Weekly Meal Prep - Part 3 - Meal Ideas
This is part of a three-part meal-prep series. In case you missed them, they can be found here:
Part 1: www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/weekly-meal-prep-part-1-get-ready
Part 2: www.thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/weekly-meal-prep-par-2-prepare-ingredients
Now, that you have all your meal components prepped and ready to go, you can combine them in any number of interesting ways. Here are a few meal ideas to get you started.
1.THAI-STYLE BUDDHA BOWLS
Tasks: Warm rice in the microwave. Cut up mango. Cup up pineapple (if you opted to buy one). Clip sprigs of cilantro or pea shoots.
To make your bowl combine:
Rice
Tofu
Tons of prepped veg
Mango (and pineapple, if using)
Peanut sauce
Black sesame seeds
Roasted peanuts
Cilantro
Pea shoots or micro greens
2. BURRITO BOWLS
Tasks: Warm rice, beans, and corn in the microwave. Clip sprigs of pea shoots and/or cilantro. Wash and cut a few cherry tomatoes.
To make the bowl combine:
Rice
Black beans
Corn
Tons of prepped veg
Cherry tomatoes
Pea shoots, microgreens, or cilantro
Cilantro crema
Roasted pepitas
3. BLACK BEAN, CORN, AND QUINOA SALAD
Mix:
2 cups of cooked quinoa
1 cup corn
1/2 can black beans
Juice of 1-3 small limes, depending on taste preference
~1 cup cilantro roughly chopped, including tender stems
Handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Cholula hot sauce (or any hot sauce of choice) or salsa
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt to taste
You can eat this salad as is. It is delicious, and it packs well for lunches. Or you could combine it with other ingredients to make a quinoa nourish bowl.
4. QUINOA NOURISH BOWL
To make the bowl combine:
Black Bean, Corn, and Quinoa Salad
Bell Peppers
Avocado
Spinach
Roasted pepitas
Cilantro crema
Adding these additional components ups the protein and nutrient density, increases the plant diversity, and helps move us toward our two cup a day minimum for leafy greens.
5. TACOS THREE WAYS
Corn, Rice, and Black Bean Tacos
Tasks:
Combine corn, rice, and black beans and warm in the microwave. Cut avocado and cherry tomatoes. Warm tortillas by either wrapping them in foil in the oven or individually heating them in a non-stick skillet.
Top your tacos with:
Tons of prepped veg
Avocado
Cherry tomatoes
Cilantro crema and/or salsa
Hot sauce
Garbanzo and Roasted Potato Tacos
Tasks:
Combine roasted potatoes and garbanzos, warm these in an air-fryer or oven until crispy, salt and season to taste. Cut avocado and cherry tomatoes. Warm tortillas by either wrapping them in foil in the oven or individually heating them in a non-stick skillet.
Top your tacos with:
Tons of prepped veg
Avocado
Cherry tomatoes
Cilantro crema and/or salsa
Hot sauce
Black Bean, Corn, and Quinoa Salad Tacos
Tasks:
Cut avocado and cherry tomatoes. Warm tortillas by either wrapping them in foil in the oven or individually heating them in a non-stick skillet. Use Black Bean, Corn, and Quinoa Salad as base for your tacos.
Top your tacos with:
Tons of veg
Avocado
Cherry tomatoes
Cilantro crema and/or salsa
Hot sauce
6. EDAMAME AND PEANUT SALAD
Tasks:
Warm rice in microwave. Cut up mango. Snip cilantro. Shell edamame, if needed.
Mix:
Rice
Tons of prepped veg
Mango
Cilantro
Edamame
Peanuts
Toss with the peanut sauce or store-bought sweet chili sauce. Add sriracha, if desired.
7. SAVORY BREAKFAST BOWL
Tasks:
Put potatoes, bell pepper, and garbanzos in air-frier or oven until crispy.
Place crispy potato mixture on a bed of spinach. You can sauté the spinach first, if you like.
Top with avocado, cilantro crema, and pepitas.
A bowl like this is delicious for breakfast. I will occasionally still have oatmeal, but the majority of my breakfasts look like this now. They are higher nutrient density, and I stay full for longer.
It took me one hour and 40 minutes to prep all the components from the time my ingredients were set out until the last sauce was made. It took another 20 minutes to put everything away and clean the kitchen. So, that's two hours to make 2-3 dinners, plus all of my breakfasts and lunches.
Prepping in advance saves me time and it ensures that I always have healthy food at my fingertips, so I am less likely to make poor food choices.
Put on some fun music, enlist a couple of chopping helpers, and you will be done in no time.
Happy eating!
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