4 Easy & Healthy Meal Preps to Help Your Hectic Work Week

by Karishma Sharma – Follow @kaysharmaa

It’s Sunday night and you’re on the couch, thinking about the week that is about to start. “Damn, I should’ve meal prepped.” Well, guess what? It’s not too late! If you can carve out a quick 20 minutes or so for these meal prep recipes, your week will go so much smoother. No more running out of work to wait in lines and spend $15 on a make-your-own salad.

Try these four meal prep recipes – because Fridays are for a lunch out – and let me know what you think! **All recipes listed will have a vegetarian hack.**

1) Chinese Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

  • 8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • Cumin
  • 10 tablespoons of Sriracha
  • 20 tablespoons of Soy Sauce
  • ½ container Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce
  • Mixed vegetables of your choice (I use broccoli, snow peas, carrots, and onions) *If frozen, 3 bags, if fresh, 4 cups of vegetables.

Steps:

  • Cut chicken breasts into cubes. (2 per meal.) Heat a skillet to medium heat and add some oil to it, followed by the chicken. Season with recommended ingredients, adding enough sauce so that there is a saucy texture.
  • After the chicken is halfway cooked, add in vegetables and more soy sauce and sriracha.
  • Let cook for another 10 minutes and then separate into containers and serve.

Nutritional Info:

480 Calories Total

  • Chicken Breasts – 240 calories (for two)
  • Sriracha – 20 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Soy Sauce – 70 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Kikkoman Sauce – 100 Calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Vegetables – 50 calories (roughly, per meal)

*Vegetarian Hack: Replace Chicken w/ Tofu.

[Read Related: The ‘Fitspiration’ Trend: Toxic or Motivational?]

2) Mexican Burrito Bowls

Ingredients:

  • 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 1 packet Taco Seasoning
  • 1 jar of Salsa
  • 2 Onions
  • 3 Peppers
  • 1 can of Corn
  • 1 microwavable bag of Brown Rice
  • 1 can of Black Beans

Steps:

  • Cut chicken breasts into cubes. (one-half per meal.) Heat a skillet to medium heat and add some oil to it, followed by the chicken. Season with taco seasoning.
  • After the chicken is halfway cooked, add in cut vegetables (peppers and onions) and more taco seasoning.
  • Microwave corn and black beans, for 3 minutes each.
  • Microwave brown rice as instructed by packet.
  • Combine all ingredients into bowls and top with salsa. Option to add guacamole/avocado.

Nutritional Info:

405 Calories Total

  • Chicken Breasts – 60 calories (for two)
  • Taco Seasoning – 20 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Onion – 50 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Peppers – 25 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Brown Rice – 100 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Black Beans- 120 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Corn – 30 calories (roughly, per meal)

*Vegetarian Hack: Make without chicken

3) Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles)

Ingredients:

  • 4 10.5 oz. boxes of zoodles
  • 1 jar Traditional Pasta Sauce
  • 1 box Mushrooms
  • 2 Onions
  • Crushed red pepper
  • Basil
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Parmesan Cheese

Steps:

  • Heat a skillet and add olive oil to it. Cut mushrooms and onion.
  • Add mushrooms and onion to skillet and sauté with crushed red pepper, basil, and Italian seasoning until vegetables are cooked. Remove and put aside.
  • Add zucchini noodles in skillet with more oil, sauté until al dente. Another option to cook the noodles is to bake them for 10 minutes in the oven with olive oil.
  • In a mixing bowl, toss the mushrooms, onions, and noodles together and coat with the full jar of sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each container. Package and serve.

Nutritional Info:

380 Calories Total

  • Zoodles – 70 calories (per box)
  • Traditional Sauce – 100 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Onion – 50 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Mushrooms – 20 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Parmesan Cheese- 140 calories (roughly, per meal)

[Read Related: Beat the Snow for a Fitness Glow: 5 Tips to Keep Active This Winter]

4) Chicken Caesar Wraps

Ingredients:

  • 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • ½ bottle Kens Steakhouse light Caesar dressing
  • 1 bag Romaine Lettuce
  • 2 Cucumbers
  • 1 Red Pepper
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • 4 Mission Tortillas (carb balance)

Steps:

  • Cut chicken breasts into cubes. (2 per meal.) Heat a skillet to medium heat and add some oil to it, followed by the chicken. Season with red pepper and Italian seasoning.
  • Cut and wash cucumber and romaine.
  • Since wrap will get soggy – keep all ingredients separate until the morning of.
  • On the morning of, add the chicken, vegetables, and dressing to the wrap. Roll it up and cut it in half.

Nutritional Info:

524 Calories Total

  • Chicken Breasts – 120 calories
  • Dressing – 150 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Lettuce – 30 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Cucumber – 4 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Tortilla – 200 calories (roughly, per meal)
  • Parmesan Cheese- 50 calories (roughly, per meal)

*Vegetarian hack: Replace chicken with more vegetables.

Try these four meals and let me know what you think! Comment below with your favorite meal prep recipes!


Karishma is a Bollywood and Belly Dance Fitness Instructor based in New York, New York. She strives to be a relatable fitness instructor by publicly declaring her love for Taco Bell. Karishma believes that balance is key to everything and strives to find a healthy fitness balance in everyday life! BODY GOALS are whatever you want them to be.

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