10 MINUTE MEALS – Easy Meal Prep Ideas
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- Hey, munchies, welcome to the channel
if you're new or if you're not.
I'm Alyssia and I am stoked you're here!
Today I am changing up thetype of meal prep game.
I often show full meal preps for the week,
and that is how I used to meal prep
when I first started almost 10 years ago.
I was in college, I was tryingto lose the freshman 15,
or more like the freshman 25,
and meal prepping everything was a must
because I didn't have timeto cook along the way,
being so busy with school.
But over time, my mealprepping methods have evolved,
and now with my currentlifestyle and my needs,
I don't want or have toprep every single thing,
but prepping some thingsstill sets me up for success.
So today I am showingyou a minimal meal prep,
which is how I actually meal prep now,
and how I use thosecomponents throughout the week
to make easy 10-minute meals.
So I think of most of my meals
as being broken up into components.
I don't usually do fullrecipes for meal prep
because it's so much workand so much planning,
and I would rather havethe components ready to go,
that I can throw together along the way
throughout the week.
My meals are typically composed
of veggies, proteins, carbs, and fat,
and of course, I want to seasonthose differently sometimes
so I've got a variety in flavor.
For veggies, I have got a lot of hacks
to keep meal prep quick.
I don't wanna spend aton of time chopping,
so I buy pre-chopped produce.
Onions are one thing I always get,
shaved brussels sprouts are another,
chopped cauliflower and broccoli,
which sometimes I'll cutdown a little bit more,
depending on how big the florets are,
and sometimes I'll get pre-made mixes
like stir-fry or chopped veggiemixes, that sort of thing.
I also usually have some chopped spinach
or mixed green on hand.
Frozen veggies, like cauliflower rice,
I always have on hand, too,and some frozen mixed veggies
make weeknight meals easier.
Don't worry, I'm gonna showyou how I use this stuff, too.
Now, if this doesn't look like meal prep
in the way you're used to, you're right,
but meal prep doesn't have to be
what Instagram makes us think.
Meal prep is, to me, peace of mind.
Having items preparedfor my meals for the week
so I can easily stay on track
is what makes meal prep work for me,
and again, that's changed over the years,
so be open to that shifting for you, too.
For carbs on my plate, youknow, you can do what suits you,
but for me, it's rice, on the stove,
or another time-saveris to have frozen rice
to cook during the week.
I am not huge on quinoa soI don't usually prep that,
but you could.
I also do pre-cut butternutsquash and/or sweet potatoes.
I haven't worked with awhole butternut squash
in a long time, because it isso much work to get it cubed,
and it isn't much cheaperto buy it pre-cut.
But you've gotta find what works for you.
Some people really preferto avoid the plastic.
I get it, and I do try to gowith less plastic when I can.
You have to weigh outwhat's worth it for you,
and there's no right orwrong here, let's be clear,
this is not an ethical or a moral battle,
it's just what you need.
I need healthy foodavailable to eat healthy
because I know if I don't,
it's Postmates all day, every day.
I know that having this foodavailable will encourage me
to eat it, and my health isthe most important thing to me,
even though I wanna help the Earth
in whatever way that I can.
But if to you, the mostimportant thing is plastic,
which is also totally allowed,
then the time preparing the food
is the compromise thatyou might have to make.
We've all got to compromisesomehow, and it comes down to
which compromises are worth it to you.
One compromise is notbetter than the other,
and it doesn't mean thatwe make that compromise
always and forever.
Maybe on really busy weeks,I buy the cubed squash,
but on less busy weeks, Iget sweet potatoes as a carb
and I cube them myself,because it's not that much work
and I'm willing andhave the time to do it.
So do the best that youcan with what you've got.
Sometimes I will cook thesquash or sweet potato
on meal prep days so it'salready cooked for me
to use during the week, andsometimes I'll leave it raw
and cook it throughout the week.
It depends on what I need that week
and how much time I have.
Remember, fruit is another great way
to get carbohydrates onthe plate in a healthy way.
