3 DELICIOUS HEALTHY MEALS I’M PREPPING FOR THE WEEK

Hi friends! I’m so excited for today’s post!  As y’all probably know by now, I’ve been working on getting in shape for my upcoming trip to Florida with Brian and the kids this summer.  Having a goal and set date in mind helps keep me motivated!  I’ve been at it for nearly 5 weeks and have 4 weeks to go!

If you want to follow along on my fitness journey (and maybe even start for yourself!), sign up here.

Every Sunday, I send out an update with progress photos, body weight and body fat percentages, everything I’m eating with specific macros, the workouts I’m doing and calories burned, my fitness wins and challenges, how I’m sleeping, and what I can improve on next week.

3 DELICIOUS HEALTHY MEALS I’M PREPPING FOR THE WEEK

Today, I’m giving y’all a bonus, the inside scoop on the meals I prepared this week and they are so yummy and healthy!  I find it’s not hard to stick to my meal plan when I truly enjoy the meals I’m eating.  And that way, this becomes more of a way of life and not a diet.  I actually look forward to eating these meals!

The meals I’m sharing with you include: 1) Asian Shrimp, Broccoli and Rice; 2) Tuna Salad; and 3) Chicken Thighs, Sweet Potato Fries & Roasted Asparagus

How to Meal Prep

WHY I LOVE TO MEAL PREP 

Since I’m eating to consume a particular number of macronutrients each day, it helps to measure out my food so I don’t over or under eat.  If I ate over my macros, I wouldn’t reach my goals, and if I under ate, the same would be true.  I won’t track everything so specifically for the long term, but right now, I’m having fun nerding out over all of these details and I love diving into the science of body recomposition.  As I continue on this fitness journey, I can tweak my meals and training as needed.

And, even if you’re not trying to lose weight, preparing your meals in advance saves you so much time and mental energy each day.  Sure, it takes some time and planning on the front end, but it’s so worth it at mealtime!  

If you just want to be thoughtful about what you’re eating and not grabbing the first thing that’s convenient, meal prep helps with that.  When we are so hungry, we often don’t make the best food choices.  If you already have your healthy food ready, it makes it easy to choose wisely!

HOW I SAVE TIME BUYING GROCERIES

You’ve heard me mention before how much I rely on ordering my groceries online with my Walmartplus membership, then getting them delivered straight from the store to my door.  I’ll just keep my online cart open and add to it as I run out of things, or as I need more ingredients.  Then, when I’m ready to checkout, I can choose a convenient delivery time and I never have to leave my house!  

It also helps me avoid all of those impulse purchases by not shopping inside the store.  That’s been HUGE for me.  Right now, I’m not bringing into my house the junk food I like to indulge in.  My kids have sweets, but not the kind that I enjoy- well, except for ice cream!

If you’ve been curious about Walmart+, you can try it free for 15 days by going to Walmart.com/plus.

With your Walmartplus membership you can: 

(1) shop online and get Walmart+ FREE shipping, with no order minimum on items from Walmart.com (excludes freight & Marketplace items); 

(2) get items delivered from your store to your door for FREE ($35 minimum, restrictions apply); 

(3) shop inside the store with the mobile scan & go in the Walmart app for a contact free checkout; and 

(4) get member prices on fuel.

I’ve been SO happy with this membership!  

A WORD ABOUT PORTION SIZES

I cook these meals in bulk and then separate them into containers that I can easily reheat as needed throughout the week. But, I always place the meal onto a nice plate to eat.  It just makes the eating experience more enjoyable!

I’m currently eating about 1,250 calories per day and that is based on my Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR (calories burned at rest), which is currently 1205.   Since my goal is to lose body fat and keep or even gain muscle, I’m keeping my protein and carb intake high, and my fat intake low.

Each of these meals is a balance of about 25 grams of carbs and protein, and I try to keep my fat at under 28 grams per day.

In this post, I’m sharing my portion sizes, but that’s what is working for me right now.  Please adjust the portion sizes to fit what’s best for you!

