Easy Peasy, Healthy Meal Prep Ideas To Simplify Your Life

A lot of people dread the idea of meal prep and planning despite knowing how beneficial it is to stay on track with healthy, clean eating. If preparing quick healthy meals just seems too hard basket while juggling duties as Mummy CEO, I encourage you to have a read of this. These super simple tips, and with a little planning ahead, I promise you’ll rethink meal prep and planning altogether and be blown away by how easy it can really be!

MEAL PLANNING | Easy Peasy Healthy Meal Prep Ideas To Simplify Your Life | Eat Nourish Glow

There are so many ways to meal prep and planning — not all of which involve spending a whole Sunday afternoon cooking dishes for the week to come. When I help my clients learn to meal prep, I teach them how to always start off simply. You can honestly make some of the most nourishing meals within a matter of minutes that will feed you all week if you practice a few basic principles. The perks of meal prep and planning far out weigh a few extra minutes here and there to prepare wholefood meals for the coming week (s). Here's how you can get started...

Get In The Habit Of Meal Planning

MEAL PLANNING | Get In The Habit Of Thinking Ahead | Eat Nourish Glow

At some point you will be over the stove making dinner, stir frying or baking for this kids. So, why not double or triple batch? This is by far the easiest way to ease into meal prep and planning. Simply cook double the amount of brown rice or quinoa you need for Asian stir fry. Triple the pasta and make enough to free for next week or beyond. You are investing the time in stirring the pot anyway; getting into the meal prep habit is excellent time management when you double or triple recipes.

When you meal prep and plan ahead like this, cooking double or triple the amount, you end up saving money and time. Look for specials and buy the ingredients in bulk so you make a few meals from one base recipe. Bulk cook similar meals that all use the same ingredients to make fast work of preparing nourishing, wholefood meals for the week.

The Secret Is To Batch Cook

Batch cooking, I touched on this above, and this definitely something my clients get to learn all about. Many people resist making the time for meal planning, but once you give it a go and stuck with it consistently, it makes everything so much easier and less stressful. And you'll find you save money too!

Do you ever dread the days that you have no idea what is for dinner? Usually it leads to less-than-ideal food choices like whatever if convenient or takeaway. Preparing meals at home might seem like it takes more time initially, but when you double or triple the recipe, you can cook once and then eat 2 or 3 times during the week without a worry. From freezer to table in mere minutes, and very little mess to clean up.

Batch cooking your meals and little planning ahead totally alleviates the problem of what's for dinner. You can bake savory muffins or chicken while roasting your veggies at the same time. Stir a big pot of pasta while whisking chia pudding for desserts and breakfast parfaits. Once you start, you'll find you get things done much faster. And if you need someone doing all the meal planning for you… work with me to achieve your health goals through a 4 week completely done-for-you meal plan.

Learn To Love Mason Jars

MEAL PLANNING | Learn To Love Eco-Friendly Mason Jars For Meal Prep | Eat Nourish Glow

I absolutely love glass mason jars! First of all, they look super stylish as a serving pot (I know, I love pretty things too) but they are also very practical. Mason jars are typically used for jams, preserves and such, but they are cheap, most are microwave safe and perfect for storing overnight oats, chia pudding, smoothies and superfood salads. I get mine from Kmart for mere pennies (but long term, they don't seem to be as durable as ones you'll find at the kitchen shops, so shop around).

If I am doing up a big cook up or batch cooking, I'll use little these reusable chalk label stickers I found to label my mason jars and other meal prep containers. All I do is jot down the jar's contents with the chalk pen, peel the labels off the backing and press onto the surface. Super easy peasy, and they look stylish too!

Make The Perfect Mason Salad Jar

Its super easy. Just add your oil and vinegar dressing or the wettest ingredients to the bottom. Then build to the top with the hard, crunch items next and layering up to the more delicate ingredients. Always add your lettuce or green leaves at the top so they don't become soggy overnight. Chill in the fridge overnight and grab as you go the next day!

MASON JAR RECIPES: find all kinds of fresh and delicious mason jar recipes here.

Another reason I love mason jars so much is because you can easily see what’s inside. This is fabulous for presentation when you make up salad jars or breakfast parfaits for friends or family. Glass is also safer. It can be used in microwaves, won’t alter the taste of food if it is stored in there for a few days. Unlike plastic containers, glass containers won’t release any chemicals when heated to hot temperature like plastic. Clean up and sterilisation is also a cinch in the dishwasher!

Don’t Meal Prep Too Many Meals At Once

Once you start meal prep and plan, it can be hard to stop. I kid you not. However, I recommend you only meal prep 3-5 days worth of fresh food, if it'll be stored in the fridge. Many meals once prepared, won’t last more than 2-3 days in the fridge, so make sure you freeze the rest. Things like pasta bakes, curries, soups, and simmer sauce meals freeze really well, so keep one or two out for the next few days and freeze the rest immediately.

When you need something, I recommend that you take your frozen meals from the freezer the night before you plan to eat it and let it defrost in the fridge. This avoids any food safe issues. Just reheat at dinner time. Too easy.

My Top Healthy Meal Prep Recipes

Lastly, an article on the value of meal prep wouldn't be complete with you, you guessed it, recipes! The following meal prep and plan ideas are super quick and are perfect for beginner meal preppers to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Let's tuck in...

