As mentioned, we had a compressed rehearsal schedule for The Addams Family. In order to make good food choices and still fit into my costume, I prepped both lunches AND dinners during those few weeks. It really didn’t take that much longer to do and made me feel so much better in the long run.
…I really hate how much better I feel when I eat right.
Not that I’m giving up french fries forever or anything – but when I’m busy and know life is going to be stressful, taking the time to meal prep seriously pays off, physically and mentally.
Here were my specific rehearsal preps. Of course, I accented with hard-boiled eggs, string cheese, and almonds as per usual.
Please see the real food bloggers for proper pics and feel free to search my Pinterest notes if you want further details on how I made things Ann-safe – aka onion and broccoli free (;
Vegan Detox Salad with Ginger Miso Tahini Dressing
Making raw salads with Trader Joe’s organic shredded cabbage + carrot blend is pretty much my new favorite thing. In fact, I have one for lunch this week, too! I added chickpeas to this for extra protein.
Quinoa Black Bean Crockpot Stuffed Peppers
Why did it take me so long to try doing this? So easy! Yes, I could have just made all the filling and tossed it with roasted red pepper, but this was a fun way to shake up the usual bowl-type meal. I made some edits based on a vegan version of this, subbing in corn and kale for the refried beans and drastically reducing the amount of cheese. On the side, I packed a simple sauce made by stirring lime juice and Trader Joe’s Chili-Lime Seasoning into fat-free Greek yogurt.
Harissa Carrot Salad with Feta Cheese
Carrot salads make me happy. Add spice and feta and *drool*. I added some edamame and walnuts to this for extra protein.
Carrot Meatballs with Mint Cauliflower Rice
This is my new favorite base! So many ways you can shake up the basic meatball and rice. Instead of Italian seasoning, I used Savory’s Mt. Olympus to play up the mint and lemon. I have much better luck baking meatballs than frying them, though. Which I think I’m ok with.
Balsamic Tempeh and Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowls
OK, I need to practice with tempeh some more. Very filling, but also dry. I had to add a sauce after the first day to dress it up. Any tempeh tips? I love the idea of it!
Spiced Cauliflower and Almond Soup
After approximately 4,000 tech week rehearsals in my life, rushing to eat and get into hair and makeup and mics and costume, I finally realized that I could make soup and put it in a travel mug and eat while driving to the theatre and then getting ready. OK, technically it’s maybe breaking a rule or two about food in dressing rooms, but also: spill proof! For the most part (; This soup was divine and the protein-filled cauliflower + almond combo kept me going all night long!
As always, the more the merrier – what are your favorite meal preps?
Ann Davis-Rowe 