Inside every decision to cook more often (and not get Fast Food) lives pre prep ingredients. Inside every decision to pre prep ingredients lives planning. And inside the heart of planning is a place for maximizing the resources.

With all these things in mind, an inspirational, healthy and relatively inexpensive ingredient came to mind – Kale. One bunch of Kale can create 3 distinctly unique dishes that can cover 3 meals for the week – breakfast, lunch and dinner. With one bunch of kale you can prep three delicious recipes. 1) Kale Zucchini soup, 2) Kale and Lentils rice bowl and 3) a Kale Mixed Berry smoothie. It is supper easy once you have it all planned out. You can freeze these prepared items in a glass jar and use them at any day of the week.

The ingredients are prepped right after I come back from grocery shopping. Every time you practice this, you will be participating in waste reduction from the takeout plastic containers. With the added benefit is that your total cost would be at least half of what it would be if you were to get take out! Once Kale is divided. It is time to add on each individual dish.

After everything is prepped and stored in freezer, it takes quick few easy steps to make it. Even if you just try a little bit, it actually makes a big difference. Initially, it started with 5 to 7 prep dishes a month and it was so encouraging that now I have been prepping 12 dishes ahead of time which not only saves time but money. It also ensures that all the grocery that is bought is used.

How do you pair Kale with different recipes? Start your day with  some walnuts and dates to the mixed berries with some chopped up Kale makes a delicious breakfast or a dessert. Paring Kale with zucchini, tomatoes, onions and garlic makes an ideal and easy soup prep. Finally, kale, butternut squash, brown rice, chickpeas, onion and mushrooms makes cozy lentil rice bowl during cold winter days.