Quick & Easy Recipes to Meal Prep Like a Pro

Do you ever struggle with what to make for dinner? Your kids are complaining about leftovers, and with summer activities and sports practices, you don’t have time to prep dinner. Sound familiar? Stress no more! Here are some tips and recipes on how to meal prep for you and your entire family.

Meals in Bowls

When you think of a meal in a bowl, I hope you don’t think of only salad. Meals in bowls are a quick and easy way to eat nutrient-dense, tasty meals. They are also great for prepping ahead and then stretching the ingredients to other recipes as well.

To create a meal in a bowl, you’ll want to choose ingredients from each of the following categories:

• Beans
• Vegetables or non-sweet fruit
• Grains or pasta
• Greens
• Fresh Herbs/Spices

Then, you will top off this delicious meal with a condiment/dressing of your choice.

Foods From Each Category

Beans	Grains/Pasta	Vegetables	Greens	Herbs/Spices	Condiments/Dressing
Red White Kidney Cannellini Lentils	Quinoa Barley Buckwheat Farro Wild Rice	Artichokes Broccoli Cauliflower Hearts of Palm Mushrooms Sugar Snap Peas	Bok Choy Kale Spinach Cabbage Collards Arugula Butter Lettuce	Basil Cilantro Dill Mint Parsley	Pesto Pickles Salsa Tapenade
Green Beans Lima Split Peas	GF Pasta Whole Grain Rice Noodles	Non-Sweet Fruit Avocado Bell Peppers Cucumber Zucchini	Sprouts Alfalfa Pea Shoots Sunflower	Chives Chilies Flax Meal Garlic Nutritional Yeast Nuts & Seeds	Creamy Dressings Vinegar-based Dressings

When selecting from each category, it is great to consider the season and availability of the ingredients.

Tip: For picky eaters, leave off the dressing and condiments. Or choose the opposite route and provide a couple of options such as a mild salsa and plain hummus.

This may seem like a lot of food to have on hand and prepped ahead of time, so you can think of it in a couple of different ways.

First, the salad bar – all the foods that you would select at the salad bar combined together, then topped with your preferred dressing of choice.

Or, you can think of it as a themed meal. Make the bowl a Mexican burrito bowl or another great flavor option is Thai.

One of my favorite local restaurants to eat at is Laughing Planet. They have some of the best bowls – for both variation and taste.

If I don’t have time to plan a meal, and I am out and about with the family, Laughing Planet is where I stop for food that will cater to everyone’s taste. Bonus that everything is reasonably priced! If you haven’t been, try their Comfort Bowl. I swear something about olives makes this bowl live up to its name! 

Wholesome Bowl (My variation of the Comfort Bowl)

All ingredients are per person, so if you have 2 people – double the recipe, 3 people – triple the recipe, and so on.

Ingredients:

•  ¼ cup Salsa Verde (or preferred salsa)
• 2 tbsp Cashew Sour Cream (see recipe below)
• 1 tbsp Sliced Black Olives
• 2 tbsp Freshly chopped Cilantro
• 3/4-1 cup Cooked Brown Rice
•  ¼ – ⅓ cup Black Beans
• ½ of an Avocado

Instructions:

1. For brown rice, rather than using water, cook using vegetable stock for enhanced flavor.
2. To assemble the bowls, spoon about 1 cup of rice onto the bottom of each bowl. Next, add a scoop black beans onto the side of the rice. Then pour a spoonful of the salsa verde over the rice and beans.
3. Slice avocado lengthwise and scoop out of the skin. Place a few slices onto the side of each bowl.
4. Top each bowl with a heaping spoonful of cashew sour cream, some black olives, and fresh cilantro.

Build Your Own Burger

‘Burgers’ catch flack because they are often thought of as fast food or BBQ friendly foods. Instead, create your own burger by again choosing one ingredient from each category.

This allows the burger to be filled with nutrients and satisfying for all members of the family.

What’s even better is that you can freeze the pre-made patties and pull them out on those busy days when you didn’t have time to prep a meal.

