Easy Meal Prep for The Week: Beginner Edition

One morning earlier this month, I woke as much as freezing climate and feeling under-the-weather. It was an ideal day to not get out of pajamas—and one factor I felt actually grateful for in that second was that I’d spent a pair hours the day earlier than filling our fridge with the constructing blocks of some scrumptious meals. There was a rooster and rice soup, a number of recent greens and chopped veggies, creamy hummus, and a batch of morning glory muffins able to be slathered with butter.

Considered one of my pals not too long ago informed me that for him, “happiness is a fridge stuffed with meals.” It struck me that there’s a particular consolation that comes from realizing you’ve gotten the makings of a scrumptious meal on the prepared. In fact, the busyness of contemporary life signifies that most of us don’t have hours to spend getting ready advanced meals.

After I get house on the finish of an extended day, I need to have some wholesome meals choices on the prepared—and I promise that when you’ve stocked your kitchen, you may make nourishing meals simpler than ordering takeout. For me, prepping elements forward is the one manner that I’m going to stay to wholesome consuming with a busy schedule. Enter: meal prep for the week.

How I Meal Prep for the Week

That’s the place my simple meal prep technique is available in. Each weekend, I make only a handful of straightforward “constructing block” recipes that I can use as a leaping off level for numerous nourishing meals in the course of the week. Roasted veggies can high a salad or fill a sandwich. A pot of quinoa kinds the bottom of a grain bowl, or can grow to be a comfy breakfast porridge. These base recipes are infinitely versatile, and a part of the enjoyable is getting inventive and determining alternative ways to make use of them. 

Watch the video above to see precisely how I knock out these 5 meal prep duties in about an hour, then learn on for the precise directions. However first, some suggestions for meal prep success.

Prep With the Seasons

How do I determine what elements to make use of in every of those base recipes? For me, it’s all about getting impressed by what’s in season. When you’ve gotten recent lettuces or a deep orange candy potato or completely ripe strawberries, they don’t want a lot to show them right into a scrumptious meal. It additionally means you’re getting the utmost diet from these complete, unprocessed meals so that you could actually appear and feel your greatest.

Observe Conscious Cooking

Should you assume you don’t have time to meal prep on a Sunday, attempt pondering of it as a self-care second—one thing you’ll be able to take your time doing and benefit from the course of. I like to pour a glass of kombucha, wine, or make a sizzling tea, activate some music, and make my meal prep a ritual. And that tremendous feeling of opening my fridge on the finish of an extended day and being met with wholesome, scrumptious choices? The last word reward.

Hold It Simple

You don’t want tons of time (an hour or two is a lot!) or any fancy gear. Most of those recipes solely require a knife, a reducing board, and a sheet pan. I attempt to be productive and benefit from my time: whereas the veggies are roasting and the grains are cooking on the range, I make my dressing and my crunchy seed combine. You’ll get in your individual rhythm and ultimately gained’t even have to take a look at any directions. After doing these a couple of instances, you’ll discover your movement.

Pleasant Reminders

• Clear as you go.
• Write down an inventory of what you’re going to do prematurely so you’ve gotten a plan of motion.
• Do not forget that even if you happen to simply make a few these, it is going to nonetheless make an enormous distinction in the course of the week. Do what you’ll be able to!

Prepare dinner the Grains

A container of cooked grains is likely one of the most versatile objects you’ll be able to have in your fridge. Cooked grains like farro or quinoa make an amazing aspect dish to any protein, or use as the bottom for a grain bowl, high with an egg, and even heat it up and add nut milk and cinnamon for a breakfast porridge.

At the moment I’m utilizing quinoa. I like its chewy consistency and plant-based protein, however you need to use farro, buckwheat, rice, amaranth, or any others. Right here’s learn how to completely cook dinner quinoa:

1. Rinse 1 cup quinoa in a mesh strainer, then place in a small saucepan.
2. Add 1 cup water and a pinch of salt, then convey to a boil.
3. As soon as boiling, instantly cut back warmth to low and canopy. Let simmer for 20 minutes, fluffing with a fork midway via to make sure quinoa isn’t sticking to the underside of the saucepan.
4. When it’s cooked, I place a folded dish towel between the pot and a lid whereas it cools to take away extra moisture.

