Meal prep ideas

Slow cookers save my life with meal prepping! I can have 1 meal in the crockpot all day and by the time I get home that’s one less meal I have to cook.

-Pot roast: Beef Chuck roast, ranch packet, pot roast packet, carrots, potatoes and some broth for liquid. Low for 8hrs, shred and mix in a tbs cornstarch/arrowroot slurry
-Chicken tacos: Chicken breast, salsa. low for 8hrs, shred and serve on tortillas or lettuce cups with favorite toppings
-Lentil chili- Chili beans, kidney beans, veggie broth, rotel, diced tomatoes, spices, dried lentils. Low for 8hrs, serve with chili toppings
-BBQ pork chili: Pork loin/butt and onions for the first 6 hrs on low, add chili beans, rotel, diced tomatoes, bbq sauce, broth, spices and cook for another hr. Serve with chili toppings

I don't have a slow cooker, so I do all my meal prep on Sundays - planning, shopping, cooking, and portioning.

This week I made orange cranberry muffins for breakfast, a cheesey quinoa bake for lunch, apples & almonds for my snacks, and spinach & white bean soup for dinner. I don't mind eating the same thing every day, and these generally fall within my calorie goals.

Orange Cranberry Muffins:
1 cup cranberries
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp orange zest
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp baking powder

Mix dry and wet ingredients together separately, then add wet to dry & fold in. Spoon into lined muffin tin and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. This made me 18 muffins, ~ 200 cals/serving - serving size 2.

Cheesey Quinoa Bake:
3/4 cup quinoa (uncooked)
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 cup vegetables (any you like - I used a frozen mix)
1 cup shredded cheese (any you like - I used parm & cheddar)
Spices - Garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, etc. to taste

On the stove top, cook Quinoa according to directions on package. 3/4 cup uncooked translates to around 2 cups cooked. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Mix quinoa, vegetables, (most of the) cheese, egg mixture, and your desired spices together. Pour into a 9x9 casserole dish, and top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Makes 6 (large) servings, ~ 430 cals/serving.

Spinach and White Bean Soup:
4 cups vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
2 cups baby spinach (I used a whole bag, approx 4 cups)
1 cup uncooked pasta (I used macaroni)
1 can cannellini beans, drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
Spices - Dried basil, Bay leaves, dried thyme, paprika, garlic powder, etc. to taste

Cook the pasta, drain, and toss with a splash of olive oil. *
In a soup pot heat olive oil over medium, and cook diced onion & garlic until translucent. Add vegetable stock, cannellini beans, and spices. Boil for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat and remove bay leaves. Add spinach and simmer until wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve and add pasta to bowl. Makes 4 or more servings, ~300 cals/serving.

*I didn't want the pasta to get mushy by sitting in the soup for so long, so I made it separately and just add it to my bowl of soup to heat up each time I eat it. Not necessary lol, you can just make it in the soup broth instead.