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#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long

January 13, 2014 126 Comments

#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
$3 a meal for a perfectly portioned menu that also saves on time and energy. Here’s all the advice you need for this lifestyle.

Yesterday I helped to cook a week of lunch and dinner for 2 people with $60 in under 3 hours, including a trip to the grocery store! This is the meal prep lifestyle and my friend Emmanuel Sean Peters is an expert. Instead of making excuses, Sean sets aside a little time to plan for a healthy and budget-friendly week. Here’s how you can do it too.

Every Sunday and/or Monday Sean will post a picture of five lunches and five dinners, all packaged in containers, on instagram. The picture sums up its value – if you’re tired, busy or lazy, you can just reach for a perfectly portioned meal – like the healthier, cheaper, and homemade answer to the convenience of Lean Cuisine. Even if you just don’t like to cook, you can consolidate your work by taking care of it all at once. It just requires a bit of discipline. Sean told me that even the time he came home late on one prep day and cooked past 1 am, he was pleased to have prepared for the week.

#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
Sean thinks it strange to be called an “expert,” but his hundreds of followers on instagram wouldn’t agree. After posting pics, he always shares recipes and advice for recreating the dishes.

When Sean started the #mealprep lifestyle in the spring of 2013, he was already into fitness, cooking and healthy eating. On off days, he would try to find nutritious options when eating out, but that meant justifying $10 or more for lunch to avoid deli traps. Cooking from scratch keeps processed foods out of his diet for $2.50 to $5 per meal. Sean is a PhD student in Electrical Engineering at Columbia University and noticed the added savings in his bank account at the end of the year. Portion control also means results from his fitness regimen are visible on his muscular frame.

#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
Groceries for lunch and dinner meal prep came to only $60 – that’s $3 per meal! And no packaged foods made their way into the menu plan as staples or snacks.

Sean’s Trinidadian roots help him to #eatclean. Instead of using salt and fat to flavor dishes, he uses a lot of garlic and spices to make dishes like his specialty of chicken curry. Though he no longer can reach for mango or guava from backyard trees, all of his shopping is done between the produce and meat aisles of the grocery. The difference between his cart and those around us at the Harlem neighborhood’s Best Yet Supermarket was stunning. The only plastic before these 20 meals were cooked was from a bag of brown rice and bags of pre-washed spinach. These sensible shortcuts help Sean to avoid extra work to clean or cut vegetables and make the process go faster.

#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
Fruit for the week was included in the $60 budget. Sean keeps it close at hand for afternoon snacks.

Sean’s meals are always fresh and colorful – a good sign that they are diverse in nutrients – and the menu plan is always chicken or turkey for lunch and a lighter meal of fish for dinner. By avoiding pasta, salty and fatty additions like cheese also become less important. A consistent breakfast of oatmeal with peanut butter or protein powder keeps him full in the morning and instead of reaching for a vending machine, Sean always keeps fruit close at hand. By minimizing the food decisions throughout the week, you can eliminate stress from all the little choices and temptations.

#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
Sean’s friend Devon, a PhD candidate in Sociology at Columbia University, has replaced eating out a lot with joining the meal prep session. Dirty Rice (recipe below) was his suggestion from a family favorite.

If this sounds a bit redundant to you, remember these rules. Give yourself flexibility by prepping only five lunches and five dinners – that’s four meals a week to cook something different or dine out. But make sure you’re making something that you will not mind eating for five days. Experiment with new recipes on your day off so you don’t commit to meals you will lose taste for. Spice it up with hot sauce or mango habenero sauce here and there so the flavors change a bit from day to day. And finally, cook with a friend. Extra help makes the preparation faster and more fun. If you want to try meal prep as a family, make sure everyone is on board and lends a hand.

#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
These are intentional meals, not sad leftovers. Use the freezer to keep each box fresh until it’s day has come.

Sean uses uniform, inexpensive containers to package the meals and everything is moved to the freezer to prevent spoilage. Each night a set of containers is shifted from freezer to fridge to be thawed in time for the meal. Some foods do better than others with this change of temperature – avocado is not recommended – and Sean factors in reheating the fresh vegetables. For example, you can under cook broccoli a bit so it finishes in the microwave. At the end of the week, everything is fresh and delicious – these are intentional meals, not sad leftovers.

#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
The lunchbox always includes chicken or turkey and lots of veggies. Recipes for this menu are below.
#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
The dinner box is always lighter and features a fish. This box includes baked tilapia with lemon, roasted and mashed sweet potatoes with honey and cinnamon, and spicy sauteed spinach.

This healthy, convenient, and waste-free lifestyle is taking root in Sean’s friends and family. As we began to cook together his sister called to discuss her plan for the week. I too am going to pick up some of his discipline to make lunches for the week and avoid running across the street to pick up udon so often. If you think you’re ready to try, check out Sean’s instagram for more inspiration and click through the #mealprepsundays and #mealprepmondays hashtags. There’s a whole community of #fitmencook and #fitwomencook who want to share ideas and encourage you to thrive with the #mealprep lifestyle.

