One Week of Healthy Meals!

Ugh, what the heck am I going to make for dinner?" You've said it, you know you have! Whether you're on a healthy eating journey or just sick and tired of spending an hour in the kitchen cooking every night, meal prep can help! You spend a couple of hours in one go on say...a Sunday afternoon...and you're set for the whole week. I hear you saying, "Oh Betsy, please teach me your ways," I got ya!

Prepping meals ahead of time keeps me on track because there's always something healthy to make without too much work. I'm way less likely to stick a frozen pizza in the oven for dinner if I've got some stir fry that can be ready in 10 minutes or so! This menu is set up for me on the 2nd lowest calorie bracket for a new program coming out soon. I'm doing the "pre-program" now and starting the real deal on July 16th! If you haven't heard of LIIFT4, you will. I'll be doing a little write up all about it very soon!
**Order of preparation follows the recipes :)

This Week's Menu:
​Fajitas
Stir fry
Veggie Soup
Egg Bake
Chicken crock pot enchiladas
Chicken salad wraps

Oven Fajitas
1 Red, 1 yellow, 1-2 greens

• Mix together:
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• ½ TBSP paprika
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ Tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp sugar

Chicken & Veggies

• 1 large onion
• 3 bell peppers (any combo of red, green, orange)
• 1 ½ lbs. Chicken breast
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Lime juice

Preheat oven to 400.
Mix spices and set aside.
Slice onions and peppers into ¼ to ½ inch wide strips. (Place in 9x13 baking pan)
Slice chicken breast into thin strips. (Place on top of veggies in pan)
Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the chicken and veggies, then drizzle with olive oil.
Next, give them a good stir (easiest way is with your hands).
Pop them in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring once or twice while baking.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with lime juice, and stir.

Serve on warm whole wheat tortillas with the toppings of your choice. (Greek yogurt, cheese, guacamole, lettuce, etc.)

*These can be made in advance by cutting up the chicken and placing it in a freezer bag with ½ of the seasoning mix and ½ of the oil. You can even cut the veggies up ahead of time and stick them in the fridge. On the day you're going to cook it, thaw the chicken, mix it in the baking pan with the veggies, other ½ of oil and seasonings, and cook as usual.
**Toppings you choose will add to your container/calorie count.

Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry
1 Red, 1-2 Green, 1 yellow, 1 tsp.

• 2 lbs. Chicken breast
• 1 Green Pepper
• 1 Red Pepper
• ½ cup Onion
• 2 Cups broccoli
• 3 Large Carrots
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 2 Tbsp Liquid Aminos (or low sodium soy sauce)
• 1 Tbsp. Teriyaki Sauce
• 1 Clove crushed garlic
• ¼ tsp Ginger
• ¼ tsp Paprika

Chop chicken breast into cubes.
Slice peppers and onions into ½ inch or so chunks. Cut up broccoli into bite size pieces.
Mix oil, liquid aminos, teriyaki sauce, garlic, ginger, and paprika and pour over chicken.
Heat up a frying pan over medium heat with a dash of oil.
Add peppers, onions, and broccoli and cook until just softened (about 10 minutes) stirring often.
Remove veggies from pan and put the chicken into the hot pan (you can add a bit more oil if needed).
Cook thoroughly (10-15 minutes) and then add the peppers/onions/broccoli in with the chicken.
Peel skin off carrots and then using your peeler, shave carrots into pan.
Stir and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.
Serve over brown rice.

*This can be made in advance by mixing the marinade with the chicken in a freezer bag, freezing, and thawing the day of use.



Breakfast Bake
If cut into 12 pieces, each piece: 2 reds, 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 blue, 1 tsp.

• 1 lb. turkey sausage (Not gonna lie, I used spicy Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage)
• 1 Cup diced onion
• 1 Cup diced green pepper
• 1 Cup diced red pepper
• 1 Cup chopped broccoli
• ½ Cup chopped mushrooms
• 3 Cups shredded frozen hash-browns
• 12 eggs
• 1 ¾ cups 1% or skim milk
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp pink salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 Cups shredded cheese, divided (I used cheddar)

In large skillet cook sausage and break up into small pieces. When it's just about done, add in onions, peppers, broccoli, and mushrooms and continue cooking until veggies are soft and sausage is cooked through.
Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick spray or “grease” with olive oil.
Spread hash-browns in the bottom of the pan.
Spread meat/veggie mixture on top of hash-browns. Top that with 1 cup of cheese.
Beat eggs until broken up, add milk, parsley, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add 2nd cup of cheese.
Pour egg mixture over other ingredients in pan.
At this point you can stick it in the fridge for up to 12 hours or bake it in a 375 degree oven for 50-60 minutes.
Egg bake is done when a butter knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

*This freezes really well after baking for quick morning microwave meals. Also, tastes great broken up and eaten in a tortilla!


