Don't Miss Backdrop's Guide to Meal Prep

by Katie Hawkinson, Illustrations by Abigail Summers

The art of meal prepping has gained traction in the last few years, inspiring many Instagram posts and a popular subreddit r/MealPrepSunday. But what is meal prepping?

Essentially, making a “meal prep” recipe means making one batch of a recipe that can be consumed throughout the week, or over the course of several meals. Meal prepping relies heavily on customization. You can take it to the extreme and meal prep for months in advance, or make a fancy dish to show off to all of your friends. Here is our beginners guide to start preppin’ meals!

A tried and true way to meal prep is the “One-Pan Method." Cut up your protein and vegetables to the preferred size. After that, you can season and roast everything all together. The important thing to remember when using the One-Pan Method is to make sure the vegetables are an appropriate size. Broccoli roasts faster than potatoes, so make sure you have cubed your potatoes to a smaller size than normal. Here’s a great meal prep recipe (or meal-precipe) with chicken sausage, bell peppers, sweet potato and carrots. Steam some rice and pack it into your Tupperware of choice. Get ready to have a healthy meal for the week!

BASE:

Bases that hold well in a meal prep recipe include carbohydrates. Carbs provide long lasting energy and a base for all of the added ingredients and spices of your choice. The most commonly used base is rice. Steam it, boil it, prepare it however you like, rice will keep for up to a week in the fridge. Tip: Pour a bit of water when reheating to retain moisture. Quinoa or pasta are also options. Greens like kale and lettuce are touch-and-go; they must be eaten quickly because they spoil quickly.

VEGGIE:

Vegetables allow for a bit of creativity in a dish, cultivating a specific theme for the meal. Looking for an Asian- inspired flair? Toss green beans, carrots and broccoli into soy-sauce and rice vinegar to make stir fry. Looking for a Mexican interpretation? Cook up Chipotle-inspired fajita veggies with bell peppers, onions and adobo spices.

PROTEIN:

The most important part of meal prep is protein. Proteins depend on your flavor preference and theme. The meal can be made vegetarian or vegan by switching out meats for tofu or beans. An easy way to prepare protein is to marinate chicken breasts. You can prepare ahead by marinating chicken and freezing it. When it’s time to cook, pull them out, let them thaw by covering them in water in the sink and leaving for at least one hour and cooking them on the stove.

PRO TIP:

Baked or sautéed proteins work best. Beware of frying foods, as fried protein gets soggy quickly and doesn’t keep well.

INGREDIENTS:

12-16 ounces chicken sausage (usually one pack)

2 cups sweet potato, diced into ½” cubes

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup bell pepper, chopped, any color

1 cup carrots, sliced into ¼” cubes

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere’s Creole

Seasoning recommended)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black peppe

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 400° F.

2. Slice the sausage into 1’’ rounds.

3. Add the sausage, veggies and minced garlic to a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the Cajun spices or your favorite spice blend. Season with salt and pepper. Toss veggies with your hands until they are fully combined and coated with olive oil and spices.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway. Enjoy with rice or quinoa.