Hi friends:) I don’t know why but this week has felt way more hectic than usual, and so I’ve been making overnight oats for the first time in a while- they’re SO helpful.
There was a time when I had overnight oats every single day for breakfast, and honestly I can see why😂 Actually I definitely used to go through breakfast “phases”, like for I would say almost a year I had Greek yogurt with a banana and peanut butter for breakfast every day; I had an overnight oat phase, last summer it was smoothie bowls and now I’m into some oats with Greek yogurt in the side. I do try and switch up my breakfasts more now though because there are so many delicious options and I want to get to eat them all😋
Anyways, overnight oats are super tasty and make the perfect grab and go breakfast. Usually I eat my breakfasts in the car, so with these I can just take em out of the fridge, bring a spoon and I’m good to go. I use this cute mason jar which had a wide top so I can get my spoon in there, and it fits in my school bag nicely after as well! I for sure recommend using a jar because it’s easy to grab and take with you in the mornings, but a small Tupperware container or even a bowl with plastic wrap over it will work too.
Pretty much all you’ve gotta do to make these delicious oaties is mix all of the ingredients in your container, and then let them sit overnight! For these blueberry and mango ones I started by mashing half of a banana in my jar. I then added my oats, some Greek yogurt, the mango and blueberries, and some almond milk. The mason jar lid got screwed on and I shook that baby so that everything got mixed together! The next morning I took my jar out of the fridge, added a few more fruits and some peanut butter, and I was good to go. You can save even more time by adding your toppings in the night before.
I absolutely LOVE the yogurt in these oats- it makes them so creamy and adds a ton of amazing protein. Then you’ve got those fruits, and the mashed banana for sweetness, and everything’s just👌. So good!
Hope you enjoy this easy and tasty recipe! Definitely going to be taking advantage of these more and coming up with some new great flavour combos🥰
Hey friends! I’ve already posted a great guide on How To Meal Prep The Perfect Lunch Bowl, but today I wanted to give you a few more tips on how to make eating during the week much easier.
While making lunch bowls is a super easy way to stay ahead, having these 5 ingredients always prepped and ready to go means that you’re, like, AHEAD. It makes it so easy to just throw some stuff into a bowl and go, without cooking each separate component every time you need to make your lunch. Some of these ingredients are great for a quick breakfast too!
Trust me, when eating well is this convenient, it’s almost too easy. In about 20-30 minutes, you can have almost all of these 5 versatile and healthy foods prepped and ready to go for the week. 20-30 minutes- FOR THE WHOLE WEEK. It’s just way less of a headache then having to remake the same things every day, and will definitely help you to fuel your body for all of the amazing things that you do when you’re on the go.
I love having these foods on hand, and there’s so much you can do with each and every one of them to keep things interesting! I’ll definitely be sure to list some recipes and ideas that you can try with them. here they are!
Quinoa
Making a big batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week allows you to make a variety of different bowls, salads, and stir-frys with ease! Quinoa takes 15 minutes to cook and contains all 9 essential amino acids, amazing it a complete source of protein, as well as a complex carb. It’s the perfect base for a lunch bowl, and is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. That’s right- I said breakfast! Mix some quinoa with fruit, almond milk or yogurt for a quick breakfast, like in these Cherry, Peach and Quinoa Breakfast Bowls. Hands down, quinoa is the most versatile ingredient on this list. Check out these great recipes you can make with pre-cooked quinoa!
Whether you make your own hummus or buy it at the store (no judgement here- there’s a great hummus that I love from Costco), having some in your fridge at all times is a great idea. It makes a delicious snack paired with crackers or veggies, or spread on toast. Plus, dolloped onto bowls and salads it’s SO GOOD- not to mention the amazing flavour it gives to sandwiches and wraps. Hummus brings any of your meals to life, especially your lunch bowls, and so it’s great to have some always ready to go! Here are some delicious hummus recipes- and some recipes that use hummus in delicious ways!
Gotta get that protein baby! Protein is super important for building muscle and filling you up, but it can be hard to fit into your diet. Having some boiled eggs prepped in the fridge means you can just grab some and go. Need breakfast? Good, grab a couple eggs. Making a lunch bowl? Add a couple eggs. Quick snack? Eggs! I know some of you might get tired of eggs quickly, so even prepping them just once every couple of weeks can keep them from becoming boring. I have one salad recipe where I use a nice soft boiled egg- but feel free to add an egg to any salad or bowl!
Roasted chickpeas are so crunchy and delicious, and are packed with protein and fibre! This makes them an amazing snack, and a super tasty addition to sandwiches, salads, bowls, and wraps. It only takes about 20 minutes to roast up some chickpeas, and there are a TON of delicious flavours out there! Here are some great roasted chickpea recipes- and a couple of recipes that highlight these crispy little legumes.
