An easy way to cut down on spending — and stay healthy — is to cut down on prepackaged meals and dining out. Don’t get us wrong, we love supporting local restaurants (and encourage you to do the same!), but ordering out every night can add up quickly.
Meal prep recipes can be healthy, delicious, affordable and time saving; if you don’t believe us, check them out yourself!
5 protein-packed pairings:
Buttermilk herb chicken breasts — This buttermilk herb chicken recipe is a timesaver. With less than 10 ingredients it’s simple to make and easy to freeze for later. All you do is combine the ingredients into a Ziploc freezer bag and toss it into the freezer until you are ready to bake, cook, grill or even pour over rotini pasta and pop in the oven for an easy-to-make chicken pasta bake.
Cilantro lime chicken — It packs the same level of flavor and is as simple as the buttermilk herb chicken recipe, with a tangier taste. If you want to mix it up between chicken dishes every now and then this recipe allows for a light, refreshing and satisfying meal.
Chipotle sweet turkey burgers — Instead of frozen burgers, which can often be unhealthy or unappetizing, try this recipe for a healthy and inexpensive alternative. Yielding up to six burgers, you can even save and freeze these leftovers for up to three months for juicy burgers on busy nights.
Taco chicken bowls — Looking for something protein packed and easy to make? Yielding six servings, these yummy taco chicken bowls take a total prep time of just 10 minutes before tossing in the slow cooker.
Teriyaki meatball bowls — With a cost of less than $8 for six servings, these juicy pork teriyaki meatball bowls come with a total prep time of just 20 minutes. If you get bored of chicken or turkey, this recipe serves as a great alternative to mix things up a bit.
Vegetarians – we didn’t forget about you! Below are five of our favorite meatless meal options.
Caprese pasta salad — This recipe brings out a perfect blend of fresh garden tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella for a healthy and filling meal. This pasta salad is easy to make, easy to freeze and easy to serve.
Sweet potato peanut butter soup — Yes, you read that right. This sweet potato peanut butter soup is quick to make, unique in taste, and can easily be stored for later. With the secret ingredient being peanut butter, this recipe makes for a health conscious and filling meal.
Quinoa zucchini casserole — Nothing says healthy like combining zucchini and quinoa. And with a prep time of only 10 minutes, this recipe is quick to make and easy to store for another night.
Twice-baked potatoes — Twice-baked potatoes are delicious to bake once and eat twice. Bake and eat tonight, then wrap up leftovers and save the rest to pack for lunch tomorrow.
Fried rice — Fried rice is extremely inexpensive and will last you through a couple of meals. This recipe is flexible to serve the needs of a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian meal.
So, for the nights you decide to stay in, try a little meal prepping for a healthy and affordable alternative to frozen TV dinners and prepackaged meals.
