Prep Dish is celebrating its 10 year anniversary! In this episode, host Allison Schaaf shares 10 business lessons learned from the first decade of the company. Here’s to ten more years! Have a plan! Looking back at the original Prep Dish planning documents, so much has stayed the same. Having a plan and writing it down is powerful. Trust that it will happen. You have to have the confidence to keep pushing even if no one else understands your vision. Have an internal support system. Having people to support you along the way is essential. Don’t be afraid to outsource things and build a support system. Have an external support system. Accountability groups, masterminds, and of course friends and family are an essential support system as well. Systems, Systems, Systems! Having systems to keep everything organized and running smoothly is so important. Focus on community. If you’re building a business, the product is of course key, but the community you’re building is just as important. Have patience. It takes time. For a Prep Dish example, it takes time for people to get in the habit of using the meal plans. The power of a meal plan. Meal plans really are a solution for people. They sometimes have to discover it on their own, which is why I offer a free trial! People don’t always understand the difference it makes just through hearing about the meal plans. Enjoy! Building a business can be really stressful. It’s a huge learning curve. Now after ten years, I can really enjoy the process. Making a difference matters. We LOVE hearing happy customer stories about how Prep Dish is impacting their lives. It’s really meaningful and motivating. 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 free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! How I Started Prep Dish - 5 Tips from an Entrepreneur: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep92/
In part 2 of this “Becoming a Caregiver” series, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf shares tips she’s learned for caring for aging parents. Becoming a caretaker often happens unexpectedly and it’s helpful to have an idea of what it might look like. 5 Lessons Learned: You Can Hire Caretakers. Depending on the level of care needed, having a hired caretaker can be really helpful. You can find live-in caretakers if needed. You can hire through agencies or you can hire directly. Background checks and reference checks are important. Document Everything. I used Trello to track conversations with doctors, keep track of phone numbers, etc. This is an easy way to share information with siblings, etc. Meal Plans are Helpful! Whether or not you’ve hired a caretaker, using a meal plan to organize meals for the household is very helpful. Our Prep Dish meal plans make it easy for someone to jump in and help. Try Therapy: Therapy can be very helpful as you process things emotionally. Specifically, the EMDR approach has been helpful for me. Treasure: Try to find moments to treasure amidst the chaos. Take photos and find simple activities you can do together. If a parent is living with you, it can be hard but it can also be an opportunity to form new memories together. 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 free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Trello: https://trello.com/ EMDR Therapy: https://www.healthline.com/health/emdr-therapy#:~:text=What%20is%20EMDR%20therapy%3F,don't%20process%20them%20completely. How Will You Measure Your Life? (book): https://www.amazon.com/How-Will-Measure-Your-Life/dp/0008316422/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1654974194&sr=8-1
In this episode host Allison Schaaf shares her recent experience of becoming a caregiver for her mother. Specifically, she goes into 4 helpful things to have in place for older relatives (and yourself) in planning for the future. 4 Helpful To-Dos Before Becoming a Caregiver: Understand Parents’ Wishes: Have the conversations around how they see the next 10 or 20 years playing out. Where do they want to live? How do they feel about assisted living or nursing home care versus living at home? Get things in writing if possible. Organize Passwords: Make sure their passwords are written down in a safe location or in a password manager they can share with you. Financial Accounts: It’s helpful to have a list of all of their financial accounts. Power of Attorney: Having in writing who should be taking over things and how things should be handled is very important. The more detailed, the better. Having a will is of course also important. 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 free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Great Courses: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/
This page contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support of Prep Dish! Prep Dish founded Allison Schaaf shares her recent experience with getting back into serious strength training. 5 Reasons to Love Barbell Logic I feel really strong! I’ve been doing this for 4 months and feel noticeably stronger. The accountability is awesome. They offer virtual one-on-one training. I love the challenge. It’s amazing to see the progression through weights and to know that a trained coach is setting safe and appropriate weights. I don’t have to think about it. There’s no decision fatigue because the plan is made for me! Just like Prep Dish meal plans ;) It feels good to have someone else do the planning sometimes. It’s actually fun! I was not necessarily expecting this but I’m really enjoying strength training and it feels good to do something that’s just for me. 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 free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Barbell Logic Free Trial: https://store.barbell-logic.com/ref/allison.stevens/ This page contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support of Prep Dish!
Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf is back with another roundup of favorite recipe blogs from the Prep Dish team. From baking to Instant Pot to recipes for large families, we’ve got you covered! Best Cooking Blogs: Pinch of Yum: https://pinchofyum.com/ (Not all gluten free, but delicious flavors!) Minimilist Baker: https://minimalistbaker.com/ (These recipes are so well tested!) Real Food Dietitians: https://therealfooddietitians.com/ Venison for Dinner: https://venisonfordinner.com/ (Great for large families) This Pilgrim Life: https://www.thispilgrimlife.com/ (Many good Instant Pot recipes) (Psst! Don’t forget the Prep Dish blog! https://prepdish.com/blog/) 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 free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! The Best Recipe Blogs Round 1: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep120/
Host Allison Schaaf is back today with more Costco must-haves! There are some seriously good items here you’re going to want to try. Costco Must Haves: Shredded Roasted Chicken Organic Quinoa (Tri colored too!) Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas) Fruits & Veggies Almond Flour Wildbrine Sauerkraut Adam’s Peanut Butter Frozen Blackened Salmon Jam Hard Boiled Eggs Coastal Cheddar Tillamook Baby Loaf of Cheddar (You can shred & freeze some!) Dave’s Bread Olive Oil Seasonings: Cinnamon & Vanilla Simple Mills Almond Crackers Date Syrup Grass Fed Butter or Kerrygold Butter Frozen Sausage Patties - 5 Ingredients Cheese Sticks Wrapped in Pepperoni, Prosciutto & Salami Organic Cheese Sticks Sprouted Oats Keto Grain Free Granola Healthy Noodle Street Tacos French Onion Soup Bag of Peeled Garlic Paleo Chicken Sausage Jalapeno Garlic Olives 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 free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! My First Costco Trip & Costco Meal Prep: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep67/
Do you shop at Costco? Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf added it to her grocery rotation fairly recently and is excited to share her new Costco favorites with you today! This list includes many wonderful Costco finds from the Prep Dish community as well! Costco Favorites: Macadamia Nut Butter - This is the one that inspired this episode…it is SO good! Truffle, Parmesan & Black Garlic Seasoning Bare Chicken Nuggets - great in the air fryer! Frozen Argentina Shrimp Tiny Wild Caught Shrimp - great in soup or gumbo! Wild Caught Cod, Salmon, Mahi Mahi & more Balsamic Glaze Three Bridges Egg Bites Teton Hot Dogs Sukhi’s Indian Food Keto Hamburger Buns Brazi Bites Rotisserie Chicken Frozen Take & Bake French Bread Bar Soap & Shampoo Organic Natural Peanut Butter Organic Strawberry Preserves Raw Honey Gluten Free Pizza Organic Frozen Strawberries (Side note - I don’t recommend their frozen cherries! They have a lot of pits.) Grass Fed Beef Patties Organic Pasteurized Eggs Organic Orange Juice Pickles Kirkland Greek Yogurt Hummus Cups 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 free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Prep Dish Gumbo recipe: https://prepdish.com/recipes/gluten-free-gumbo/ Banana Nice Cream: https://prepdish.com/recipes/makin-banana-ice-cream/ My First Costco Trip & Costco Meal Prep: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep67/
This page contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support of Prep Dish! Today host Allison Schaaf shares an exciting upcoming challenge. Prep Dish is holding a 21-day picky eating challenge to help families transform mealtime. The challenge provides a concrete 4 step approach to how to address picky eating, as well as fun, hands-on activities to involve kids in the kitchen. Helping picky eaters is something Allison and the whole Prep Dish team are so passionate about! More Details on the Prep Dish Picky Eating Challenge The challenge will answer questions like: What kind of picky eater do you have? Is it a texture issue? How can you gently help kids expand their tastes? Kids plan a meal! One of the activities will walk you through how to help kids plan a (semi-balanced) meal for the family. 