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Okay, this planning-ahead-thing was a big success for me last week.
I loved having my healthy zucchini hummus ready to go in my fridge when the urge to snack hit (because sometimes I need to snack ASAP), and having a meal plan, in general, was hugely helpful in taking some of the decision-making off my plate last week.
I hope it was helpful for YOU, too!
Monday Meal Prep:
For this week’s live cooking demonstration on Monday night, I’ll be making my Cheeseburger Salad with Special Sauce from The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. This vegan salad tastes ridiculously authentic, and makes an easy make-ahead lunch for the week.
I also plan to prepare a few make-ahead smoothie jars, to make my mornings faster. I’ll be making several batches of this Creamy Almond Butter & Spinach Shake to store in the fridge, so I can just “dump” the ingredients into the blender each morning, add liquid and blend for a convenient morning.
Watch Me Meal Prep Live!
Join me on Facebook or Instagram on Monday at 8:30pm CST (9:30pm EST / 6:30 PST) to watch me meal prep live. I’m happy to answer your questions as I go!
If you can’t join me live, you can also find my videos on my YouTube channel. Watch last week’s live meal prep here.
Here’s my meal plan for dinners this week:
- Monday: Lentil, Kale & Quinoa Stew (leftovers will be lunch for a couple days)
- Tuesday: Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Boats (Cook the spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot for 7 minutes to save time. Tutorial here.)
- Wednesday: Cajun Zucchini Noodle “Pasta” with chicken or chickpeas, depending on our mood
- Thursday: Instant Pot Quinoa Burrito Bowls with all the toppings!
- Friday: Mediterranean Pizzas
- Saturday: Take-out (I always try to NOT cook one night each week)
- Sunday: Sweet Potato “Nachos” (roasted sweet potato slices topped with black beans, salsa, etc. and the cheese sauce from this Vegan Cauliflower Nachos recipe)
Other Meals:
We usually have smoothies for breakfast, but when I’m in the mood for something warmer, I also love Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats, Zucchini Oatmeal, or Sweet Potato “Toast.”
I’m meal prepping the Cheeseburger Salad to have as easy lunches this week, but if I end up sharing it with other family members, I’ll also rely on our dinner leftovers for more easy lunches during the week. The Lentil, Kale & Quinoa Stew reheats really well!
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I hope you’re enjoying this Meal Planning series, and that it helps make your week easier. We make so many decisions on a daily basis, that it’s nice having one thing that you can put on auto-pilot.
Reader Feedback: This meal plan reflects how I eat at home, but would you prefer it if I made more themed meal plans? Like maybe one week of Whole 30 meal ideas, one week for vegan meal ideas, one week for nightshade-free meal ideas, etc? Let me know in the comments below!
Hi, I love your 30 minute meal prep videos!! I love being able to cook along while you’re cooking as well (I do hit pause a lot to catch up of course). Really appreciate you making this video series available. And I think your approach so far has been great.
would definitely like some whole30 meal prep ideas/plans 🙂
I HAVE BEEN EATING PALEO/VEGAN FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, BUT I HAVE RECENTLY FOUND I MAY HAVE NIGHTSHADE ISSUES. I WOULD LOVE A WEEK’S PLAN THAT HAS NIGHTSHADE-FREE RECIPES. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!
I just stumbled upon your page on Instagram. I love your recipes and can’t wait to try some.
Thank you for taking the time to put together these meal plans–it’s nice to have some new ideas and, in my experience, all of your recipes, that I’ve tried, have been winners! 🙂 I’m open to what you’re doing right now, the themed or a combo of mostly vegan with meat dishes here and there (my family eats meat as well). Thanks again, Megan! Can’t wait to get the new cookbook!
Hi Megan,
I wanted to start by saying that I’m such a huge fan of yours! I’ve been using your cookbooks for years and recommend them to everyone I know because the food is always so delicious. Thank you for all the time and energy you spend putting together healthy, tasty, and properly-combined recipes. You make it so easy, and yummy, to eat right!
I have found these meal plans to be fantastic and a total life-saver! I currently have a six-week old baby at home and using them the past two weeks has helped out tremendously. Being able to cook healthy meals for my family most nights of the week is my goal, and the meal plans allow me to do that within the time constraints I have. I personally like how you’re doing it now – with variety and not themed – because that resembles how my family eats. I also appreciate when you include the option to add meat to a recipe, as we typically will eat meat 2-3 days a week. Having one or two “bulk” lunch recipes that can be prepped ahead is also super helpful!
Best,
Morgan
Hi! Yes, I’d love to see more Paleo or Whole 30. Thanks for asking!
So excited for your new cookbook!
XO
Kelly
This is an awesome meal plan! I usually meal plan Friday’s but I dropped the ball this week so this post is PERFECT! I also like to see a mix of different meals. I prefer to avoid meat while my family prefers to eat meat so a.combo meal plan I’d perfection!
So far I am enjoying your demos as they are. Personally I don’t follow Whole 30 or other diets other than gluten free as I have Celiac Disease. However, that being said if the majority wanted themed I would likely still watch.
I like the way you’re doing it. Like you do at home!