10 Healthy Make-Ahead Meals
You can refrigerate and freeze foods for several days after you cook them, so that when you arrive home after work, you'll be sitting down to eat in five minutes. You want eating healthy to be enjoyable, not a burden. We compiled a list of healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes to get you through the week.
Blackened Chicken with Toasted Couscous
In the mood for a little spice? Pair organic chicken with blackening seasoning and fresh spices and serve couscous on the side. This recipe is naturally dairy-free, but you can also make it gluten-free by using gluten-free couscous. Chicken and couscous can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days, so making a little extra could solve your healthy lunch and dinner dilemma.
For the Blackened Chicken with Toasted Couscous recipe, click here.
Brown Rice Quiche
Start your day off right with a protein-packed breakfast. Quiche can be made the night before and frozen to last longer. That way, you will be at ease when you first wake up knowing that your breakfast is already waiting for you. This special recipe uses brown rice and egg whites to make it a lighter and fluffier breakfast dish.
Chicken Noodle Soup
There's nothing like a delicious, hearty soup to warm you up on a cold day. You can more than one serving of your soup — it will last up to four days in your refrigerator. Want to save it for longer? Freeze the soup for two to three months.
Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Why would you only have Mexican one night a week? Grill chicken with peppers and onions and top with fresh avocado. Fajitas are a great way to get a lean serving of protein and a vegetables. To keep your dinner lighter, skip out on the corn tortilla and have your chicken and vegetables on top of a salad instead.
Gluten-Free Zucchini Lasagna
If you are under the impression that lasagna is only delicious when it is made with noodles, think again. This gluten-free, healthy recipe replaces lasagna with thinly sliced zucchini to deliver the same delicious taste with fewer calories.
For the Easy Gluten-Free Vegetable Lasagna recipe, click here.
Healthy Pasta Salad
Want to celebrate Meatless Monday five days a week? This healthy combination of whole-wheat pasta and vegetables can last you the entire work week in the refrigerator. Gather all your fresh ingredients on Sunday and make a large batch of delicious pasta salad that you can have for lunch or dinner during the week.
Overnight Oats
When the mornings get tough, set yourself up for success by making your breakfast the night before. Overnight oats are a delicious take on your breakfast oatmeal, and they will be ready the moment you wake up. You can't beat that!
Quinoa Burgers
Even if you are a red-meat lover, it may not be the best thing for your heart to have a burger every night. That is, unless it's a quinoa burger. Quinoa is gluten-free, high in protein, and will provide you half of your daily recommended value for fiber. Not convinced yet? Put your taste buds to the test.
Turkey Pot Pie
Fresh vegetables and lean turkey meat are perfect in this healthy dinner staple. Swap out regular potatoes with sweet potatoes for an added bonus.
Vegetarian Chili
Whether you use the slow cooker or make this meal ahead of time, you will not be disappointed. This clean and meatless chili can be eaten the next day as is, or you can put the leftovers in a whole-wheat wrap.