A lot of people think that healthy eating is hard. But the truth is, that eating real, nutritious foods can be simple… it just takes a little bit of prep work!
Meal prep takes some time up front, but I find that it saves me time overall and keeps me from making less than ideal food choices when I’m tired, busy, or just plain hungry during the week. Plus, by reusing the same ingredients over the course of a week, you may even save money on your grocery bill!
Crock Pot Egg Bake
This crock pot egg bake is so versatile and easy! I make an egg bake for my family at least once a week. This recipe calls for sausage and peppers, but you can use just about any protein or veggies that you have on hand.
10 eggs
1 tsp. avocado oil
1 pound ground sausage ( I always try to use sausage that does not contain sugar)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup onion, diced (approximately 1/2 medium onion)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
parchment paper
1. Combine eggs and seasonings in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
2. Brown sausage in a skillet, breaking up as it cooks.
3. When sausage is cooked, remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and add to bowl with egg mixture.
4. Saute onions and peppers in the same skillet until fragrant and onions are translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
5. Use a slotted spoon to remove vegetables from skillet and add them to egg mixture. Stir until evenly distributed.
6. Line slow cooker with two layers of parchment paper. You want your egg mixture to cook in the parchment paper and not to touch the slow cooker. This makes for easy cleanup!
7. Carefully pour egg mixture into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours or until egg bake is set.
8. Carefully remove egg bake from the slow cooker by lifting out the parchment paper.
9. Slice into desired serving size and enjoy! Store leftovers in refrigerator and reheat for easy breakfasts throughout the week.
Shredded Chicken
2.5-3 pounds boneless skinless
chicken breast
¾ cup chicken broth
Salt & pepper
Garlic powder
INSTANT POT:
1. Add chicken and broth to the instant pot.
2. Lightly sprinkle chicken with seasonings.
3. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
4. Once pressure has released, shred chicken with two forks or (pro tip!) a hand mixer.
5. Let chicken cool and then store in the refrigerator. (Note: if you have extra liquid after the chicken has cooled, use a slotted spoon to remove chicken from the instant pot)
SLOW COOKER:
6. Add chicken and broth to the slow cooker.
7. Lightly sprinkle chicken with seasonings.
8. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
9. Shred chicken with two forks or (pro tip!) use a hand mixer to shred chicken.
10. Let chicken cool and then store in the refrigerator. (Note: if you have extra liquid after the chicken has cooled, use a slotted spoon to remove chicken from the slow cooker.)
Now that your chicken is prepped, the hard work is done! Here is a BBQ Chicken recipe that will be a breeze thanks to your prep work.
BBQ Chicken
Half of shredded chicken, prepped above (approx 1.5 pounds)
BBQ sauce (I like to look for BBQ sauce without sugar from brands like The New Primal or Primal Kitchen)
4 baked potatoes
4 tsp. ghee or butter, divided.
Reheat shredded chicken and mix with desired amount of BBQ sauce.
1. Top each baked potato with 1 tsp. ghee or butter and fill with BBQ chicken.
Ground Beef
1 tsp. avocado oil (you can substitute olive oil if you prefer)
2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion diced, approx. 1 cup
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1. Add avocado oil to skillet.
2. Once oil is hot, add in diced onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and translucent.
3. Add in ground beef and seasonings.
4. Brown beef, breaking up as it cooks.
5. Drain beef when it is fully cooked.
6. Let cool and refrigerate.
Cross meal prepping ground beef off your list and cook up the recipe below.
Taco Salad
Half of ground beef, prepped above (approx. 1 pound)
½ tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. paprika
1. Reheat ground beef + seasonings in a large skillet.
2. Once beef is warmed through serve over greens with your favorite toppings.
Susan Bowser is a former NBC TODAY show producer. She is a freelance writer and food blogger at SusanBCooking.com.
She's passionate about real food, showing that healthy eating can be delicious, and sharing recipes that her whole family enjoys. Find more inspiration by following her on Instagram @SusanBCooking