It doesn't have to be grainsand bread and pasta and beans.
It can be but it doesn't have to be.
Sometimes a side of fruit is my carb,
and it doubles as a sweet and I love it.
There's nothing wrong with that.
Okay, protein is themost work of meal prep,
but I've found ways to make it easier.
Pulled pork in the slowcooker is my current go-to,
it's so easy, so tasty,salt and pepper on the pork
and into the slow cookerit goes for nine hours
and that is it, I shared that in a video
a couple weeks ago.
Rotisserie chicken isanother, pull the meat
off the bone and you'vegot meat ready to throw
in a variety of meals.
Another easy one is to put ground meat
and a jar of salsa into a slow cooker.
Two ingredients, one versatile meat.
A cleaner sausage, like achicken apple or Italian,
these are convenient, pre-cooked,
I can serve them warm orcold and add flavor, protein,
and texture to dishes.
Seafood, fresh or thawed,fish and scallops,
they don't last long so they'renot great for meal prep,
but having them availableto cook throughout the week
is easy enough, sincethey cook so quickly.
Just because a food doesn't last long
doesn't mean you can't design a meal prep
that includes those foods.
Just because you don't like leftovers
doesn't mean you can't meal prep.
The key is learning to meal prep
in a way that works for you.
This is literally what I teach
in my Meal Prep Ignite course,which is closed right now,
but I'll link it belowif you wanna check it out
and add your name to the list
so that you can be notified the next time
that it opens up for enrollment.
Eggs, I always have eggs in the fridge.
They are a super easyand fast protein to cook.
Scrambles are a weekly go-to for me,
and I will put a friedegg on almost any dinner.
Canned beans and beansalads are another way
to have protein ready for meals.
You can prep an easy bean salad.
I'll link all of the stuffthat you're seeing below,
if you want the specific recipes,
but that bean salad can be used
as any other proteinwould throughout the week.
Okay, so that is a lot ofminimal meal prep protein ideas.
Let's be clear, I am notusing all of these things
every single week, I'll chooseone or two or maybe three,
depending on how busy Iam and how many people
I'm prepping for andwhat I need that week.
For fat on my plate, we havealready got some fat covered.
Most proteins have some fat in them,
so the pulled pork, groundmeat, salmon, or eggs,
but I almost always haveavocado on my plate,
half of one is perfect for me with a meal.
I know avocado seems like it isn't
a meal prep friendly food, but plastic,
please close your eyes,I put a piece of plastic
on the other half and itwill literally stay green
for another one to two days in the fridge.
Storing it with the pit always helps,
so eat that other half first.
Another option is tostore half of the avocado
with a wedge of onion.
The sulfur gas helps tokeep it from browning.
Or you can just eat it brown.
It tastes fine like that, too,
it just doesn't look as appealing.
I also buy coconut pieces,and I love adding these
to my plate as a fat tosnack on with my meal.
For flavor, I have got somego-to seasoning combos.
First, never underestimate the power
of simple salt and pepper.
Some of the best meals are simple,
and salt goes a long way ifyou know how to use it right.
I teach you that in myKitchen Confidence course,
where I teach cooking skills as well as
how to cook without recipes.
I discuss this in great detail.
I teach you how to season appropriately
and help you feel moreconfident in the kitchen
without having to listen to someone else
or follow instructions.
Sometimes, salt andpepper really is enough,
but I have a couple ofeasy flavor combinations
to switch it up forregular weeknight meals.
One is an Asian-inspired flavor profile,
a simple combination ofsoy sauce and sesame oil
can transform a plain protein and veggies
to make them taste like afun and inspiring stir-fry.
I'll also often use coconutaminos in place of soy sauce.
For a more southwestern-inspired dish,
I'll add a classic combo ofsalsa, guac and/or sour cream,
and taco seasoning.
For a creamy and richprofile, using mayo as a base
and mixing in some citrusand/or coconut aminos
can elevate the texture and flavor.