Shopping List for 10 Meals

Brown Rice
2.5 pounds ground turkey
1 medium red onion
1 bunch of scallions
Garlic
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
Cilantro
2 pounds carrots
3 bunches of broccoli

Dirty Rice – Brown Rice with Ground Turkey, Peppers, and Spices

#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
Fresh veggies season these dishes instead of fats, creams, or salt.
#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
Cooking for more than 2 people is difficult because of the sheer volume. With just two, each dish is scaled to make 10 servings.
#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
Colorful and flavorful additions like these peppers make each meal something to look forward to.
#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
A final handful of cilantro brightens the dish and then it’s done!

Measure 2.5 cups of brown rice, 5 cups of water, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a medium pot. Bring pot to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer (without opening) for 40 minutes, making sure the water hasn’t all evaporated.

Dice red onion, finely chop 8 cloves of garlic, and slice scallions. Cook vegetables with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add turkey and cook for about 10 minutes until browned, stirring and breaking up chunks with a spoon. Add diced red pepper and yellow pepper, season with garlic powder, thyme, chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper and cook for a few minutes longer. Stir in half a bunch of cilantro, finely chopped. Stir in cooked brown rice and adjust seasonings to taste.

Roasted Carrots

#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
Sean always lines baking pans with aluminum foil to help with cleanup. This quick step makes the whole task of the cooking session less burdensome.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scrub and/or peel 2 pounds of fresh carrots. Slice lengthwise then cut into even pieces. Toss with garlic powder, salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast for about 30 minutes until fork tender.

Spicy Steamed Broccoli

#mealprep: Expert Tips for Easy, Healthy and Affordable Meals All Week Long
Pull the broccoli from heat a little before it’s done so it can finish cooking when reheated in the microwave.

Wash broccoli and break florets into even pieces. Bring a pot with 1 inch of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Set broccoli in steamer basket over water, cover with lid, and cook for four minutes. Remove broccoli from heat and shock with cold water to stop the cooking process. Toss dried broccoli with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and olive oil.

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Filed Under: broccoli, carrots, dinner, Everyday Meals, fall, Fall, goals, groceries, health, Left Sidebar Categories, leftovers, lunch, main dish, meal prep, Reset Filter, rice, Spring, spring, sweet potato, sweet potatoes, turkey, vegetables, weeknight, winter, Winter Tagged With: Meal Prep, Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. pandapotamus

    January 14, 2014 at 5:10 pm

    stumbled upon this post from your comment on the Kitchn! Thank you for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Robyn Burgess

      January 14, 2014 at 5:16 pm

      I’m glad you’ve found it helpful! Many of my recipes in the recipe index would work well for meal prep. Just no avocado 😉

      Reply
      • Carie

        February 19, 2016 at 1:34 am

        You can buy avacodoes when they are on sale. Mash 4 together with the juice of two or three times. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and with a scooper to match the desired portion of avacadoe scoop onto the paper. Freeze and pop the avacadoe balls in a zip lock freezer bag. On the away out the door stop at the freezer and pop a ball in you lunch container or separate container if you are heating your lunch

        Reply
    • cathy

      February 6, 2015 at 4:12 pm

      Hi Sean,

      I am a living skill trainer, and my clients are challenged, and i teach them how to make bulk meals, I like your meal you posted, if you have any more can you e mail them to me, only if you have time,

      Cathy

      Reply
      • Robyn

        February 10, 2015 at 12:39 am

        Hi Cathy! I’ve been posting more and more recipes that are perfect for #mealprep. Just check out the Meal Prep category under Recipes for lots of ideas that will stay delicious from freezer to fridge all week long. http://runawayapricot.com/tag/mealprep/
        -Robyn

        Reply
  2. M. Weber

    January 14, 2014 at 5:47 pm

    Wow that is amazing! I need to apply some of these tips to my meal planning.

    Reply
  3. whilehewasout

    January 22, 2014 at 5:10 pm

    Awesome! I wish I had a big enough freezer 😀 I actually love the idea of the roasted carrots, didn’t know they freeze well. The meals look great, perfect with all those veggies. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Amanda Tesch

    March 2, 2014 at 11:58 pm

    This is such a great idea! I showed my husband and he is super excited to do it!!

    Reply
  5. Rita

    March 4, 2014 at 7:03 pm

    How many calories per serving is the dirty rice? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Robyn Burgess

      March 4, 2014 at 8:19 pm

      Hi Rita, the recipe above makes 10 servings of about 1 2/3 cups at about 425 calories per serving. Most of the calories come from the ground turkey, so you can adjust the amount there to control.

      Reply
    • Rita

      March 4, 2014 at 9:07 pm

      Okay, thank you Robyn! I made this recipe today and its so delish. As a busy mom, this will make a great ‘plan ahead’ meal for the week. So glad I found your blog!

      Reply
    • Jasmin Freeman

      March 24, 2014 at 12:35 am

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Reply
  6. Jasmin Freeman

    March 24, 2014 at 12:36 am

    Hi! I just made your meal plan from up above. We are loving it! Can you post the recipes and shopping list for the other meal (tilapia, sweet potatoes, and spinach)? If you have more of these or a link to some groups of them please let me know. I love how you have the yummy recipes and shopping list right there. Fool proof! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Robyn Burgess

      March 24, 2014 at 1:08 am

      So glad you enjoyed! And thanks for the notes on the shopping list – I’ll try to use that format more often when posting about meals. There are lots of recipes in the Recipe Index with many more coming. I just posted a delicious and super easy meal of Spicy Sichuan Noodles with Turkey, Kale and Peanuts. http://www.runawayapricot.com/2014/03/healthier-dan-dan-mian-spicy-sichuan.html

      Reply
      • Taya

        September 25, 2015 at 7:58 am

        What is the exact recipe for the tilapia, mashed sweet potatoes, and spinach?

