Rent the Runway service wasn’t just relegated to fancy dresses for black-tie events, but that the service also offers clothing rentals for everyday outfits and she decided to give RTR a try.  She...

In episode 214, Allison Schaaf, founder of Prep Dish, discusses some key takeaways she’s gained from the book Home Management Plain and Simple, and notes home habits she’s incorporated into her daily routine for simple management.   Allison has implemented home habits such as:   Each time she takes a bathroom break, she will clean or tidy something. Using a timer for her own household tasks, or as a means to make a chore fun with the kids (think of a “beat-the-clock” game to get the...

In episode 213, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf highlights daily home routine tips inspired by Kim Brenneman’s book Home Management Plain and Simple.  Allison includes Kim’s daily house management recommendations along with what works in her own home in her current season of family life.   In Kim’s home, Monday is dedicated to taking care of laundry.  Allison’s personal hack for laundry is having multiple washing machines in the house and batching all of her clothes cleaning, drying, and...

In episode 212, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf welcomes author Kim Brenneman to the Meal Prep Monday Podcast where she shares how she went from a new mom struggling to manage her home rhythms to a thriving homeschooling mother of nine with routines that keep home and farm life humming along. Kim is the author of Home Management Plain and Simple and founder of The Home Management: Plain and Simple Blueprint Course. She lives in Iowa on a farm and is a wife of 33 years and a homeschooling...

In episode 211, Allison Schaaf, founder of Prep Dish, discusses the best digital planner apps for home planning and management with her husband and shares what has worked well for them to navigate their family’s schedules, trips, and activities. ‌ Allison and her husband use Google Calendar as an invaluable shared digital planning resource to help them ensure everything at home runs smoothly. With this tool, Allison’s husband is able to share the details of his work schedule, but Allison is...

In episode 210, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf reviews some of her favorite classic planners that she’s used over the years to manage family, work, and personal goals. ‌ Allison has used and enjoyed several different types of paper planners to help her keep track of important details and work through longer-term achievements. Why switch through multiple planners over the years even when she finds one she enjoys? Allison can’t resist trying something new and mixing up her planning routine!...

In episode 209, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf talks about planning strategies with guest Sarah Hart-Unger from Best Laid Plans and Best of Both Worlds podcasts. They cover big-picture planning all the way down to smaller daily details, and even include a peek into Sarah’s personal meal planning approach at home. Sarah is a mother of three living in Florida, and is a physician, podcaster, and blogger with a passion for all things planning. She approaches planning as something essential to...

In episode 208, Allison Schaaf introduces the newest little recipe tester and family member in a personal update, and discusses a look ahead at high protein recipes support at Prep Dish. ‌ The Schaaf family is officially a family of five! Allison is pleased to introduce their newest baby boy, Tovin, who came to the family through adoption in December. Everyone is adjusting nicely and there will be more family updates to come in future months, through Miscarriage Hope Desk, Substack, and the...

In episode 207, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf shares several of her easy high protein lunch ideas to wrap up the January Meal Prep Monday protein series.  These suggestions offer some simple streamlined approaches to achieving your protein health goals and keeping you satiated through your afternoon.   Allison’s approach to lunch focuses on a solid protein base and working around the base for sides and meal accompaniments.  This often means setting aside some protein from the night...

In episode 206, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf highlights seven protein rich breakfast ideas in the January protein series to help you reach your health goals in the new year. Each of these protein-packed breakfast options offer at least 30 grams of protein, which is the baseline recommended for each meal for optimum health benefits. Ideas include: ‌ Shakshuka Cottage Cheese Bowls Traditional English Breakfast plate Overnight oats Chorizo, eggs, & plantains Egg-free Hash ...

In episode 205, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf talks with Registered Dietitian Laura Ligos from The Sassy Dietitian and discusses important health metrics to track other than weight for optimum well-being. ‌ Laura has been a practicing Registered Dietitian for over ten years and notes that becoming a mother has evolved the approach she takes in her work. She believes going over metrics for health other than weight is quite important to gain a picture of overall well-being and has...

In episode 204, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf welcomes nutritionist and health coach guest Aimee Gallo to discuss how eating more protein could help you lose weight and keep it off. ‌ Aimee Gallo is founder of Vibrance Nutrition and Fitness and is a practicing nutritionist and health coach focussed in the fields of metabolic health and weight loss, along with food intolerance and sports nutrition. She loves helping to find out what will work for her clients in a sustainable way. Aimee...

In episode 203, Allison Schaaf, founder of Prep Dish, talks about a month-long focus on protein and introduces some special new January bonus menus packed with high protein diet recipes. ‌ There has been a lot of discussion recently about the health benefits of increased protein in our diets. Working off of advice from Dr. Gabrielle Lyon’s Forever Strong and Dr. Attia’s book Outlive, along with feedback from the Prep Dish community, Allison set out to create a new Prep Dish menu bonus that...

In episode 202, Allison Schaaf, founder of Prep Dish, wishes you a happy holiday and discusses some of the content you can look forward to on the Meal Prep Monday Podcast in the upcoming year. Listeners can look forward to interviews with special guests who are subject matter experts in different health and nutrition-related fields. The Meal Prep Monday Podcast will also dive into some similar topics as a mini series relating to the interview content. ‌ Allison, who appreciates the benefits...

There’s a new pet at the Schaaf house! Find out who the latest animal is in episode 201, where founder of Prep Dish and small hobby farm owner Allison Schaaf shares about her current menagerie and reveals whether their newest addition could possibly be the best family pet. ‌ Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 ‌ Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your...

In episode 200, founder of Prep Dish Allison Schaaf discusses her experience with the One Line a Day Journal and suggests a unique and meaningful gift idea for your wish list, or to give to others! ‌Allison shares insight into her nearly daily practice over the past five years with the One Line a Day Journal, which is a treasured gift she received from a friend. The journal offers enough room to write about one sentence for each day in the year, and is structured so that you can see what was...

Join Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf for episode 199 as she shares some of her favorite easy prep tips about preparing for the holidays. As we head into the beginning of December, it can feel like we’re already in the thick of holiday season, but there is still a lot we can do to prepare ahead and make time together with friends and family more relaxing, enjoyable, and easy. Allison recommends focusing on these key categories for the month ahead as well as daily schedules: ‌ Food Prep:...

In episode 198, Allison Schaaf, founder of Prep Dish, is joined by her son, Ivan, to share with you a special mealtime blessing for this Thanksgiving and beyond. Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving from Prep Dish to you! We are so very thankful for you, your support, and your part in the Prep Dish community. ‌ Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ ‌ Now through Monday November 27, get 2 months FREE with code FREE2 when you purchase our Yearly or Premium...