Balsamic and olive oil isanother super easy combo
that can be added to protein on its own,
or veggies and grains.
And then there's alwaysChristian's favorite, burger night!
It is funny how ketchup andmustard with pickles and mayo
can make just about anythingtaste like a burger.
Some individual flavorsI'll use sauces for
are barbecue sauce and hummus.
Either of those can add flavor and variety
beyond the basic salt and pepper, too.
Okay, so that is kindamy basic minimal prep
and some staples that I'll keep on hand.
How do I use those itemsthroughout the week?
The key to minimal prep working for you
is finding confidence to not need recipes.
And it's not a, some of ushave got the magic cooking gene
and some of us don't thing, it is a skill
that can be learned, and I teach that
in my Kitchen Confidence course.
I'm gonna give you four10-minute meal examples
using minimal prep items in this video,
but you can do so muchmore than this on your own
because your combinations are endless.
I have a mix and match PDF
that is from my Meal Prep Ignite course
that you can download forfree in the description.
It gives inspiration forcombining these meal components
in different ways for endless variety.
First, let's do an Asian pork bowl.
My base is cauliflowerrice, fresh or frozen rice.
I usually do frozen becauseI don't have to worry
about it going bad.
I start with onions ina pan with cooking fat
and I let those start to get tender.
In goes the sweet potatocubes because I know
that these are gonna take time to soften.
A few minutes later, I addin my cauliflower rice,
which I prefer frozen and thawed.
While that goes, on another burner,
I have some chopped chicken apple sausage.
or your favorite pork sausage.
It is precooked, but I'm gonna char it up
in some oil or ghee becauseit adds so much flavor.
My pulled pork is alreadymeal prepped for the week,
so I can add that to mycooked cauliflower rice
and sweet potato mixture,along with some snow peas,
which I know don't need muchtime, so I'm adding them last,
as well as some sesame oil andsoy sauce or coconut aminos.
Let that integrate for a fewminutes and get all delicious,
and don't forget to add in that sausage.
Season to taste.
This will depend on your prepped items,
so how salty is your protein?
Are your fresh or frozenveggies pre-seasoned?
This is why you have tolearn to salt to taste.
And there is my firstmeal, the Asian pork bowl.
I've got veggies, proteins, carb, fat,
and delicious flavor in 10 minutes.
Seriously, I prefer this tomeal prepping the full meals
because I get a fresh cookedmeal at a very little time.
Again, there's no right or wrong.
If you like leftovers,then just spending a minute
reheating the cookedfood can work for you.
Spend more time on prep dayand less during the week.
I prefer to spend less time on prep day,
I probably spend an hour prepping all
of the items on Sunday, andthen I only spend 10 minutes
getting the meal together during the week
because everything's ready to go,
ready to be thrown together,and most importantly,
I am confident that I can make it work
with my basic cooking skills.
Okay, the next meal I'll showyou is a chicken burrito bowl.
This one is done as a sheet pan meal,
which is another way I keepmeals quick during the week.
I start with pre-chopped broccoli
and then I cut some redonion into wedges on a pan
and season with oil and TraderJoe's chili seasoning blend.
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For protein, I usually useboneless chicken breast
or thighs, I prefer thighs for flavor.
I pat them down with a paper towel.
Getting them dry will helpthem crisp up a bit more
in the oven, and it'sdefinitely a good idea
with a dry rub, whichis essentially what I do
when I sprinkle on some taco seasoning.
How easy is that?
And it can totally go on thesame tray as the broccoli.
This is why confidence inthe kitchen is important.
Once you understand thatit doesn't actually matter
what the oven temperatureis, but more importantly,
what you're cooking, whatyou're pairing it with,
and then how long you need to leave it,
you can pair items togetherso that they can go
into the same oven at the same time.
In my Kitchen Confidencecourse, I have a cheat sheet
that shows which veggies andproteins pair well together
and at which temperatures they best cook.
