Albert Einstein had his gray suit. Mark Zuckerberg has his gray t-shirt. Obama only wears gray or navy suits. Steve Jobs had his black turtleneck and jeans. Google any one of these guys – they (almost) always wear (or wore) the exact same thing.
It’s not a coincidence. They’ve all made the choice not to waste precious brainpower on choosing an outfit each morning. At our house, we call this deciding not to decide. We only have a limited amount of mental energy and willpower each day and we’d like to save it for stuff that actually matters.
To us, deciding what to eat is another one of these decisions. So we make our weekday meals in big batches over the weekend. Meal prep during the week is then whittled down to pulling everything out of the fridge and, if necessary, warming it up in a flash. Simple – no decisons involved. And tasty too.
Enjoy… and save your energy for creating the next Apple, Facebook, or Theory of Relativity.
- 1 small head of purple cabbage
- 2 bunches lacinato kale
- 3-5 sweet potatoes (depending on size)
- 2.5 cups uncooked grain (quinoa, millet, barley, brown rice, etc.)
- 1 recipe Crispy Lentils (made with about 2.5 cups dry lentils)
- 1 recipe creamy dressing (see below for some options!)
- Preheat oven to 450F. Cut sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes, spread evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake until tender and golden (30-40 minutes).
- Prepare Crispy Lentils according to our recipe (see below!)
- Combine grain with about 5 cups of water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender. Drain any excess water or add more during cooking if needed.
- Quarter purple cabbage, cut out core, and thinly slice. Put slices in a large mixing bowl.
- Rinse kale, strip the leaves off the stems, and roughly chop the leaves. Add to the bowl with the cabbage.
- Prepare creamy dressing according to our recipe (see below!)
- Pour dressing over cabbage/kale and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate.
- When you're ready to build your salad, combine the cabbage/kale with a scoop of grains, sweet potatoes, and a sprinkle of Crispy Lentils.
Buy pre-chopped bagged cabbage and kale.
Use bottled dressing instead of homemade. (Annie's brand has some nice creamy vegan options!)
Buy grains already cooked (frozen aisle), or omit grains and serve with a slice of toast.
Serve with edamame (frozen aisle) or canned beans instead of Crispy Lentils.
ADD CALORIES:
Serve with avocado toast.
Double your portion of grains.
Add a few tablespoons of nuts or seeds.
Get our Crispy Lentil recipe here.
Favorite creamy dressings: Creamy Cashew Cayenne, Lemon-Mint, and Creamy Maple Mustard.
