Meal Prep

Who likes meal prepping!?

Who likes meal prepping? It's time consuming and seems never ending. With the right tools and some great and tasty recipes, we can help you feel comfortable with prepping your meals each week. Whether you have food restrictions or allergies, we can help you pick the right meals for your diet. We offer expertise services in Keto, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free diets.

On a Keto-Friendly Diet? Check out this mouth watering recipe!

Keto-Friendly Chicken and Broccoli

Say yes to "chicken tonight" with this tasty one-skillet wonder. In just 20 minutes, your easy keto meal is served. Buttery chicken and broccoli—all of the flavor, but none of the fuss.

Ingredients (2 Servings)

9 oz. (2¾ cups) broccoli

2 oz. butter

14 oz. boneless chicken thighs

Salt and pepper

1. Rinse and trim the broccoli. Cut into smaller pieces, including the stem.

2. Heat up a generous dollop of butter in a frying pan where you can fit both the chicken and the broccoli.

3. Season the chicken and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through.

4. Add more butter and put the broccoli in the same frying pan. Fry for another couple of minutes.

5.Season to taste and serve with the remaining butter.

Gluten-Free Diet? Here's a Recipe for you!!

Famous "Marry Me Chicken"

Ingredients

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
Freshly torn basil, for serving

Directions

SAVE TO MY RECIPES

- Step 1
- Preheat oven to 375°. In a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper and sear until golden, 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and pour off half the fat from skillet.
- Step 2
- Return skillet to medium heat and add garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute, then stir in broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan and season with more salt. Bring to a simmer, then return chicken to skillet.
- Step 3
- Transfer skillet to oven and bake until chicken is cooked through (and juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife), 10 to 12 minutes.
- Step 4
- Garnish with basil and serve.

Yummy Vegan Recipe

Smoky Black Bean and Quinoa Soup

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

Kosher salt

1/2 medium butternut squash (about 12 oz.), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 medium poblano pepper, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1 canned chipotle in adobo, finely chopped, plus 1 tbsp. adobo

3 c. low-sodium vegetable broth

1 14-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed

1/3 c. cilantro, chopped, plus leaves for sprinkling

1/3 c. roasted pepitas

Directions

Step 1

Heat oil in Dutch oven on medium. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 6 minutes.

Step 2

Add squash and poblano and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cumin and cook 1 minute.

Step 3

Stir in chipotle and adobo, then broth, and bring to a boil. When edges of pot just start bubbling, stir in tomatoes and quinoa, reduce heat, and simmer gently, covered, until quinoa is tender, 12 to 14 minutes.

Step 4

Stir beans into soup and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve topped with pepitas and additional cilantro if desired.

Delicious Vegetarian Recipe

Vegetarian Meatballs with Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 cup dried lentils (or 2 1/2 cups cooked)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, about 1 cup chopped

8 oz cremini mushrooms, tough part of stems removed

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

3 tsp Italian seasoning, divided

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 1/2 tsp salt, divided

2 eggs

1 cup parmesan cheese

2 lbs roma tomatoes

1/2 cup olive oil

fresh basil

cooked pasta for serving

more parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl toss together tomato halves along with 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 cup olive oil. Arrange tomatoes on a large baking sheet cut side up, set aside.

If using dried lentils, place them into a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cover them plenty of with water, about 4 inches. Bring them to a boil before turning the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until they are tender but not mushy. Drain any excess water and set aside.

Pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until they are about the size of peas.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and the pulsed mushrooms and sauté for 3-4 more minutes until the moisture has burned off and the garlic is fragrant.

Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the contents back into the food processor along with the lentils. Pulse until combined, about 20 pulses scraping down halfway through.

In a large bowl combine mushroom lentil mixture along with panko bread crumbs, 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, cayenne, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, eggs and parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

Roll the mixture into 1 ½ (2 tablespoons) balls, about 24 and arrange them on another baking sheet.

Lightly brush or spray the meatballs with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil or cooking spray.

Bake the meatballs and tomatoes for 30 minutes, rotating the 2 baking sheets and flipping the meatballs at the 15 minutes mark.

Once tomatoes and meatballs are roasted toss them together with cooked spaghetti, ¼ cup of olive oil, fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

10 Tips for Meal Prepping for a Busy Schedule

1. Plan your Menu

The first step to meal prepping is to prepare your menu for the week. This will work as a guide when you go to the grocery store, ensuring you only buy enough for the meals you need that week. Also, when you plan out your menu for the week, you can consider the macronutrient breakdowns recommended after bariatric surgery.

2. Decide on Portions

Once you plan your menu for the week, you will want to decide on how many portions you need to prepare. Are you going to meal prep breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks? Are you meal prepping for just you or the whole family? This will determine how much you need to buy when you head to the grocery store.

3. Mix and Match Recipes

Another tip for meal prepping for a busy schedule is to find ways to mix and match your recipes. Maybe you batch cook some chicken and veggies, but add a different base (cauliflower rice or lettuce) and dressing when you assemble it. This will keep you from getting bored with the same meal every day. Finding ways to repurpose your meals will also save time in the meal prep process because you are cooking fewer recipes.

4. Batch Cook Meals

When meal prepping for a busy schedule, the best way to save time is to batch cook many of your recipes. Try splitting your sheet pan with roasted veggies on one side and roasted potatoes on the other. This will make the cooking and cleanup process faster.

5. Find your Pantry Staples

Stocking up on your pantry staples will make the meal prep process easier when you begin planning and cooking. These pantry staples can also be added to your meals throughout the week as a side dish or to change things up. Some great pantry staples on hand are canned beans, canned fish (tuna), vegetable/chicken broth, frozen veggies, frozen berries, whole grains, and olive oil and seasoning.

6. Undercook your Recipes

Nobody likes mushy vegetables or overcooked chicken. Since you know you will be reheating your meal, we recommend slightly undercooking the food so it will be the perfect taste and texture when it is reheated. Please be sure to check the temperature of your meats before consuming them to ensure they are fully cooked.

7. Buy Pre-made Entrees

Even meal prepping can be a chore for someone with a busy schedule. So don’t be ashamed if you have to buy pre-made entrees. We recommend you avoid the pre-made entrees as most do not have a good protein-to-carb ratio. And be sure to check the nutrition label because many pre-packaged foods can contain lots of added preservatives, sugars, and salt. A few great options for pre-made entrees can be found in the frozen food section, such as frozen veggies and frozen meats.

8. Don’t forget about snacks

Snacks are often overlooked in the meal planning process. We concentrate on the three main meals of the day and leave the snacks open, leaving us vulnerable to making unhealthy food choices. Healthy snack ideas that you can meal prep include hard-boiled eggs, carrots and hummus, sliced celery and peanut butter, meat and cheese roll-ups, low-carb yogurt, and cottage cheese.

9. Invest in the right tools

When your kitchen is stocked with the right tools, meal prepping for a busy schedule becomes more straightforward. We recommend purchasing some meal prep containers. Investing in a Ninja Foodi or pressure cooker is also a great way to speed up the meal prep process.

10. Freeze leftovers

If you find that you have cooked too much that week, try freezing your leftovers. Most foods will last about five days in the fridge but several months in the freezer.

If you would like more meal prep ideas, recipes, or a personalized weekly guide tailored to your fitness needs, please email us today.

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