Meal Prep Ideas

Has the unbreakable chain of ordering food finally started to bother you? It can be the urge to start eating healthy or to save money, no matter what, quitting to order every single day is a step towards a better lifestyle. Choosing homemade food comes with its perks. It is a healthy, sustainable way of living and saves you a handsome amount of money. Once you find easy and delicious meal prep ideas, the process of preparing the food can start to be therapeutic. Wait, are you on your way to scour the internet to find recipes? Well, let us make it a whole lot easier. We have already ransacked the internet and listed some of the most lip-smacking recipes. These are easy preparations that could be made in an hour. You may prepare the meal ahead and store it for a week or more in our innovative lunch packs. 

Do not let the notion of - ‘eating homemade food can be tedious’ get in your way to stay fit and healthy. Cook the meal and store it away, this will ensure you eat healthy without having to put in the effort every day. 

Here are the recipes which are not just delicious but are fun to make and you can also store them away in a bento box or lunch boxes ready to eat after heating.

Sheet Pan Ratatouille Pasta 

For the sauce - 

Minced Garlic - 2 cloves

Diced Onion - 1

Oregano - 1 tsp

Chopped Zucchini - 1

Chopped in half Cherry Tomatoes - 1 cup

Chopped Bell Pepper - 1

Chopped Eggplant - 1

Chopped Squash - 1 

Olive Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt & pepper as per taste

For the pasta -

Spaghetti - 180 gram

Marinara, Alfredo or Pesto Sauce -1 to ½ cup

Parmesan Cheese - ¾ cup 

Salt - ½ tsp 

Prep time 

1. Preheat the oven to 204 degrees C.
   
   
2. Add the chopped eggplant, 2 tbsp oil, pepper and salt for taste in a bowl and mix it well. Now, spread the eggplant on a baking sheet. Place it in the oven. 
   
   
3. Take a large bowl, add the veggies - squash, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic, onion, zucchini, 1 tbsp of olive oil, oregano, pepper and salt. Mix them well, spread them well on another baking sheet and put them in the oven.
   
   
4. Roast the eggplant for 30-35 minutes, tossing them at least once mid-way. The eggplant should turn out to be soft and sweet when done. For the veggies, you will need to roast them for 20-25 minutes without tossing. 
   
   
5. You can cook the pasta while the veggies roast. Boil the pasta in water, and add salt to it. Drain the water and toss the pasta with the sauce of your choice (preferably marinara). 
   
   
6. Time to store it. Place the pasta first, put the roasted veggies over it and top the meal with your favourite protein and cheese of your choice. 

Roasted Vegetable Meals

For the pasta 

Small Pasta (penne or rotini) - 2 cups

Stock - 1 cup 

To Top In Future

Drained & Rinsed Black Bean - 425 gram

Sliced Bell Peppers - 2

Sliced Red Onion - ¼ cup 

Diced Tomatoes - 425 gram

Boiled Corn Kernels - 1 cup 

Paprika - 1 tsp 

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp 

Shredded Mozzarella - 1 cup 

Lime Juice of 1 lime 

Prep Time -

1. Bring the pasta to boil including the stock. Cover the pot while keeping the oven at a simmer for around 15 minutes. Keep stirring every minute. 
   
   
2. Once it’s done add ½ teaspoon of lime juice and mozzarella cheese and stir while it melts evenly and is distributed equally in the pasta. 
   
   
3. Garnish with a cilantro wedge and finely chopped cilantro. 
   
   
4. Combine all the veggies mentioned in the ingredients list in a large bowl. Toss it with some cumin powder, paprika and salt. 
   
   
5. Put it in a container and freeze for up to 3 months. 
   
   
6. Stir fry the veggies, and make sure to remove the pot from heat and keep it like that for the last 5 minutes of cooking, this will reduce the liquids. 
   
   
7. Place the pasta in the bottom of the lunch pack, then the veggies along with beans, and top that up with some mozzarella or any other cheese of your choice. You are good to go for months! 
   