ASIAN SHRIMP BROCCOLI & RICE

I was eating a lot of grilled chicken breast and fish, so shrimp is a nice detour from that.  It’s still packed with protein, but low in calories.  And they cook quickly!

ASIAN SHRIMP BROCCOLI & RICE

INGREDIENTS

I made 4 meals or servings, so the following quantities.

ASIAN SHRIMP BROCCOLI & RICE

TO PREPARE

Place the shrimp in a large ziplock bag and pour in the Liquid Aminos, Garlic, Lime, Red Pepper Flakes and Honey.  I didn’t measure these, just a pinch of this and a dash of that.

The Liquid Aminos are a calorie-free substitute for soy sauce with a milder flavor than soy sauce.

Let marinate for about 30 minutes.

ASIAN SHRIMP BROCCOLI & RICE

Heat a skillet to medium and pour in the shrimp and marinade.  You can also add the mushrooms at this time, but I forgot to, so I sauteed those later by themselves.  Cook the shrimp a few minutes until they’re warmed through- that’s all these needed since I bought them frozen and precooked.

ASIAN SHRIMP BROCCOLI & RICE

Steam the broccoli.  I put about 2-inches of water in a large pot and bring to a boil, then add the broccoli and cover.  Let steam for just a couple of minutes so the broccoli stays crisp and doesn’t get mushy.  It should look bright green.

ASIAN SHRIMP BROCCOLI & RICE

Meanwhile, put your rice in a pot to cook.  I add the water (2 cups), bring to a boil, then add the rice (1 cup) and stir.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the water is evaporated and the rice is puffed and cooked through.  It takes about 10 minutes.

ASIAN SHRIMP BROCCOLI & RICE

ASIAN SHRIMP BROCCOLI & RICE

Each meal contains : 4 ounces shrimp • 1 cup broccoli • 1/2 cup rice

TUNA SALAD

I made 6 meals or servings, so the following quantities:

INGREDIENTS

  • Tuna – 3 packets
  • Light Mayo – 3 tablespoons
  • Red Onion – 1/4 cup
  • Dill Relish – 2 tablespoons
  • Sweet Relish – 2 tablespoons
  • Lemon – squeeze
  • Spinach – 1 cup
  • Butter Lettuce – 1 cup
  • *The tuna salad has low carbs, so you could eat it on a piece of 100% whole wheat bread.   I like to eat this at night just with the salad if I’ve gone over my carbs during the day.

Tuna Salad

TO PREPARE

This is so easy!  Just tear open the tuna packets and you barely have to drain them.  If there’s excess water, just pour it into the sink, then fork the tuna into a large mixing bowl.  Chop the red onion and then add in the other ingredients and mix together with a fork.

I put a half cup of tuna and 1 cup spinach and 1 cup butter lettuce in each meal.  If I’m still hungry after this, I might have a serving of low calorie, high protein Greek yogurt with berries.

Tuna Salad

Each meal contains : 4 ounces tuna • 1 cup butter lettuce • 1 cup spinach

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ASPARAGUS & SWEET POTATO FRIES

This is one of my yummiest meals!  Yes, chicken thighs are fattier than breast, but they taste so much better!  I trim the excess fat off before cooking. And, I’m not the hugest fan of sweet potatoes, but these are so delicious cut into fry shapes and roasted with Everything Bagel seasoning!  The asparagus is delicious too!

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ASPARAGUS & SWEET POTATO FRIES

INGREDIENTS

TO PREPARE

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Wash and dry the sweet potatoes.

Cut them into slices with a sharp knife and place on a roasting pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Make sure the potatoes are all laying flat on the pan and not overlapping so they roast, not steam.

Sprinkle with Everything Bagel seasoning.

Cook for about 10 minutes, then flip.  Check again at 5 minutes.

Cook until done, but not mushy. I like them to still have some firmness when done.