Cooked quinoa retains within the fridge for 5 days. To freeze cooked grains, unfold them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and switch to the freezer for no less than two hours. After the grains are frozen, you’ll be able to retailer them in a freezer-safe container. 

Roast Veggies

Just about any vegetable tastes manner higher roasted—cooking at a excessive warmth concentrates the flavour and offers a caramelization that I like. 

Listed below are a couple of of my favourite veggies to roast:

• candy potatoes
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• butternut squash
• beets
• child pink potatoes
• cabbage
• brussels sprouts
• tomatoes
• eggplant

Add spices and herbs in order that they at all times style completely different and attention-grabbing. Generally I’ll toss mine in taco seasoning, different instances I’d drizzle with harissa or infused vinegar, and even simply preserve it easy with a pinch of Italian seasoning. Salt and pepper is at all times a should. As soon as made, they’re an ideal addition to salads, grain bowls, tacos, and sandwiches. 

Right here’s the right methodology for roasting nearly any sort of veggie:

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and unfold the veggies in a single layer, leaving some room round them in order that they roast as an alternative of steam. You need the sides to get crispy and brown.
• Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper (and every other spices you’re utilizing) and toss them round. Roast till caramelized. (Cooking time will range primarily based on the veg.)

Make a Dressing or Sauce

That is the step that will get me enthusiastic about utilizing my prepped veggies all through the week. Grains and veggies can get somewhat boring and not using a flavor-packed sauce to drizzle over every part and make it devourable. Having a mason jar stuffed with dressing on the prepared means you’ve gotten a salad dressing and a sauce for bowls, tacos, and veggie sides. You may drizzle over a roasted candy potato or use as a dip for uncooked veggies. It’s actually your greatest buddy in terms of making simple and scrumptious meals in a flash. 

This week, I’m making one in every of my favorites, Turmeric French dressing. It’s tremendous easy to make—simply add all these elements to the blender:

• 1 shallot, peeled and halved
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons heat water
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• Squeeze of honey
• Teaspoon of floor turmeric
• massive pinch of salt and pepper
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix every part up, then retailer in a mason jar all week.

Prep Your Salad Greens and Uncooked Veggies

Are you 10x extra prone to eat your veggies in the event that they’re already washed and prepped within the fridge? SAME. And my youngsters are, too. I’ve began holding a lidded container within the fridge stuffed with chopped carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers in order that after they come into the kitchen in search of a snack proper earlier than dinner, I can level them to the crudité bowl. And we at all times have guacamole, hummus, or my weekly salad dressing (above) that they will pair with their veggie for dipping.

Plus, when you’ve gotten recent lettuces and different chopped veggies on the prepared, it’s really easy to throw collectively a salad with no matter dinner you’re serving. I’d a lot favor to do all of the prep in a single go, moderately than getting out my salad spinner and reducing board time and again. Right here’s what I do after my weekend grocery run:

• Wash and dry my lettuce in a salad spinner, then wrap in paper towels to soak up moisture and retailer within the produce drawer of the fridge.
• Peel and slice carrots, cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, and every other uncooked veggies I’ve laying round, so I can simply throw them into faculty lunches in the course of the week.

Make the Spicy Seed Combine

I’m massive on including crunch to only about every part—generally it’s only a handful of chopped nuts or seeds, however I like to have some type of spicy seed combine within the fridge that I can sprinkle on every part from salads to bowls to veggie sides. It simply offers it that little one thing, ya know?

This recipe is tremendous adaptable to any seed, nut, or spice you’ve gotten readily available. Generally I’m going somewhat sweeter and add maple syrup or orange zest, however at present I’m going savory with sea salt and coriander. Right here’s what I do:

• In a small sauté pan, add pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, and sunflower seeds. Toast on low till they begin to scent aromatic, then add sesame seeds, a pinch every of sugar and salt, and a few coriander.
• Toast till every part begins to get somewhat golden brown, then switch to a mason jar and retailer within the fridge.