Jan 22, 2019

Winter Recipes: Healthy Meal Prep

It can be tempting to reach for comfort foods and unhealthy snacks to get you through the winter cold. But unfortunately winter calories still count and, if you’re like me, finding motivation to work out in the winter is a challenge. That’s why it’s important to keep making healthy recipes, especially for weekly meal prep.

Sticking to a healthy meal prep routine will help keep you on track to eat right throughout the year. But just because we’re eating healthy doesn’t mean we can’t incorporate some classic winter dishes to help fend off the cold. Check out our videos below to see our winter recipes in action!

Healthy Winter Chili, Slow Cooker Edition

Chili is a winter time staple, but the traditional ingredients saturate the mixture with undesirable oils and it’s not an overly healthy dish in the first place. Try this chili recipe for some healthy meal prep that will help keep you warm and cozy this season. It includes several ingredients with some added health benefits, including lemon juice, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds lean ground turkey

1 large yellow onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ jalapeño pepper, minced

3 fresh tomatoes, diced

1 cup eggplant, small cubes

1 ½ tablespoons ground cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Salt & pepper

½ cup lemon juice

¼ cup parsley, chopped, for garnish

Directions

Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Let warm before adding half of the minced garlic.
Let the garlic cook until fragrant, roughly one minute. Then add in the ground turkey.
Cook the turkey for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Put the turkey and garlic into your slow cooker. Add in the onion, tomatoes, jalapeño, eggplant, and remaining garlic. Stir ingredients together.
Add in all of the seasonings, including salt and pepper, and continue to stir everything together.
Slowly stir in the lemon juice. Place the lid on top of your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or ~8 hours if cooking on low.
Optional: Garnish with parsley (or cilantro) before serving.

Vegetable Casserole

Great for meal prep or a winter potluck, casserole is a renowned comfort food item. This recipe puts a new spin on a traditional casserole dish and it’s a healthier version.

We’re using fresh veggies and olive oil to create this healthy meal prep casserole recipe. We opted for pre-made garnish from the store, but to make this winter recipe even healthier you can substitute parmesan crisps for crispy shallots made from scratch.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

1 pound carrots, thinly sliced

1 pound sweet potato, small cubes

1 pound broccoli, small florets

3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup olive oil, additional to grease

Salt & pepper

Parmesan Crisps to garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large bowl combine all of the fresh vegetables and the garlic. Toss with ¼ cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grease a 9X13 inch baking dish with additional olive oil. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish.
Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes, until heated through.
Garnish with parmesan crisps and serve warm.

Written and Published by Jessica – Writer at HMS Mfg. Co. for the Stola™ brand