Versatile:
Now that I am going back into my office every day, it is time for me to start meal prepping again. However, my ultimate goal is to make the healthiest, tastiest lunches in the most convenient way possible.
One of my biggest struggles with meal prepping is not only the amount of time it takes to actually do the cooking, which consumes my entire Sunday every week, but also having to eat the same thing every day all week. Usually by Tuesday or Wednesday, I am done with it and want something different. Someone in a meal prepping group on Facebook suggested Sheet pan lunches. With this, choose two meats, three or 4 veggies, and a carb, stick in on a baking sheet and bake for about half an hour, until the meat is done. Portion into containers and drizzle with different sauces. It’s super easy, quick, and gives me more variety throughout the week.
For my sheet pan lunches, I salmon and chicken for my meats. This week, I opted for flavorful marinades, rather than sauces. I used red and yellow bell peppers, red onion, and broccoli for the veggies, and brown rice seasoned with various herbs cooked in a rice cooker. I just put the meat in the middle of the pan, surrounded by all the veggies, and baked at 400 degrees for half an hour. Super easy. And, if My Fitness Pal is correct, both meals come in around 350-380 calories.
How I F*d Up:
This meal has probably been my favorite so far, it’s kind of hard to find any issues with this one. If anything, the chicken was cut a bit big, so they aren’t bite size. When heating in the microwave, the veggies get very hot while the chicken is still a bit cold in the center. I am pretty sure my boyfriend is eating the meals cold and hasn’t noticed this. The meat is also a bit dry and the veggies have more of a steamed quality, rather than roasted, due to me shoving as much food as I could onto the sheet pans. Overall, however, these dishes are versatile, tastes pretty good, and deserve another try.
Suggestions For Improvement:
I think this meal came out pretty good as is, but there is always room for improvement. Cooking the meats in a Sous Vide, then finishing in the oven with the broiler would help to hold in the juices. Baking the veggies separately will also allow for more room on the baking sheet. This method overall will require a little more effort to vacuum seal the meats in bags, then transferring them to the broiler, but should still be fairly quick and simple overall.
How I F*d Up 