        Reply
  7. Anonymous

    March 31, 2014 at 4:59 pm

    brussel sprouts, cauliflower and heartier veggies like red cabbage, brocolli “slaw” etc hold up really well if there were an option to have a non-heated veggie side … i love blanched cauliflower forets w soy sauce and red pepper flake

    Reply
    • Robyn Burgess

      April 1, 2014 at 5:49 pm

      Great ideas! I really like different textures and temperatures with my meal, so two small containers instead of one that goes from freezer to microwave sometimes works for me. My Jerk Chicken Meatballs would be delicious with one of the slaws that you mention. http://www.runawayapricot.com/2014/03/glistening-like-beyonce-jerk-chicken.html

      Reply
  8. Anonymous

    April 1, 2014 at 5:17 pm

    I am going to try some, an aside you can get the steamer bags, 10 for under 4 dollars that’s how I pack meals and microwave them.

    Reply
  9. Sandy

    April 1, 2014 at 7:02 pm

    Great concept–love the idea of cooking ahead. Definitely will try this–the recipes look yummy. Since I found out years ago how harmful microwaves are, I haven’t used one since 1992. I’ll probably package the meals in foil or glass dishes that can be reheated in the oven or toaster oven.
    As an aside, when we experimentally stopped using our microwave for a month (I was wondering how I would survive without it!) we were amazed at how much better the food tasted. Haven’t looked back and never regretted giving it up. See http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx for more info. To your health! 🙂

    Reply
    • Adrienne Caldwell Holistic Pet Services

      June 8, 2014 at 5:07 pm

      I posted a reply similar to this. Microwaves are really, really bad.

      Reply
    • Tina

      January 4, 2015 at 6:42 am

      Im with you about microwaves. We do everything in the oven.

      Reply
    • Chuck

      August 16, 2015 at 3:13 am

      Microwaves are perfectly safe. Dr. Mercola’s stance on them is pure quackery. Please read the science behind how they work, it isn’t at all what he makes it seem. Use one or don’t, but it will have no effect on your heath either way. Happy cooking!

      Reply
    • Elizabeth

      August 18, 2015 at 2:09 am

      Hmm.. the science doesn’t back this up I’m afraid – at least not at this stage. http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancers-in-general/cancer-questions/radiation-microwaves-and-cancer

      Reply
  10. Greta

    April 3, 2014 at 2:04 pm

    This is one of the most thorough examples of meal preps I’ve seen-, from costs to recipes. Excellent post, thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
    • Robyn Burgess

      May 8, 2014 at 5:57 pm

      Thanks, Greta!

      Reply
    • Miya

      May 6, 2016 at 1:46 am

      I agree great post. I am on the paleo diet and wanted to try this method any advice?

      Reply
  11. Ariana Joubert

    April 13, 2014 at 8:02 pm

    I want to do this so bad! I am trying to eat healthy and this is a way to have an excuse proof day! lol =) My question is though, how much should i make for 1 person and only for my lunch and maybe a snack before dinner. I like to eat a family dinner with my 2 boys and my fiance.

    Reply
  12. Anonymous

    April 16, 2014 at 6:48 pm

    cut everything that’s written up there in half that’s how much you should do for one the recipes and everything is meant for two 🙂

    Reply
  13. Anonymous

    April 27, 2014 at 11:46 am

    This motivate me to eat healthy. Smart idea and thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  14. Lauren

    April 30, 2014 at 5:00 pm

    I’m in college and living in my own apartment this year so I was so excited to read this post. Making meals ahead of time is perfect for me since I can bring them on the go to class or the library. I’ve already made this recipe twice and I’m loving it! Thank you!

    Reply
  15. Anonymous

    May 4, 2014 at 5:32 pm

    Can you get the recipes for the fish/spinach/sweet potato dinners that are in the pictures? Looks great!

    Reply
  16. Anonymous

    May 6, 2014 at 3:12 am

    How much of each of the spices do you add? “garlic powder, thyme, chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper”
    like, equal parts?
    – Rowan

    Reply
  17. Anonymous

    May 7, 2014 at 8:02 pm

    The shopping list says it’s the ingredients for 10 meals, but all I see are the ingredients for the 5 lunches. Where are the shopping list and instructions for the baked tilapia, roasted mashed sweet potatoes, and spicy spinach?

    Reply
    • Candiiiiiiiiiiii

      August 9, 2014 at 5:48 pm

      That is what I wondered too.

      Reply
    • Lisa Marie MacDonald

      August 10, 2014 at 6:53 pm

      Me too.

      Reply
  18. Anonymous

    May 9, 2014 at 7:14 pm

    Your food is inspiring!!! I wish you blogged more about additional meals. I ran across this on pinterst.

    Reply
  19. Erin Hazlewalsh

    May 17, 2014 at 3:17 pm

    I wanted to say THANKS for your post and meal ideas. I tried your turkey meatloaf for myself and my husband this past week. It was a big success. I have a blog and wrote a post all about it (crediting you and linking back to your Instagram site). http://erin-allthatglitters.blogspot.ca/2014/05/a-week-of-lunches.html
    Thanks again can’t wait to see what you come up with in the future.

