Meal Prepping
Keep in mind that a well-balanced diet is the best “diet” to follow. Consuming a variety of protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy each day will improve your health. Couple this well-balanced diet with daily exercise and you will definitely be on your way to improve your overall health status.
Is this your first time meal planning? Get excited! It is really easy to prepare meals for an entire work week! There are just a few things you need to know before you get started.
Sunday Meal Preparation Steps
- Purchase plastic containers. Buy some for the main meals (the ones with dividers are great), some smaller containers for snacks, and little cup size containers for sauces and dressings. *SAM’s has a 62 count of Tupperware for only $18!! If you are serious about meal prepping, I recommend looking into purchasing this set!*
- Write out your grocery list. See a sample grocery list below the each weekly meal plan.
- Purchase grocery items.
- Don’t forget the olive oil! When cooking with oil, use olive oil. It is important that your diet includes a little fat, and olive oil contains good, heart healthy fats (monounsaturated fats).
- Get ready to cook!
- Once all of your meals are cooked and portioned into containers, make some sticky notes labeled Monday, Tuesday, etc. and stack your meals accordingly.
Meal Prep Plan Week 1
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
|
Breakfast |
2 slices whole wheat toast w/ thin spread of almond butter, Greek yogurt w/ a little granola, & a strawberry banana smoothie w/ almond milk and protein powder | 2 slices whole wheat toast w/ thin spread of almond butter, Greek yogurt w/ a little granola, & a strawberry banana smoothie w/ almond milk and protein powder | 2 slices whole wheat toast w/ thin spread of almond butter, Greek yogurt w/ a little granola, & a strawberry banana smoothie w/ almond milk and protein powder | 2 slices whole wheat toast w/ thin spread of almond butter, Greek yogurt w/ a little granola, & a strawberry banana smoothie w/ almond milk and protein powder | 2 slices whole wheat toast w/ thin spread of almond butter, Greek yogurt w/ a little granola, & a strawberry banana smoothie w/ almond milk and protein powder |
Snack 1 |
10 Pretzels and 1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter | 8 Baby Carrots and 1 chopped Celery Stalk | ½ cup hummus & pita bread | 10 Pretzels and 1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter | 8 Baby Carrots and 1 chopped Celery Stalk |
Lunch |
Ground turkey, quinoa or brown rice, steamed green beans, & ½ cup black beans*Season meat w/ Mrs. Dash & add small amount of Siracha sauce if desired | Strawberry Spinach Salad w/ blueberries & crumbled feta cheese*Add small amount of low fat raspberry vinaigrette dressing*Top with tuna or grilled chicken | 6 oz. Salmon, ½ cup steamed broccoli | Strawberry Spinach Salad w/ blueberries & crumbled feta cheese*Add small amount of low fat raspberry vinaigrette dressing*Top with tuna or grilled chicken | Tuna: 1 pkg. chunk light tuna in water, 1 Tbsp light mayo, whole grain crackers |
Snack 2 |
½ cup Almonds & ½ cup Blueberries | 1 Apple & String Cheese | 5 Strawberries & 1 Orange | ¼ cup Almonds & ¼ cup blueberries | 1 Apple & String Cheese |
Dinner |
Whole wheat penne pasta, no salt added tomato sauce w/ 3 oz. grilled chicken or shrimp, & ½ cup steamed broccoli | 6 oz. Grilled chicken, quinoa or brown rice, steamed mixed veggies. | Ground turkey, quinoa or brown rice, steamed green beans, & ½ cup black beans*Season meat w/ Mrs. Dash & add small amount of Siracha sauce if desired | Whole wheat penne pasta, no salt added tomato sauce w/ 3 oz. grilled chicken or shrimp, & ½ cup broccoli | Ground turkey, quinoa or brown rice, steamed green beans, & ½ cup black beans*Season meat w/ Mrs. Dash & add small amount of Siracha sauce if desired |
Grocery List
Strawberries | 1 Onion and 1 Green Bell Pepper | Bag of Frozen Shrimp | Almond Milk | Olive Oil |
