Healthy Meal Prep on a Budget

Can you believe it’s almost the end of the year?! This year is seriously flying by… I know a lot of you want to get back on track with your nutrition, but have no clue what you want to cook or if you are even able to afford it. Well look no further because I have come up with a load of recipes to help get you back in the swing of things while putting some money back into your pocket! All of these recipes use whole, unprocessed foods and a lot of these ingredients can be found in the bulk foods section, freezer or canned good aisle plus you most likely have them in your pantry already, which is going to save you a bunch of cash!

Meal #1

Sweet Quinoa Breakfast Bowl (4-5 servings)

Ingredients:

  • ~ 3 cups cooked quinoa (about 1 cup dry; cooked according to the package)
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup raw honey (or maple syrup)
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen berries (or any other fruit)
  • 1 tbsp. coconut sugar (optional)
  • 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • About 1/4 – 1/2 cup of mix-ins like chopped nuts, seeds, cacao nibs, coconut flakes, etc.

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, mix your maple syrup with your cooked quinoa.
  2. Add in your cinnamon, salt & coconut sugar & mix again.
  3. Fold in your fruit & your choice of mix-ins to the bowl.
  4. Equally divide the quinoa into containers (about 4-5) and top with anything else you like (I normally add some almond butter or more fruit).

Meal#2 (Serves 4-6)

Kale, Quinoa & Peanut Tempeh Salad w/ a Maple Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 1-2 bunches of kale (depending on how big); washed & cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 cup cooked edamame beans
  • 1/2 cup baby tomatoes, sautéed
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • Handful of hemp seeds

Peanut Tempeh

  • 8 ounces of tempeh
  • 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp creamy peanut w/ salt
  • 2 Tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • 3 Tbsp maple syrup

Maple Tahini Dressing

  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Pinch of salt
  • Warm water, for consistency

Directions:

  1. Cut your tempeh into 1-inch chunks and marinate in the peanut sauce (the longer the better).
  2. Pre-heat your oven 375F.
  3. Cook your quinoa according to the directions on the package.
  4. Bake the tempeh for around 25-30 minutes.
  5. While everything is cooking, whisk together the ingredients for the maple tahini dressing.
  6. In a large bowl, massage the kale with your maple tahini dressing.
  7. Once everything is cooked, mix together your kale, quinoa, tempeh, edamame beans, tomatoes, hemp seeds & avocado.
  8. Add some salt to taste and distribute into even containers ( I like topping mine with sauerkraut as well).

Meal#3

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili (4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 2 15 oz. cans of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 15oz. can of black beans, drained & rinsed
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp. oil
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Pinch of salt & black pepper, for taste
  • Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Avocado for serving

Directions:

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook your onions & garlic in 1 tbsp. of oil until soft.
  2. Add in your spices, salt & pepper & cook for about 30 seconds.
  3. Throw in your sweet potato chunks & cook for an additional 2-3 minutes stirring every so often.
  4. Next, add in your canned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil then bring it down to a simmer.
  5. Toss in your black beans and cook for around 30 minutes (until the chili has thickened and the sweet potatoes are cooked).
  6. Stir in your chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice & taste to see if you need more salt, spices, etc.
  7. Divide equally into containers and top with avocado, more cilantro, cashew cream, etc.

Snack

Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup oat flour
  • 1/2 cup regular rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup + 2 more tbsp runny peanut butter (or almond butter)
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (could use raisins, nuts, dates, etc.)
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • Splash of vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder (+ a squeeze of lemon to activate)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Start by mashing your bananas in a large bowl.
  3. Pour in your peanut butter and mix together.
  4. Next, stir in your oats, cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate chips, salt and baking powder until well combined.
  5. Lastly stir in just a little bit of lemon juice to help activate the baking powder.
  6. Bake for around 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool before removing.
Hope you guys liked this one and tag me over on Instagram if you end up trying any of these out. I love to see you all enjoying these recipes and having some fun in the kitchen!