    Reply
  20. Lindsay

    May 21, 2014 at 4:39 pm

    I don’t follow instagram, but would definitely sign up for this awesome meal planning idea! In instagram does he post the recipe and shopping list? Thanks!

    Reply
  21. Adrienne Caldwell Holistic Pet Services

    June 2, 2014 at 6:42 am

    Great idea. Just the inspiration I need. My only problem however is the microwave – it zaps too many nutrients in the heating process. What is the feasibility of reheating on the stove?

    Reply
  22. Anonymous

    June 12, 2014 at 10:38 pm

    Not sure I see the recipes for the dinner boxes just the lunch ones…:-/

    Reply
  23. Julie G-RN

    June 22, 2014 at 5:56 pm

    This has been a motivating site to finally prepackage meals….Thanks so much for taking the time to share your information….

    Reply
  24. Anonymous

    June 23, 2014 at 12:42 am

    Made this tonight and loved it! Now I don’t have to think about lunch all week… Thank you!

    Reply
  25. Heather A.

    June 24, 2014 at 10:06 pm

    Excellent article! I’m truly inspired.

    Reply
  26. Zarah57

    June 28, 2014 at 9:45 pm

    Love this site. ..just what I was looking for

    Reply
  27. healthylivying

    July 2, 2014 at 7:31 am

    I saw your blog and have been trying our meal prep for a week as well. Would love to get your opinion on how I did healthylivying.wordpress.com/2014/06/29/meal-prep-first-timer/ 🙂

    Reply
  28. Vicki Gallivan

    August 4, 2014 at 12:29 am

    do you have the recipe for the fish, sweet potatoes and spinach?

    Reply
  29. Anonymous

    August 9, 2014 at 3:13 am

    Will try this next paycheck. Is there somewhere where the recipes for other meals are at.

    Reply
  30. Anonymous

    August 12, 2014 at 12:39 pm

    Could you please post the roasted and mashed sweet potato recipe!!!

    Reply
  31. Anonymous

    August 13, 2014 at 2:21 pm

    how do I find Sean on Istagram?

    Reply
  32. Anonymous

    August 13, 2014 at 2:23 pm

    #escpeters on IG

    Reply
  33. Kelster

    August 15, 2014 at 10:26 pm

    Found this via Pinterest and am so excited to try this. I do this for breakfast with frozen smoothie bags (defrost night before in fridge, add liquid morning of so the bags take up less room in the freezer) but I wasn’t really sure where to get started with “real” meals.

    Thank you for the lists, for taking the time to write it out, and including pictures! Love pictures! 🙂

    Reply
  34. helen panel

    August 17, 2014 at 10:35 pm

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  35. Traycee Mcknight

    August 21, 2014 at 3:52 am

    Do you just split between 10 meals, or do you measure it?

    Reply
    • Robyn Burgess

      August 21, 2014 at 3:12 pm

      Hi Traycee, we just used a scoop or spoon to divvy up the portions. You could measure, but I do not believe the portion control needs to be precise. – Robyn

      Reply
  36. Judee

    October 30, 2014 at 10:17 pm

    This is an amazing idea . It’s so hard to come home from work, tired, and wait for a healthy meal to cook. This is great. I use Mason Jars to store lunches.

    Reply
  37. Olivia

    November 4, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    I’ve dreamed of prepping meals like this for my family but was intimidated by the idea of getting started. This is a nice guide, and seems simple enough to replicate. I would loving having these colorful and tasty looking meals ready to grab in my fridge!

    Reply
  38. Elaine c

    November 6, 2014 at 10:30 am

    Hi…This is great.Now my hubby won’t bug me anymore 🙂 By the way, how do I store it? In freezer or just the fridge will do?

    Reply
  39. STEPHANIE

    November 8, 2014 at 11:57 pm

    Do you have the other recipes that are pictured: sweet potatoes, chicken and spinach? Would you share please?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  40. Laura

    November 11, 2014 at 11:05 am

    I love this and I am going to do these prep dishes. I see the one but do you have the meal information for the fish and chicken or any other suggestions. It would be nice to do all three to get a variety. I looked on your website but can’t seem to find them. Thanks

    Reply
  41. penny

    November 11, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    Thank you for the insiration. I’ve been doing freezer dinners for my family of 7 to help durong the week and want to do lunches for myself and my husband. I don’t like a lot of cookwd veggies and prefer most raw. I wqs just wondering what your experience is with freezing them in an uncooked state. Example: spinach, broccoli, carrots

    Reply
    • Darcy

      October 13, 2015 at 3:59 pm

      Wash & cut organic raw veggies (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, pealed jicama, celery, or other hard veggies) in sizes you want, place in safe container(s), cover with filtered water, and cover container not quite sealed or with wet paper towel. They breathe & keep well in frig all week; better if you refresh water once. Wash ahead, but cut cucumbers, zucchini, bok choy & tomatoes daily–takes 3 minutes. Prep rawhide onions separately.
      Buy organic prewashed spinach & greens in boxes or bags, with good use-by dates; they keep a week. Happy crunching!

      Reply
  42. marlo

    November 20, 2014 at 5:04 pm

    Would you please let us know the measurements of the spices for the recipe? They are not listed in the recipe, but are listed in the instructions without measurements Thank you!

