Meal Prep Week 13

Week 13 of our meal prep series!! I'm back with another simple and realistic meal prepping plan for you to follow this week.. and this might be my easiest week ever!

By now, you know how much I absolutely love as weekly meal prep. Life has been BUSY recently and with the holidays coming up, it's only going to get more busy! That is why spending just ONE hour every week to prepare some foods ahead of time has made it so much easier to choose healthy options during the week.

I promise it doesn't need to be overly complicated! As a dietitian I am here to tell you meal prep doesn't need to look like a counter full of perfectly portioned meals ready for the entire week. I like to think of meal prepping as an opportunity to make your life easier- whatever that may mean. Everyone's formula looks different and what works best for me may not work best for you.

This is what I do!

My Meal Prepping Formula

1. 1x grab and go breakfast. Something that's easy to reach for when you are running out the door!
2. 1-2 x balanced snacks (ideally one sweet + one savory).
3. 1x versatile protein for lunches. I try to choose protein options like meatballs, tofu or tuna salad that I can use in a variety of meals.
4. 1x fiber-filled carbohydrate source to easily pair with meals. Think rice, quinoa, pasta, etc.
5. 3-4 fruits and vegetables. Having your fruits and veggies chopped and ready to go makes it so much easier to reach for them!

Week 13 Meal Prep Plan:

This weeks meal prep might be the easiest one I have ever created because there is absolutely NO oven required! It took me about 1 hour total (plus some extra time for clean up)!

1. Start by prepping your produce: start with this as you will be using some of the produce in later recipes!
2. Move on to your overnight oats: I recommend dicing additional apples as you will want to add some to the salad later as well!
3. Make your energy balls and pop them in the freezer for the white chocolate to set!
4. Prepare your marinated chickpea
5. Make your salad
6. Clean up! Take some extra time to store everything and clean up the kitchen!

This weeks recipes:

Breakfast

We just went apple picking this past weekend and came home with SO many freshly picked apples. That is why I knew these apple pie overnight oats had to be on the menu this week!

Lunch

As always, I try to prep a versatile protein that can be used in multiple meals! You guys ALWAYS ask for more vegetarian proteins so these Greek marinated chickpeas are my absolute favorite (and also a great source of fiber)! To pair with them I also made my super easy kale crunch salad! These will be great to eat together, or can be added to wraps or even eaten alone for a variety of different meals I won't get bored of!

*I also added about ¼ cup of hemp seeds for additional protein!

*To make this salad even easier I used a bag of pre- cut kale and a bag of coleslaw mix to avoid chopping all the greens!

Snacks

I am the queen of having balanced snacks available at all times! I find this is key to helping me maintain a healthy lifestyle. This week I prepped a sweet option that also helps get me in a bit more of a seasonal mood!

Produce Storage Tips

I usually try to make sure I prepare about 3-4 different fruits/ vegetable options to have ready to grab during the week. This is probably the thing that makes the biggest difference in my life because it helps me eat more produce while also helping to reduce food waste. I usually try to choose seasonal options to make them as budget friendly as possible!

This week I....

• Sliced up some oranges! Perfect as we enter into cold and flu season for an extra boost of vitamin C! These can just be stored in an airtight container in the fridge
• Chopped cucumber, carrots and bell peppers. Store carrot sticks in an airtight container filled with water to keep them crispy and prevent drying. Bell peppers and cucumbers should be kept dry. * note that cucumbers will only stay fresh for about 3 days (though we tend to eat them so quick when they are chopped)!

+ don't forget the dip!

Dinner Ideas (bonus)

I don't usually prep anything for dinner but I do like having a plan for what we are going to be eating every day! I like to choose 4 easy meals (Friday's are always for leftovers) and add them to a list to hang on the fridge!

Storage Containers

• 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!

Vegetable tray:

I get asked about the vegetable tray all the time and unfortunately it is old and it doesn't look like it's made anymore!

However, I've rounded up a few similar options you can try out:

• Covered veggie tray with dip holder
• Round locking veggie tray
• Round covered veggie tray
• Covered veggie tray with handle (but no dip holder)

More Meal Prepping Resources

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Not ready to commit to the e-book? Catch up on past FREE weekly meal preps:

• Find week 1-12 of my meal prepping series HERE!