Oranges | 100% Whole Wheat Bread | Bag of Frozen Chicken Breast | Greek Yogurt cups | Light Mayo with Olive Oil (half the fat & calories of regular mayo) |
Blueberries | Quinoa or Brown Rice | 1 lb ground turkey (comes in a tube-shaped wrapping) | Container of Crumbled Feta Cheese | Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing |
Blackberries | Whole Wheat Pasta | Container of Almonds (non-salted) | Bag of String Cheese (individually wrapped) | Frozen Mixed Vegetables |
Fresh Broccoli bunch | Pita Chips or Pita Bread | Jar of Peanut Butter (one w/ less sugar) | Hummus | Frozen and Sliced Strawberries and Bananas |
A bag of spinach or baby spinach | Bag of Pretzels | Jar of Almond Butter | No salt added tomato sauce or your favorite type of pasta sauce | Frozen Green Beans |
A bag of baby carrots | Granola | Cans of Black Beans (some cans have spices and has more flavor) | Mrs. Dash Seasoning (No-Salt Seasoning) | Whey Protein Powder (good to add to smoothies before & after workouts) |
Fresh Celery | Whole Grain Crackers | Tuna Packets (tuna in water not vegetable oil) | Siracha Sauce |
Cooking Tips for Week 1
Typically for one week I cook the following:
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup quinoa
- ½ lb pasta
- A whole bunch of green beans
- Half a bunch of broccoli
- Heat up 1 can of black beans
- 3 chicken breasts
*I would prepare all of this food and portion it all out into your containers first before preparing the other meals because you may have enough food for more than the days I have listed on the meal plan. Therefore, meals like the spinach salad and tuna with crackers may not be necessary. It is up to you!
- For breakfast, I prepare the toast and smoothies in the morning. In my smoothie, I fill up my magic bullet with around ½ -1 cup of mixed frozen strawberries and bananas. Then I pour around 1½ cups of almond milk. I pour ¼ water in as well and then a scoop of whey protein powder.
- To add more flavor to the ground turkey, try adding sautéed green peppers and onions. Sautee them in olive oil then mix it in with the ground turkey while cooking.
- Siracha sauce is one way I add flavor to my food. However, be aware that Siracha sauce contains quite a bit of sodium. 1 tsp= 100mg of sodium. The daily recommended intake of sodium according to the American Heart Association is 1500mg per day.
- Season your chicken and tuna with Mrs. Dash seasoning (there are tons of different seasonings). Mrs. Dash is a non-salt seasoning but still adds great flavor to food. Using Mrs. Dash instead of regular salt seasoning will reduce your sodium intake to maintain good heart health and reduce your risk for heart disease.
- For the snacks, I don’t have exact measurements but I would not portion out more than two handfuls of each snack.
Meal Prep Plan Week 2
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
Breakfast | Breakfast Bowl: 2 scrambled eggs mixed with sautéed onions, green peppers, diced turkey sausage, 2% shredded cheddar cheese, and a side of Three’s Salsa | 1 toasted whole wheat bagel w/ low-fat cream cheese or almond butter, Greek Yogurt w/ granola, Jacklyn’s Delight Smoothie | Breakfast Bowl: 2 scrambled eggs mixed with sautéed onions, green peppers, diced turkey sausage, 2% shredded cheddar cheese, and a side of Three’s Salsa | 1 toasted whole wheat bagel w/ low-fat cream cheese or almond butter, Greek Yogurt w/ granola, Jacklyn’s Delight Smoothie | Breakfast Bowl: 2 scrambled eggs mixed with sautéed onions, green peppers, diced turkey sausage, 2% shredded cheddar cheese, and a side of Three’s Salsa |
Snack 1 | Kale Chips | 1 Grapefruit or Orange and String Cheese | 6 Cheese cubes & 6 whole-grain crackers | Slices of cucumber w/ lemon juice & baby carrots | 3 dark chocolate bite size pieces and a handful of almonds |
