Meal Prep for Healthy Living

When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I did not understand the importance of eating healthy. I thought that as long as there was food on the table, we were set. The last few years have been all about healthy eating for me, my husband, and more importantly, the kids. We are leading by example and luckily the children are following suit. They enjoy healthy meals immensely! My oldest, Brody, who is 9, prefers healthy meals to anything else. He refuses to eat fast food, not because of any urging on our parts - frankly, while I do not particularly enjoy fast food, I think once in awhile for the kids is not a bad thing - but I believe that Brody can taste the quality difference between healthy and unhealthy foods.

With six kids, we are extremely busy. There have been many times where I thought "I wish I could grab something fast" instead of having to cook. That's where meal prep comes in! There is nothing better than being able to grab a healthy, delicious meal out of your fridge and be able to eat it within minutes.

So every Sunday, I cook for a few hours to get a weeks worth of meals for us all. Then I portion them out into meal containers for Ryan and I. I freeze large bags of other foods for the kids.

I also continue to cook each night of the week, so I add more meals and we eat them. It's a great system that's kept us on track and happy.

Here are some examples of what I made this week!


Add brown rice, mixed veggies, hard boiled eggs, or single veggies to all these for a side dish.

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Quinoa
• 2 TSP Olive Oil
• 1 cup Corn
• 1 Can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1 TSP Honey
• 3 TBS Chopped Fresh Cilantro
• Salt and Pepper To taste

Cooking Directions

1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot over medium heat. Add a pinch of Salt and Pepper
2. Stir in the quinoa. Cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and let sit covered. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
4. Add the corn, beans, olive oil, honey, cilantro, and lime juice to the bowl and mix.  
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Serving size 3/4 Cup

165 calories - 6.6g fat - 3.4g carbs - 6.9g protein - 2.1g sugar

I prefer to let this recipe set so the flavors mingle, which is perfect if cooking in bulk for meal prep. 

TURKEY MEATBALLS

• 1lb of lean ground turkey (99% fat free)
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup of oats
• Chopped spinach 

Mrs. Dash seasoning to taste                                       (Feel free to add in some veggies like asparagus or carrots or celery)                                                           Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until lightly brown on the outside.

Serving size 2-3 meatballs

315 calories - .6g fat - 3.6g carbs - 10.8g protein - .1g sugar

This recipe can get somewhat dry if baked too long, so be sure not to overcook. You can also add  reduced sugar ketchup. 

SPICY SWEET POTATOES

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending on your heat tolerance)

Scrub and rinse the sweet potatoes, and dry with a paper towel.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Cut the potato into one-inch slices, then each slice into cubes. Put all the cubes into a big bowl.

Drizzle olive oil over the sweet potatoes. Add the salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir to coat.

Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes or until you can easily poke it with a fork. 

Serving size 1/2 cup

35 calories - 1.6g fat - 1.7 carbs - .1g protein - 1g sugar

One of my all time favorite recipes. Great for a snack or side dish!

CHICKEN STIR FRY

I just threw this recipe together from leftover ingredients and it was quite delicious. 

1 package Tyson chicken tenderloins

1 each red, yellow, orange, and green peppers, chopped

1 half onion, chopped

Put all ingredients on stove top grilling pan. Let cook for 15 minutes, flipping halfway. 

Serving size 3 tenderloins and 1/4 cup pepper/onion mix

165 calories - 4g fat - 2g carbs - 33g protein - 1g sugar

Easy and delicious!

Tomato Basil Chicken

2 chicken breasts

1 tomato

1/2c mozzarella

1/2c chopped basil

Season chicken breast with salt and pepper, bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Slice tomato, add to top of chicken breast, sprinkle with mozzarella and basil. Bake for additional ten minutes.

Serving size 1/2 chicken breast

90 calories - 4.1g fat - 3g carbs - 29g protein - 4g sugar

Simple for those leftover chicken breasts.

SKINNY BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN

1. 3 or 4 chicken breasts
2. 4 or 5 small tomatoes, chopped
3. 1 clove garlic, minced
4. 1/2 small red onion, chopped
5. 1 tsp. olive oil
6. 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
7. 1/8. tsp sea salt
8. Handful basil, chopped

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over top, cover and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes (depending on the size of your breasts) until juices run clear.

2. Meanwhile, combine chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and basil in a bowl. Refrigerate until chicken is ready to be served and spoon over top of the chicken. 

Serving size 1/2 chicken breast and 1/3 mix

88 calories - 2.1g fat - 4.1g carbs - 27.6g protein - 4g sugar