    Reply
  43. Beth

    November 22, 2014 at 1:01 am

    Your meal prep looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I especially love the dirty rice idea! Meal prep has changed my life so much! I actually just made a little free guide– if you’re interested, although it looks like you’ve got it covered 🙂

    http://bethleahnutrition.com/

    Reply
  44. Felicia

    November 23, 2014 at 1:56 am

    I made the dirty rice based on your recipe and I LOVE IT! I had to substitute ground turkey with ground pork – my partner thought the ground meat made the rice dry/ hard to swallow, but I absolutely love the burst of flavour!

    Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  45. Amanda

    December 18, 2014 at 3:25 am

    I tried the dirty rice recipe with the carrots & broccoli tonight. I can’t even begin to describe how good my kitchen smells! And then I tasted it. Heavenly! (I used ground chicken since I had it on hand, & I’m excited to try it with turkey & bison as well.) I can’t wait until the blog comes out. I’m ready to try his recipe for spinach & sweet potato. And I’m very curious how he prepares the fish. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  46. Michele

    January 1, 2015 at 8:14 pm

    Hi. Thanks for sharing your recipe for dirty rice. My rice came out mushy. Any ideas on how to cook it so its not mushy? How much of each spice do you use?
    Thanks

    Reply
  47. crystal

    January 4, 2015 at 5:07 pm

    Hi do you do a new meal prep every week or do u have more of these that will make 10 meals for the week

    Reply
  48. Marissa Castro

    January 10, 2015 at 2:52 am

    Love your recipes. Thank you for sharing and keep them coming.

    Reply
  49. Sara

    January 11, 2015 at 2:16 pm

    I am very excited to try these recipes. How do you do the fish? Also what are the measurements for the spinach? Thanks!

    Reply
  50. Angie

    January 29, 2015 at 2:35 pm

    Hi Robyn, my son is a college athlete and is trying to lean up. He’s doing pretty good on meal prep by himself, but being a 19 year old kid is getting bored with the same ol’ stuff. He will be home this weekend and I’m going to stock him up – the dirty rice sounds and looks wonderful. Do you know how well it freezes (if it does at all)? If it doesn’t I’ll just keep half of it here because I know he won’t eat it for 10 days, just thought I’d ask!

    Reply
    • Robyn

      January 31, 2015 at 5:17 pm

      Hi Angie, the dirty rice freezes well, but with anything you put in the freezer you’ll need to watch out for freezer burn. Maker sure you put it in a tight-sealing container and don’t leave it in there for too many weeks (not that college students have the freezer space!) Try defrosting in the fridge overnight before heating. Best, Robyn

      Reply
  51. Mallory

    February 26, 2015 at 1:02 pm

    I love the Dirty rice, its great!

    Reply
  52. Amber

    March 10, 2015 at 12:05 pm

    I found you through Pinterest. Thanks for posting! I’m going to give this all a shot.

    Reply
  53. Blake

    March 25, 2015 at 8:52 pm

    Thanks! This was an inspiration for sure! Just getting into the Meal Prep Lifestyle and going to try some of these for next week. Thanks for this!

    Blake

    Reply
  54. Faith

    April 17, 2015 at 1:24 am

    HELP!!!! It is so hard for me to make something my 12 and 14 year olds would enjoy!! I am all out of ideas

    Reply
    • Robyn

      April 18, 2015 at 12:30 pm

      Hi Faith, what do your kids like to eat? At that age, it might make an impact if they joined you in the kitchen and helped to cook their meals. They’ll likely appreciate the food more with a greater sense of ownership and control of the process.

      Reply
  55. jessica

    April 19, 2015 at 4:20 am

    Found this on pinterst and it looks super duper tasty! We do something similar so it is always nice to find new recipes. Thank you for sharing! One thing we sometimes do is swap w a family member, they create two meals in bulk and I create two meals and then we swap so there are four. Yay! Now I want some dirty rice!

    Reply
  56. Tristen

    April 24, 2015 at 4:39 am

    Have you thought of joining a produce Co-op group? I am apart of bountifulbaskets.org, its all fresh, and so much cheaper then what you can get in grocery stores. For me, it’s Christmas every week!
    this blog was very helpful, I’m about to go on a 10 day clean cleanse, and the tips for meal prep will be used. Thank you.

    Reply
  57. ryan

    April 24, 2015 at 3:12 pm

    Tilapia is not healthy, it is almost always farm raised in awful conditions and fed antibiotics and is in general one of the least healthy fish choices. Farmed fish exist on a diet of corn or soy and tilapia has the highest ratio of bad fat to good fat of any farmed or wild fish. Not a big deal here and there but certainly not a great thing to eat four nights a week. Try some flounder or mahi or basically any other mild fish as a substitute.

    Reply
    • Robyn

      May 15, 2015 at 11:36 am

      Hi Ryan, I agree – and that is why I have been hesitant to share the other recipe featuring the tilapia. There will be more recipes using sustainable seafood in the future.

      Reply
  58. jackie

    April 24, 2015 at 5:53 pm

    Isn’t this recipe only for 5 meals? A serving of dirty rice with carrots and broccoli? It wouldn’t make 10 meals. Am I the only one that noticed this? The recipe on the website is the same and it says it serves 5.