Super Fast & Convenient Smoothies

MEAL PLANNING | Super Fast & Convenient Smoothie | by Eat Nourish Glow

There is good reason why smoothies are so popular and perfect for meal prep and planning. Smoothie provide a fast and easy wholefood meal with a well-balanced serving of essential nutrients and macros. A handful of this and that in the blender, makes quick work of breakfast or lunch when you're on the go or rushed in the mornings.

MY BASIC SMOOTHIE RECIPE

Ingredients

• 250ml milk (I use oat or almond, unsweetened)

• 1/2 banana (frozen is best and creates a creamy texture)

• 1-2 scoop of protein powder (I use @AussieBodies 'Nourish" which is dairy-free)

• 1-2 tsp chia seeds (these provide trace minerals and heaps of fibre)

You can add just about anything else to this base including fresh or frozen fruit, greens, veggies (yes I said veggies. I use raw cauliflower, cooked sweet potato and raw broccoli to name a few). Blitz on high in a Nutri-Bullet and enjoy over ice or as a smoothie bowl.

Super Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Try these super easy and fast recipe ideas for quick breakfasts that provide a nourishing kick of high-fibre, protein and healthy carbs to start your mornings.

• Chia Seed Pudding with toppings such as granola, fruit, nuts and seeds.

• Egg Muffins or Quiche made with tomatoes, onion, feta, spinach, and deli meats.

• Overnight Oats & Fruit topped with coconut flakes, seeds, and crushed nuts.

• Superfood Smoothies made with a balance of high-fibre fruit, veggies, lean protein.

• Lettuce Breakfast Wraps using low carb greens, onions, cheeses and leftover meats.

• Yogurt & Fruit Parfaits topped with homemade compote, chopped fruit and granola.

• Brekkie Toasties with Eggs, Avo & Greens (any which way)on high fibre or gluten-free bread.

These are just a few wholefood recipes to try your hand at meal prep. In many cases, you'll be able to batch cook the recipes and have breakfast sorted for later in the week.

Wholefood Lunch Meal Ideas

MEAL PLANNING | Low Carb Lettuce Cups Make A Great Wholefood Choice | by Eat Nourish Glow

Try these super easy and fast recipe ideas for quick lunches suitable for those counting calories or hoping to lose weight.

• Quinoa or Brown Rice Salad Bowl made with leftovers on a bed of rice and greens.

• Papaya Boats stuffed with yogurt, fresh fruits, nuts and seeds.

• Superfood Salad Wraps or Lettuce Cups (picture above) stuffed with all kinds of veggies.

• Rice/Corn Cakes topped with eggs, smashed avocado, or nut butter and crushed fruit.

• Vietnamese Rolls using a rainbow of veggies, with egg, prawns, tofu or leftover meats.

• Gourmet Salad Mason Jars filled with greens, hard boiled egg, rice, and chopped veggies.

• Detox Superfood & Green Juices

You can also use up your leftovers for lunches by mixing up the ingredients, adding them to a warm or cold salad, or as a low carb wrap filling.

Wholefood Dinner Meal Ideas

MEAL PLANNING | Spinach Quinoa & Feta Salad Recipe by Eat Nourish Glow

Get a little creative for dinner with these delicious and tasty wholefood recipes:

• Buddha Bowls & Roasted Veggies make sensational meals and are high in fibre.

• Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza and topped with all your favourites. Guiltless pizza!

• Food Platters stuffed with heaps of fresh veggies, fruits, mixed nuts and seeds.

• Vegan Soft Tacos Or Burritos filled with your favourite Mexican fillings.

• Stuffed Sweet Potato Boats are high in fibre and densely nutritious.

• Raw Veggie Vietnamese Rolls (if you didn't try them at lunch).

• Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry using veggies to spiral "noodles" instead of pasta.

All of these recipes are nutritionally dense but lower in carbs and ideal for lunch or an evening meal menu.

Healthy Wholefood Snack Ideas

Snacking can make the difference between binging on unhealthy foods and rebalancing your blood sugar naturally without a hit of caffeine or sugar. AS a general rule choose snacks that are small in portion (palm size or smaller), and are wholefoods and protein-based for the best results.

• raw cacao & avocado pudding made with avocados, raw cacao and milk.

• celery sticks & hummus, but you can also do this with other veggies.

• carrot sticks & beetroot hummus

• cucumber "biscuits" & dip using cucumber slices for a low carb biscuit.

• 10 almonds & 1/2 green apple (be strict on the almond serving for this one.)

• apple rings & nut butter are one of my personal favourites.

• 2 pieces cheese & pear slices

• 10 walnuts & 1/3 cup blueberries (be strict on the walnut serving for this one.)

• Greek Yoghurt Fruit Bites

• 1/4 cup cottage cheese & handful of blueberries

• Protein Bars & Protein Balls

• Infused Water & Chia Fresca

• Homemade Frozen Bites

Meal prep and planning can be such a lifesaver, especially if you have a very busy schedule but you still want to eat healthy food. Just try it for a week and you will see a big change in your health and in your wallet!

Find More On Pinterest

Do you Pin? 📌

I have an entire Pinterest board devoted to meal prep and planning,  filled with easy, healthy recipes to help you nourish and simplify healthy eating. Whether you're looking for quick lunch ideas or make-ahead dinners, you'll find plenty of inspiration. Head over now to browse and save your favourite pins to kick-start your meal planning journey

Healthy + happiness,

Emma Lisa xx

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