The average American purchases about 4-5 fast-food meals per week. If you do the math right, that equals to roughly 60-100 dollars wasted away on greasy, processed foods. "Why don't they just cook at home?" Health gurus continuously ask themselves. Well the problem is a little bit more complex than that. Today, people are either too lazy, too busy, uneducated on proper food consumption, and or have never cooked a day in their lives. As a college student consuming packet after packet of the famous, 50¢ ramen noodle soup and slowly coming to realization that it can certainly increase risk of metabolic syndrome from the preservative (Tertiary-butyl hydroquinone) it contains, I finally pushed myself to learn how to meal prep. I quickly got tired of your average (aka repetitive & boring) chicken & veggie meal prep recipe, so I decided to get a little creative. With the three meals I've created below, I can go an entire week with eating portions from each original batch. So if you cook one meal exactly as directed, you should end up with about 2 or 3 meals (depending on your regular food consumption) for the next few days. So, if you're tired of spending hundreds of dollars a month on eating out & want to live a healthier lifestyle, keep reading.
Warning: If this is your first time cooking, don't expect the first batch to be A1. My chicken was as dry as a saltine cracker my first time around, it'll be okay.
1. Lemon Pepper Chicken with White Rice & Asparagus
Prep-Time: 30-45 min
Calories: 460
Ingredients:
- 1 boneless chicken breast
- 1 cup white rice
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon pepper
- 1 tsp garlic pepper
- 1 tsp parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp pepper/Salt
- 6 asparagus spears
- 1 Lime
- 1/2 bell pepper (optional)
- 1/2 avocado (optional)
- 1 tbs classic hummus (optional)
Directions:
-Chicken
- Pre-Heat oven to 450 degrees
- Mix lemon pepper, garlic, salt/pepper & olive oil in a separate bowl, then spread over chicken
- Cook for about 30-45 min
- Boil two cups of water
- Stir in rice & cook for 20-30 mins
- Take 6 asparagus spears & cover them in olive oil, garlic, & parmesan cheese
- Slice lime and place atop asparagus
- Place in oven & cook for 10-15 min
If your goal is to make it look exactly as my image above, add in the optional ingredients. &&& Walla. You've finished your first meal!
2. Ground Turkey Chile Verde Bowls
Prep-Time: 25-30 min
Calories: 550
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup ground turkey
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp chile verde
- 1/4 onion
- 1/4 tomato
- 2 tsp shredded cheese
- 1 cup white rice/lettuce
- 1/2 cup canned pinto beans
- 1 packet taco seasoning
Directions:
-Ground Turkey
- Heat olive oil & ground turkey in medium sauce pan
- Stir in taco seasoning, diced green pepper, chile verde, onion & tomato
- Cook for 8-10 min on medium-high heat (or until golden brown)
-White Rice
- Boil two cups of water
- Stir in rice & cook for 20-30 min
*Heat pinto beans separately
Lastly, place a fair amount of white rice, pinto beans & ground turkey in a bowl, then sprinkle some cheese and add avocado if you'd like. Now time to enjoy!
*If you want to cut calories, swap out the rice for some lettuce.*
3. Pesto Chicken Mozzarella & Roasted Cauliflower
Prep-Time: 30-45 min
Calories: 415 (565 with salad)
Ingredients:
- 1 boneless chicken breast
- 1 packet pesto seasoning
- 2 tomato slices
- 2 slices fresh mozzarella
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups cauliflower
- 1/4 tsp salt/pepper
- 1/4 tsp cilantro leaves
Directions:
-Chicken
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
- Mix 2 tsp olive oil with pesto seasoning & minced garlic, then spread over chicken
- Cook chicken for about 30-40 min
- During the last 5 minutes of cook-time, add mozzarella and tomato atop chicken
-Cauliflower
- Toss cauliflower with 1 tsp olive oil & salt/pepper
- Spread out onto a sheet pan & roast for 20 min
Energizing Tips (optional)
- Serve with a side salad (1 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup raspberries, 1/4 cup blackberries, 2 tsp walnuts, & 2 tsp poppy seed dressing)
If you've gotten this far, you're a step closer to living a healthier lifestyle and can gradually cut out all that junk food! Also, if you happen to be vegan/vegetarian and some of the ingredients go against your diet, feel free to cut them out and substitute for something else. Just remember to keep in mind that these are only a few options. You can definitely find dozens more healthy meal ideas with my favorite app, My Fitness Pal! Now, good luck to you on you're new journey. Healthy living is a lifestyle and it won't happen over night!