Lunch | Kale or baby spinach, topped with dried cranberries, feta cheese, and non-salted cashews. Add tuna or diced chicken breast and lite raspberry vinaigrette dressing. | 1 piece of tilapia, 6 pieces of sautéed shrimp, quinoa, black beans and mixed vegetables | 1 grilled chicken breast, mashed cauliflower, black beans, & green beans | Kale or baby spinach, topped with dried cranberries, feta cheese, and non-salted cashews. Add tuna or diced chicken breast and lite raspberry vinaigrette dressing. | Turkey Burger: ground turkey patty with serrano peppers and feta cheese, & side of sautéed asparagus. Add sliced avocado & mustard or ketchup as toppings. |
Snack 2 | 1 Apple, 2 chopped celery stalks, and 2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter | 1/3 cup Almonds, & 1/3 cup blackberries | 5 Strawberries & 1 Orange | 1 Apple, 2 chopped celery stalks, and 2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter | 5 strawberries & 1 Orange |
Dinner | 1 grilled chicken breast, mashed cauliflower, black beans, & green beans | Whole wheat spaghetti, pasta sauce & crumbled ground turkey, & sautéed broccoli | Turkey Burger: ground turkey patty with serrano peppers and feta cheese, & side of sautéed asparagus. Add sliced avocado & mustard or ketchup as toppings. | 1 piece of tilapia, 6 pieces of sautéed shrimp, quinoa, black beans and mixed vegetables | Whole wheat spaghetti, pasta sauce & crumbled ground turkey, & sautéed broccoli |
Grocery List
Strawberries | 1 Onion and 1 Green Bell Pepper | Bag of Frozen Shrimp | Low-Fat Milk | Oregano (seasoning shaker) |
Oranges | Jalapenos & Serrano peppers | Bag of Frozen Chicken Breast | Greek Yogurt cups | Olive Oil |
Blackberries | Fresh bunch of broccoli & cauliflower | Bag of Frozen Tilapia | Container of Crumbled Feta Cheese | Tuna Packets (tuna in water not vegetable oil) |
Apples | Cilantro & Fresh Basil | 1 lb ground turkey (comes in a tube-shaped wrapping) | Bag of String Cheese (individually wrapped) | Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing |
Grapefruit | 100% Orange Juice | Container of Almonds (non-salted) | 2% Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Frozen Mixed Vegetables |
Fresh asparagus | Dried Cranberries | Container of Cashews(non-salted) | Low-fat cheese cubes | Frozen pineapple chunks |
A bag of spinach or baby spinach | 100% Whole Wheat Bagels | Jar of Peanut Butter (one w/ less sugar) | Eggs | Frozen mixed berries |
A bag of baby carrots | Quinoa or Brown Rice | Jar of Almond Butter | Mrs. Dash Seasoning (No-Salt Seasoning) | Frozen Green Beans |
Fresh Celery | Whole Wheat Spaghetti | Low-fat Cream Cheese | Lime Juice | Light cream cheese |
Kale | Granola | Cans of Black Beans (some cans have spices and has more flavor) | Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Cayenne Pepper (seasoning shakers) | Light sour cream |
Cucumber | Whole Grain Crackers | 1 Can of whole peeled, 1 can crushed, 1 can diced tomatoes | Knorr Low sodium chicken flavor powder | Turkey Sausage |
Cooking Tips for Week 2
Typically for the week I cook the following:
- 1 lb ground turkey (half will go towards the turkey burger and the other half to the spaghetti sauce)
- 1 cup quinoa
- ½ lb whole wheat spaghetti
- Half a bunch of asparagus
- A whole bunch of green beans
- ½ head of broccoli
- Heat up 1 can of black beans
- 3 chicken breasts
- ½ head cauliflower
- 6 eggs
*I would prepare all of this food and portion it all out into your containers first before preparing the other meals because you may have enough food for more than the days I have listed on the meal plan.
- For breakfast, I prepare the bagels and smoothies in the morning. See my smoothie recipes under the “healthy recipes” tab.
- The breakfast bowl can all be prepared on Sundays. Make sure to keep the salsa aside in a separate container.
- Season your chicken and tuna with Mrs. Dash seasoning (there are tons of different seasonings). Mrs. Dash is a non-salt seasoning but still adds great flavor to food. Using Mrs. Dash instead of regular salt seasoning will reduce your sodium intake to maintain good heart health and reduce your risk for heart disease.