Ingredients:

Grains	Legumes, Nuts & Seeds	Vegetables	Binder	Fresh Herbs/Spices & Toppings
Quinoa Barley Buckwheat Farro Wild Rice	Red Beans White Beans Green Beans Black Beans Garbanzo Beans	Asparagus Broccoli Hearts of Palm Mushrooms Cauliflower (roasted lightly steamed or raw)	Cooked Grains Mashed Potato Riced Sweet Potato Yam Mashed Beans Oatmeal Tofu (blended) Flours and Starches (in small amounts)	Basil Cilantro Parsley Garlic Ginger Green Onions Ground Flax Meal Nutritional Yeast Nuts & Seeds Tamari Vinegar Hot Sauce
	Lentils Nuts Seeds (all types)	Non-sweet fruits Avocado Bell Peppers Cucumber Zucchini

Prep Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (F).
2. Combine your grain, legumes/nuts/seeds, and vegetables. Mix well. Add your binder and combine until you can form a patty from the mixture. Mix in herbs/seasonings.
3. Form patties and place them on non-stick sheets or well-oiled pans. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the patties are a bit crisp around the edges.
4. Remove from the oven and flip. Continue to bake for another 8-12 minutes, or until the center of the patty feels firm.
5. Cool any leftover patties to room temperature. Place a piece of parchment paper in between each one, and freeze. To reheat, simply pop in the toaster or oven.

One of my favorite burger recipes is a Mushroom Black Bean-Quinoa Burger. The versatility of the recipe makes for great “meatballs” and even burrito filling!

Mushroom Black Bean-Quinoa Burger

Ingredients:

• 1 Onion, minced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 12 Shiitake Mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 12 Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup cooked Red Quinoa
• 1 cup cooked Black Beans
• ½ cup Rolled Oats
• 1 tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• ½ tsp Paprika (smoked or regular)
• 3 tbsp ground Flax Meal

Instructions:

1. First prep all ingredients. Tip: I mention below that it is best to gather ingredients and prep them on the weekend, that way they are ready to go when you need a meal during the week. (The amount of chili powder needed will depend on how spicy you like your food. This can also be omitted.)
2. Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, dry-saute the onions until golden and translucent, adding a touch of water to the pan as needed. This keeps the onions and pan from burning.
3. Next, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms. Let cook for 5 minutes, or until all of the moisture has cooked out of the mushrooms.
4. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a food processor. Add the quinoa, black beans, oats, spices and flax meal. Pulse the mixture a few times. Be sure not to over pulse the mixture. The mixture should be coarse/chunky but still, hold together. Taste the mixture for seasoning, and adjust for taste.
5. Over should be preheated to 400 degrees F, per the instructions above. Form the mixture into patties. Try to make the burgers as even in shape as possible. Tip: Use the top of a drinking glass to make the burgers into round patties.
6. Bake patties in the oven for 10 minutes on each side. Burger patties can also be cooked on a hot grill or barbecue!

These burgers are great topped with sliced red onions, sprouts, butter lettuce, tomatoes, Dijon mustard, cashew sour cream, hummus, peanut sauce or your favorite sauce of choice!

Recipes from the Past…Made Healthy

I don’t know about you, but growing up I remember tuna salad being a staple in my house and many of my friends. To be honest, I don’t even remember whether I ate it, yet it was often around.

For some people, they either love or hate it. When I learned about this recipe through a cooking course, let’s just say I didn’t have high expectations.

Yet, now it is one of my go-to food prep recipes because it’s simple, tasty, and by omitting an ingredient or two, can be made toddler approved!

