Happy New Year Fit Friends!!! I have never been so ready to get back on track as I was this week and I am here to share with you my tips for a quick meal prep sesh! This time around I didn't use my meal prep containers which I feature in my first meal prep POST. The reason being was I wanted to use all my prepped food and get creative with it as the week went by. Based off my appetite I will adjust and make mini creations of meals with what I have. Let's get started!

GROCERY LIST

This was my grocery haul this week. I went to Trader Joes and Ralphs for all these goods. Not everything in the photo is mentioned below... just the stuff I talk about prepping.

MEAT

Package of chicken breasts

VEGGIES

4 carrots
2 sweet potatoes
1 stalk of broccoli
1 bag of spinach,
1 bag of romaine lettuce
4 stalks of celery
1 package of Trader Joes asparagus, onion, mushroom saute mix
1 bag of Trader Joes Riced Cauliflower ( I prefer the bag found near the veggies not the frozen package)

FRUITS

If you are craving teriyaki my go tos are Liquid Aminos found at Whole Foods and Trader Joes Soyaki. Sir Kensingtons is like a healthy Whopper Sauce. I could dip anything from chicken to sweet potatoes in it!

2-4 red apples
1 bag of lemons
handful of bananas
2 pears

OTHER

1 can of black beans
any special seasonings (your preference)
any special sauces for extra flavor (see sauce suggestions to the right)
1 container of low sodium chicken broth

BLACK PEPPER LEMON CHICKEN

DIRECTIONS: Place thawed chicken breasts in crockpot. Fill crockpot with chicken broth until the chicken is completely covered. Keep crockpot on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Remove chicken from the crockpot using a spatula unless you prefer to shred the chicken with a fork. Place cooked chicken breasts in a bowl and cover with fresh pepper and fresh lemon squeezed lemon juice. OR if you prefer to make a salsa chicken or buffalo chicken dump out all the liquid, shred chicken with a fork, place chicken back in the crockpot, add sauce of choice, and leave on high for 30 more minutes!

BROCCOLI

DIRECTIONS: Fill steamer with water to the appropriate line. Steam broccoli for about 8 minutes. Do not steam for any longer otherwise the broccoli will lose its nutrients if you do for too long! Feel free to squeeze fresh lemon on the broccoli afterwards or maybe even a melted slice of Daiya Vegan Cheese. A steamer is a great investment and the quickest, easiest way to cook veggies in my opinion!

ASPARAGUS, ONION, MUSHROOM SAUTE

DIRECTIONS: Coat a pan with cooking oil of choice I prefer to use avocado oil. Add the full bag of veggies. Saute for 2 minutes on medium heat. Feel free to add any sauces such as the soyaki I mentioned earlier from Trader Joes. Let simmer for about 2 minutes while stirring. Reduce the heat and cover and let simmer for 5-7 minutes.

SWEET POTATO ROUNDS

DIRECTIONS: Set oven to 400 degrees. Cover pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking oil. My personal preference is Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray. Using a vegetable peeler peel the skin off the sweet potatoes. Cut the sweet potato into rounds as seen above. Cook for about 8-10 minutes then take out and flip them and cook for 8-10 more minutes. If you slice them thin be sure to keep an eye on them in the oven. The thinner the rounds the quicker they will cook and you don't want them to burn!

CAULIFLOWER RICE

DIRECTIONS: Coat pan with cooking oil. Again I recommend using avocado oil. Next on low to medium heat cook the cauliflower rice just as you would rice. Stir frequently until the cauliflower rice is soft. I love using this as a brown rice replacement since it is super low carb and low calorie! It is also great to throw in an egg scramble, a chicken bowl, or just to have on the side with your meal.

BLACK BEANS

DIRECTIONS: Alright so this is where I get a little lazy. Buy a can of black beans, drain, rinse, and microwave for 2-3 minutes covered.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

Chicken with sweet potatoes and veggies
Chicken Teriyaki Bowl with black beans, broccoli, chicken, and cauliflower rice
Chicken, Black Bean, and Asparagus Bowl
Chicken with asparagus mix and cauliflower rice

AND FOR SOME ON-THE-GO NUTRIENTS

GREEN JUICE

Combine 2 cups of spinach, 1 cup of romaine lettuce, and 1 cup of water in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add 1 pear chopped, 1 small banana, and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Blend until smooth. I measure 1.5 to 2 cups into a mason jar and drink 1 a day on the go!

ORANGE JUICE

Combine 2 apples chopped, 1-2 carrots chopped, and 1 stalk of celery cut in half. 1 cup of coconut water or water. Squeeze the juice of a fresh lemon into the blender and blend.