How to Meal Prep

How to Meal Prep

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ASPARAGUS & SWEET POTATO FRIES

COOKING TIP : Keep a “garbage bowl/compost bin” handy for all the scraps so you can keep your work surface clean and save yourself 10 trips to the trash or compost bin.

How to Meal Prep

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ASPARAGUS & SWEET POTATO FRIES

How to Meal Prep

How to Meal Prep

For the asparagus, chop the white ends off, and place on a roasting tray sprayed with cooking spray.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper or you can use the Everything Bagel seasoning.

Cook at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ASPARAGUS & SWEET POTATO FRIES

 

How to Meal Prep

Trim the fat off of the chicken thighs and then cook over medium high heat for about 6 minutes, then flip and cook for about another 6 minutes.  Chicken thighs should have an internal temperature of 165 F degrees when done.  Be sure to let them rest for a good 10 minutes before slicing or eating.

How to Meal Prep

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ASPARAGUS & SWEET POTATO FRIES

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH ASPARAGUS & SWEET POTATO FRIES

Each meal contains : 4 ounces chicken • 4 ounces sweet potato • 3 ounces asparagus (I would add more, just didn’t cook enough)

Do these meals look good to you? I am truly loving them!  And I really love that they’re ready to go with just popping them in the microwave for two minutes or reheating in the air fryer when I’m ready to eat!

I’d love to hear what healthy meals you love to eat!  Let me know in the comments!

Have a fantastic day friends!

click the photos below to start your grocery cart

 

*Thank you to Walmart for sponsoring today’s post!

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

18 Comments

  1. These meal ideas are awesome, thanks for sharing! Meal prep is a lot of work but it’s so worth it to not have that constant stress of wondering what to eat all week long. I love Quick Beef & Broccoli (Damn delicious recipe), curried chicken salad and mini muffin-tin meatloaves (kids love em too!) Keep it up, Megan!!

    1. I’ve made that Beef & Broccoli recipe before too and it’s so good! I want to try the curried chicken salad and meatloaves! They sound great!

  2. Megan, do you freeze any of your weekly meals, or are they strictly for refrigeration until you use each meal? Thank you.

  3. Hi love this program, feeling happy and satisfied on the protein meals .I can’t wait to try the recipes . I love Asian . Your recipes are super easy for meal prep I just made Salomon patties with canned salmon , egg , onion , spices, and 1Tablespoon of Bob’s Mill oat bran .

  4. Your recipes are always so good. Do you have them stored somewhere on your Instagram site? Thank you.

  5. Hi Megan,

    Thanks for sharing your meal prep! I’ve always eaten left overs for lunch but I’ve found they are typically higher in calories than I’d like for lunch. The meal options you provide are great! My favorite is the eggs/asparagus I’ve seen you make on stories!

    I see your BMR is 1205 and your caloric goal is 1250. Could you talk a bit about how you arrived at this number (1250)? My BMR is 1390. I’ve been thinking I need to cut this down to 1200 to create a deficit in order to lose.

    Good luck to you on your goals! You’re definitely inspiring!

    -Jennifer

    1. Hi Jennifer! Your BMR is what you burn at rest, so with daily activities and exercise, I’ll be at a calorie deficit. A good plan is to track everything you eat (EVERYTHING!) and see how many calories you generally eat in a day. I use My Fitness Pal for that. You can then start shaving off calories from there.

  6. Meal prep is pefect because helps your to plan a better grocery shopping, reduce waste and you eat healty!
    Plus if you like food you eat is true it became a way of life and not only a diet!!!

  7. I’ve been loving tuna salad these last few weeks! I have it with everything rice crackers and some sriracha. I am allergic to eggs, though, and I can’t use mayo. Instead, I substitute plain, non-fat greek yogurt. It adds even more protein, so it keeps me full until dinner.

  8. Going to try these! But wondering, how do you season/prep the chicken thighs after trimming the fat? Looks like paprika maybe and I’m guessing salt & pepper would be needed. Thanks for sharing!!

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