Looking to make healthy eating easier during the week? I'm back with another full week of meal prep ideas! This weeks focus was quick, easy and nourishing!
One of the biggest misconceptions I encounter regularly as a dietitian is that healthy eating has to be boring. Broccoli, bland chicken and rice is typically what comes to mind when we think of meal prep. However through these weekly meal preps I have made it my mission to prove that this couldn't be further from the truth!
As someone who tends to get bored of eating the same thing every single day, I tend to approach meal prepping from a bit of a different perspective. I like to choose a few versatile options that I can have on hand to make healthy eating easier during the week.
Find my simplified formula to make meal prepping more easy and realistic below!
How I Meal Prep as a Dietitian
I typically try to follow a formula that i includes 5 simple components. Please keep in mind this may not work for everyone and you absolutely do not have to make every single thing. This is a good base outline to help simplify meal prepping/ ingredient prepping to set you up for success during the week!
- 1x grab and go breakfast. I try to make at least enough for 3 days so I can have something to grab when I'm running out the door (or motivation to cook).
- 1-2 x balanced snacks. Ideally one sweet + one savory so you can reach for something balanced when hangry.
- 1x versatile protein for lunches. Think of a protein hat can easily be used in various different meals (ie. bowls, salads, sandwiches, wraps) this way you don't get bored of eating the same thing!
- 1x fiber-filled carbohydrate source to easily pair with meals. Think rice, quinoa, pasta, etc. I decided to make it even easier for myself by adding the quinoa directly into this weeks salad.
- 3-4 fruits and vegetables. Having your fruits and veggies chopped and ready to go makes it so much easier to reach for them! I also find it helps reduce food waste!
Week 11 Meal Prep Plan
I tried to keep it as simple as possible this week while still making sure I was getting some nourishing recipes in. One thing I knew going into the week that I wanted was my herb and cheddar bagels... I have been CRAVING them recently so I started with those and built my meal prep around them!
This weeks meal prep took me about 1 hour (+30 minutes of clean up)! Here is a run down of what I did!
- Start by making the bagels and sheet pan eggs (they both bake at the same temperature and about the same time which makes it super simple)!
- Next, prep the smashed chickpea salad and 3-ingredient energy balls (neither of these need to bake so they should be ready once the eggs and bagels are done)!
- Wash and chop the fruits and vegetables, make a dip of your choice (if making one homemade).
- I then spent about 30 minutes cleaning up the kitchen and packing everything away!
Breakfast
This week I made my easy sheet pan eggs. I've been craving savory breakfasts recently and never feel like cooking eggs so having a batch of these in the fridge will be super helpful! I made a slightly smaller batch by halving the recipe in a 8x8" pan and baking about 30 minutes.
They can be added to breakfast sandwiches, paired with toast or fruit or even added to a breakfast wrap!
Lunch
I was looking for a plant-based option this week and thought it was time to make a batch of my southwest smashed chickpea salad! This is packed with fiber and plant based protein and perfect to add to a salad, wrap, bowl or sandwich!
Easy Carbohydrate:
These can really be used for either lunch or breakfast. Each bagel already contains 12g of protein so they are a great option to pair with a veggies / additional protein for a filling meal!
Snack
Sweet ideas:
A SUPER simple and very customizable recipe! These are a great base recipe to add all your favorite mix-ins! This week I replaced ¼ cup of oats with ¼ cup of protein powder and added m&ms for a little sweet treat!
Savoury Ideas:
(I didn't prep a savory option this week other than my veggies and dip but you can easily make one of the options below)
Dinner Ideas
In addition to my weekly meal prep formula I always like to make a list of what dinners are on deck for the week and hang it on the fridge. I usually pick out 4-5 easy dinners based on what our schedule is looking like. I then add all the ingredients needed to my grocery list. Just by doing these 2 easy steps to feel more prepared it makes dinners SO much easier!
Fruits and Vegetables
I usually try to wash and cut about 3-4 different fruits and vegetables. Try choosing local produce options to save money and support local farmers (you might even find a new favourite vegetable)! Taking the time to prep the produce right when I get home form the store makes it SO much more likely we actually eat them!
This week I prepped:
- Veggie tray: Chopped carrots, bell peppers,and cucumber. Store carrot sticks in an airtight container filled with water to keep them crispy and prevent drying. Bell peppers, and cucumber should be kept dry. Please note that cucumbers typically only last about 2 days once sliced (these don't make the best meal prep option but we love them and eat them so fast once they're sliced)!
- Strawberries. Strawberries have been my go-to fruit recently because they've been a great price! To wash: fill a bowl ⅔ full with cool water and mix in 1 teaspoon (6 g) of baking soda per 2 cups (473 ml) of water, add berries and allow to soak for about 5 minutes. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Store in a glass container or jar with a paper towel at the bottom to catch excess moisture.
- Leafy green of the week: Romaine lettuce I wash, dry and then store in a plastic bag with a piece of paper towel to absorb excess moisture!
** If you re looking for tips to save money on groceries I have an entire blog post of budget-friendly shopping tips!
Vegetable tray options:
I get asked about this tray every single time I post it and I WISH I had a better answer for you but sadly ours is quite old (and considered "vintage" on eBAY). I have provided a few alternatives below:
- Covered veggie tray with dip holder
- Round locking veggie tray
- Round covered veggie tray
- Covered veggie tray with handle (but no dip holder)
Storage containers:
Storage Containers:
These are some of the containers I typically use if you need suggestions!
- 9 piece- glass container set with lids - these are great because it comes with small, medium and large options!
- 5 piece- glass container set with lids- I find medium containers are the most versatile, so if you are looking for just the medium sized, these are a great option!
More Meal Prep Inspiration
Get my meal prepping & grocery shopping eBook!
ALL my tips, tricks and strategies that I use for grocery shopping and meal planning. It's got recipes, a full detailed meal plan and templates that you can use for your weekly plan and shopping.
Not ready to commit to the e-book? Catch up on past FREE weekly meal prep
- Week 1 Meal Prep Round-Up
- Week 2 Meal Prep Round-Up
- Week 3 Meal Prep Round-Up
- Week 4 Meal Prep Round-Up
- Week 5 Meal Prep Round-Up
- Week 6 Meal Prep Round-Up
- Week 7 Meal Prep Round-Up
- Week 8 Meal Prep Round-Up
- Week 9 Meal Prep Round-Up
- Week 10 Meal Prep Round-Up
See you in the kitchen!
I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make any of these meal prep recipes, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic! I also always appreciate comments & ratings on the posts here on the site!
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