Meal Prep Ideas: August Week 2
Another glorious round of meal prep ideas! This week's inspiration was my grocery budget.
huh?
Yup. My budget. I have not been paying very close attention and then I did and I was pretty shocked at how much my food bill was each month. Granted, I'm a food blogger / nutrition blogger so buying food is part of the job, but I want what I share to be realistic for most people.
So I decided to stick to a budget of $60 a week. I still think for 1 person that it's pretty high. I mean, I once had to make a 7-day meal plan for a family of four.
It had to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
It had to be less than $90. For a family of 4! So since that was doable (a total b*tch but I did it) I could DEFINITELY manage a generous $60 food bill.
I use my meal plans for inspiration so this week there was a frittata, a kale salad, a blueberry chia seed pudding. I customized the plan to my preferences, which is why I love them, but anywhoo! Let's get to the good stuff!
1) Overnight Oats with Flaxseeds and Fresh Blueberries, Spinach Frittata
To make the frittata I used 2 eggs and 4 egg whites, onions, spinach, and pea-protein milk. I whisked all of the ingredients and poured the mix into a lightly greased, medium sized pan. I cooked them until it was set on the sides but a little jiggly in the middle.
Then I stuck it under a broiler on high for 2 minutes.
To make overnight oats my method is to pour 1/2 cup of oats into a mason jar or a bowl (like above) add 1 cup of liquid, 1/2 -1 Tbsp of chia seeds and stir. I top it with flaxseeds and blueberries, or whatever else I have on hand.
2) Shmorgasboard Snack Plate: Blueberries, Carrots, and Mixed Nuts
Pretty self explanatory here ;-). Perfect snack time noshes! Also the second but not the last time blueberries make an appearance.
3) Sauteed Kale & Bell Pepper Salad, Tuna, and Mediterranean Cauliflower Salad.
Kale & Bell Pepper Salad Recipe: Ingredients
Kale
1/2 red onion
1 red bell peppers
garlic powder, to taste
First saute' the onions in olive oil, then add the peppers and kale. It's done when the kale is dark green and tender. Sprinkle on the garlic powder and it's good to go!
Mediterranean Cauliflower Salad Recipe:
1 bag riced cauliflower
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 Tbsp capers
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
I add all of this to a pan and cook for 10 minutes. Tastes great warm or cold!
4) Red Lentils & Garden Salad
I followed a recipe on the back of the Red Lentils package! I made a few changes though, so I'll share what I did.
Red Lentils Recipe:
1 cup split red lentils
2 1/4 cups butternut squash soup
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp TJ's 21 Seasoning
salt to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Heat oil in pan, add lentils, toss to coat, about 1 minute. Add butternut squash soup and seasoning. Cover with a lid and simmer low heat until tender and the liquid is almost absorbed, about 12 minutes.
Eat as is with a side or add your favorite toppings!
1/4 cups dry lentils has 13 grams of protein so 1/4 of the recipe will have 13 grams of protein.
5) Post Workout Blueberry Smoothie Bowl
Toppings : Roasted sweet potatoes, hemp seeds, and hemp seeds.
I wanted this to be a hearty bowl. After a killer Meta Circuit class at Fitness in the City, I really wanted more nutrition to repair my muscles.
1/2 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup wild blueberries, 1 cup of ice, 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein and blend!
Top with these 3 toppings for extra carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats. Or chose your own!
6) Turmeric Almond milk "Latte" with Sleepy Time Vanilla Tea
Such a soothing cup of tea after a long Monday.
I made this with:
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup warmed unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 bag of Sleepy Time Vanilla Tea
1/4 tsp of Turmeric
Stir it all together and sip away :)
I made a few extra items in this batch of meal prep like Tempeh, frozen mixed veggies and green beans but those were basically just heat n serve. Frozen veggies are the best processed food ever!
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