    Reply
    • jackie

      April 24, 2015 at 6:03 pm

      wow I really can’t read. I was reading the 2 1/2 lbs of turkey as the 2 1/2 cups of brown rice from the other recipe. DUH!!!! I’m so sorry. Maybe I should have lunch, my lack of calories is affecting my brain function.

      Reply
  59. Vicky

    May 4, 2015 at 2:41 am

    As a busy single woman trying to live a healthier lifestyle, I was SO excited find your website! Thank you SO much for sharing this! Do these meals freeze well?

    Reply
    • Robyn

      May 15, 2015 at 11:39 am

      Hi Vicky! Yes, these meals freeze well but of course anything that goes into the freezer will develop freezer burn with time. Try to freeze them for weeks rather than months.

      Reply
  60. Michelle

    May 20, 2015 at 2:48 am

    Hi, I stumble across this web from Pinterest. I’ve been trying to learn about meal prep basics for days as I’m planning to start next week. I was never a cook and kitchen wasn’t really my place in the first place LOL so this is all still kinda confusing for me. But my biggest question is always: How is the proper way to store and reheat the meal? my microwave is broken, can i steam or use the oven to reheat the meal? would the nutrition values be lost by freezing and thawing? will the meal turns soggy? they said cooked protein lasts 3-4 days in the fridge, but must be frozen for longer time, but how is the proper way to thaw the food? i froze a banana once and when i thaw it in the fridge the next day i went so bad and since then I became so concern with freezing and thawing food. maybe i was just unlucky with the banana, i don’t know. so sorry with all these questions, i’m really that much of a beginner. it will mean a lot if you can answer. thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Robyn

      May 31, 2015 at 7:00 pm

      Hi Michelle! If you’re packing the meals into containers, the best way to thaw is to remove a container from the freezer to the fridge the night before and allow the temperature to slowly rise. That method should generally work for most recipes on my site, especially those labeled “Meal Prep.” The browning of your banana happened because of a chemical reaction with the fruit – but you won’t find that here. As for reheating: the microwave is definitely my suggestion. You could try to reheat in a pan on the stovetop with a bit of oil – be sure to add the broccoli last so it doesn’t get overcooked. I hope it turns our deliciously!

      Reply
  61. Crystal

    May 29, 2015 at 12:17 pm

    I love this! Everyone in my town thinks I’m crazy for doing the cooking for the week. It totally saves on time AND money. High-five, man!

    Reply
  62. Savannah

    May 31, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    Hi,

    I love the concept of meal prepping but I’m super new to cooking. Can you give me, or post, the instructions for the tilapia dish?

    Reply
  63. Frank

    June 1, 2015 at 1:48 am

    This is so informative! Thanks so much!

    Best,

    Reply
  64. Maria

    June 3, 2015 at 3:58 am

    Thank you for this great post! I just finished a post myself about meal planning and lowering your food bill and I am including a link to yours in the resources. Thank you! Off to check out your other recipes

    Maria
    http://www.musicteachingandparenting.com/2015/06/feed-your-family-for-less-how-to-lower.html

    Reply
  65. Rebecca

    June 24, 2015 at 8:05 pm

    Omg I love this post !!! Thank you for the ideas .. I just wanted to know something . So you cook everything and than put it in the freezer ? how exactly does that work ? And I notice when I make my veggies ahead of time they come out soggy after I eat them the next day . Please help me with this 🙂 thank you !

    Reply
    • Robyn

      June 25, 2015 at 2:51 am

      Hi Rebecca, the key is to undercook the vegetables on the first round. That way everything finishes when you reheat it. Also, I recommend reheating in the microwave as it will prevent overcooking by reheating much faster and more evenly. I hope this helps!

      Reply
  66. Paige

    June 30, 2015 at 9:06 pm

    I love this! This is the best meal prep I have found on the internet. Will you be posting more meal prep recipes/grocery lists anytime soon?

    Reply
  67. claudia

    July 11, 2015 at 11:16 pm

    This looks great!!! Cant wait to try it. Only one question…Can I freeze this meals?

    Reply
  68. Laura Rodriguez

    July 24, 2015 at 1:05 am

    I just made this today! It is actually my first time attempting meal prep. It turned out really good, except that I do not do well free hand seasoning. Is it possible for you to post the measurements for the seasonings? Like I said it turned out well. However, it has a strong cinnamon taste. Thank you in advance.

    Reply
  69. LoveYourStyleLoveTheColorOfYourFood

    July 30, 2015 at 11:40 pm

    Great job! I better get started on saving and eating right.
    I am sooooo impressed.

    Phd
    Saving Money
    Eating Right
    Looking Good

    Reply
  70. Jeremy

    August 14, 2015 at 2:11 pm

    I’m hungry now! I love the color of all the dishes!

    Reply
  71. Sue

    August 20, 2015 at 5:13 am

    A brilliant idea.I’m retired & don’t like cooking daily now, so I’m going to use this concept to prepare 5 main meals. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  72. Millie

    November 20, 2015 at 12:58 am

    Do you have any recipes that I could try? The food in the pictures look delicious!

    Reply
  73. Thomas

    November 23, 2015 at 6:57 am

    For fit and healthier body, a great healthy recipe is needed. Thanks for sharing yours, loved all of them.

    Reply
  74. tonya peters

    December 27, 2015 at 11:13 pm

    So glad I found this! Trying to step up my meal prep without the boring chicken and rice everyday.

