The Meal Prep Blueprint
Are you hearing the term ‘meal prep’ over and over again? When it comes to eating better, meal prepping seems to be the advice everyone likes to give. And there’s a lot of logic behind the reasoning. If you make healthy food for the week, you’ll have healthy food to eat throughout the week.
While we will do a post of some fantastic meal prep recipes out there, we wanted to do a post that maps out the basics. We’ll tell you some things to have cooked or chopped and ready, so that you can piece together different meals throughout the week.
This way, you won’t find yourself eating the same meal every single day, which some people may find to be boring to the palate. There is more flexibility when it comes to satisfying cravings.
Grains
Grains like rice and quinoa take time to cook, so prep them ahead of time. Use them throughout the week to use as a side dish, a base to rice bowls or mixed with fresh greens in a salad.
Simple Truth Organic Long Grain Brown Rice, $3.19
Fresh Herbs
Chopped herbs can bring so much life to a dish. Pre-chop items like cilantro and parsley, up to 2 days worth and use on top of dishes for extra flavor.
Seasoned Protein
People usually opt for white meat chicken when trying to drop some weight, but there is nothing wrong with using marinated tofu, steak, meatballs, and more. We suggest cooking two different proteins so that you can change it up throughout the week, to keep your taste buds excited.
Simply Organic Seasoning Chophouse, $7.99
Hard-Boiled Eggs
You can use these to add to soups, salads, and sandwiches. For a healthy egg salad recipe, chop up the eggs and mix with 5% Greek yogurt and relish. Hard-boiled eggs are also a great breakfast or snack option for when you are on the go.
Cooked Vegetables
A raw salad is great, but cooked vegetables impart a different taste and mouthfeel that can be very satisfying. From snap peas and broccoli to Brussels sprouts and beets, steam them, sauté them or roast them and use them to accompany your proteins.
Bread
Whether you prefer heroes, gluten-free bread or wraps, keep them handy. This way you can make everything from sandwiches to burritos with all of the above!
