Tag: lunch

Meal prep versatility can make or break a routine. Meal prep burnout happens because you get bored of the flavors, the textures, the monotony of it all. It can also be as simple as one week of meals that you don’t like but are stuck with 5 days of food and you break from your habit. This is where versatility comes in and makes a world of difference. Being able to break up the pattern, pivot mid week, and feel reassured that you aren’t stuck eating the exact same meal all week.

There is a lot that you can do to improve your meal prep versatility. The most important part of any meal prepping is planning out your recipes. Preparing food that you like, stores well, is easy to cook, and combines with the other ingredients is the focus. 

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Start with flavor profiles

Some flavors go well on certain proteins and work differently with various vegetables. Consider flavors that you already like and plan around that to determine the protein. 

1. Garlic and Herb:

One of the most versatile flavor combinations is garlic and herb. It can be adjusted for your taste, goes on a ton of different ingredients, and is very healthy for you. You honestly might be able to put this on everything that isn’t sweet.

Components: Garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley.
Works well with: Roasted vegetables, grilled meats, pasta, salads.

2. Citrus and Herb:

This is a great combo of flavors for versatile meal prep as flavor is light and tends to leave the meal overall feeling light. This is good for lunches at work where you do want to be too tired after eating. This is also very easy to adjust to your preferences.

Components: Lemon, lime, orange, cilantro, mint.
Works well with: Seafood, chicken, salads, grains, vegetables.

3. Savory Umami:

Soy sauce can do a lot of work in flavoring foods. It’s a powerful flavor that is balanced out by the miso, mushrooms, and sesame oil. This is great for having a strong impact but it does limit the versatility as many foods simply taste like soy sauce if you go too heavy with it.

Components: Soy sauce, miso, mushrooms, sesame oil.
Works well with: Stir-fries, grilled meats, roasted vegetables, rice dishes.

4. Mediterranean:

This is another light flavor set that is delicious and nutritious. Getting fresh herbs will make a big difference but even the dried the seasoning bottles will work for improving your meal prep versatility.

Components: Olive oil, garlic, lemon, oregano, basil.
Works well with: Grilled proteins, salads, pasta, roasted vegetables.

5. Spicy and Smoky:

Spicy and smoky is a strong flavor combination with a lot of character. Used sparingly, in just the protein, works great and the veggies can be added later with little to no flavoring. 

Components: Chili powder, cumin, paprika, chipotle, garlic.
Works well with: Tacos, barbecue, roasted meats, soups.

6. Sweet and Tangy:

Sweet and tangy is a good way to balance out these other flavor profiles in your meal routines. Sometimes you need something that is less salty, smokey, or citrus-y. This profile can waken up taste buds and make any ingredients dramatically change their taste.

Components: Honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, maple syrup.
Works well with: Grilled meats, salads, roasted vegetables, glazes.

7. Balsamic Glaze:

Glazes are a great way to season your food. It’s easy to adjust the strength of the glaze and adjust the amount you pour onto the food itself. It can work as a marinade or as a dressing.

Components: Balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard.
Works well with: Grilled meats, roasted vegetables, salads, bruschetta.

8. Ginger Sesame:

Ginger sesame is a fantastic flavor profile that can be light as well, depending on how you make it and how much you add. This is another versatile meal prep flavor that is perfect for work lunches.

Components: Ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions.
Works well with: Stir-fries, grilled meats, salads, noodles.

Choose versatile ingredients

Just like with choosing versatile flavors, versatile proteins and veggies are important. Consider the flavor profiles you’re interested in and choose a protein that can work well across multiple.

• Proteins: Chicken breast, ground turkey, tofu, beans, ground beef.
• Grains: Quinoa, brown rice, couscous.
• Vegetables: Bell peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes.
• Healthy Fats: Avocado, olive oil, nuts.

These are safe places to start for each category, however, depending on your personal tastes, you can really expand in tons of directions after identifying the flavors you want to work with.

Bulk prep protein, cook sides as needed

Another approach to versatile meal prep is to bulk cook the protein. This is often the most involved and longest part of the cook. If you can knock this out ahead of time then you can assemble meals as needed. This works especially well with instant pots, chicken, cuts of beef, and ground beef or turkey mixed with a sauce. This can often make enough to last all week, is super easy and can be portioned out and reheated nicely. 

