Meal Prep is a quick and easy way to have delicious homemade food every day, especially if you’re finding yourself picking away disinterestedly at a salad from the nearby eatery every day.
The key to The Busy Moms’ Cookbook is an effortless meal with minimal preparation and maximum flavor. You could make an entire meal ahead of time on the weekend, or only pre-cooking some ingredients – chopping veggies, steaming rice, and making sauces – to easily throw together an easy delicious work lunch on busy weekday mornings.
Either way, you’ll thank yourself when coming midday, you open your lunch box to a deliciously home-cooked meal that took up next to no time in your morning routine.
If you’re only a beginner in meal planning, here are my favorite easy-go-to meals (read: easy) make-ahead recipes, and you’ll be an expert in the art of meal prep in no time!
Breakfast recipes under 15 minutes
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Healthy Oatmeal
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup water or milk
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Maple Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1–2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- splash of milk (optional)
Apple Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped apples, cooked or raw
- sprinkle of cinnamon
Banana Nut
- 1/2 banana, sliced
- 2 Tablespoons walnuts, toasted
- 1/2 Tablespoon peanut butter
- 1/4 teaspoon chia seeds
Berry Almond
- 1/4 cup fresh berries
- 2 Tablespoons chopped almonds
- 1/2 Tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
Add ingredients to a pot: Add oats, water or milk, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla (if using) to a pot or saucepan over medium/high heat.
Cook: Bring mixture to a low boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes; stirring occasionally. Oatmeal is ready when the oats have soaked up most of the liquid and are creamy.
Serve with toppings: Transfer to a bowl and add toppings of choice. See flavor ideas below for maple brown sugar, apple cinnamon, banana nut, and berry almond.
- Lunch recipes under 30 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 0 mins
High Protein Turkey Salad
- 10 oz. (280g) cooked turkey breast, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 red onion, diced
- ½ cup (60g) dried cranberries, unsweetened
- ½ cup (70g) roasted almonds, chopped
- 4 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 4 tbsp. Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix until well combined.
Serve the salad immediately with salad leaves, in a wrap or sandwich. Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Dinner recipes under 60 minutes
- Serves: 4
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
CURRIED COD IN TOMATO SAUCE
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp. curry powder
- 2 tbsp. ginger, finely grated
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 x 14oz. (400g) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 x 14 oz. (400g) can chickpeas, drained
- 4 cod fillets (5 oz./140g each)
- zest 1 lemon, then cut into wedges
- handful fresh coriander, to serve
- salt and pepper
Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large pan. Use a pan that has a lid!
Cook the onion for 5 minutes, then stir in the curry powder, ginger and garlic. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Now, add in the tomatoes, chickpeas and season with salt and pepper.
Cook for 8-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add in the cod fillets and cover them with the sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5-10 minutes until the fish is cooked through.
Once cooked, sprinkle over the grated lemon zest and chopped coriander. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
*Swap for any protein of choice*
Serving suggestions:
- Rice
- Boiled potatoes