Meal prep: a busy high schooler’s best friend

For involved high school students, spending the late hours of the night on homework after a rough practice and about a million club meetings is a common occurrence. Picture this: you’ve just finished your last chemistry problem as the clock strikes twelve.  You head to bed, exhaustion and dread weighing you down as you imagine your 6:30 AM wakeup call. Right as you’re about to drift off to dreamland, you remember you haven’t packed tommorow’s lunch. You think of the Pinterest-worthy twenty-ingredient salad you planned to make, but find you’re too tired to get out of bed, and accept that a healthy school lunch isn’t in the cards. You decide you’ll just grab some cold leftover pizza and a granola bar on your way out the door in the morning– just like you did yesterday, and the day before that.

But what about hitting your protein goals? Fueling up for that big track meet after school? Or even simply getting the proper nutrients to stay focused and energized for the school day?

According to the National Education Association, eating healthy lunches and breakfast as a student improves academic performance by promoting concentration and helping kids manage emotions and complex problems. It also improves mood, boosts energy, and decreases risk of obesity.

But for most student athletes, full-time workers, or parents, cooking a healthy breakfast and lunch every day isn’t realistic.

Luckily, a solution lies in a healthy habit popularized by fitness influencers but accessible to anyone: meal prep.

The most common type of meal prepping takes the form of cooking five breakfasts and lunches over the weekend, then storing them in the fridge to be eaten during the busy week. Benefits include saving money, time, and preventing food waste. What’s not to love?

As a busy student who enjoys eating healthy, meal prep has become a life saver.

Over the past two years I believe I’ve mastered this craft— and I’m ready to share some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned.

Here are two recipes which I’ve made time and time again that never disappoint: veggie lentil curry for lunch and chocolate chia pudding for breakfast.

Chia pudding: 
Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups chia seeds
• 1 scoop of protein powder
• ¼ cup protein powder
• 1-2 tbsp maple syrup
• 5 cups milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Frozen berries
• Greek yogurt
  Slivered almonds
• 5-6 small tupperware containers

Recipe:

1. Combine cinnamon, salt, chia, cocoa powder, and protein powder in a large bowl. Whisk thoroughly.
2. Add milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk thoroughly.
3. Divide evenly among containers. Top with a scoop of yogurt, frozen berries, and slivered almonds. Wait at least two hours before eating so that the chia can soak up the moisture and create a gel-like texture.

Recipe Notes:

• You can add any toppings you like to this chia pudding. I like to use yogurt for extra protein and creaminess, and frozen fruit because it won’t get rotten after five days in the fridge like fresh fruit will. Granola works well too, just make sure to add it when serving so it doesn’t get soft. I also add honey or maple syrup when serving for a little extra sweetness.
•  For added protein, you can replace cocoa powder with one or two tablespoons of protein powder. I used chocolate flavored protein powder for extra flavor, but other kinds work as well. If you don’t have any protein powder, you can replace it with 1 tbsp more cocoa powder– just add an extra tbsp maple syrup.
• Consider tasting your chia pudding before you divide it into containers. If it’s not sweet enough, add one or two more tablespoons of maple syrup. If your protein powder is sweetened, consider adding a tablespoon less of maple syrup.
• You can use any kind of milk you’d like. I used almond, but whole milk adds more protein. If you don’t have milk, you can use water.

Lentil curry: 

Ingredients:

• Drizzle of olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 heaping cups baby carrots (or regular large carrots)
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 packages (1.6 lbs each) pre-cooked steamed lentils
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tsp dried  thyme
• ½  tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Greek yogurt (for topping)

Recipe:

1. Peel two medium sweet potatoes. Dice potatoes, onion, garlic, and baby carrots. Add them with a drizzle of olive oil over a large pot and sautee over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until they start to often. Stir in thyme, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper.
2. Add tomato and curry pastes along with diced tomatoes and chicken broth.
3. Bring to a boil. Then reduce to low heat and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. Stir in steamed lentils and spinach and cook until greens are wilted (around 5 minutes).
5. Let cool before packaging tall, thin containers to pop in the fridge. You can also package the soup in a ziploc bag to freeze if you want it to stay good for a longer time. Reheat when serving and top with greek yogurt for protein and creaminess.

Notes:

• I used steamed lentils because that’s what I had on hand, but you can also use regular uncooked lentils. To do this, change the measurement to 1 ½ cups and add in at the same time as the broth and veggies.
• I like to serve this soup with bread on the side. My favorite kinds are toasted sourdough and focaccia.
• For meat-lovers, 2 or 3 sausage links are a great source of protein to add to your soup when you’re adding in spinach.  For vegetarians, swap chicken broth for vegetable broth.

So the next time you’re spending your Sunday dreading a busy week filled with sports, school, and extracurriculars, take a breath and grab your lentils and chia. After stocking your fridge with tupperware containers full of healthy and satiating meals, you’ll be ready to take on the week.