I don’t really understand why meal prepping became this “extravaganza” where you have to commit your entire Sunday to making food for the next week. Who has time for this?? I don’t.
Plus, I just don’t want to! The latest Colleen Hoover book is calling my name on a Sunday.
Whenever I talk about meal prep with Metabolism Makeover peeps, I always ask them: what’s the one meal that you absolutely need to prep or its most likely going to be a sh*t show? Just start there! Some meals don’t need to be meal-prepped, so don’t stress about those. Cross those off the list.
And then I’ll ask, what’s the one time a week that you are already in the kitchen making a meal? Can you double the batch? Triple? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel in order to think ahead with your meals. Just take advantage of the time you’re already in there whipping things up.
Adding a little extra work to already dedicated time making food can save you an astronomical amount of time throughout the week.
SO, below are 7 of my favorite recipe ideas that you can cook once and eat. all. week. long. AMEN.
White Chicken Chili
I would barely call this cooking, so if you’re in a lazy mood, it’s time for white chicken chili! Plus, it will easily make 8+ servings.
This is one of our OG recipes for white chicken chili. It’s sooo good.
We also recently posted this spin on chicken chili to Instagram. Check it out!
Crockpot Shredded Chicken
This might not be revolutionary, but it MUST be included in this post. Having shredded chicken on hand is a lifesaver! Talk about a fabulously flexible protein. Add some to a salad kit, use in a wrap, make some chicken quesadillas, mix in some BBQ sauce for BBQ chicken – anything! Maybe a small batch of chicken salad sounds good on a random Tuesday. Sweet, the chicken is already made.
So, how to make it? I often buy a pack of chicken breasts in bulk and then put the entire package (4 large breasts) in the crockpot. I’ll add 1 cup of chicken broth or water and then use whatever spices speak to me. Usually, it’s a good dash of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours. It should be very easy to shred with a fork when done! Keep in the fridge for 5-7 days or the freezer for longer!
Here is another spin on this for a buffalo flavor: Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
Here’s a way to use the shredded chicken for dinner: Twice Baked Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato
Cheap And Healthy Meals For The Week, Done In 1 Hour
FAQ
How does cook once eat all week work?
How long should you cook a meal a week?
One solution is to do most of the cooking in a single session each week. Choose your best time, download a podcast or turn on the radio, then chop, stir and taste. By the end of three hours or so, you’ll have delicious dinners for the whole week – I’m cooking for two people; it may take a little longer if you’re feeding more.
How many times a day should one eat?
This depends on several individual factors, such as sex, weight, height, routine, time of daily physical activity and pathologies. The minimum is 3 meals a day, but 4-5 is a better option.
How do I prepare for a week of easy dinners?
Set aside three hours on a Sunday and do some pre-cooking for a week of easy dinners. All it takes is one Sunday afternoon cooking session to have dinner sorted for the week ahead!
How do you eat a healthy week?
The idea is to use your hob and oven to the max. Then cool down the dishes as quickly as possible, cover them, and put them in the fridge or freezer. Some might be one-pots, others ‘almost-ready-meals’ – just add pasta, rice or salad leaves on the day you eat them. The cook-once-a-week approach is energy-efficient too.