6 Meal Prep Dinners for Weight Loss
6 Meal Prep Dinners for Weight Loss
6 easy and healthy meal prep dinners that you can make in no time. These dinners are delicious and help make healthy eating effortless.
Lately, I have had a LOT of health coaching clients and fitness class participants ask me, “What do you eat for dinner?” Most of them tell me that breakfast and lunch aren’t a problem, because they eat similar meals everyday. However, it’s panic mode for dinner. They don’t know what they want to eat, the kids are starving, and hubby or honey wants to know when dinner will be ready. Does it sound familiar? If so, no worries – help is on the way.
WHAT IS MEAL PREPPING?
Meal prepping is planning and preparing your meals ahead of time. You can meal prep for the entire week or just one day ahead. I prefer to meal prep only one or two meals at a time, so I’m not in the kitchen for hours. Breakfast, lunch and even snacks can be prepped ahead. You will discover a rhythm that works for you.
In this post, I’m sharing a 6 dinner meal prep for weight loss to make your evenings easy and healthy, so you can stay on track.
WHY MEAL PREP?
If you don’t like to cook, have a busy schedule, or find yourself wondering what’s for dinner, meal prepping is a great way to save time and frustration. With the 6 Meal Prep Dinners for Weight Loss plan you can have a nutritious meal ready in a matter of minutes every day. Also, by planning ahead you can budget your calorie intake more easily, helping you to lose weight.
Meal Prepping is one of the best ways to ensure you’re eating healthy, prevent skipping meals, or grabbing fast food out of desperation. It makes it so much easier to have dinner prepped or at least partially prepped.
THE KEY TO A WORRY FREE DINNER IS PLANNING!
Before you prep, you must plan. Coming up with a meal plan may seem overwhelming at first, but with a little thought it’s not that bad. Actually, it can be fun!
For instance, I have a weekly plan and it looks like this:
Sunday: Meal Prep and Soup
Monday: Pasta
Tuesday: Asian
Wednesday: Greek
Thursday: Mexican
Friday: Easy Breezy
Saturday: Chef’s Choice or out
Having this plan allows me freedom in my meals, but gives me a basis from which to start.
HOW TO MAKE A MEAL PLAN
- Write down the meals you like that are simple, i.e. Mexican – tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taco salad, etc.
- Next rotate those meals throughout the month, i.e. 1st Week Thurs – tacos, 2nd Week Thurs – burritos, etc.
- List all the ingredients and amounts you will need to make the meals for this week.
- Grocery shopping.
- Home to meal prep!
HOW LONG DOES PREPPED FOOD LAST?
Once you’re meals are prepped be sure to let them cool down before transferring the meal or ingredients to airtight containers and storing them in the fridge. Remember do not allow you food to sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Most meals or ingredients can last up to 7 days in the refrigerator if you have cooled and stored it properly. Obviously, some foods last longer than others, that’s another reason I like prepping some of my ingredients every couple of days instead of once a week.
ONTO THE 6 MEAL PREPPED DINNERS FOR WEIGHT LOSS!
SUNDAY (MEAL PREP DAY)
- Chop all vegetables for Garden Salad That Lasts All Week, Simple Roasted Vegetables For Meal Prepping and broccoli (for Lo Mein and Pasta), onion (for Lo Mein and Tortilla Pizza), carrots (for Lo Mein). Store raw vegetables in airtight containers.
- Prepare Garden Salad That Lasts All Week and store.
- Prepare Simple Roasted Vegetables For Meal Prepping and store.
- Prepare Black Bean Soup for dinner and enjoy with a side Garden Salad.
Garden Salad That Lasts All Week
Simple Roasted Vegetables For Meal Prepping
Black Bean Soup – Quick and Easy
MONDAY
- Prepare Roasted Veggie Pasta
- Reserve and store 1/2 the spaghetti noodles
Roasted Veggie Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti
- 1/2 head broccoli, chopped
- Roasted Vegetable Meal Prep minus sweet potatoes, 1/2 the onions and peppers
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil spaghetti according to package directions. During the last 2 minutes of boiling toss in chopped broccoli.
- While spaghetti is boiling, reheat all Roasted Vegetable Meal Prep veggies EXCEPT for the sweet potatoes, 1/2 the onions and 1/2 the peppers.
- Make dressing by combining 3 Tbsp olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Be sure to reserve 1 Tbsp of olive oil.
- Drain pasta and broccoli. Reserve half of the cooked pasta and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Allow to cool to room temperature. Store in airtight container until ready to prepare Lo Mein.
- To the remaining pasta and broccoli, add the reheated Roasted Vegetable Meal Prep veggies. Toss with dressing and serve.
Nutrition
Tuesday
1. Prepare Easy Vegetable Lo Mein
Easy Vegetable Lo Mein
Ingredients
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 cup broccoli, chopped
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 oz Pasta reserved from Roasted Vegetable Pasta
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp ginger, ground
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together coconut aminos, sugar, ginger and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add carrots, mushrooms, onions, broccoli and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in pasta and sauce mixture. Gently toss to combine and cook until heated through. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Wednesday
- Prepare Greek Power Bowl
- Reserve and store 1/2 quinoa.
Greek Power Bowl with Hummus Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cup greens - spinach, romaine, kale, etc.
- 1/2 cup artichoke hearts
- 2 tbsp kalamata olives
- reserved peppers, onions from Roasted Vegetables Meal Prep
- 1/2 cup hummus
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp oregano
- water to thin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place Quinoa in a fine strainer and rinse it a few times under cool water or it can be bitter.
- Bring broth to a boil then stir in quinoa. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- While quinoa is cooking, reheat Roasted Vegetable Meal Prep onions and peppers.
- Make dressing. Mix hummus, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add water until desired consistency.
- Remove from heat and let stand covered for another 5-10 minutes.
- Fluff quinoa with a fork. Reserve half and allow to cool to room temperature. Store in airtight container in refrigerator until ready to use.
- To assemble: In 2 bowls, layer greens, quinoa, beans, artichoke hearts, peppers, onions, kalamata olives, top with dressing and serve.
Nutrition
Thursday
- Prepare Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos
Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- Sweet potatoes, remaining onions and peppers from Roasted Vegetable Meal Prep
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup spinach
- 1 cup tomato sauce or salsa
- 2 flour tortillas
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all ingredients EXCEPT flour tortillas and cilantro, in a large skillet. Cook over medium low heat until warm.
- Place mixture in the center of each tortilla and top with cilantro. Roll into a burrito. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Friday
- Prepare Crispy Healthy Tortilla Pizza and enjoy it with a side Garden salad.
Crispy Healthy Tortilla Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 flour tortilla
- 3 Tbsp marinara sauce
- 2 Tbsp bell peppers, diced
- 2 Tbsp onion, diced
- 2 mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tbsp dairy free mozzeralla
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 2 sprays olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Spray bottom of tortilla with 1 spray of olive oil and coat. Place on pizza pan.
- Spread marinara onto tortilla. Add veggies, cheese and oregano.
- Spray top of pizza with 1 spray of olive oil and bake for 5-7 minutes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Saturday
1. Chef’s choice – maybe leftovers if you have some!
I hope you like the recipes I’ve shared in this 6 Meal Prep Dinners for Weight Loss plan. The meals are recipes my husband and I enjoy eating and I hope you do, too.
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Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful information!
LOVE this post! I really need to get better about food prepping. I know it would save me so much time!!