Chicken Enchilada Bake
1 Cup Serving: 1 Green, ½ Red, 1 ½ Yellow, ¼ blue

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 medium jalapenos, seeded and deveined, finely chopped
• 1 lb. raw ground chicken breast (I used boneless, skinless cut into chunks, baked, and shredded)
• 1½ cups dry farro, rinsed (I used barley
• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 (15-oz.) can diced fire roasted tomatoes (or diced tomatoes), no salt added
• 1 cup water
• 1 (10-oz.) can red enchilada sauce
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• Sea salt (or Himalayan salt) and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
• 1 cup shredded jack (or cheddar or Mexican blend) cheese
• 3 medium green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Here are the instructions as written. I used barley in place of the farro since I would have had to order it online and wait for it. I also used a couple of chicken breasts which I seasoned with a little chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder. I then used my food processor to shred it up.
1. Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion is soft.
3. Add garlic and jalapenos; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until jalapenos are soft.
4. Add chicken; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Place chicken mixture, farro, beans, tomatoes, water, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, and coriander in a 3-quart slow cooker; mix well and cover. Cook on high for 3 hours, or until liquid has been absorbed, and farro is tender.
6. Remove lid and stir mixture. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Add cheese; mix well. Cover until cheese has melted.
7. Top with green onions and cilantro; serve.
*This is also great as a wrap (just add a yellow!)

Loaded Veggie Soup
1 Green

• 4 Cups water
• 2 Medium carrots (peeled & chopped)
• 4 oz Green beans (trimmed & cut into 2 inch pieces)
• 2 ½ Cups chopped cabbage
• 2 Cups chopped broccoli
• 3 Medium celery stalks (chopped into chunks)
• ¼ Cup chopped onion
• 3 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Cup unsweetened almond milk

Place water and veggies in large sauce pan and heat to boiling.
Once boiling, turn heat down and simmer (stirring occasionally) for 20 minutes or until veggies are soft. Let mixture cool about 10 minutes.
Mix in soy sauce and almond milk and pour into blender. Puree until smooth.
I blended in two batches because if you've every put hot stuff in a blender, you know if it's too full it erupt like a volcano!
Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. No lie, this looks kinda strange, like a thick green broth...but it tastes really good!


Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
Per 1 1/4 Cup Serving as a Salad: 1 Green, 1 Red, 1/2 Purple, 1/2 Blue, 1/2 Orange
Dressing

• ½ Cup reduced fat plain Greek yogurt
• 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp Raw honey
• 3 Tbsp Rice vinegar
• ¼ Cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt (optional; to taste)

Combine yogurt, mustard, honey, and vinegar and mix well.
Slowly add olive oil and whisk until blended.
Season with a dash or two of sea salt if desired. Refrigerate 2 hours before using.
Salad

• 3 Cups chopped rotisserie chicken or boneless, skinless chicken breast (cooked)
• 1 Medium green apple (chopped)
• ½ Cup seedless red grapes (sliced in half)
• 2 Green onions (sliced)
• ¼ Cup Dressing (from recipe above)
• 8 Cups Shredded romaine lettuce

Preparation Ideas
Mix shredded chicken, apple, grapes, green onions, and ¼ cup of the dressing. Chill for at least 1 hour to let flavors blend and then toss with lettuce and eat as a salad.
I like to mix a bit with a cup or so of lettuce and make a wrap.

Food Prep Steps

1. Fry up sausage for breakfast bake. Shred rotisserie chicken if using.
2. Cut up all the needed chicken breasts and season if needed and cook if not freezing for later.
3. Slice up all peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, etc.
4. While you've got your chicken in the oven, start boiling veggies for the soup.
5. While your chicken is cooling, prepare rice.
6. Cool boiled veggies to prepare for blending.
7. Mix up honey mustard and add in apples, grapes, and chicken.
8. Shred up baked chicken for enchilada bake and mix the ingredients in the crock-pot.
9. Put together egg bake and stick it in the fridge or bake it.
10. Once everything is baked/cooked and cooled, split it up into some handy containers like those posted above :)

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