"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better" -Maya Angelou

A recent trip to Costco inspired this blog post. Sarah and I were walking down the aisles, and then I saw the rotisserie chicken, and if you don’t already know, it’s one of the best deals in the store. As I grabbed one, she asked me if I was concerned about it being in a plastic bag or the antibiotics the chicken was given, and immediately that quote popped into my head. 

I think perfectionism is one of the most paralyzing traits humans can have. By focusing on something not being perfect, we create inaction. Does the chicken contain microplastics and antibiotics? Perhaps. Is it a good option for multiple meals for the week? Yes! Especially if the alternative is take out our cafeteria food. 

Now you might be thinking, do the best you can until you know better,  then when you know better do better… I know, I know, in this case perhaps I already know better, but what I’m trying to get at here is some weeks better is gonna be perfect, and some weeks better is gonna be good enough. But what I really want to hit home in this blog post is that perfectionism paralyzes. Do something this week that’s going to improve your health, and do not debate about the semantics of it. If you’re just focusing on protein and that’s new to you, get a rotisserie chicken, forget all the reels you’re seeing on social media that say it has micro plastics, that there’s antibiotics in it and that shit’s gonna kill you. You know what’s gonna kill most of us Americans, most of us people in the world today? Being morbidly obese and sedentary. Do not let being perfect with a diet and an exercise plan cause paralysis. Do something, and then when you know better, do better. Meaning, when you do that, you hit your protein, you drink your water, you eat your vegetables, you get your steps in, you step foot in the gym, then we can think about optimizing. But until then, just do the best you can. And I still stand by “The rotisserie chicken is a viable option.” Oh yeah, and here’s all the stuff I made with it.

All the bone broth from the bones of two rotisserie chickens. Almost 7 pints!

I took the skin off that thing and broke it down. It came out to 2 lbs. 8 oz. If you were trying to hit 30 g of protein a meal, that comes out to 10 meals at $.50 each. I saved the bones in the bag and tossed them in the freezer. Next time I go to Costco, I’ll get another one do the same dang thing, put two of those carcasses into the slow cooker on low for 12 hours, and get like 7 pints of bone broth.

2 lbs, 8 oz off meat on 1 chicken!

Buffalo chicken 40+ grams of protein per serving

With the 2 1/2 pounds of chicken, I had a few meals that I’m just gonna eat with some grilled veggies. I shredded the rest and made a buffalo chicken dip to serve with cucumbers and mini sweet peppers. It was delicious. Great on-the-go lunch. The options are endless. A rotisserie chicken can be as easy as pulling some of the meat out and just shoving it in your face, or you can be as frugal as making bone broth out of it. Just a simple example of ways to make your life easier. I hope this helps, guys.