Do you ever feel like you don’t know what to make for mealtime or snacks? It can get boring when we stay in the same old routine. Whether you are on the go with kids’ activities or just at home relaxing, let me take the burden off to make your meal prep more colorful, nutritious, and successful.
Easy Meal Ideas
Breakfast ideas
Overnight Oats: If you don’t know where to start with meal prep, this is an easy one! The base of overnight oats includes oats, yogurt, and milk. You can add chia seeds and toppings like fruit or nut butter. The chewy yet smooth meal is full of nutrients, and soaking the oats the night before makes it easier to digest them.
Avocado Toast: There are so many varieties of avocado toast, and of course with a hefty source of healthy fats and fiber. I always recommend whole-grain toast, but my favorite combo is sourdough bread with cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and everything but the bagel seasoning on top.
Lunch Ideas
Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing: This salad makes life easy. Make it on the weekend and use it all week. I love that it includes vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, and edamame to offer antioxidants. I also love quinoa since it is a bit lighter but still provides plant-based protein. Adding rotisserie chicken would be a great way to amp up the protein even more.
Mini Charcuterie Lunch Board: When I don’t want leftovers (which is quite often), this is something that doesn’t take much time to prep. Grab your favorite veggies, cheese and/or meat, crackers, nuts, a dip, and more. My go-to choices? Carrots, cucumbers, and peppers, paired with babybel or chunks of parmesan cheese, and hummus. I love Simple Mills crackers. They are a staple in our house!
Dinner Ideas
Chipotle Lime Salmon Tacos with Corn Avocado Peach Salsa & Cilantro Yogurt Sauce: Well, that’s a mouthful. But it is also really delicious. Incorporating salmon allows you to get more healthy fats, specifically omega-3 fatty acids, on your plate. Not a salmon fan? Shrimp would be a good substitute, but this recipe helps make it fun without the meal being focused entirely on seafood.
The Best Vegetarian Chili Ever is the perfect soup to get cozy with. You won’t miss the meat here since you can get protein from other sources like beans, fiber, and Vitamin C from sweet potatoes and bell peppers. I like putting my chili into the slowcooker so it cooks low and slow during the day. You can also double this recipe and freeze it so you can use it at a later time.
Snacks: These don’t need much explanation or a link. Snacks can be overwhelming, but don’t let them be! Aim to pair a protein and fiber together so you can stay full and prevent your blood sugar from running all over the place. Here are some of my favorites!
- Apples + peanut butter
- DIY trail mix + edamame
- Berries + greek yogurt
Meal Prep Essentials
I have plenty of kitchen favorites, but I’ll save that for another post. Here are three items that help us succeed throughout the week.
- Glass meal prep containers: We use these every single day, whether it’s for packing lunches, or storing leftovers.
- Silicone food bags: After grocery shopping, we wash and cut fruits and vegetables we will be using in the next few days. I love to store them in silicone food storage bags, and my favorites include durbl and Stasher.
- Produce bags: It can be so easy to run through plastic bags. Debbie Meyer Green Bags help reduce waste, and keep your fruits and vegetables fresh.
// RELATED CONTENT: More Meal Prep Ideas //
Now it’s time to share your knowledge! Tell us what your favorite recipe or meal ideas.
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