    Reply
  75. Vanessa Millett

    January 15, 2016 at 3:42 pm

    This is really helpful! It all boils down to just deciding to do it no matter what. I look forward to taking the right steps to live a healthier lifestyle.

    Reply
  76. Lisa

    January 25, 2016 at 2:33 am

    This is great! 🙂 Love the pictures. Thanks!

    Reply
  77. Brenda

    February 13, 2016 at 12:46 am

    Fantastic!

    Reply
  78. C

    March 26, 2016 at 7:21 am

    Hey! I stumbled upon your blog and was thinking this would be a great way for me to pack my lunches. Being a highschool student, though, I don’t have access to a microwave at lunchtimes. Would it be possible to just let the contents of the day’s lunch thaw in the fridge overnight, then let it warm up in my bag until lunchtime? Or would the food get soggy?

    Reply
  79. Jane

    April 25, 2016 at 4:11 am

    Thank you so much! What a wonderful post. Simple, and straightforward. Looking forward to prepping!!!

    Reply
  80. Melissa

    June 28, 2016 at 3:10 am

    OMG! I made the recipe above (dirty rice with carrots & broccoli) and it is so good it feels like a cheat meal. Seriously cannot deal with how amazing this tastes!!!!
    Thank you so much for sharing it, you & Sean have both gained a new fan and follower xxx

    Reply
  81. Christina Aleman

    July 29, 2016 at 1:34 pm

    Thank you for this post. This is amazing. Happy prepping.

    Reply
  82. Mandey

    August 9, 2016 at 11:57 pm

    love this style of meal prep and I love the tips Sean gives. I’m hoping that by now though, that he no longer used the foil lined pans due to the toxic nature of them. other than that, everything looks great! thanks for the post!

    Reply
  83. J'Lisia Burch

    October 26, 2016 at 5:54 am

    Hey Devon,
    A former friend and classmate. It’s wonderful seeing a familiar face teaching healthier eat habits. I must admit I was about stop trying this meal prep thing because my meals were too bland, i felt i was eating the samething over n over again but after stopping here I found something new, much more healthy, n tasty…This blog gave me hope and then I saw you was like ok I’ll try it n it has helped…..Thanks for sharing and blessing to you guys it’s great to see a fellow NFISD student doing big things because where we are from no one would have expected it…loving it!!

    Reply
  84. Fernando

    December 17, 2016 at 6:34 pm

    This recipe is for the first dish, since there are so many ingredients, do you have a calorie and macro layout per portion? How much rice and ground turkey go into a dish?

    Reply
  85. Joyce Torrence

    March 19, 2017 at 1:07 am

    Please provide the recipe for the fish meal prep.

    Reply
  86. Naomi

    June 11, 2017 at 1:57 pm

    I’ve been on Pinterest forever and I just stumbled upon this blog. Looks really easy and doable. Will be trying this in the next week.

    Thanks for the recipes.

    Reply
  87. Mayalee

    November 3, 2017 at 12:22 pm

    Amazing Blog!!! Thanks for sharing it. It’s wonderful food tips. I really like it.

    Reply
  88. Lauren

    April 30, 2018 at 2:10 am

    Love this dirty rice recipe with veggies. I would like to know how to separate in what portion sizes please –
    Also looking for the recipe for the fish?
    Thanks for your help 🙂

    Reply
  89. Shaun Berthelsen

    November 19, 2019 at 4:14 am

    This is very interesting i like this very much.Thanks for sharing this information.this is very useful for everyone.

    Reply

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    August 16, 2018 at 10:18 pm

    […] Ben and I are trying to eat healthier so I made some make ahead lunches from runawayapricot.com for him to take to work. We were both skeptical at first about whether or not they would taste good. As soon as I tasted this rice though I was in heaven. It is soooo good! I gave it to my one year old too and he devoured it, so I wanted to make the recipe smaller so that I could make it just for a meal, but if you want to make some delicious lunches head on over here! […]

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Robyn Andrea Burgess - Runway Apricot

Save money, eat well and live healthy: Take control of your diet by cooking. It's easier than you think.

