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Our team has written a lot of great blogs about meal prep lately, and they all make so much sense to prepare for a busy work week. Remember though, just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you don’t have a busy work week! Meal prep is a fantastic way to make sure you have healthy options that are easy to grab, and that is still needed when you are at home. This way you avoid just making whatever is fastest like a PB&J or snacking on junk food instead of taking a break for a full meal. For example, this cucumber yogurt recipe is one of my favorites to prep ahead in individual containers because it works well for breakfast or for a snack.

Since I’ve started to self-isolate, I’ve tried to meal prep lunches and snacks each week. Another benefit is that taking the time to plan ahead means you can buy more in one trip and decrease the number of times you need to go to the grocery store. One of the other great things about meal prep at home is that you don’t even need a recipe. I often start out the week by roasting whatever extra vegetables I have and keeping them for snacks or to throw together in a salad or a grain bowl (or even tacos!).

This week for lunches, I grated 2 raw beets and 4 raw carrots, tossed them together with bulgur, toasted cashews, some dried figs, and parsley. You could try this with any vegetables and grain that you have in your fridge. Toss the whole thing with a lemon vinaigrette or any other kind that sounds good with what you’ve got. 

Check out some of our other great posts on meal prep:

• Meal Prep for Breakfast with Overnight Oats
• How to Plan Meals Ahead
• Meal Prep Lunch Salad
• Meal Prep Greek Bowls

Have you been diagnosed with prediabetes or concerned that you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes? We are here to support you now. See our upcoming class offerings for our online CDC-recognized diabetes prevention program now! 

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Anyone else stuck at home and find themselves in the kitchen… often? You are not alone! Being at home provides us with constant access to all of our food and snacks, making it a bit more difficult to stay on track with healthy eating. One strategy for staying on track is to make the healthy option the easy option. Having healthy, and tasty, items on hand – like these Strawberry Lemon Chia Seed Muffins – makes choosing a satisfying breakfast or snack simple!

These muffins are packed with nutritious ingredients:

• Chia seeds are an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, high in antioxidants, and a good source of fiber, iron, and calcium.
• Oats are complex carbohydrates and digest slowly in the stomach, which can keep you satisfied for a longer period of time.
• Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C and magnesium and help to add natural sweetness to these muffins. Bonus: they are coming into season in NC!

Each muffin comes in around 125 calories, 3g of dietary fiber, and 6g of protein. These muffins are sure to keep you satisfied!

Strawberry Lemon Chia Seed Muffins

Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 c plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 large egg
• ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk (or any other kind of milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp lemon extract
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 heaping cups of fresh strawberries, diced (reserve ½ C to sprinkle on top)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine all yogurt, egg, almond milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract, sugar, and chia seeds together.
3. Add flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the same bowl.  
4. Fold in 1 ½ cups of diced strawberries (reserving a ½ cup to sprinkle on top)
5. Line muffin tin and fill each with ¼ cup of batter.
6. Top with reserved diced strawberries.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.

Make extra!

• Allow cooked muffins to cool and then individually wrap them in plastic wrap and place into a gallon freezer bag. Will keep for about 3 months.
• Next time you need a quick breakfast or snack, remove from freezer bag and discard plastic wrap.
• For microwave:
  • Wrap the muffin loosely in a paper towel and microwave in 20 second increments, rotating it, until warm.
• For AirFryer:
  • Place muffin into the AirFryer at 320 degrees for 5 minutes, or until warm (this is the best method to prevent a soggy reheated muffin). 

Have you been diagnosed with prediabetes or concerned that you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes? We are here to support you now. See our upcoming class offerings for our online CDC-recognized diabetes prevention program now! 

You may also enjoy:

How to Practice Mindful Eating While Working From Home

How to Shop for Fruits and Vegetables During a Pandemic

A Dietitian’s Review of the Air Fryer

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Whether you are self-quarantining or following your state’s stay-at-home order, many of us are probably home more than we used to be. In some ways this can be a good thing as we now have the chance to do some projects such as deep cleaning the kitchen, reorganizing a closet, or trying new recipes. Maybe you are working from home now and are establishing new routines (read more about Best Practices While Working from Home). 

