It’s a New Year, and this means it’s time for new habits.
Or, in my case, it’s time to bring back an old habit that I’ve really missed: meal prep.
Early in 2016, I decided to take a break from prepping lunches for awhile (you can read the whole story here). While it was a much-needed break at first, after a few months I found myself missing my homemade meals and so I found my way back to prepping my meals.
However, my meal prep has been a little haphazard lately. Sometimes my meals are just leftovers from the night before, sometimes they’re bits and pieces of whatever needs to be eaten up in the fridge, and sometimes, frankly, they’re the same old boring salad I’ve had again and again. With a new year upon us, I decided it’s time to become more intentional about my meal prep and create some fun new options so I wanted to share this meal prep tutorial with you.
This lemon chicken salad is one of my favorites and because there are so many ways to adapt it, it never feels boring! Plus, it’s a really easy staple and is a great way to ease into meal prep if you’re new to the process. So, let’s get to it!
The ingredients are pretty simple and are available at any grocery store. You can always substitute other items if there is produce you need to use up in your fridge (hence, why some of my lunches have a red bell pepper instead of tomatoes).
Shopping List:
- 1 1/2 pounds zucchini
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium lemon
- 6 oz baby spinach
- 1 medium avocado
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
Pantry Items:
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
The overall prep time is about 15 minutes and yields 6 portions.
Portion Notes: I typically eat 2 of these salads for lunch spaced about 3 hours apart because my body works best when I break my meals into smaller portions and eat more frequently. So for me, this recipe yields 3 days worth of lunches.
Depending on your nutritional needs and activity level, you may want to add a source of complex carbohydrates like roasted sweet potatoes, legumes, quinoa, etc. (I typically add 1/2 cup of pinto beans to this salad on days when I have intense workouts to make the salad a bit heartier.) If you’re a fan of nutrition info, I’ve included a nutrition label below for this recipe as written.
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
- 1½ pounds zucchini, diced
- 1½ pounds chicken breasts
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium lemon
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 oz baby spinach
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium avocado, diced
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Oil baking sheet with one tablespoon of coconut oil, then lay zucchini in a flat layer. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip zucchini and add the cherry tomatoes. Roast for an additional 10 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
- While zucchini is roasting, add remaining tablespoon of coconut oil to a medium pan over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for two minutes, then flip chicken breasts, and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid.
- Cook chicken for ten minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F. Remove from heat and let rest an additional 5 minutes, then dice chicken.
- While chicken and zucchini are cooking, juice the lemon and mix with the olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and set aside.
- Divide the spinach and tomatoes between 6 containers. Top with the roasted zucchini, chicken, and avocado.
- Drizzle the lemon dressing over the salad just before serving and enjoy!
The post Meal Prep Tutorial: Lemon Chicken Salads appeared first on In Sonnet's Kitchen.