Meal Prep Week 7

Ease into spring with new recipes! Set yourself up for a healthy and delicious week of eating with dietitian approved meal prep

We're officially easing into spring and warmer weather. That means I'm enjoying more fresh produce, lighter meals, and spring vegetables. But you know me, the cozy dinners and sweet treats are a necessary part of my day.

Let's recap my meal prep strategy to stay nourished throughout the week! This took me about an hour and was the perfect way to set myself up for success.

An Easier Way to Meal Prep

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the typical meal prep you see on Pinterest- you know, the 7 containers with identical meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A girl gets sick of eating the same meal every single day!

Instead, I like doing a mix of meal prep and ingredient prep. For me, this looks like a combination of complete meals, washed and chopped vegetables, and making ahead staples like dips, grains and snacks. This is what works best for my lifestyle, but feel free to take and leave what works for you!

Dietitian's Meal Prep Formula

These are the 5 simple components I keep in mind during my weekly meal prep. You don't have to do all of these, but I find it's a good outline to help me stay organized.

1. 1x grab and go breakfast. I am for at least 3 portions. This is the perfect amount to make mornings easy, without getting sick of the same thing.
2. 1-2 x balanced snacks. A balanced snack has at least 2 of the food groups: protein, healthy fats and fibre.
3. 1x versatile protein for lunches. I try to choose protein options like chicken breast, cubed 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. Properly wash and store your produce. Having your fruits and veggies chopped and ready to go makes it so much easier to eat them.

Week 7 Meal Prep Menu

Breakfast

Overnight oats are a staple in my breakfast routine. If you don't like berry, I also have a lemon version of this recipe. Find more of my overnight oat recipes here.

Lunch

Tuna, chicken, chickpea and egg salad sandwiches are so handy for easy lunches. I like pairing them with crackers, pita or lettuce cups. You can also go the traditional sandwich or wrap route and take it to-go.

Snack

This week I made a homemade ranch dip by mixing 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning. It's along the lines of my garlic herb cottage cheese dip below! High protein dips are great to pair with crackers or veggies for balanced snacks.

Dinner

Both of these recipes are one pan meals. They both use chicken, but you could always use another type of ground meat in the enchilada skillet or swap the chicken meatballs in the Thai curry for tofu, shrimp or another protein.

Carbohydrate Base

Usually I make a grain like rice or quinoa as my carbohydrate base, but I wanted to switch it up this week with some sweet potato wedges. As the weather's getting warmer, these are great for pairing with burgers, salads or sandwiches. Not a fan of sweet potato? Try my air fryer crispy diced potatoes.

Sweet Snack

When I'm craving something sweet I always love having a grab and go option! This week's pick were these chocolate peanut butter squares.For a boost of added protein I substituted ¼ cup of the Rice Krispie Cereal with ¼ cup of vanilla protein powder! If you have a nut allergy, try my nut free granola bars!

Fruits and Vegetables

I always try and wash and chop my fruits and veggies for the week. It just makes it SO much easier to grab them for meals and snacks when they are ready. It's tedious work, but so worth the time saved during the week. Here's what I did:

• Chopped carrots and bell peppers. Store carrot sticks in an airtight container filled with water to keep them crispy and prevent drying. Bell peppers should be kept dry.
• Wash berries. 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.
• Cut and wash lettuce. For peak freshness I always store my leafy greens such as lettuce in a large container with a piece of paper towel at the bottom to absorb moisture.

These are the fruits and vegetables I had this week, but whatever you have will work fine.

More Meal Prep Inspiration

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

• 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