Meal Prep Plan Week 3
Monday
|
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
|
Breakfast | 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with 1 turkey sausage patty, 1 cup strawberries and either 8 oz of 100% orange juice, skim milk or almond milk. | 2 slices whole wheat toast w/ almond butter and banana slices, and Greek Yogurt | 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with 1 turkey sausage patty, 1 cup strawberries and either 8 oz of 100% orange juice, skim milk or almond milk. | 2 slices whole wheat toast w/ almond butter and banana slices, and Greek Yogurt | 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with 1 turkey sausage patty, 1 cup strawberries and either 8 oz of 100% orange juice, skim milk or almond milk. |
Snack 1 | ½ cup trail mix | 6 strawberries and 1 orange | 6 cucumber slices & 8 baby carrots | ½ cup trail mix | 6 cucumber slices & 8 baby carrots |
Lunch | Fish Taco Bowl (From bottom to top): Brown rice, sautéed corn & red pepper mix, black beans, and cooked tilapia. Top with a couple of avocado slices | Greek Salad: Spring mix, blueberries, low-fat feta cheese, cucumber slices, tomatoes and homemade Greek dressing. Greek dressing: olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dried oregano, onion powder | Cilantro Lime Chicken: spicy chicken breast chunks, limejuice, and cilantro. With brown rice and black beans
|
Greek Salad: Spring mix, blueberries, low-fat feta cheese, cucumber slices, tomatoes and homemade Greek dressing. Greek dressing: olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dried oregano, onion powder | Cilantro Lime Chicken: spicy chicken breast chunks, lime juice, and cilantro. With brown rice and black beans
|
Snack 2 | 1 Apple with ¼ cup PB&Y Dip
PB&Y (all natural PB, low-fat vanilla Yogurt, and a pinch of cinnamon) |
½ cup cheese cubes & a handful of whole-grain crackers | 1 Apple with ¼ cup PB&Y Dip
PB&Y (all natural PB, low-fat vanilla Yogurt, and a pinch of cinnamon) |
½ cup cheese cubes & a handful of whole-grain crackers | 6 strawberries & 1 Orange |
Dinner | Cilantro Lime Chicken: spicy chicken breast chunks, limejuice, and cilantro. With brown rice and black beans
|
Whole wheat penne pasta with no sugar added tomato sauce, cooked turkey sausage slices, and green beans | Fish Taco Bowl (From bottom to top): Brown rice, sautéed corn & red pepper mix, black beans, and cooked tilapia. Top with a couple of avocado slices | Whole wheat penne pasta with no sugar added tomato sauce, cooked turkey sausage slices, and green beans | Fish Taco Bowl (From bottom to top): Brown rice, sautéed corn & red pepper mix, black beans, and cooked tilapia. Top with a couple of avocado slices |
Sample Grocery List
Strawberries | 1 Red pepper | 1 container of All Natural Vanilla Yogurt | Skim Milk or Almond Milk |
Oranges | 1 can corn | Bag of Frozen Chicken Breast | Greek Yogurt cups |
Blueberries | Fresh cilantro | Bag of Frozen Tilapia | Container of Crumbled low-fat Feta Cheese |
Apples | 100% orange juice | 1 box whole-grain crackers | Bag of String Cheese (individually wrapped) |
Bananas | 100% whole wheat English Muffins | Trail mix | 2% Shredded Cheddar Cheese |
A bag of Spring mix | 100% Whole wheat Bread | All Natural Peanut Butter (only ingredient is peanuts) | Low-fat cheese cubes |
A bag of baby carrots
|
Brown Rice | Jar of almond butter | 1 Can of whole peeled, 1 can crushed, 1 can diced tomatoes |
Tomatoes | Turkey Sausage Patties | Lime Juice | Lemon Juice |
1 Cucumber | Turkey Sausage link | 2 Cans of Black Beans (some cans have spices and has more flavor)
|
Chili Powder, Ground Cumin, and Cayenne Pepper (seasoning shakers) |
Avocados | Whole Wheat penne | Frozen Green Beans | Red Wine Vinegar |
Oregano (seasoning shaker) | Whole Grain Crackers | Olive Oil | Ground Cinnamon |
Cooking Tips
Typically for the week I cook the following:
- 2 tilapia filets
- 2 cups brown rice
- ½ lb whole wheat spaghetti
- ½ turkey sausage link
- 1 cup green beans
- 2 cans of black beans
- 1 can of corn
- 4 chicken breasts or 1.5 lbs of chicken
*I would prepare all of this food and portion it all out into your containers first before preparing the other meals because you may have enough food for more than the days I have listed on the meal plan.
- I prepare my breakfast each morning.
- I season the chicken and tilapia with a mixture of 3 spices to add some kick to it: cayenne pepper, ground cumin powder, and chili powder.
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