It's pretty cool, but themore confident you get,
the more you won't evenneed the cheat sheet.
Now, yes, that has to cookfor more than 10 minutes
because I want it fresh, butit took like five seconds
to prepare, and I can be doingother stuff while it cooks.
So the payoff for gettingto eat a fresh cooked meal
is worth it to me, it might not be to you.
You could totally havethose sheet pan items
already cooked on meal prepday and just reheat them.
I just don't prefer to eatmy meal prep leftover-style.
While that cooks, I getmy meal prepped rice
and heat it on the stoveand add a little bit
of lime juice, cilantro, and canned corn,
a super easy addition that took no time
and adds flavor and variety, boom.
And when my sheet pan is done,I can serve my entire meal,
maybe add a littlesalsa and cotija cheese,
and I have got a Mexican orsouthwestern-inspired meal.
Okay, next is a salmonsalad that is so dang quick.
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I add salt and pepper to my salmon.
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Heat a pan with some gheeand then I get that salmon
in there, skin side up, letting it sear
for about two minutes,and then I just flip it
and let it cook another two minutes or so,
and this really dependson how thick the salmon is
and how rare or done you like it.
I tend to prefer it lessdone, but it'll only take
another two minutes or soif you want it more done.
While that's cooking, I combine the salad,
which is just arugula, red onion,
which I can either buy choppedin advance or chop that night
if I have the time, somemeal prepped butternut squash
that I roasted previously.
I am serving it cold in this salad.
And I top that off with a bitof olive oil and balsamic,
tossing to coat.
Then I add the salmon on topwith a lemon and avocado,
and like I said earlier,
I will often put an egg on anything.
I didn't do it here, but ayolky egg on top of salmon
is one of my favorite things.
Plus, on salad, that egg yolk
becomes like a part of the dressing,
which I know is hit ormiss for some of you,
but I am all about that yolk.
I have got one moremeal to show you today,
and it's a veggie scramble, which I make
almost every single day in some variety.
You can really use whatevervegetables you have on hand.
Today I start with oil and onions in a pan
and let them soften.
Then I add in some otherveggies, and just like before,
I'm considerate of howlong they're going to take.
So if I'm going to add potatoes or squash,
those will take longer, andI wanna get those in first.
Today, I'm gonna start withbroccoli for a few minutes
and then add in bell peppers,
which are softer and need less time.
Confidence in the kitchenwill help you make that choice
without needing a recipe,and that makes it easier
to use up vegetable youalready have in your fridge.
I am not telling youthis so that you'll go
and enroll in my course.
Actually, you can't enrollin either course right now,
because we're not open for enrollment.
But I'm telling you thatbecause once I realized
that having meal prepped food available
wasn't what actually helped me succeed,
but rather it was the confidence
to make the day to daychoices and decisions
in the kitchen about whatI need and how to cook,
that made a meal prepso much less stressful.
I have got my eggs scrambledin a measuring cup,
and then I add them intothe cooked vegetables,
letting the egg cookas it hits the hot pan.
I can top it off with cheese if I want,
or maybe avocado or salsa,it depends on the day,
but this is a great combo for variety,
because you can add in cooked protein
or veggies or any toppings or seasonings,
there are really endless possibilities.
And if you don't want toadd carbs into your scramble
like I'm doing today, why notserve some fruit on the side?
I love it.
I hope you'll get creative
with these easy mix and match meal ideas
and that you're finding some inspiration
for a minimal style meal prepthat might work better for you
than prepping every single thing.
For most people, preppingeverything isn't just more work,
it's also more than they need.
I hate it when I prep food for the week
and then I don't eat it and it's wasted.
It took time and practicefor me to realize
that actually preppingless serves me more.
I just had to find theway that worked for me,
and you have to find theway that works for you.
Let me know if you like this kind of video
and wanna see more of it.
I want to start sharing more
about how my own relationshipwith food and meal prepping
has evolved over the last few years,
because I think it is a muchmore sustainable way to do it,
and I hope you're open to seeing it.
