5 Easy Ways to Meal Prep and Healthy Recipes to Try
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If you want to eat healthy but evening schedules are tight, prepping meals ahead will be your best friend. Here are 5 easy ways to meal prep for the week. Included are some base recipes as well as meal prep recipes you’ll want to try.
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5 Easy Ways to Meal Prep for the Week
Before I go to the market or begin prepping food, I make a meal plan for the week. Then, I do the following:
- Wash and prepare healthy greens: kale, spinach, lettuce.
- Chop and prep seasonal vegetables. Most often I roast these veggies and they’re ready for bowls, pasta, casserole, pizza and more.
- Make sauces for weekly meals. Some of my favorites are Easy Stir-Fry Sauce, Enchilada Sauce, and even Homemade Salsa.
- Pre-cook healthy grains from brown rice, to quinoa, to farro. Perfect for bowls and sides, I most often prep grains in my rice cooker.
- Make a vegetable soup that can last all week, serve as a main dish, lunch, or a side.
Meal Prep Base Recipe Ideas
With some easy base recipes, prepping all kinds of weekly recipes becomes easy.
1. Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken
“This easy slow-cooker method preps the chicken for a multitude of recipes. Bonus: Rich-tasting chicken stock to keep on hand in your freezer as well.”
2. Mexican Shredded Chicken
“Easy Mexican Shredded Chicken, three simple ingredients, three ways to cook it, and a host of ideas on how to use this savory main ingredient.”
3. Colorful Roasted Sheet Pan Veggies
“These easy roasted vegetables will give your plate a pop of color. Give the cubes of butternut squash a head start for 10 minutes to soften in the oven before adding in the other veggies. The broccoli, peppers and onion are naturally more tender than the butternut squash and cook more quickly. That way everything ends up finishing at the same time.”
4. Roasted Vegetables 101
“Literally, at least once a day I spend a few minutes chopping up veggies from the market so I can roast them as part of my lunch or dinner. Roasted vegetables, in my opinion, are 100 times better than any other kind of vegetables. They are crispy, caramelized, and the high heat of the oven brings out the best flavors from the veggies.”
5. Easy Brown Rice
“Here’s the only recipe you need to make perfect brown rice every time! This healthy whole grain is great on its own as a side dish, or use it in your favorite recipes calling for cooked brown rice.”
6. Instant Pot Quinoa
This healthy grain is so incredibly simple to make, perfectly, in the Instant Pot. Fluffy, beautifully cooked quinoa with minimal effort.
Meal Prep Recipe Ideas
Some deliciously healthy and easy meal prep recipe ideas.
Coconut Mango Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
“These Coconut Mango Chicken Meal Prep Bowls with basmati rice, corn salsa and an easy mango marinade are a delicious way to prep your lunches for the week!”
Chicken Tikki Masala Meal Prep
“Chicken tikka masala bowls made completely from scratch in just 30 min.”
Meal Prep Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls
Healthy, delicious… and easy to make!
Honey Sriracha Glazed Meatballs
“These Honey Sriracha Glazed Meatballs are sweet, spicy and full of so much flavor! They also take less than 30 minutes to make and are perfect for weekly meal prep!”
Chicken, Sausage and Peppers
“Colorful peppers and tomatoes and sweet onion make this sausage dinner pop with fresh flavor. Roasting instead of sautéing makes this even easier for a busy weeknight.”
Spiced Butter Chicken
“Once cooked, let it cool and transfer to an airtight container to freeze.”
Sheet Pan Roasted Halibut
“Weeknights and casual entertaining just got easier with this delicious Sheet Pan Roasted Halibut with green beans and mushrooms. On the table in 30 minutes and gluten-free!”
Meal Prep Breakfast Taco Scramble
“Breakfast lovers, jazz up your mornings with this Meal Prep Breakfast Taco Scramble, made with potatoes, turkey taco meat, scrambled eggs and salsa (cheese is optional!) perfect to make ahead for breakfast for the week!”
Cashew Chicken Sheet Pan Recipe
“Cashew Chicken Sheet Pan is an easy all in one meal with all the flavors of the popular Chinese restaurant takeout dish. Best of all, it’s perfect for busy weeknights and simple to customize with paleo friendly options.”
Muffin Tin Quiche with Spinach, Tomato and Bacon
“Muffin Tin Quiche with Spinach, Tomato, and Bacon — an easy and healthy breakfast. Perfectly suited for making ahead or enjoying any morning of the week.”
Asian Chicken Mason Jar Salad
“Asian Chicken Mason Jar Salad, a delicious, easy recipe that’s the perfect lunch for the week — Done in 30 minutes!”