The sides or the grains and veggies for each meal are important. Depending on the grain you’re going for, these can be cooked half at the beginning and the second half as you need it. This will keep the texture like you want it and offer you a chance to change it up if you are no longer enjoying the quinoa or cauliflower rice.

Veggies again can be eaten raw and just need to be cleaned and cut. You can also cook them separately and have them ready to be portioned out. Again, consider only making enough for a couple of days or making two sets of different vegetables so you can change it up each day.

The most important thing is to store the different parts individually. As soon as you combine all of the separate foods, they combine and are delicious but there is also no going back. Storing them separately gives you choice down the line. Even if that means throwing out some parts of the dish that you don’t like but keeping the other parts.

Sauces and Dressings

This is a game changer for food versatility. There are so many foods that you can simply cook with very little flavor and achieve the perfect texture while being blank canvases for flavor. Just like keeping each part of the meal prep separate, keeping the sauce separate will offer opportunities to pivot. It will also help your food retain its texture. In some cases the additional moisture will ruin the texture of a crust, breading, or a crisp bite. 

Utilizing sauces to make versatile meal prep is a fun way to mix and match flavors without being committed to a week’s worth of it. You can try a different sauce each day or even multiple sauces during the same meal. Sometimes a bit of sweet and tangy needs to be balanced with spicy and smokey.

The holidays are here and this is the time for joyous, indulgent feasts. The price of groceries is only going up and between food and gifts, we can all stand to save some money with these affordable holiday meals and sides. 

Whether you’re cooking for yourself or for guests, we all want a taste of the holidays. Meal prepping holiday foods can be delicious and healthy without breaking the bank. With the right set of recipes and good grocery shopping, you can save tons on this holiday while still feasting. 

Plan your menu in advance. Good meal prepping benefits from good planning. Affordable holiday meals can focus on a few key ingredients that evoke the flavors that we know and love. Take it a little at a time. Testing out new recipes can be tricky and lead to wasted food if it doesn’t work out. Food waste will feel heavier on the budget than anything else.

Mix up old favorites with variations that include these flavors and you’ll be amazed at what will work. This could even become a staple year round for your meal routine. Explore new proteins like lentils, beans, and legumes. These alternative protein sources are incredibly good for your diet and can be a good addition to your affordable holiday meals. Consider non-traditional holiday recipes and update them with the flavors of the holidays.

When grocery shopping, if you’re unsure about certain ingredients, lean towards taking risks with ingredients that are shelf stable. That way even if you don’t end up using them, they won’t go to waste. You can always use them in something later. 

Spices tend to be one of the most expensive parts of exploring new meals. Meal prepping affordable holiday meals can come down to the spices. If you don’t have many of the spices that you need for the recipes, try to limit yourself to only a few new spices. Also look for recipes that overlap new spices, even if they aren’t holiday recipes as you’ll likely have a lot of spice leftover after the holidays and you’ll want to use them somehow. 

This guide highlights some key herbs, spices, and spice blends that you can use to work in the holiday flavors into your meals.

Herbs for the holidays

• Rosemary: slightly minty, sage-like, peppery, balsamic taste with a bitter, woody aftertaste
• Bay Leaves: herbal flavor with notes of eucalyptus, menthol, and pine
• Parsely: clean and peppery taste with a touch of earthiness
• Sage: earthy, sweet-yet-savory
• Thyme: peppery and sweet, sometimes with a clove-like sensation
• Mint: subtly sweet taste and cooling sensation

Spices for the holidays

• Allspice is just one berry, not a spice blend. It delivers the pleasantly warm and fragrant aroma of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, with just a pinch of pepper. 
• Cloves: cinnamon, but with a sharper tooth. 
• Cumin is earthy and deep with a twist of lemon. It’s a very commonly used spice in recipes and goes especially great on green beans, potatoes, and carrots.
• Nutmeg is bittersweet, with deep woody tones. Nutmeg partners well with carrots, cheese dishes, pumpkin pie, spinach, and sweet potatoes, as well as in cakes or sprinkled over eggnog.
• Poultry Seasoning is herbaceous and woodsy, an energizing mix of thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, and oregano.
• Garam Masala is a blend of black pepper, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and saffron elevates sweet and savory comfort.

Create your own rubs and sauces to capture the holiday flavors without having to cook entire recipes. Sauces also provide the benefit that if you don’t end up liking them you can always leave it out and still enjoy the rest of the meal. This is a good reason to keep sauces separate when meal prepping.

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