Fresh bananas are definitely a necessity for me, and I eat one almost every day at breakfast. But having a couple of frozen bananas in the fridge is a lifesaver- mainly for making smoothie bowls! Frozen banana gives your smoothies and smoothie bowls an amazing creamy texture and a perfect touch of sweetness. Even if you’re not a big fan of smoothies, you can still easily defrost a frozen banana and add it to oats, pancakes, or make some delicious banana bread. You can freeze your bananas peeled and halved like this, but I like to chop them up first, so that I can skip the hassle of trying to cut up a frozen banana! Here are my favourite frozen banana recipes.
I hope this list helps you out when planning ahead for your busy week! Making sure that you’re getting the kind of fuel your body needs is super important, and having these ingredients on hand will definitely make it a lot easier. As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out!
I love my eggs! I usually have a couple for either breakfast or lunch to get in that protein and all those amazing omega-3s. My preferred egg cooking methods are scrambling and boiling- but that can be a problem during busy mornings. And so I present you with these amazing Baked Egg Cups!
They’re cute little bites of breakfast goodness, and are super easy to take to-go! Just grab a couple of these on your way out the door along with some toast, and you’ve got a balanced and filling breakfasts. These would also be great in a bowl or salad, or wrap for meal prep! And of course, when you want a high protein snack, these egg cups have got your back.
Ok, so it’s the weekend and you are MEAL PREPPING because that’s how you roll. And while you’re whipping up a bunch of delicious food, why not throw these egg cups into the mix? Start by sauteeing some diced onion and black beans in a little olive oil, until those onions get soft and a little brown. Next you’re going to remove that from the heat and mix in some diced tomatoes, and scoop a little bit of this veggie mixture into each cup of some mini muffin tins! So cute:)) Fill the tins with some perfectly seasoned whisked egg and throw them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, and you’ve got yourself breakfast and snacks for the whole week!
These Baked Egg Cups are so tasty- those onions and tomatoes give a lot of flavour. Plus, those black beans add a bit more heartiness and some additional protein! Dipping these in salsa or making a breakfast burrito out of them would be so good!
You can store them in the fridge if you’re going to eat them all throughout the week, but you can also throw them in a Ziploc bag and freeze them for whenever you need! Just throw them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes before devouring.
Hopefully these lil egg cups help you with your breakfast meal prepping! Enjoy:)
-Cooking spray or a bit more olive oil to grease the muffin tins.
Directions
1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pan. Add in the onions and black beans, and cook until the onions are translucent and slightly browned, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the diced tomatoes. Spray two mini muffin tins lightly with the cooking spray, or grease each tin with some olive oil.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and season generously with salt and pepper.
5. Scoop about a 1/2 tbsp of the bean, onion and tomato mixture into each mini muffin cup. Cover the mixture with the beaten eggs, filling the mini muffin cups almost to the top.
6. Place the muffin tins in the oven and bake the egg cups for about 10-12 minutes, until they appear solid.
7. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely before eating or freezing.
Coming at you with another quick and easy lunch idea! This one uses cauliflower rice, which I’ve recently discovered and is pretty dang good! It also is loaded with veggies and includes some eggs to get in that protein.
There are so many options for a base when it comes to making “fried rice”- normal white rice, brown rice, and quinoa are all tasty options. But this cauliflower rice just lightens everything up while also being super delicious! The flavour of the cauliflower adds so much to the dish. In addition to that cauliflower, the rainbow of veggies in this speedy meal includes carrots, celery, red pepper, purple cabbage, and red onion. So good!
All of that yummy veg is sauteed first so that they have a chance to get nice and tender. Once they do, everything moves pretty quickly, so make sure you have your ingredients handy. The cauliflower rice gets added- I used some I had in the freezer- along with the eggs, and then everything is seasoned with salt and pepper. The cauliflower only needs to be sauteed for the amount of time it takes the eggs to cook, so that it doesn’t get super mushy, and is still rice like.
I seasoned this dish very simply with just some salt and pepper, to really let all of those beautiful veggies shine! It’s so tasty, fresh, healthy and delicious, and is perfect for meal prepping the night before school, as a quick dinner, or a simple lunch at home. I love the eggs in here because of the great protein they offer! However, if you want to veganize this dish, you can easily substitute for chickpeas or beans.
Hope you like this fast and tasty take on a simple dish!
-1 1/2 cups cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen (grate or process cauliflower florets)
-2 eggs
-Salt and pepper to state
Directions
1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pan. Add in the veggies, except for the cauliflower rice, and sautee until tender, about 6-8 minutes.
2. Add in the cauliflower rice and the eggs, and scramble the eggs with a wooden spoon as you stir the rice into the veggies. Continue to sautee until the eggs are cooked through.
Hey friends! I know that prepping lunches/dinners for school/work can be a STRUGGLE. I’ve been there, believe me. So today I’m sharing how to meal prep the perfect lunch bowl, to give you a bit of inspiration to make lunch the best part of the day again!