4 Different Expert interviews: Katie Kimball from Kids Cook Real Food Sarah Ladden from Better Family Meals - Expert on how you feed your kids Carol Danaher from the Ellyn Satter Institute Jill Castle - Pediatric dietitian discussing the PRAISE Method Prep Dish Premium subscribers get free access! 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 free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Prep Dish Picky Eating Challenge: prepdish.com/challenge Kids Cook Real Food: https://kidscookrealfood.com/prepdish Better Family Meals: https://betterfamilymeals.com/about Ellyn Satter Institute: https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/ The Nourished Child: https://thenourishedchild.com/ Fearless Feeding: https://www.amazon.com/Fearless-Feeding-Healthy-Eaters-School/dp/111830859X How to Make Healthy Dinners for Picky Eaters: https://prepdish.com/meal-planning/healthy-dinners-for-picky-eaters/ 3 Tips for Picky Eaters: https://prepdish.com/podcast-show-notes/ep14/ This page contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support of Prep Dish!
Chef, Rd & mom of 2 Allison Schaaf shares her personal experience with helping her kids learn to love surprising foods, just by giving them the opportunity to try them and avoiding too much commentary or judgment. How to prevent picky eating is an important topic and Allison’s perspective can help you re-think how you feed your kids. “I didn’t think they would go for it.” Are you deciding what your kids will eat before your child even gets their plate? Just because a child didn't like something one night doesn’t mean they won’t like it the next night. They also may just not like a certain preparation. Make sure to give them a food in different ways, even if they’ve said they don’t like it. We recently had a friend kindly cook dinner for our family and she left out the spinach from the pasta because she “didn’t think the kids would go for it.” This is such a common assumption but my kids are so used to having things like spinach and mushrooms in their marinara, they would never question it. Don’t count them out before you let them try something! They pick up on your cues for what you expect them to eat. Swiss Chard Frittata My kids helped make a frittata with swiss chard, green onions, etc. and, maybe because they helped make it, they loved it and were sad when it was gone! Getting kids in the kitchen is one of the best ways to help kids try new things. Commentary Child: “I don’t like this.” My response: “Okay, that’s fine.” The more you can leave out the commentary, the more freedom the child has to change their mind and give something a try. Modeling eating behavior works quite well. This is especially true for toddlers! They are working hard to establish their autonomy and are very sensitive to times adults are trying to influence their opinions. 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 free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Asparagus, Bacon & Feta Frittata: https://prepdish.com/recipes/asparagus-bacon-frittata-with-feta-frittata/ There’s No Such Thing as Kid Food: https://prepdish.com/meal-planning/theres-no-such-thing-as-kid-food-what-to-feed-kids/
Do you ever get tired of putting together composed meals for dinner? Today Allison Schaaf shares something new she’s started at her house - “snack dinners” or “party dinners”. This is a great way to use up bits and pieces from your fridge, but can also be really fun for kids! Lay out the “bits and pieces” you have in the fridge. Here are some items I included: Sliced leftover hamburgers Celery, raw broccoli & cherry tomatoes Cashews Gluten free pretzels Honey mustard sauce Simple Mills cinnamon crackers Goat cheese Grapes 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 free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! Simple Mills Cinnamon Crackers: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Mills-Honey-Cinnamon-Sweet/dp/B08QYB28ZW/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=simple+mills+cinnamon+crackers&qid=1647518032&sprefix=simple+mills+cinnamon+cr%2Caps%2C376&sr=8-2 Hummus: https://prepdish.com/recipes/so-many-reasons-to-love-hummus/ Paleo Ranch: https://prepdish.com/recipes/paleo-ranch-dressing/