I’ve been wanting to write this post for a while now and it feels good to finally hit publish. Meal prep is by far one of the most requested topics and rightfully so. Food is hard. Meal prep ‘aint easy. Cooking for someone other than yourself while still trying to stay on top of your goals can be challenging. Believe me, I get it. All of it. And that’s why I wanted to write this post.
You don’t have to spend all of your coins and whip up super fancy meals to eat a healthy & delicious diet. Our menu varies week to week but the format is usually the same. Not including breakfast (sometimes we eat at home and sometimes we grab on the go), I prep 3-4 meals at about 4 servings each and that’s enough food for Brandon and me to have lunch & dinner for about 4-5 days depending on how often we order takeout.
Five days call for 20 servings of lunch and dinner total. One meal = 4 servings. Four meals = 16 servings out of twenty. That leaves 2 meals or 4 servings unaccounted for so you can opt for takeout or eating at a restaurant.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to prep breakfast, lunch and dinner for two people Monday through Friday. For weekends, if you have leftovers spread them into Saturday/Sunday or feel free to treat yourself, order takeout or whip up your favorite meal. Two meals (a lunch and a dinner) are flexible options for takeout or date night. If you’re planning to strictly eat at home, you can double one of the recipes so it stretches for those additional meals.
Let’s dig in!
The Grocery List
Note: I purchased this week’s groceries from Kroger. Every now and then I’ll “splurge” on groceries from Whole Foods/Sprouts but it’s usually just for specialty items. I live for stores like Kroger or Trader Joes for more budget friendly items that are still high quality.
Protein
- Rotisserie chicken (one full chicken)
- Ground beef (32 oz)
Pantry
- Taco seasoning (1 packet)
- Pasta of choice (1 box, I prefer chickpea or lentil pasta for a punch of protein
- Jar of pasta sauce (choose one with no added sugar – I love Rao’s)
- Gluten-free oats
Produce
- Bananas (5-6)
- Salad mix (2 bags)
- Bag of mini sweet peppers
- Pack of cherry tomatoes
- Sweet potatoes (6)
- Broccolini or broccoli (equivalent to about 8 cups or 2 bags of broccoli)
- Cilantro
Dairy
- Nut milk or milk of choice
- Shredded Mexican cheese (1 bag)
Other items you’ll need but you likely have at home: olive oil + white vinegar or apple cider vinegar + chocolate or vanilla protein powder + honey + cinnamon + salt + pepper + crushed red pepper + seasonings of choice
Meals & Recipes
Oatmeal
1 cup oats or gluten free oats
2 cups water
1 banana
Cinnamon + 2 tsb honey
Directions: cook oats + water for 2 minutes or per package directions in a microwave or stovetop. Top with sliced banana, cinnamon and honey.
Makes 2 servings.
Protein Smoothie
2 scoops protein powder
2 cup nut milk
1 banana
1/2 cup oats
Directions: blend all ingredients with ice until smooth.
Makes 2 servings.
Burger with Sweet Potato Fries & Broccoli
16 oz lean ground beef
2 sweet potatoes, sliced into “fries”
4 cups broccolini or broccoli
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sliced sweet potatoes and broccoli with olive oil and seasoning (I like salt, pepper and crushed red pepper). Roast (on separate sheet pans) in oven for 20 minutes or until crispy.
- Season ground beef to taste and shape into four patties. Grill or cook on stovetop to desired temperature.
- Serve with condiments of choice. You can also add a bun or lettuce wrap!
Makes 4 servings.
Veggie Pasta
Box of pasta, cooked per package directions
2 cups jarred pasta sauce
4 cups broccoli
Directions:
- Toss broccoli with olive oil and seasonings. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until crispy.
- Combine cooked pasta with roasted veggies and pasta sauce.
- Feel free to top with parmesan cheese or protein of choice! (if using a protein packed pasta like Banza chickpea pasta or Barilla protein, you can keep this meal plant-based)
Makes 4 servings.
Taco Salad
16 oz lean ground beef
Taco seasoning
Bagged salad mix (one bag)
Mini bell peppers
Tomatoes
Cilantro
Olive oil
White vinegar
Directions:
- Season ground beef and cook on stovetop until brown. Stir in taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water. Reduce heat and cook on medium heat until sauce thickens.
- Chop up mini bell peppers and tomatoes. Toss with salad mix.
- To make dressing: combine 1 bunch cilantro with 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup vinegar in a blender. Add lime juice or jalapeño for an added kick.
- I store the ground beef separately from the salad mix and salad dressing (3 separate containers).
- Assemble salads as you are ready to eat them throughout the week by adding 1/4 of the taco beef (warmed up) with 1/4 of the salad mix and 2 tbs of the salad dressing.
- Top with shredded cheese and enjoy!
Makes 4 servings.
Rotisserie Chicken with Sweet Potato & Salad
Rotisserie chicken
4 Sweet potatoes
Bagged salad mix (one bag)
Directions:
- Poke holes in each sweet potato with a fork. Bake in an oven at 425 degrees for 50 minutes or until tender.
- Cut rotisserie chicken into pieces or shred chicken.
- Serve 4-6oz chicken with one baked potato and 1-2 cups of salad mix or veggies of choice.
Makes 4 servings.
Sample Menu
Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Rotisserie Chicken with Baked Sweet Potato & Salad
Dinner: Taco Salad
Tuesday
Breakfast: Protein Smoothie
Lunch: Veggie Pasta
Dinner: Burger & Sweet Potato Fries & Broccoli
Wednesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Rotisserie Chicken with Baked Sweet Potato & Salad
Dinner: Taco Salad
Thursday
Breakfast: Protein Smoothie
Lunch: Takeout
Dinner: Burger & Sweet Potato Fries & Broccoli
Friday
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Veggie Pasta
Dinner: Date night out
