I don’t know about you, but I find planning weekly meals so overwhelming. First, you have to think about what you want for the week. Then there's always the “Do I have enough time to make this?” question. Which brings you back to the confusion you started the process with. But what if I told you that you could break this down quite easily with a little fast and healthy meal prep?
Fast and healthy meal prepping is the way to go when you have a busy schedule, but don’t want to eat out all of the time. It takes the stress off your shoulders! It’s easy. It’s fast. It’s healthy. What more could you ask for?! Here's how it works:
Step 1: Pick A Day
You've got to pick a day to prep. I always meal prep on Sunday because I can get all of my ingredients together. Also, the whole day is open, so I can have a little fun while I do it!
Step 2: Pick Your Protein
I am pescatarian, so I love an excellent salmon to end the day with. It’s loaded with vitamins and always sits well with me. Salmon is also incredibly easy to prepare and can be made a million different ways. I like to use garlic-scented olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning.
Step 3: Pick Your Veggies
I made mine with cherry tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, and carrots, and it was ah-mazing! However, you can use your favorite vegetables to add to this dish to personalize it for you.
Step 4: Make Your Meal
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. While the oven is preheating, place two large salmon filets in the center of a cooking tray. Add the garlic-scented olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning to the salmon.
3. Arrange your vegetables around the salmon, so it covers the entire dish. Make sure there is no grey space on the tray, or you’ll have pretty small meals for your week! Top your veggies with olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to add a little kick.
4. Once the oven is preheated, place the tray on the center rack and set a time for 15 minutes, or until the salmon is thoroughly cooked through.
5. When everything is cooked to your liking, pull the tray out of the oven, separate the veggies evenly into 4 microwave-safe containers, split the salmon fillets in half (now you’ll have four filets), and add them to the containers, too.
Step 5: Store and Eat!
After you've stored your creations, you can eat as you'd like. No more worrying about what you're going to eat for the week because it's already there when you get home. Even better? If you know you will be gone all day, then bring the meal with you!
It is as simple as that! Now you have four great home-cooked meals that are not only so easy to whip up, but also just as healthy!