Healthy

Healthy meal prep for 2 or 4: 5 days of lean, filling lunches and dinners

Eating well all week is hard when every weeknight starts with a tired question about what to cook. Lean dinners often end up plain, and the lighter recipes can feel like a chore to make after work, so the easy choice wins more nights than it should. This plan tries to take that decision off your plate. Everything is built on lean proteins, plenty of vegetables and moderate whole grains, cooked by roasting, steaming, simmering and grilling with little added fat.

The five dishes are a lemon-herb chicken tray bake, a turkey and black bean chili, baked salmon with farro and cucumber salad, turkey meatballs with marinara and brown rice, and a spinach and feta egg bake with whole-wheat toast. Each one is filling and full of flavor, with yogurt sauces and bright citrus in place of cream and butter, so you get real meals that keep well through the week.

What they asked Bocalito

A light, healthy meal prep plan built on light, wholesome ingredients: lean proteins (chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, tofu, beans and lentils), plenty of vegetables in every dish, and whole grains in moderate amounts. Cook with little added fat: roasting, steaming, simmering and grilling rather than frying, with herbs, spices, citrus and yogurt sauces instead of cream and butter. Dishes should still be filling and full of flavor, not plain salads.

Make my own version

Weeknight Staples Batch

Quantities for

2 people5 days · Lunch, Dinner · Up to 2× eachUp to 2hImperial unitsLight portions

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Freeze these portions after cooking, and move them to the fridge the night before.

Lemon-Herb Chicken Tray Bake
Turkey and Black Bean Chili
Baked Salmon with Farro and Cucumber Salad
Turkey Meatballs with Marinara and Brown Rice
Spinach and Feta Egg Bake with Whole-Wheat Toast

1h 42min start to finish1h 7min hands-on

Time you actually spend cooking — the rest is simmering, roasting and chilling.

