Meal Prep Made Easy

My weekly Get Your Stuff Together Sunday series will give you one actionable thing to do for the week that will make your life a little easier. 

{Did you miss last week’s GYSTS? No prob! Go here.}

Are you on overload? You and me both, champ. Make the week easy and prepare your meals ahead of time. It takes a lot of work out of an already busy schedule. This week, we’re going to talk about some meal prepping ideas.

Meal Prep Made Easy

• This is a chance to be creative. Choose a variety of versatile items that can be transformed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 
• Meals with plenty of servings are always a great go-to. You can portion them out for the week or you can freeze them to have your meals for the next week or two all set!   
• Plan your meals before you go to the grocery store so you get exactly what's on the menu. Having a plan helps keep you on track and you don't spend as much money.

Your Meal Plan for the Week

Roasting a chicken at the beginning of the week, with a hearty amount of roasted vegetables and a large batch of quinoa, is a delicious meal in itself, but separately these items and some additional ingredients can be used to make a variety of meals for the week. Here are a few ideas to get you started on your way. 

Quinoa is one of those super foods with amazing properties. It's gluten-free, packed with protein, fiber, iron, calcium, this list goes on and on. It is one of the rare foods to contain all nine essential amino acids and while we use it as a grain, it is actually a seed. Buying quinoa in bulk is not a bad idea. You can use this versatile seed from soups to salads; desserts and breakfast and everything between. 

Healthy Peanut Butter Quinoa Bars

These bars are a hearty breakfast bar with plenty of protein and fiber to keep you full. Don't be afraid to play with the ingredients, like instead of carob chips, add dried fruit. You could also add nuts for additional crunch. This recipe yields a large amount and makes a deliciously filling breakfast. 

• 3 cups cooked quinoa (equal to 1 cup uncooked quinoa)
• 2 1/2 cups oats (steel cut or quick cooking)
• 3/4 cup carob chips
• 1/4 cup flaxseed
• 3/4 cup creamy all natural peanut butter, or any nut butter 
• 3/4 cup milk (any type)
• 1/4 cup honey

Cook quinoa according to directions and allow time to cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together, add wet ingredients, put in a 9x13 pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool. Then, add melted peanut butter and more carob chips for a delicious topping. Cut and store in an airtight container. 

Mexican Quinoa Bake

This is a plentiful meal that can be used as dinner or a next day's lunch. Have some roasted chicken on the side to make it a complete meal. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• ? bell pepper
• ? medium white onion
• ? cup fresh salsa 
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn 
• ? cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 handful fresh cilantro
• ? cup guacamole or avocado (optional)

Cook the quinoa according to directions. Soften the pepper and onion over medium heat for five minutes. Stir together quinoa, peppers, onions, salsa, black beans and corn. Add to a glass baking dish and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes or until the cheese has melted. Top with avocado and cilantro and serve.

Roasted vegetables can be used to add deep flavor and rich nutrients to an abundance of meals. Use seasonal vegetables, drizzle olive oil and fresh herbs or spices. Roasting vegetables for a side dish one night can make a delicious frittata the next morning and a fantastic salad for lunch. You can also use it to make a roasted vegetable soup that you can freeze for another night’s meal. 

Roasted Vegetables

Cut your veggies into same-size chunks, drizzle olive oil on top, season with fresh herbs or spices, add lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, roast root vegetables at 475 degrees for 45-50 min, and roast all other vegetables for 15-20 minutes. 

Roasted Vegetable Frittata

• Roasted vegetables
• 6 eggs
• 1 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 375, warm cast iron skillet, reheat roasted vegetables for a minute. In a separate bowl beat eggs together with 1 tbsp of milk. Add eggs to hot skillet, place in oven for 12-15 min. 

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Add previously roasted vegetables over mixed greens, add a homemade dressing of avocado, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, top with roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for added crunch and protein. Really bulk it up by adding roasted chicken. 

Roasted Chicken

• 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
• 3 sprigs fresh tarragon
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 5-pound chicken, giblets removed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place onion, garlic, tarragon and thyme into the cavity of the chicken. Tie the legs together with kitchen string, almost closing the cavity opening. Tie the wings so the tips overlap on top of the breast. Rub the chicken with oil, salt and pepper. Set in a roasting pan, breast-side down. Roast the chicken for 25 minutes. Turn breast-side up and continue roasting, basting occasionally with pan juices, until a thermometer inserted registers 175°F, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes. Remove the string before carving.

Next Sunday, we’ll talk about the difference between weight loss and fat loss.

I hope you have a wonderful week,

Kelly

Kelly Morgan, Ph.D.

Tsirona - www.tsirona.com