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Runaway Apricot Press

If "I got food at home" is your dining mantra for If "I got food at home" is your dining mantra for 2022, take another look at some occasional #mealprep. If not to have full meals prepped and ready, at least to DIY your own frozen foods. You can save money and have much healthier meals by avoiding packaged products. I made a triple batch of these Turkey-Mushroom Meatballs with Green Olives and had weeks of occasional easy dinners using these tips:
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🍄 Cut up the veggies with a food processor. I like to use the pulse function and process one vegetable at a time to get each the perfect size.
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🥄 Get a cookie scoop! I make uniform meatballs with a medium cookie scoop I got from @oxo years ago. It makes shaping super fast and helps the meatballs cook evenly.
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🥶 Once your meatballs are shaped, and raw, arrange them in a single layer and freeze. After they're frozen you can pop them in a ziploc to bake just what you want for meals to come.
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Get the recipe for these meatballs on my site, linked in the bio! 
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#runawayapricot #meatballs #cookingfromscratch #healthy2022
Every Thanksgiving I make my Mommy Edith's Sweet P Every Thanksgiving I make my Mommy Edith's Sweet Potato Pie 🥧. Or at least I try to. See, before she passed I finally got her to share her secret recipe. Only, this was the recipe: "take something out of a cookbook and adjust it until you like the taste." So over the last 10 years, I've been baking, adjusting, and baking again to recreate her perfect balance of sugar and spice. @Evernote has been there to record my exact ratio of cinnamon to nutmeg, capture notes on the different baking methods, save photos of pie outcomes, and record my review of each taste test. I've been fine-tuning with each pie to get it just right, like my grandma would make. I think it's just perfect now.
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Preserving a family secret or developing a new recipe? Write it with @Evernote. It's been my go-to tool for brainstorming, blog-writing, and business planning for years! #Ad #Evernote
Want to feel more confident this Thanksgiving? Hit Want to feel more confident this Thanksgiving? Hit pause on your recipe search and get organized. A solid plan for how the meal will come together takes the pressure off of those holiday expectations. After all, the best meal is one the chef also gets to enjoy!
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Here's my tried and true tips for planning a feast:
🍂Write it out. I use @Evernote to consolidate all of my brainstorming in one place. From recaps on last year's party to pictures of beautiful tablescapes, the note-taking app goes with me from the market to my kitchen to keep on track of everything.
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🍂Delegate. It's a family affair so get a little help to bring it all together. Ask early, appreciate loudly.
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🍂Balance your menu. I'm not team 'Don't experiment on Thanksgiving,' but everything in moderation. Mix new recipes that might require a bit more focus with tried-and-true recipes you can whip up blindfolded. This helps to even out your energy and ensures there are some crowd-pleasers on the dinner table.
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🍂Calculate your shopping list. No one likes emergency runs to the market on turkey day. To make sure my shopping is handled in one trip, I make my list in Evernote because I can easily access it on-the-go with the mobile app. I like to create a table with the ingredients on one axis and the links to my recipes on the other. Then I mark out the quantities needed for each so I can add them up and buy just enough.
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🍂Schedule the cooking. Perhaps my most important party-planning outline is when to get everything done. I start the schedule well in advance to plan the table setting and ingredient prep. I'll mix dry spices or brine turkeys days ahead, bake early in the morning, and save the big day for cooking up ingredients that need to be hot on the table at dinner time.
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Try these tips for a more relaxed and more confident holiday! #Ad #Evernote
Busy days and busy nights. But always using the re Busy days and busy nights. But always using the recipes. 🐔
Happy Cinco de Mayo - Taco Tuesday - Coronavirus l Happy Cinco de Mayo - Taco Tuesday - Coronavirus lockdown day 1 million! I decided to make the best of it with carnitas tacos fully from scratch. That's slow-cooked pork shoulder, corn tortillas and roasted tomato salsa with plenty of fresh lime, onion and cilantro on top. Absolutely delicious!! Plus, a Corona for the irony 🤣🌮🍺🌮
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I'll show you the process in my stories! ..
Are you celebrating and still finding joy in these times? Cook up anything special?
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#runawayapricot #tacotuesday #cincodemayo #quarantinecooking #tacos #carnitas
Another Seamless order avoided! Local veg flavor m Another Seamless order avoided! Local veg flavor maximized! 🌞
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I made this salad with ingredients from my first @grownyc_brooklyn Fresh Food Box plus a few items I had on hand. I'd almost forgotten how good local ingredients can be with even the simplest preparation. These red potatoes were as sweet as strawberries after roasting! Here's everything I used:
🥬Spring Mix & Kale
🥔Red Potatoes, Zucchini, Spring Onion and Red pepper roasted with s&p, thyme and EVOO
🥚6 minute soft boiled egg
🐟Tuna with mustard and mayo
🥗Fresh vinaigrette with garlic, oregano and cider vinegar
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I hope you've had a delicious weekend!
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#runawayapricot #quarantinecooking #eatlocal
With Easter coming up this weekend, I decided to t With Easter coming up this weekend, I decided to try my hand at baking hot cross buns once again. They came out incredible this time using @kingarthurflour's "Easy Hot Cross Buns" recipe! Much better than the dry buns I made for a holiday party in December. The big change? This time I took them out of the pan to cool on a wire rack as soon as they came out of the oven. This stopped them from losing all of their moisture as steam in the hot, crowded pan. ♨️
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These buns (sans icing) are perfectly paired with my fish cakes and spicy mayo #recipe shared last Easter. Get that recipe now at RunawayApricot.com, link in bio. .. Are you still planning an #Easter meal during lockdown? What are you cooking?
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#runawayapricot #quarantinebaking #hotcrossbuns
Have you changed your diet at all while staying in Have you changed your diet at all while staying inside?? 🤔 Since I loaded my pantry with a few different dried beans and peas, I've been experimenting more with (nearly) vegetarian meals. Today I made this chickpea curry with spinach, potato and carrot. Hearty + healthy!
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#norecipe yet for this curry but I'll say that I made it the same way as my Vietnamese Chicken Curry recipe #ontheblog with more of a Jamaican spin: Jamaican curry powder, ginger, scotch bonnet pepper and thyme. 😋
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#runawayapricot #stayhome #quarantinecooking
Grapefruit is an excellent source of immune boosti Grapefruit is an excellent source of immune boosting Vitamin C. With rum and mint it's also an excellent cure for a Wednesday. 🍹
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Today this #recipe turns 5 years old at RunawayApricot.com! Have a Grapefruit Mint Mojito birthday drink with me? 🥳
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#clubquarantine #quarantini #stayhome
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