1
Preheat the oven10 minOven · 400°FUnattended
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) with a rack in the middle position. Preheating fully before the first tray goes in helps the chicken skin crisp and the bakes cook evenly.
2
Prep the sheet-pan chicken12 minCounter
Pat the boneless skin-on chicken thighs dry and place them in a large bowl. Halve the baby potatoes and cut the broccoli into bite-size florets, then add both to the bowl. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tsp of dried oregano, 2 lemons for zest and juice, salt and black pepper, and toss until evenly coated. Spread everything on a large rimmed sheet pan with the chicken skin side up and the potatoes around the edges so nothing is crowded.
ResultSeasoned chicken and vegetables on the sheet pan
3
Cook the farro25 minStoveUnattended
Rinse the farro in a fine sieve, then simmer it in 8 cups of water seasoned with salt over medium heat for about 25 minutes, until tender with a slight chew. Drain well and spread on a sheet pan so it cools without turning gummy.
ResultCooked farro
4
Chop the chili vegetables10 minCounter
Dice 1 yellow onion and the bell peppers into half-inch pieces and mince 2 cloves of garlic. Keep the vegetables in one bowl so they go straight into the pot when the turkey is browned.
ResultChopped chili vegetables
5
Roast the chicken tray bake40 minOven · 400°FUnattended
Roast the seasoned chicken and vegetables at 400°F (204°C) for about 40 minutes, turning the potatoes once halfway. The chicken is done when the thickest part reads 175°F (80°C) and the skin is crisp and golden, and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
ResultLemon-herb chicken tray bake
6
Mix the turkey meatballs10 minCounter
In a large bowl, combine 1¼ lb of ground turkey with the breadcrumbs, 2 beaten eggs, 1 tsp of dried oregano, salt and black pepper. Mix gently with your hands only until combined, because overmixing makes the meatballs dense.
ResultTurkey meatball mixture
7
Brown the turkey and simmer the chili40 minStoveUnattended
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown 1½ lb of ground turkey for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up until no pink remains. Stir in the chopped vegetables and cook 4 minutes until softened, then add the chili powder and the ground cumin and toast for 1 minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the rinsed black beans, season with salt, and simmer uncovered over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until thick.
ResultTurkey and black bean chili
8
Cook the brown rice45 minStoveUnattended
Rinse the brown rice and simmer it in 2 1/2 cups of water in a covered pot over low heat for about 40 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Rest it covered off the heat for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
ResultCooked brown rice
9
Make the cucumber salad10 minCounter
Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and slice thinly. Thinly slice the red onion and toss it with the cucumber, the red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt and black pepper. Let it sit while you prepare the salmon so the onion mellows.
ResultCucumber and red onion salad
10
Cook the marinara25 minStoveUnattended
Warm 1 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook 1 finely chopped onion and 4 cloves of minced garlic for 4 minutes until soft and fragrant. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and 1 tsp of dried oregano, season with salt, and simmer partly covered for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick.
ResultGarlicky tomato marinara
11
Season the salmon5 minCounter
Set the salmon fillets skin side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Brush 1 tbsp of olive oil over the top, season with salt and black pepper, and scatter the fresh dill sprigs and thin slices of 1 lemon over the fish.
ResultSeasoned salmon fillets
12
Wilt the spinach10 minStove
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and cook 1 chopped onion for 4 minutes until soft. Add the baby spinach in handfuls and toss until wilted, then cook off any liquid for about 2 minutes.
ResultSauteed spinach and onion
13
Make and bake the turkey meatballs18 minOven · 400°FUnattended
Roll the turkey mixture into 24 meatballs about 1 1/2 inches wide and set them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake at 400°F (204°C) for about 18 minutes until browned and firm, with the centers reaching 165°F (74°C).
ResultBaked turkey meatballs
14
Assemble the egg bake10 minCounter
Crack 8 eggs into a large bowl, whisk until smooth, and season with salt and black pepper. Crumble the feta and stir it in with the sauteed spinach, then pour the mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
ResultSpinach and feta egg mixture
15
Simmer the meatballs in marinara10 minStoveUnattended
Bring the marinara to a gentle simmer in a wide saucepan, then slide the baked meatballs into the sauce. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, turning them once, so they soak up flavor without toughening.
ResultTurkey meatballs in marinara
16
Bake the egg bake18 minOven · 400°FUnattended
Bake the egg mixture at 400°F (204°C) for about 18 minutes, until the eggs are just set in the center and the top is lightly golden. Cut it into 4 portions once it has come out of the oven.
ResultSpinach and feta egg bake
17
Bake the salmon14 minOven · 400°FUnattended
Bake the seasoned salmon at 400°F (204°C) for 12 to 14 minutes, until the thickest part flakes easily and reads 145°F (63°C). Let it cool on the pan before portioning.
ResultBaked lemon-dill salmon

At each meal, open it in “Your plan” to see how to serve it.

No farro? Pearled barley cooks in about the same 25 minutes and works in the same bowl with the salmon and salad.

Questions, or need to change something? !

Questions asked about this plan

Can I freeze the Turkey and Black Bean Chili, and how should I thaw it?

Yes. The chili can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze it in single portions so you only thaw what you need. Leave the Greek yogurt out of the container and add a spoonful just before eating.

To thaw, move a portion to the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat it in a saucepan or the microwave, stirring, until it is steaming and reaches at least 165°F (74°C) throughout, about 3 minutes.

Can I swap the farro in the salmon bowl for brown rice?

Yes. Use about 10 oz of brown rice in place of the farro. The rice will be a little softer and nuttier than farro, which keeps a bit more chew.

Cook it the way the plan cooks its brown rice: rinse it, then simmer it covered in about 2 1/2 cups of water over low heat for roughly 40 minutes, rest it covered off the heat for 5 minutes, and fluff it. Start it at the same time as the farro, since it runs about 15 minutes longer. Spread it on a sheet pan to cool before portioning.

Storage stays the same: the rice keeps about 2 days in the fridge in the salmon bowl, and the cucumber salad should still go in its own container and never be frozen.

How do I reheat the spinach and feta egg bake without making it rubbery?

Reheat one portion at a time, covered loosely with a damp paper towel so it doesn't dry out. Use medium power in 30-second bursts, and stop as soon as the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Overheating is what makes eggs rubbery, so it's better to add a few more short bursts than to run it long. Let it rest for a minute before eating, since it keeps cooking as it sits. Keep it refrigerated and eat it within 3 days, because this egg bake doesn't freeze well.

Your week, your tastes

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