How to Prep a Week’s Worth of Lunches in an Hour Tops

Eating healthy when there are so many quarantine snacks in the cupboard? Yeah right. While it can be really difficult making sure your diet is as nutritious as possible—especially right now!—there’s something that can help. Intuition’s certified health coach Vanessa Kahen says that meal-prepping is one of the best ways to better your eating habits without hardly any effort.

“A big part of eating healthier and making choices that are better for you is making sure it’s easy,” she says. “When habits are easy for you to maintain, they’re sustainable and you’re more likely to keep them around for longer.”

By spending just one hour a week meal-prepping, you’ll have a week’s worth of healthy lunches that will keep you energized, satisfied, and feeling your best. During her cooking class, Kahen made seven recipes in real time: roasted sweet potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, baked salmon, chickpea salad, limey quinoa and bean salad, pesto, and hummus. Yeah, all of that in less time than it takes to watch a movie on Netflix.

Kahen says you’re essentially making a variety of different recipes that you can combine to make a countless number of meals throughout the week. For example, you can start with quinoa, then add a fresh green like spinach, roasted Brussels sprouts, some salmon, and your pesto for flavor. You could also pair quinoa with a fresh green, sweet potatoes, and a hard-boiled egg. Top it with your prepared hummus to season it, and you’re good to go.

Here’s how to make all the recipes you need for a week of healthy lunches in 60 minutes tops.

Prep These Recipes for a Week’s Worth of Lunches

Roasted Sweet Potato

Ingredients:

2 lbs potatoes (about 5 medium white potatoes, or about 3 medium sweet potatoes) 

2 tablespoons olive oil (or another neutral cooking oil like safflower oil or grapeseed oil)

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 
2. Peel potatoes (optional) and cut into 1/4 inch rounds. 
3. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with spices, and toss to coat. 
4. Place potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and insides are tender. (Time will vary depending on your oven. Just check occasionally after 30 minutes. You should be able to easily poke your fork into a potato round.)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels sprouts 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 
2. Cut Brussels sprouts in half, lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with spices, and toss to coat. 
3. Place Brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and insides are tender. (Time will vary depending on your oven. Just check occasionally after 30 minutes.)

Simple Baked Salmon

Ingredients:

salmon

salt and pepper

spices of your choosing

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 
2. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Feel free to add garlic powder, cayenne, or whatever spices you like. 
3. Bake for about 4 to 6 minutes per half inch.
4. Once cooked through, transfer to a clean plate and add a good squeeze of lemon.

Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. canned chickpeas, drained  

1/4 red onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cucumber, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. 
2. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Limey Quinoa and Bean Salad

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil

juice of 1 lime

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup water

1/2 tsp salt  

1/4 red onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeño, minced (without the seeds for less heat)

1 15 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can of corn, drained

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the quinoa. In a medium saucepan, bring the quinoa, salt, and water to a boil over medium-high heat. 
2. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes, or until the quinoa is cooked through and the water has evaporated. 
3. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the vegetables, beans, corn, and cilantro, and put it in a bowl. 
4. Once cooked, add the quinoa to the bowl, toss to combine. 
5. Drizzle mixture with olive oil and lime juice, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

Pesto

Ingredients:

2 cups packed fresh basil,

1/4 cup walnuts

1 garlic clove

juice of 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 salt and pepper to taste

1. Add all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until combined. 
2. Taste and adjust salt and lemon as needed.

Hummus

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can chickpeas

1 small garlic clove

juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup tahini

1/3 cup ice water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

dash of paprika

1. Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor (or high-powered blender) until smooth. Be patient—it takes time to get that creamy texture. 
2. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of paprika if you’re feeling fancy. 
3. Serve with fresh vegetables, use as a spread for sandwiches, add to a salad to add creaminess, or use for the base of a tuna salad.