Packing lunches is difficult for a number of reasons. It could be that you have no idea what to make, or that you’re just lazy (I get you). It’s times like these when it’s the hardest hard to fit nutritious food into your diet. When you don’t feel like prepping food or are lost as to what to even pack, it’s easier to grab more processed snacks and faster, less nutrient dense options. So this is why lunches need to be
a) Exciting
b) Quick and Easy to Make
c) FREAKING DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS
Having a slew of super tasty lunch ideas available makes it way more likely that you’ll have the desire to meal prep, because you’ll know that your future self will be thanking you. And if said delicious ideas are fast and simple to prepare, even better! It won’t be a laborious chore to make sure that you’re nourished everyday. Which is, of course, the goal. To NOURISH YOUR BODY so that you can be the best version of yourself possible. You can’t do that if you’re consistently packing you’re not having a good lunch- whether you’re consistently packing a couple of chocolate bars and a bag of chips, or s few cucumber slices. I have a ton of great lunch options under School Lunches on my site, but keep reading for my perfect bowl formula.
Like I just said, you can’t pack a super tiny lunch full of junk food or just veggies and expect to feel satisfied. You need BALANCE people. BALANCE! And that’s what I love about these bowls. You get your veggies, your complex carbs (aka ones that will help keep you fuller longer), AND your protein (also fills you up), all in a neat little package that is customizable based on what you have, what you like, and what you feel like preparing. The point is, you get a delicious meal that is simple and easy to make. Which is the optimum recipe for meal prepping success!
Once you have these bowls made, feel free to add a little something extra on the side, whether that be more fruits and veggies, or a little treat. If you’re getting all of your required nutrients in to fuel you throughout the day, of course you can have a lil something sweet- check out my healthy desserts here. It keeps things interesting and satisfying.
Before I present you with this bowl building guide, let me assert this point- UTILIZE LEFTOVERS! Whether it’s some chicken from that night’s dinner, some quinoa you made a few days ago, or some random roasted veggies that you have in your fridge, leftovers of all kinds are welcome in these bowls and are a part of what makes them so quick and easy!
You’ll definitely notice the difference once you fuel up properly, as opposed to being unsatisfied with your lunch choices. And this is incentive should be enough to keep on meal prepping! I hope that this perfect bowl formula helps you out- it’s my go-to lunch almost every day! Let’s get into the very simple steps.
Step 1: Choose Your Complex Carbs
Carbs are IMPORTANT because they give you energy for the day ahead, and help you feel full! Don’t leave em out. What is also important, however, is making sure that you’re choosing whole grain and complex carbs that release energy more slowly and provide you with more nutrients than more quick to release, simple carbs. Think whole wheat bread instead of white bread, and brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice. But if you don’t have whole grain options on hand, don’t shy away from using carbs like white rice. You still need that energy, and carbs shouldn’t be something to be afraid of. Fill your tupperware to about a 1/4 full with your carb of choice! Some of my favourite complex carb ideas are:
Veggies are full of nutrients and are an essential part of these bowls! Both fresh and cooked options work great- or use a combination of the two. I always like to have a bunch of different veggies on hand in the fridge, ready to be used for such situations. Be sure to pick veggies that YOU LIKE- don’t force yourself to eat stuff you hate, because that is not sustainable. Fill your tupperware at least 1/2 full with veg- here are some ideas:
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Corn, peas, or other defrosted frozen veggies
Beets
Cauliflower
Zucchini
Carrots (I grate mine- game changer!)
Spinach
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Celery
Broccoli
Peppers
Olives
The list goes on and on!
Step 3: Pick Your Protein
Protein is vital- it helps keep you feeling fuller longer, and is necessary to build muscle tissue and for your body to function in general! When you think protein, you may just be thinking of your conventional sources- meat- which can be hard to include if you don’t have any ready to go. There are a TON of easy protein options out there though! Many of them can be prepped before hand, and a bunch of others are ready to go as is. These are some great healthy protein options to add to your bowl:
Boiled eggs (I love boiling a bunch at a time, and having them ready to use for the next few days)
Chicken, pork, or beef (including leftovers, or meat that you cook in a batch for meal prep)
Canned tuna (mix with some mashed avocado so it’s less dry)
Ok, so we’ve got carbs, veg, and protein, which, on their own, should taste pretty good. You can see that I added some more protein in the form of chickpeas to this bowl as well. But to make these bowls even better, be sure to add some healthy fats and flavour at the end! I’m talking homemade dressings, hummus, tzatziki, avocado, nuts and seeds, or simply some balsamic vinegar! Healthy fats are a necessary part of your diet, and make your lunches that much more satisfying. Try and stay away from store bought dips and dressings- they can be full of preservatives, sugars, and other not so nice ingredients! Some finishing touches I like to add to my bowls are:
Dips and dressings (see my favourite recipes here)
Hummus
Salsa
Vinegars (love my balsamic)
Avocado
Nuts
Seeds
There you have it- the perfect steps to make your meal prep dreams come true! There are so many combinations and that’s something that I love about this formula, but here are some flavour combo ideas if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed:
All of those combos sound amazing! Go ahead and get creative, and I promise that these steps will help you to create delicious, filling and nutritious lunches and keep you coming back for more.
My Day Is Booked 