Preparing meals for the whole family can be an overwhelming task! That’s why we came up with 5 tips to make meal prep easier and a few of our favorite meal prep recipes! 

Our Meal Prep Tips: 
1. Don’t go grocery shopping and meal prep on the same day. You will be exhausted – we recommend grocery shopping on a different day than your meal prep. 
2. Make it a family activity! Each helper can have a station in the kitchen, this is great for cognitive development as cooking encourages children’s thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Research indicates that the mere act of preparing food leads to a higher liking of your meal, because people overvalue objects that they have put effort into! 
3. Schedule meal prepping into your weekly schedule! 
4. Plan so you can mix and match! Planning ahead of what your weekly meals will look like will help you ensure you aren’t eating the same thing every night. Further, you can mix and match different meals you prepped together. 
5. Store everything properly so it lasts! You may want to invest in good Tupperware; we recommend glass containers (check out this link to find out why). 


Recipes 

Egg Muffins by Nazima Qureshi
Ingredients
Makes: 12 egg muffins
1 pepper, diced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
12 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients. Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into silicone muffin liners (I recommend silicone for easier clean up). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until egg muffins puff up. Remove and let cool before storing in an airtight container.


Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowl by Denise Bustard
Ingredients
¾ cup brown rice (uncooked; may be swapped for quinoa or long-grain white rice)
⅛ tsp salt
1 lime (zested)
Turkey
¾ lb lean ground turkey (beef or chicken may be swapped)
2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
⅔ cup water
Salsa
1-pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 jalapeño (finely chopped)
¼ cup red onion (finely chopped)
½ lime (juiced)
⅛ teaspoon salt
Other:
12 oz can corn kernels (341 mL; drained)
½ cup mozzarella (shredded)
Instructions
Cook brown rice according to package directions, adding the lime zest and salt to the cooking water. Allow cooling slightly before portioning out.
Add turkey to a medium pan and cook over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula until no longer pink (approximately 10 minutes).
Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the cooked meat, then add the water. Stir and simmer for a couple of minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
Remove from heat and allow cooling slightly before portioning out. Combine all salsa ingredients and toss them together.
To assemble lunch bowls, divide ingredients evenly between four 2-cup capacity meal prep containers.


No-Bake 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Energy Bites by Amanda Finks
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
Add all the ingredients to a large bowl. Mix together until well incorporated. Cover and chill in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Grab about a heaping tablespoon full of the mixture and press it into a ball with your palms. Repeat with the remaining oat mixture, making about 16 energy bites.
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Fruit On The Bottom Overnight Oats by Denise Bustard
Ingredients
1 cup frozen fruit thawed
1 teaspoon maple syrup
½ cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon chia seeds
¾ cup almond milk
Instructions
Place thawed frozen fruit in the bottom of a jar (at least 12.5 oz; 1 pint works too). Mash with a spatula until pureed.
Add in the following order: maple syrup, rolled oats, chia seeds, and almond milk. No need to stir, just put the lid on and place in the fridge overnight.
Store for up to 4 days. Enjoy cold.


Healthy Chicken Pad Thai by Kevin Curry
Ingredients for 3 – 4 servings:
18oz raw chicken breasts
4oz (56g) flat brown rice noodles
3 tbsp garlic paste
Veggies:
1 red bell pepper
1 cup mushrooms (chopped)
1.5 cup bean sprouts
1 cup green onions (chopped)
fresh cilantro
Sauce:
1/4 cup rice vinegar (or fish sauce)
1/8 cup Coconut Aminos (low sodium soy sauce)
1/8 cup Red chili pepper sauce
2 tbsp coconut sugar
juice from 1 lime
STEPS

  1. Boil brown rice noodles. Drain and set aside.
  2. Chop up veggies – bell pepper, mushrooms, green onions, limes, cilantro. 3. Slice chicken breast into small pieces.
  3. In a bowl, mix rice vinegar or fish sauce, coconut sugar, red chili pepper sauce, & fresh lime juice.
  4. Spray a nonstick skillet with coconut oil, then add garlic paste. Toss in chicken breast pieces and cook.
  5. Finally, add noodles, then fresh veggies, and the sauce.
  6. Build your meals.

Happy cooking and bon appétit!