Healthy Meal Prep Recipes For Weight Loss

Meal prep is essential for any weight loss goal. Having easily attainable meals you could just pop in the microwave is totally a bonus! It allows you to eat your favorite meals well balanced and filling with the appropriate serving size. Here are a few healthy meal prep recipes for weight loss.  

Mediterranean Red Pepper Chicken 

This recipe has a lovely peppery flavor. It is rich in healthy fats and absolutely fantastic to make. This Mediterranean dish is also easy to make and packs a powerful punch. You can eat it cold, and if you are vegan or vegetarian, you can swap out the chicken for chickpeas or any other protein of choice. 

Ingredients

Instructions 

1. Set oven to 420F.
2. Cook quinoa (1 cup uncooked) according to the instructions provided on the package, then set aside.
3. Add zucchini and whole bell peppers to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.  Add olive oil, sea salt & pepper, and toss everything together.  Bake in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes until the skin on the bell pepper is blistered and the edges of the zucchini are seared. Once the veggies have roasted, set them aside and allow them to cool down.
4. Season chicken thighs with garlic, onion, and dried herb seasoning, then set a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat.  Once it’s hot, spray with oil and add the chicken.  Sear and cook on each side for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. 
5.  For the red pepper sauce, peel the skin from the bell pepper and remove the stem and some of the seeds.  Add the remaining peeled bell pepper to a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.  If you want it to be thinner, add lemon juice or water; if you want it to be thicker, add tablespoons of nut butter. Keep in mind the added calories since nut butter is a calorie-dense ingredient. Season to taste with sea salt & pepper.
6. Build the lunchbox!  Add quinoa, chicken, roasted zucchini, olives, feta, and a serving of the red pepper sauce.  
7. Meal prep with chickpeas and Enjoy! 

Low Carb Cajun Seafood Soup

This low-carb cajun soup recipe is exemplary! It’s heart-healthy and tastes fantastic. Cajun cooking has never been this good! The recipe has a mild spice to warm your insides and your hearts because this is a dish best served for every event. 

Ingredients 

• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb raw okra, diced into small rings
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 4 fresh cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot (or cornstarch), optional
• 6 cups no salt added chicken broth (or water)
• 6 cups water
• 1 1/2 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ½ lb. Lump crab meat
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper (to taste)

Instructions  

1. Set a large, heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil and okra and sauté for 15 – 20 minutes, occasionally stirring to ensure it is not burning, and make sure the okra touches the bottom of the pot.  The longer you cook the okra, the less mucilage (“slime”) in the final product.  Note: okra mucilage is a thickener for the soup, so the longer you cook the okra, the thinner the broth. I recommend cooking for no more than 25 minutes.
2. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and green bell pepper and cook for 6 – 8 minutes, or until the onion edges have started to brown. Sprinkle in the seasoning, tomato paste, and tomato (and if you want a thicker broth, add the arrowroot at this moment as well).  Stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Add the water/broth and bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low, and cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes. 
4. Add the shrimp and lump crab meat to the pot and simmer for at least 15 more minutes (up to 30 minutes).
5. Remove from the heat once the soup has reduced and thickened, then season to taste with sea salt and pepper.  
6. Meal prep and Enjoy! 

Spicy Tuna Stew with Lettuce Wraps

Who doesn’t love spicy tuna? If you don’t, you are surely missing out! This spicy tuna stew recipe is easy and fast to make, and did I say it was delicious. This is the best recipe to share with friends and family to show off your cooking skills. 

See Also

Best Restaurants In Greensboro To Try

Ingredients 

• 1 pound of canned tuna (2 large canned tuna tins or 4 regular-sized tins)
• 1 large onion (about 10 ounces), cut into chunks
• 2 large long hot green chili peppers (or 4 to 5 normal-sized green chili peppers), sliced
• 2 to 3 tablespoons gochujang(Korean hot pepper paste)
• 2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• lettuce
• apple ssamjang (Korean apple dipping sauce)

Apple Ssamjang

• ¼ cup fermented soybean paste 
• 1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper paste 
• 1 small sweet apple, such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and cut into 1∕8-inch dice (about ¾ cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Note: Combine/mix ingredients well, and you’re done! 

Instructions 

1. Place the onion on the bottom of a shallow pan. Add half of the sliced green chili peppers over the top.
2. Add the tuna, hot pepper paste, hot pepper flakes, soy sauce, and 1½ cup water.
3. Cover the lid and cook for 10 minutes over medium-high heat.
4. Open and stir it with a wooden spoon to mix it up.
5. Stir in the garlic, green onion, and the rest of the chopped green chili pepper.
6. Let it cook another 3 to 5 minutes uncovered to thicken the stew.
7. Meal prep and serve with rice, lettuce, and ssamjang. Enjoy! 

What are some of your favorite meal prep recipes? Are any of them for weight loss? We would love to hear from you. Tell us in the comments! 

Feature Image Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/AEU9UZstCfs