Veggie Rawa Dosa

Ingredients

Green Peas - ¼ cup 

Finely Chopped Onion - ¼ cup

Grated Cheese - ¼ cup

Finely Chopped Red/Green/Yellow Bell Pepper - ¼ cup 

Boiled Sweet Corn Kernels - ¼ cup 

Chopped Coriander Leaves - as per taste

Dosa Batter - 1 cup 

Oil - 1 tbsp 

Prep Time 

1. Take a tawa and heat it over medium flame. 
   
   
2. Take a ladleful of dosa batter, pour it on the tawa and spread it evenly with the back of the ladle.
   
   
3. Sprinkle the veggies, bell pepper, onion, peas, and corn kernels on the dosa evenly. Add the grated cheese to the dosa as well.
   
   
4. Spread some oil on the edge of the dosa and cover it with the lid of the tawa while keeping the heat low.
   
   
5. Wait till the bottom of the dosa turns golden brown, the cheese should melt by then. 
   
   
6. Carefully take out the dosa and place it in the lunch pack. 

Vermicelli Upma 

Ingredients 

Dry Roasted Vermicelli - 2 cups 

Turmeric - ½ tsp

Chopped Onion - 1 

Chopped Tomato - 1 

Chopped Mixed Veggies beans, carrots, peas & mushroom - 2 cups 

Slit Green Chillies - 3

Oil - 2 tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Asafoetida (hing) - 1 pinch

Cumin leaves - 1 or 2 sprigs

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Coriander Leaves - As per taste

Salt - As per taste

Lemon juice - As per taste 

Prep Time 

1. Heat the oil in a pan or kadhai. Now add the cumin and mustard seed and wait until they start to sputter. Put in the urad dal, hing and let them fry for a minute. Lastly, add the curry leaves and cook it again for another minute. 
   
   
2. Fry the onion till it turns clear, then add the green chillies, tomato, and sprinkle turmeric powder and fry for 2 minutes. 
   
   
3. Now pour 3 cups of water, and once it boils properly add salt, vermicelli, and boiled veggies. Cover it with a lid after you have mixed it. 
   
   
4. Cook it on low heat until the vermicelli and veggies have absorbed the water. Add the mushrooms before taking it off the heat. 
   
   
5. You can taste and then add salt as per need. Add lemon juice, pack it in a lunch box and garnish it with coriander just before closing the lid.
   

Curry Veggie Quinoa 

For Veggies & Quinoa

Rinsed Quinoa - 1 cup 

Olive or Vegetable - 3 tbsp

Vegetable stock - 2 cups 

Curry Powder - 2 tsp

Large Diced Mushrooms - 4 cups

Chopped Onion - 1 cup 

Sliced Bell Pepper - 1 cup 

Chopped Celery Stalk - 1 

Grated Garlic Clove - 1 

Ground Black Pepper - ¼ tsp

Peas - ½ cup

Drained & Rinsed Chickpeas - 1 cup 

Raisin - ½ cup 

Roasted, Chopped & Unsalted Almond - 1 cup

Chopped Cilantro - 2 tbsp

Prep Time 

1. Take a medium-sized saucepan, now add vegetable stock, salt, quinoa, and 1 teaspoon of cumin powder and stir. Boil it over high heat, when it starts to boil, decrease the heat to simmer and cover it. Simmer it for 15 mins. 
    
2. On another large saucepan add 2 tablespoons of oil and put it to medium heat. Now add the mushrooms, cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft.
    
3. If the mushrooms have taken in the oil add another tablespoon of oil and then cook the carrot, onion, pepper and celery until they are soft. 
   
   
4. Now you will have to add the remaining curry powder, salt, pepper and garlic. Keep stirring for 2 minutes. 
   
   
5. Add the quinoa, peas, raisins, and almonds. 
   
   
6. Pack it in the lunch box after garnishing it with chopped cilantro. 

Final Thoughts

There’s no better way to start living the healthy way than starting to eat homemade food. Any commercially cooked food contains unfresh and adulterated ingredients. Preservatives are used to keep the food fresh. Restaurants mostly have readymade food that is ready to be delivered to your doorstep. Hence, making your meals is healthier, as you use fresh ingredients making your food tasty and nutritious. Preparing homemade food is a form of self-care. 

When/ you store the food, ensure that you are storing the food in the right meal boxes. We have a range of lunch packs that are made of BPA-free plastic, Wheat Straw material or stainless steel ideal to pack your meals for days.