5 Meal Prep Tips to Take Your Food from Boring to Balanced

Choosing foods while practicing intuitive eating is based on internal signals like hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and respect for the body rather than on external factors like food rules and restrictions that stem from diet culture. Intuitive eaters have food freedom to eat whatever serves the body at that moment, without any food guilt or shame. That being said, many of us lack the time, or energy, to spend an hour in the kitchen at each meal, during which we could decide what food would best serve us. That’s where meal prepping comes in; intentionally choosing foods to prepare in advance lets us practice intuitive eating by planning for variety. It also saves us a lot of time, so we’re not stuck eating the same meal every day due to a time crunch! From grocery shopping to dicing and prepping, to cooking and cleaning the dishes, eating can sometimes feel like we’re on autopilot instead of truly listening to our bodies. Meal prepping should be practical, but it should also be fun and appealing to your taste buds and your satisfaction cues. Keep reading for our top five tips to put the fun back in meal prepping, while saving time, too! 

Rotate Your Protein: We know that a balanced meal should include protein (for satisfaction and blood sugar control!), but by no means do you have to eat the same food week after week! One week, go for something like air fried chicken and salmon. The next week, switch it up with ground turkey and tofu. Changing up the protein, which is a key part of satisfaction in a dish, will help you feel like you’re switching up your meals even more. It's also a great way to get a variety of micronutrients! Seafood specifically has a great source of omega 3’s, which is important for healthy heart function! 

Make Carbs Fun: Meal prepping gives you the ability to choose; by prepping two or three carb choices, you’ll be able to swap your carbohydrate sources to honor what feels good to your body on that specific day. Carbs can include white or brown rice, beans of all kinds, sweet potatoes, pancakes, energy bites, pasta and different starchy veggies like corn that provide a different texture. Carbs are our bodies and brains main source of energy, so we want to include them in every meal! Dietary guidelines encourage half of our grains in a day to be whole grains, or complex carbohydrates to help us meet our fiber goals. Try mixing and matching your carbs (for example, mixing rice and beans) to create bases for buddha bowls or side dishes to keep things interesting!

Change Up the Sauce: Sauces and condiments can transform cooked, plain ground turkey into a tasty taco bowl or a piece of grilled chicken into a barbecue delight. By changing up the sauce for the dish, you add on and invite new flavor profiles into your meal. A variety of meals can be made from the same protein, carb, and veggie base. Take chicken, rice and veggies, for example. With a sauce, this plain dish can turn into chicken teriyaki stir fry OR a flavorful lemony olive oil combination. Sauces typically add fats, which help us absorb fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E &K) and achieve satisfaction. Enjoy the flavors! Your body will thank you. 

Make it in a Mason Jar: Not only are they aesthetic, but they’re time and space savers, too. By prepping ingredients and stacking them one by one in a jar, your lunch on-the-go has never been easier. After choosing your protein, carbs, and veggies for that meal, pack them all into a jar; pro tip: put your dressing on the bottom to avoid soggy veggies at mealtime! 

Cook Once, Eat Twice: You don’t have to come up with a unique meal every day. Whenever you’re cooking, think about how to use that time and ingredients on hand to make an ‘extra’ meal; learn to love leftovers! That way, you won’t have to think about your meal for the next day, and you can be confident you’ll enjoy it. Prepping everything when the stove is already on and you’re in cooking mode will save tons of time in the week ahead. 

Overall, a good way to remember what to prepare is to follow this simple formula: 2 proteins, 2 carbs, and 2-3 colors of veggies. That’s right, it’s that simple! The recipes found below are perfect examples that follow this simple approach. By giving yourself choices, you’ll be able to listen to your body and remain satisfied, all without spending numerous hours in the kitchen. Meal prepping exists to save you time, money, and energy; that being said, food choice should never feel restricted. By having the components of a meal already ready to go, you’ll be able to better tune in to your body’s desires and create a balanced, satisfying meal, without even having to make a mess in the kitchen. 

Below are a few of our favorite meal prep recipes for your next quick and easy lunch or dinner. 

Chopped Veggie Pasta Salad

Serves 4

• 4 cups mixed greens (chopped)

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (chopped)

• 1red bell pepper (chopped)

• 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

• 2 1/2 tbsps balsamic vinegar

• 1 cup red onion (chopped)

• sea salt & black pepper

• 1 lb Extra Lean Ground Chicken (Cooked)

• 4 ounces chickpea pasta

• 2 cups baby carrots (chopped)

• 1 cucumber (chopped)

• 1/2 cup feta cheese

Directions 

1. Cook ground chicken on the stove with seasoning of choice (we would recommend a little lemon dressing in it as it cooks!) In addition, cook chickpea or regular pasta per package instructions, and recommend 6 mins for bean pasta. You can cook the whole box and keep it in the fridge! 

2. Chop all veggies and add in ANY EXTRAS YOU LIKE, keep in a bowl all together. Season with sea salt and black pepper, garlic, any seasoning you like.

3. You will add cheese to each serving, and we will talk about dressing options when we cook!

4. ** CAN SUB IN the MEAT OF 1 FULL ROTISSERIE CHICKEN INSTEAD OF GROUND! **Can use ground turkey **Can use tuna fish **Can use canned or fresh salmon **Can use canned chicken! **Make vegetarian and add more beans for protein or tofu or tempeh!

Taco Bowl

Serves 4

• 1 lb Lean Ground Beef

• 1 1/2 tsps taco seasoning

• 6 egg

• sea salt & black pepper (to taste)

• 6 cups baby spinach

• 2 avocados (sliced)

• 1/2 cup salsa

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the beef into the skillet. Use a spatula to break it apart. Add the taco seasoning and cook until browned and cooked through, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain any excess drippings from the pan.

2. Whisk the eggs in a bowl. In the same skillet, over medium-low heat, add the eggs and cook until fluffy and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Divide the spinach between plates, or into containers. Top with beef, eggs, avocado, and salsa. Enjoy!

Pasta Bolognese

Serves 4

• 4 cups whole wheat penne (dry, uncooked)

• 1 lb Extra Lean Ground Beef

• 2 cups tomato sauce

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.

2. While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and saute, breaking it up as it cooks. Once it is completely cooked through, pour the tomato sauce over top and mix well.

3. Divide the cooked pasta into containers and divide the meat sauce over top. Enjoy!

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Written by Serena Pratt

Hi, I’m Serena! I’m a first year grad student at Columbia University studying Nutrition. I’m a former figure skater for Team USA, and because of that, I’ve had my own struggles relating to my complex relationship with food. Learning about nutrition has helped me to understand more about my personal journey, but has also led me to wanting to help others who may feel the same way! I’ve since learned how to listen to my body, can enjoy foods again, and am excited to share with and guide others in doing the same. 

Learn more about me and the HSH offerings here.