In Meal Prepping 101, we discussed the basics of meal prep.
In Meal Prepping 202, I showed you what a typical meal prep week looks like for me.
This time, I have some ideas to help you get started with meal prep. Try one of these meal prep recipes this week and share them with us on social media! Tag FirstHealth and use #firsthealthmealprep. We will share your pictures on our social media sites!
Alright, here are a few meal prep ideas to get you started:
Breakfast:
- Overnight oats – simply put oatmeal in a jar, add liquid and put in the refrigerator. You can make several at one time and they will last for up to a week. You can eat them cold or pop them in the microwave if you prefer warm. You can also add a variety of flavors by adding fresh fruit, peanut butter (yes, try it!) or lemon juice to your oats.
- Egg Muffins – Fill muffin tins about ¾ full with egg beaters, add shredded spinach, chopped onion and tomato and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. You can keep these in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for even longer storage (microwave to de-thaw the morning you are going to eat).
Lunch:
- Baked spaghetti squash with ground turkey and marinara – poke holes in spaghetti squash and microwave for 15-20 minutes (until soft). Let cool, then slice in half length wise. Scoop out seeds and discard. Sprinkle squash with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic and roast in oven sunny side up for 15-20 minutes or until edges start to brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Meanwhile, brown ground turkey on stove top, once cooked, set aside. Scoop out the “meat” of the squash (it will look like spaghetti, hence the name) and put in large bowl, add in a jar of marinara and ground turkey, mix and portion into containers.
- Chicken salad salad – boiled chicken, shredded, mixed with plain Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, celery, chopped red grapes and hard boiled egg (optional) sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and white pepper. Lay down a bed of lettuce or spinach into containers and portion chicken salad on top. (You can also make chicken salad sandwiches with this using whole grain bread)
Dinner:
- Grilled chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli - Marinate chicken for at least 20-30 minutes in olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary and thyme. (keep in refrigerator while marinating – it can marinate for longer if you want to finish the veggies before grilling) Peel and chop sweet potato, lay on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic, roast in oven at 425 degrees until soft. Do the same with broccoli (won’t take as long to cook as sweet potato, so put in separate sheet).
- Chicken stir fry – Prepare brown rice. While rice is cooking, saute chicken in canola oil with a splash of soy sauce, set aside. Saute bell peppers, onion, snow peas or any other vegetables you wish to have. Lay bed of rice down into containers, add layer of vegetables and top with chicken. Add a splash of soy sauce for extra flavor.
Snacks:
- Hard boiled eggs
- Fruit – washed cleaned and placed in Ziploc bags for easy transport
- Nuts or seeds - 1oz portions (you can find 1 oz containers which make portioning easy)
- Raw carrots, broccoli, celery, cucumber – washed, chopped and portioned into ziploc bags
