Cooking food from scratch can feel like a lot of work and most of us turn to takeout options and compromise on taste and health. However, you can turn things around with meal prepping! It can help you save more time and money too!
Make these healthy meal prep recipes this week and thank us later! Keep reading to learn more.
1. Greek Yogurt Parfaits
Ingredients
- Greek yogurt
- Mixed berries
- Granola
- Honey
Steps
- In a serving glass, layer Greek yogurt, mixed berries, and granola.
- Create 2-3 layers until the glass is full.
- Drizzle honey on top.
- Add more berries according to your liking.
- Devour it immediately, or freeze it to enjoy it later at any time of the day.
2. Orange Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast (bite-sized pieces)
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 chopped green onions
Steps
- Place chicken breast in the crock pot.
- Add BBQ sauce, orange marmalade, and then soy sauce.
- Mix the chicken well in the sauce.
- Then, cook the orange chicken in the crock-pot for about 3-4 hours on low or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Optional: Add cornstarch to make the sauce thick.
- Mix, cover, and cook for another 30-35 minutes.
- Serve chicken over fried rice with veggies.
- Sprinkle with green onions and enjoy!
3. Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 diced cucumber
- 1 diced tomato
- 1 diced bell pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Sugar
Steps
- Put 2 cups of water into a pot and let it boil.
- Add a tiny bit of salt to the water, then add your quinoa.
- Let it cook for about 20 minutes or until all the water is soaked up by the quinoa.
- While that’s cooking, grab a bowl and mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and a touch of sugar.
- Once the quinoa is cooked, scoop it into a separate bowl and add cucumber, tomato, and bell pepper. Mix everything until it’s all nicely combined.
- For the finishing touch, drizzle the lemon oil mixture all over the quinoa and veggies. Give it one last mix, then sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley on top and dig in!
4. Vegetable Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup mixed vegetables
- 2 minced cloves of garlic
- 1/2 diced onion
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame (or chili) oil
Steps
- Take a non-stick pan and sauté garlic, ginger, and onion in oil over medium heat for a minute.
- Gradually add the vegetables you like to the pan, such as carrots, broccolini, peas, etc.
- After sautéing everything nicely, add cooked rice.
- Now, add soy sauce and sauté for 2 more minutes, then you’ll be done.
- You can drizzle a bit of sesame or chili oil at the end, according to your taste.
5. Stir-Fried Vegetable and Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 minced cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 thinly sliced onion
- 2 thinly sliced bell peppers
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 thinly sliced carrot
- Salt and pepper
Steps
- Put oil in a skillet to cook chicken seasoned with salt and pepper. Once cooked, remove from pan.
- In the same skillet, add your vegetables and fry them for 2-3 minutes. Make sure they retain their crispiness.
- After taking out the veggies, add garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, chicken broth, and cornstarch to the skillet, and mix it all well to form a thick paste.
- After the paste is formed, add the cooked chicken and fried vegetables to it. Coat everything so the flavors blend well.
- Now the stir-fry is ready; serve it over rice for a hearty meal.
6. Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 minced cloves of garlic
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (chopped)
- Salt and black pepper
- Italian seasoning
Steps
- Take a cooking pot and add olive oil, onion, and garlic.
- Fry until they turn a light brown color.
- Then add cans of diced tomatoes, basil leaves, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning to the pot.
- Cook everything for 5-7 minutes.
- Add vegetable broth to the mixture and simmer for approximately 5 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the mixture in batches to a regular blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve the soup hot with a dollop of sour cream or fresh basil leaves on top.
7. Grilled Chicken Wraps
Ingredients
For the Grilled Chicken:
- 1 lb boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon juice
For the Wraps:
- 4 large whole wheat wraps
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1 sliced tomato
- 1 thinly sliced cucumber
- 1 thinly sliced red onion
- Hummus for spreading
Steps
- Add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper to marinate the chicken. Grill on medium-high heat on both sides.
- Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile, grill the veggies for the wrap too.
- Assemble the wrap by layering lettuce, grilled chicken, and vegetables on a wheat wrap.
- Spread hummus or any other dip of your choice for flavor.
- Fold the sides of the wraps & then roll them up tightly.
- Cut them diagonally to serve. You can also wrap them in foil for a portable lunch option.
Wrapping It Up
These nutritious options make dining a pleasure. Give these recipes a go and prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals and simplify your routine!
