WOWSERS! Nicole Bradshaw has made 220 servings of 15 recipes from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge!
Incredibly, the entire cook (from start to finish) took her around eight to nine hours to do.
βIt cost me $99.90 I also utilised my pantry staples that I always have on hand,β she says.
βI have saved over $100 a week by being organised with a meal plan and meal prepping for the week ahead.β
What did Nicole make that created 220 serves under $100
Nicole utilised not only her pantry staples but also the Healthy Mummy App to find recipes that were healthy and that would feed her family for the week. From start to finish, the full prep took her around 8 hours but now sheβs prepared with a mix of meals for all appetites at all times during the week.
- Oven Roasted Butter Chicken x 4 serves
- Bolognese bake x 8 serves
- Potato topped savoury mince pie x 4 serves
- Easy Fried rice x 4 serves
- Beef burger patties x 4 serves
- Hidden Veg Sausage Rolls x 10 serves
- Pesto, Spinach & Ricotta Rolls x 32 serves
- Choc Chip Banana Bread made into mini loafs x 24 serves
- Choc Mint Bubble Crunch x 42 serves
- Chocolate Brownie Cookies x 25 serves
- Choc Chip Cookies x 16 serves
- Choc Chip Cookie Tart x 16 serves
- Peanut Bubble Crunch x 18 serves
- Weet-Bix Balls x 5 serves
- Weet-Bix Slice x 12 serves
TOTAL: 220 Serves
You can find all these recipes on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
βWe have enough food to last us the week plus extra, and I plan to freeze some of the meals & snacks. It has also saved us money this week.β
Nicoleβs top tips for when doing a bulk cook-up are:
1. Be organised with what youβre cooking, write a list of what youβre planning to cook & then work out what needs the oven, stove, microwave etc and utilise all methods of cooking.
2. Organise a click-and-collect/online order to ensure youβll have all your ingredients needed on the day.
3. Check recipes to see if you need to set slices or marinate the meat overnight.
4. Prep some ingredients the day/night before to help reduce time on the day.
5. Read through the recipes and choose recipes you have cooked before this will reduce how long the bulk prep/cook takes.
6. Start early in the day, clean the kitchen to start off with & then clean as you go is a MUST! You donβt want to get yourself in a mess because it will make it stressful and not enjoyable, so definitely take breaks to wash & dry the dishes as you go.
Nicoleβs top tips for keeping to a budget and saving money are:
1. Cook multiple meals that use similar ingredients
2. Bulk buy meat and freeze in 500g lotsΒ Β
3. Check weekly catalogues for sales at your local supermarkets
4. Meal plan and be prepared
5. Online shop to prevent you from buying unnecessary items
βI love the Healthy Mummy app. It has amazing content. There are 1000βs of recipes in the recipe hub, and I love the search filter it allows me to search for specific ingredients I have on hand,β she says.
βThere are so many family-friendly recipes which is so important to me as my partner and 3 children eat these meals too.β
βMeal prepping gives me spare time throughout the week. At an estimate, I would say I have three hours a week spare that I would have spent in the kitchen. Now I have an extra three hours a week to do something with the kids or something for me.β
Nicoleβs amazing 20.5kg transformation with The Healthy Mummy
In 12 months, Nicole lost 20.5kg by following the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
βWhen I signed up, I felt like I was in a rut, I was tired, I lacked energy physically and mentally,β she admits.
βI felt like I had lost myself. Who was I when I wasnβt a mum and housewife?β
β12 months later, I have found ME again, I have passion and a spark within me again, and Iβm doing things I enjoy. Exercising is MY time. Iβm doing it for ME and no one else.β
βI set time out for ME time and make sure I do something for ME. After looking after everyone else all the time, I finally see how important ME time is.β
Find more ways toΒ lose belly fat with the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge!
To burn even more calories, you may want to check out ourΒ 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge,Β which promotes healthy balanced eating with a goal of losing up to 4-6kg in 4 weeks.
TheΒ 28 Day Weight Loss ChallengeΒ includes daily meal plans, customised and personalised menus that are family and budget-friendly plus full exercise plans with videos.
Sign up to the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge or find out moreΒ here.