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As a fitness professional, people like to tell me about all the stuff they’re tying in their life to be healthier. I love it! But I can’t help wondering if we’re missing the mark a little bit and the information that’s out there is leading us off course.
Recently I’ve been chatting with people about eating healthy and the number one thing I’m hearing is, “Hey I’ve been doing great! I’ve been bringing salads to work for lunch every day!” And the first thought that goes through my mind, “UGH, how boring!” And sure enough, when I ask them how it’s working out, I usually get something like – well its ok, I get a little bored of it, and by the weekend I’m ready to eat just about anything besides another salad.
Now I’m not saying that salads are bad and you shouldn’t be eating them. But, if our goal is to live a healthy lifestyle consistently then we need to spice things up a little bit, so when the weekend rolls around we’re not craving everything sweet or greasy we can get our hands on.
Let’s look quickly at what makes salads an easy option for meal prep.
They’re easy to throw together; chop some veggies, cook some chicken, throw it in some Tupperware, done.
They’re generally healthy; while we might be low on carbs (not necessarily a bad or good thing) we’re getting protein, a few different veggies, and some healthy fats.
There’s very little cook time; if you’re throwing some chicken in your salad then you’re looking at 5-10 minutes of cook time and that's it.
Keeping with those same characteristics, here are 5 quick and healthy meals that aren’t salads. I’m not including measurements or portion sizes purposefully because every individual’s needs and goals are going to be different. Also, it will vary if you’re cooking in bulk or just for one meal. If you need help figuring out what is right for you, give us a call.
Balsamic Chicken
If you’re already prepping a few salads for the week, why not take those same ingredients and make something just a little different? This Balsamic Chicken uses all the same ingredients but cooking everything will break up the monotony and give you some different mouth feels
Chicken
Greens, onion, tomato, bell pepper
Vinaigrette
Salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning
Sweet and Spicy Beef with Asian Slaw
Get the ground beef going with half of the sauces and seasonings while you chop up the veggies. Grate the carrot and finely chop the cabbage and peppers. Add the veggies to your Tupperware with the other half of the sauces and seasonings. Once the beef is cooked, combine with the slaw and you’re set!
Ground beef
Carrot, red cabbage, Thai pepper, bell pepper
Soy sauce, sesame oil, honey
Salt, pepper, garlic, ginger
Mediterranean Balsamic Pork
This is one of my favorite one skillet recipes and doesn’t take any longer than making a chicken salad. Cut up the pork into strips and begin cooking, adding the seasonings. While the pork cooks, chop up the veggies and add to skillet. Finish cooking till the pork is done and into the Tupperware it goes!
Pork loin
Red onion, olives, zucchini,
Olive oil & Balsamic vinegar
Paprika, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, basil
Salmon and Chickpea “Salad”
I know, I know, I said no salads. But this isn’t your traditional salad, there’s no lettuce involved! Just add all the ingredients to your Tupperware and you’re good to go!
Packaged wild salmon
Drained and rinsed chickpeas
Red onion, bell pepper
Olive oil & red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper
Make ahead Pho
Ok, so this one breaks the rules just a little bit, there are some additional carbs in the rice noodles, but it’s too good not to share. Just throw all the ingredients in your Tupperware, and when you’re ready to eat; microwave some water, pour over the top, and give it a shake!
Onion, bell pepper, spinach
Rice noodle
Ginger, red chile pepper, salt, basil and cilantro
Lime juice
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring and bland! If salads are leaving you bored and begging for the weekend, break up the monotony with some of these recipes.
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