Tuna-less Tuna Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked Garbanzo Beans
• 2-3 tbsp Red Onion (optional, I omit this for toddler approved version)
• 2-3 Celery stalks (about ½ cup)
• 2-3 Pickles (about ¼ cup)
• 2 tbsp Nori Seaweed flakes
• ½ cup Cashew Sour Cream
• 1 tsp Sea Salt (optional, to taste)
• ½ tsp ground Black Pepper

Instructions:

1. Since this recipe is shared in hopes of simplifying food prep, it is easier to use two smaller cans (or one large 28oz can) of garbanzo beans, rather than cooking your own. The convenience is up to you. If using canned, drain and place the beans into a large bowl.
2. Using a potato masher, or large fork, mash the beans to break them up.
3. Next, finely dice the onion, celery, pickle and add them to the beans. Add the nori flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. (If you cannot find nori flakes, you can grind up one or two sheets of nori. Personally, I tear it up by hand.)
4. Lastly, add the Cashew Sour Cream. Mix to combine, and taste for seasoning.

Cashew Sour Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw Cashews
• ¼ tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• ½ – ¾ cup Water, or as needed
• 1 ½ tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Instructions:

1. Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for a few hours, or overnight. Tip: If you forget to soak ahead of time, you can pour boiling water over cashews and soak for 15-20 mins or as long as possible, before using them in recipes.
2. Drain and rinse the cashews. Blend together the cashews, water, ACV, and lemon juice until you reach a smooth consistency.
3. Add more water until you reach the desired thickness. You’ll want a cream-like, but smooth consistency.

This can be used as sour cream in other recipes as well.

Meal Prep Tip

Rather than waiting until the day that you plan to cook/prep a meal, set aside a day/time on the weekend to gather and prep all ingredients that you will use throughout the week.

For storage, use tight seal containers so that sauces/marinades and beans/rice last longer.

Strawberry-Banana Overnight Oats

Another recipe from the past that should no longer remain plain and boring is oatmeal. I love overnight oats for its flavor options and ease.

Who doesn’t wake up in the morning and dread having the same thing for breakfast? Or the kids complain because they are out of cereal?

If I am the only one, just humor me! My solution? I make a big batch of overnight oats.

There are a couple of different ways to make overnight oats. The traditional way is to soak oats in milk (I prefer plant-based milk), and add toppings to achieve the desired flavor.

How simple is that?! Another way that I prepare them is by first cooking the oats, but if oatmeal is something you wouldn’t typically prepare in the morning, then choose the first method.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe Banana, mashed
• 2 tbsp Chia Seeds
• ½ cup GF rolled oats
• ¾ cup Cashew Milk
• ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)
• ¼ cup chopped Strawberries

Instructions:

1. Mash banana in a small bowl until almost smooth. Add chia seeds and combine well.
2. Stir in rolled oats, cashew milk, and vanilla. Move to a storage container, cover and refrigerate overnight. Tip: I separate the mixture into mason jars for individual servings.
3. Before consuming, stir oat mixture and add chopped strawberries. If consistency is runny you can add in more fruit or chia seeds to thicken it up. If consistency is too thick, add more cashew milk and stir to combine.

This is just one variation of overnight oats, some suggested toppings are listed below:

• Granola
• Yogurt
• Fresh fruit
• Sweetener (exchange for mashed banana)
• Coconut (shredded flakes)
• Cinnamon
• Nuts/Seeds
• Nut Butters (this will thicken the oats up requiring more milk to be added)

Meal Prep Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful

As you can see meal prep doesn’t have to be stressful, yet it does require some planning. The meal prep recipes included here are great because they can be changed to cater to any and everyone’s taste buds. Some key tips to remember are:

Provide options.

Meals can be drastically changed by leaving off a dressing or offering two types of beans or veggies.

Set aside time to prep.

Choose a day during the week or on the weekend when you have some time to chop veggies, and mix sauces. This will eliminate the time it takes to prepare the recipe when you are in need of a quick meal.

Storage Containers.

Have storage containers that are convenient for both storing ingredients, as well as individual servings of the prepared meal.

• Glass Meal Prep Storage
• Dishwasher Safe Bento Boxes

This allows older kids to prep their own meals when ingredients are readily available. I love these bowls for storage and serving.

What are your favorite recipes to meal prep? Check out some other quick and easy dinner recipes that your family will love!