Healthy Chicken and Veggies
Prep and cooking times
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 medium chicken breasts boneless skinless cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup broccoli florets frozen or fresh
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 1 cup grape or plum tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper optional
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-4 cups cooked quinoa
- 4 meal prep containers
Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Place the chicken and veggies in the baking dish. Sprinkle all the spices and garlic evenly over the chicken and veggies. Drizzle with the olive oil.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are charred and chicken is tender.
4. Place 1/2 or 1 cup of cooked quinoa into 4 individual meal prep containers. Divide chicken and veggies evenly on top of the rice. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer up to 2 months.
Thai Chicken Salad
Prep and cooking times
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 3
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups each of shredded green and purple cabbage
- 1 cup of shredded carrots
- 1 diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 of a diced cucumber
- 2 cups of shredded chicken (about 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken or chicken thighs)
- 1/2 cup of roughly chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup of sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup of crushed peanuts
- 1/4 cup of natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- 2 teaspoons of honey
- 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
1. Shred the Chicken – shred 2 cups worth of chicken breast.
2. Dice the Bell Pepper – dice the bell pepper into ¼ inch pieces.
3. Shred the Cabbage – shred about 1½ cups of both the purple and green cabbage.
4. Chop the Cilantro – give half the head of cilantro a rough chop!
5. Slice the Green Onions – thinly slice the green onions and…
6. Dice the Cucumber – …dice half a cucumber into ¼ inch chunks.
7. Make the Peanut Dressing – blend together the peanut butter, coconut aminos, water, lime juice, honey, sesame oil, and crushed red pepper flakes until smooth.
8. Assemble – toss together the cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, cucumber, chicken, cilantro, and green onions, and then divide evenly between 3 meal prep containers. When you’re ready to enjoy your salad, top with the peanut dressing!
Chickpea Quinoa Salad
Prep and cooking times
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, well rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup English cucumber, chopped
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
- 2 hardboiled eggs
The salad dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
1. To make the chickpea quinoa salad meal prep: In a large salad bowl, toss together chickpeas, cooked quinoa, cucumber, red onion, and pomegranate seeds.
2. Prepare the dressing: Add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake vigorously until combined.
3. Divide the salad into meal prep containers. Add halved boiled eggs, a lemon wedge, and season with a sprinkle salt and pepper. When ready to eat the chickpea quinoa salad: add the dressing, stir together, and enjoy!
GARLIC BUTTER SALMON WITH ASPARAGUS
Prep and cooking times
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 medium salmon fillet, cut in 3 or 4 chunks
- 2 bunches of asparagus, rinsed and trimmed
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup (125ml) low-sodium vegetable broth (or white wine)
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1/2 small red onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce, optional (we used Sriracha)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley (or cilantro)
- Crushed red chili pepper flakes, optional
- Slices of lemon, for garnish
Instructions
1. To make the salmon meal prep: Combine halved cherry tomatoes with olive oil, minced red onion, salt and pepper. Marinate in a shallow plate or bowl while cooking salmon and asparagus.
2. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Let sit while you prepare the asparagus.
3. Wash and trim the ends of the asparagus, then blanch them in boiling water for 2- 3 minutes then soak in ice water to stop cooking. This way they will cook faster and evenly in the skillet. You can skip
this step if you have very thin asparagus. Drain and set aside.
4. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Gently cook salmon on both sides until golden brown. Remove the salmon fillets from the skillet and set aside to a plate.
5. In the same skillet over medium heat, add minced garlic then deglaze with vegetable broth (or wine). Bring to a simmer. Add butter, lemon juice, hot sauce, parsley. Give a quick stir to combine.
6. Add the drained blanched asparagus and toss for 2 minutes to cook it up. Add salmon back to the pan and reheat for another minute.
7. Divide the meal prep salmon and asparagus into meal prep containers, add marinated tomatoes, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Prep and cooking times
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed well
- 1 cup shredded butterhead or iceberg lettuce
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- 1/2 large tomato, chopped
- 1/4 cup spring onion, finely chopped optional
- 20 grams fresh pomegranate
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- 1 lemon wedge
- 1 tbsp tahini (runny)
Instructions
1. Add cooked quinoa, shredded lettuce, parsley leaves, chickpeas, tomato, spring onion, pomegranate, and hemp hearts to a bowl
2. Squeeze the juice of the lemon on top, and drizzle the tahini. Mix through the salad
3. Enjoy!
Roasted Vegetable Salad
Prep and cooking times
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets (about 5 cups)
- 1 large sweet potato (about 1 ¼ pounds) cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts tough outer leaves removed, trimmed, and halved
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu pressed, and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained, and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked)
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried (optional)
- Dash of garlic powder (optional)
- Dash of onion powder (optional)
- Dash of paprika (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups kale
For the Hummus Dressing:
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons hummus (about 8 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
2. Prepare veggies: Transfer the veggies to a large nonstick baking sheet in a single layer. (Reserve 3 raw cauliflower florets if you plan on making the mason jars.) Toss with olive oil, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Roast on the top rack of the oven for 10 minutes.
3. Prepare chickpeas & tofu: Transfer the chickpeas and tofu to a large rimmed nonstick baking sheet in a single layer. Toss with the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Place them on the lower rack of the oven and roast.
4. Toss the vegetables, chickpeas, and tofu after the vegetables have cooked for 10 minutes. Place the vegetables on the lower rack, and the chickpeas on top. Roast for about 10 minutes more, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender, and chickpeas crispy. Broil for an additional 2 minutes for extra crispiness.
5. Make the dressing: Meanwhile, mix the hummus, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water in a medium bowl. Adjust the water until the desired consistency.
6. For serving: Combine the veggies, chickpeas, and tofu in a large bowl. Pour on the dressing and mix to combine.
7. For the mason jars: Divide the dressing between 4 (32-ounce) mason jars. Add the raw cauliflower to each. Then add the Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, cauliflower, tofu, and kale.
Have you tried meal prepping?
Did you know meal preparation can help you to improve your nutritional intake and reduce some of your unhealthy eating habits.
By taking the time to plan meals in advance and portion them out, you can make it easier to ensure that there are a variety of healthy and tasty foods available for each meal.
- Meal prepping also allows for portion control, which is important for weight management.
- You can save money by buying ingredients in bulk and reducing the amount of food waste from expired or spoiled items.
- Meal prepping eliminates the need to think about what food to make every day, saving time and energy. Being able to grab a pre-made meal can be especially helpful for busy parents and professionals who don't always have time to prepare elaborate meals. Meal preparation is an easy way to make healthier eating more accessible and achievable.
- Meal prep also helps reduce the stress associated with having to cook each day. Having meals already prepared takes away the need for coming up with food ideas on the fly and makes it possible to eat healthier without spending extra time or money. Additionally, it allows you to control portions and ingredients more easily, which is important for maintaining a balanced diet over time.
With careful planning and dedication, it is possible to reap the rewards of meal prepping without too much effort or expense. Take the time to explore different recipes and meal ideas that fit your lifestyle to get the most out of your meal prep.
