Many people agree that it’s difficult to cook and eat healthy, well-balanced meals during the workweek—but it doesn’t have to be! With the right recipes, preparing a week’s worth of delicious food is simple. Taking time to cook at the beginning of every week (a ritual known as Sunday meal prep) can eliminate stress and fatigue, and leave you better prepared to tackle the days ahead. Just remember to select meals that are easy to make and keep well in the fridge.
Monday: Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
If you have yet to try Parmesan-crusted Tilapia, you’re in for a treat! This recipe requires only simple ingredients—parsley, lemon, Parmesan, paprika and olive oil—and takes just 20 minutes to cook. The crisp coating lends itself well to being reheated the following day, making it the perfect dish to eat at the beginning of the week. Serve this Tilapia on a bed of hearty quinoa and pack into an oven- or microwave-safe container that’s easy to grab on your way out the door.
Try the recipe: Parmesan Crusted Tilapia from Taste and Tell.
Tuesday: Basil Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
Your whole family will love this basil pesto pasta with veggies—it’s easy to prepare and will please even the pickiest of eaters. The recipe calls for a mix of fresh vegetables (think bell peppers, zucchini and yellow squash) to complement the herby pesto sauce; allowing the veggies to marinate until Tuesday will make it even more flavourful. Want to make the dish even healthier? Swap out your standard pasta for delicious whole-wheat noodles.
Try the recipe: Basil Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables from Easy Healthy Recipes.
Wednesday: Healthy Sheet Pan Tilapia, Rice and Veggies
This flavourful dish is exactly what you need to get through a mid-week slump. To make this one-pan meal, roast carrots, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini and Tilapia fillets in the oven with butter (or olive oil), garlic, parsley and oregano. Once cooked, simply portion out the fish and veggies with a side of rice. Swap in any vegetables from your backyard garden or local farmers’ market to make the most of what’s in season.
Try the recipe: Healthy Sheet Pan Tilapia, Rice and Veggies from Gimme Delicious.
Thursday: Greek Zucchini Salad in a Mason Jar
When the temperature is soaring, the last thing you want to do is turn on the stove. Salads are the perfect way to beat the heat because they don’t require any cooking. Simply layer the ingredients for this Greek-inspired zucchini noodle salad (remembering to keep the avocado yogurt dressing at the bottom) and when you’re ready to serve, give it a shake and dump onto a plate—or enjoy straight from the jar.
Try the recipe: Greek Zucchini Salad in a Mason Jar from The Beachbody Blog.
Friday: Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl
Colorful, nutrition-packed buddha bowls are one of the year’s most popular food trends. They’re loaded with macronutrients and usually feature Mediterranean ingredients like tahini sauce and chickpeas. This tasty, plant-based sweet potato chickpea bowl is the perfect way to kickstart your weekend. Keeping this dish until Friday gives you the chance to add extra ingredients, like Tilapia, that you may have leftover from the rest of the week.
Try the recipe: Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl from Minimalist Baker.
With these five dinner recipes, it’s easy to eat healthy, balanced meals throughout the week. Each is easy to cook, keeps well in the fridge and requires minimal effort when you get home from work—just remember to stock up on microwave-safe and leak-proof containers for storage. Come mid-week, you’ll be glad you planned to get ahead.
For more practical meal-prepping tips check out The Healthy Fish Guide to Meal Planning.
Photo Credits: Cooking Light, Taste and Tell, Easy Healthy Recipes, Gimme Delicious, The Beachbody Blog, Minimalist Baker