This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Guelph chapter.
We all know that keeping up with assignments, a social life, and sleep is hard enough as a student. How the heck are we supposed to carve out the time to prepare meals every single day when our plates are already overloaded with everything else? Most of us don’t and as a result end up eating expensive, unhealthy food on campus, which isn’t great for us either.
Today I’m going to share 3 easy meal recipes that can be meal prepped ahead of time in bulk and put in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. I typically make enough of each meal to last me 4-5 days, so I don’t have to worry about cooking throughout the week. I can just cook everything on Sunday night and have meals ready throughout the week – all I have to do is pop them in the microwave!
Breakfast: Blueberry Muffin Bakes
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix well until everything is combined.
- Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and scoop oatmeal mixture in using a large ice cream scoop or a 1/4 measuring cup. The mixture will be a little watery, so it’s important to mix well before each scoop to make sure you get an even combination of milk and oats.
- Bake oatmeal cups for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
Lunch: Loaded Sweet Potato
INGREDIENTS
- Two medium sweet potatoes
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 avocado
- salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a fork, poke multiple holes into both sweet potatoes. Place potatoes in oven and bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until tender.
- In the meantime, heat olive oil over medium heat in medium saucepan. Add garlic and cook for a couple minutes, until fragrant and before browns. Add kale and toss to coat. Add 1/3 cup water and cover for five minutes. Remove cover, toss kale, reduce heat, and cook for another 15 minutes or until kale is desired texture, adding more water as needed..
- Add beans to kale and cook until warmed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Top with black beans, kale, and avocado
Snack: Roasted Chickpeas
INGREDIENTS
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 to 4 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to 400°F: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven.
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas: Open the cans of chickpeas and pour the chickpeas into a strainer in the sink. Rinse thoroughly under running water.
- Dry the chickpeas: Pat the chickpeas very dry with a clean dishtowel or paper towels. They should look matte and feel dry to the touch; if you have time, leave them to air-dry for a few minutes. Remove any chickpea skins that come off while drying, but otherwise don’t worry about them.
- Toss the chickpeas with olive oil and salt: Spread the chickpeas out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Stir with your hands or a spatula to make sure the chickpeas are evenly coated.
- Roast the chickpeas in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes: Stir the chickpeas or shake the pan every 10 minutes. A few chickpeas may pop – that’s normal. The chickpeas are done when golden and slightly darkened, dry and crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle.
- Toss the chickpeas with the cayenne pepper: Sprinkle over the chickpeas and stir to coat evenly. Serve while the chickpeas are still warm and crispy. They will gradually lose their crispiness as they cool, becoming addictively chewy.
Dinner: Burrito Bowl
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups long grain brown rice, rinsed
- 5 cups water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup of salsa to top
- salt to taste
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 can of corn, rinsed
- 1 tsp chili powder, divided
- 1 tsp chipotle powder, divided
- 14oz extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 can of black beans, rinsed
- 2 avocados, sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring water and rice and olive oil to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add corn, 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, and 1/2 tsp chili powder. Sautee for 5-8 minutes, or until begins to brown. Remove corn from pan.
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan over medium-high heat and add tofu and sprinkle with remaining chili and chipotle powder. Cook for 5 minutes, flipping over halfway through, or until browned and crispy.
- Build your bowl starting with the chipotle rice, adding beans, tofu, corn, salsa, and avocado. Top with salsa.