Remember that you can get thefree mix and match download
in the description, andfeel free to put your name
on the waitlist for thecourses if you're interested
in being notified when they open up again
for enrollment later this year.
I'll be back next week with another video,
and remember, it's all amatter of mind over munch.
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Click to download the Meal Prep Mix & Match PDF! http://bit.ly/2PPD7A3 ★ SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every Thursday! http://bit.ly/MindOverMunch ★ Learn how to meal prep the EASY way with these 10 minute meals for dinner, lunch or breakfast! The key to a quick and easy meal prep is prepping the components for your healthy meals ahead of time, so they’re ready when you need them. I’ll show you how to meal prep for a week with MINIMAL prep work—because when my healthy meal prep for the week is easy, it’s more likely to be sustainable. Whether you’re looking for quick and easy meals to make at home or you’d just like to make meal prep for beginners a bit simpler, give these 10 minute recipes and 10 minute dinners a try! I have four different 10 minute dinner ideas, lunches and breakfasts to share: an Asian pork bowl, a meal prep chicken burrito bowl, a simple meal prep salmon salad, and a quick veggie scramble. Get more info on my Meal Prep Ignite & Kitchen Confidence courses and add your name to the waiting list! ★ MEAL PREP IGNITE https://mealprepignite.com/ ★ KITCHEN CONFIDENCE https://kitchenconfidence.com/ Subscribe to our NEWSLETTER! https://mindovermunch.com/brainfood RECIPES from this video: ► ASIAN PORK BOWL https://bit.ly/2vtxTTP ► BURRITO BOWL https://bit.ly/3aqQqyM ► SALMON SALAD https://bit.ly/2vw6VLn ► VEGGIE SCRAMBLE https://bit.ly/3alupS2 ► PULLED PORK https://youtu.be/6s1xXvQMi8w?t=398 ► SALSA CHICKEN https://youtu.be/s-ab4dC_kwA?t=146 ► BEAN SALAD https://bit.ly/2O7XQyb Relevant Resources: ★ Whole30 Meal Prep for the Week https://youtu.be/6s1xXvQMi8w ★ Trader Joes $37 Meal Prep https://youtu.be/yiXTm3p-490 ★ Keto Meal Prep for the Week https://youtu.be/7uyz1TGbQpY ★ One Hour Meal Prep https://youtu.be/yN0MNTmJRo0 ★ $35 & 10 Ingredient Meal Prep https://youtu.be/s-ab4dC_kwA ★ Versatile Meal Prep https://youtu.be/DxToDzSIH3Q STUFF from this video: ► SLOW COOKER: http://amzn.to/2qOAT5v ► RECTANGULAR GLASS STORAGE CONTAINERS: https://amzn.to/2J96asn ► 6X8 GLASS BAKING DISH W/ LID: https://amzn.to/2Nyn3PT ► MINI TONGS: https://amzn.to/2GxzU5y ► 12x17” RIMMED BAKING SHEETS: https://amzn.to/2VUe9Ru ► 15x10” RIMMED BAKING SHEET/JELLYROLL PAN: https://bit.ly/2pQnLh3 ► BROWN PARCHMENT SHEETS: http://amzn.to/2C1P54A ► RACHAEL RAY OIL POURER: http://amzn.to/2hmAft2 ► RACHAEL RAY BLUE COOKWARE: http://amzn.to/2sJysCh ► CUISINART CAST IRON HOT PLATE: https://amzn.to/2HBmeqG ☺ Connect with me! ☺ ☮ Instagram: http://instagram.com/mindovermunch ☮ Snapchat: alyssiasheikh ☮ eBooks: http://www.mindovermunch.com/ebooks ☮ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MindOverMunch ☮ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MindOverMunch ☮ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindovermunch ☮ Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mindovermunch DISCLAIMER The information provided on this channel is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this channel for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you suspect you might have a health problem. #MindOverMunch #MealPrep #AlyssiaSheikh