With any major change there can be some not-so-great habits that start creeping up. For me, I have caught myself mindlessly snacking since this all started. I don’t have to leave my house for work anymore, so I’m not packing my usual pre-portioned snacks or lunches. Whenever I take a break at home, I seem to wander into the kitchen and start munching on the first thing that I see, sometimes without even realizing it. However, just because my daily routines have changed, doesn’t mean I can’t continue with healthy eating habits. I want to continue my mindful eating practices from before, but they may look slightly different now while working from home. Here are some tips that I’m trying to implement to practice mindful eating: 

3 Ways to Eat Mindfully at Home

1. Meal Prep. When I had to leave my house to go to work or school, I would bring a packed breakfast or lunch from home out of necessity. Even though I now have access to my home kitchen 24/7, I am still trying to meal prep my lunches. Why? Because this is a small way that I know I can influence my eating habits with a meal that is healthy (instead of slapping together something that may or may not be) and pre-portioned, preventing the tendency to overeat. 
2. Screen Time. Working remotely necessitates using a laptop for most of the day, however I can control my screen time during my breaks. Instead of working on my laptop while I’m eating lunch, I can get up from my desk and eat my lunch away from screens (even my phone). This allows me to give my full attention to enjoy my food and recognize when I’m full. 
3. Move Breaks. Like I mentioned before, I tend to wander into the kitchen when I take a break. Instead of heading straight for the kitchen to find something to eat, I’m trying to focus on moving more during my breaks. If it’s nice outside, I take a lap around my house. If I need to stay inside I try doing some yoga stretches or even squeeze in a 10-minute work out (using these Free Ways to Exercise at Home). For me, the focus isn’t on the specific exercise, but more so on finding some way to be active during whatever time I have for a break. 

I’m trying to make these changes as part of my new normal and hopefully this will help someone else that may be struggling with mindless snacking too. Let me know in the comments if you have other strategies that have helped you to practice mindful eating! 

Have you been diagnosed with prediabetes or concerned that you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes? We are here to support you now. See our upcoming class offerings for our online CDC-recognized diabetes prevention program now! 

You may also enjoy:

Celebrate National Nutrition Month with Meal Prep

Meal Prep: Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken

Meal Prep: Mediterranean Lunch Salad

Meal Planning 101: A Step-by-Step Guide

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It is really tough to find a good meatless meatball substitute. They always wind up too dry and crumbly, or too hard and tough. Pre-made ones have a lot of additives, and homemade ones are tough to keep together while cooking. But this recipe is one of the simplest (and healthiest) that I’ve seen, and it works!

Lentils are not only protein-packed, but also provide fiber and many other nutrients. Make this easy swap next time you’re craving spaghetti and meatballs but want something that packs more nutrients to fill the bowl! Another great lentil substitute is lentil sliders.  

This recipe is from Forest Feast Mediterranean by Erin Gleeson and makes 4-5 servings. They can be used as an appetizer, in spaghetti and meatballs, or as a side dish dipped in pesto or marinara.  

Easy Meatless Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/3c lentils, cooked
• 1/2 c breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Mix the ingredients well. Roll into 1 inch balls. Fry them in a little olive oil on medium low, turning a few times until brown on all sides. 

Many meatless meatballs are baked, you could experiment with this if you want to avoid the oil as well. 10-15 minutes on 375 should be a good place to start. 

Nutrition Information per Serving (not including what you might eat the meatballs with!):

• Calories – 154
• Fat – 2 g
• Protein – 10 g
• Carbs – 25 g

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I LOVE traditional Indian restaurant cuisine!  And among my favorites is Chicken Tikka Masala.  I do not eat this as often as I would like because it is very heavy and typically has a lot of butter and cream.  In an effort to use my Instant Pot more, I have been trying to find tasty and healthy recipes and came across one for Chicken Tikka Masala.  To cut the saturated fat and calories, I adapted an Instant Pot recipe* by removing the butter and cream to shave off 10 grams of saturated fat and 112 calories per serving and it was still delicious!  

Healthy Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Hint:  The fresh ginger is key to this recipe.

Equipment needed

6-quart Instant Pot (medium size)

Ingredients

Chicken Tikka

• 2 pounds chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
• 1 ½ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
• Juice from one lemon
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt to taste

Curry Sauce

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons coriander, ground
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 14-oz can fire roasted tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes for less heat
• 1 large 28-oz can tomato sauce
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the chicken tikka ingredients together in a large bowl so that each chicken piece is fully coated with yogurt mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 48 hours.  I marinated overnight and it worked well.
2. Turn on Instant Pot to sauté setting using manufacturer’s instructions.  
3. Add olive oil, onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and chili powder.  Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes until onion becomes translucent.
4. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and tomato sauce and stir.  
5. Add the chicken, cooking until browned.
6. Close the lid according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Set the Instant Pot to the Poultry setting and set the timer to 5 minutes.  Lesson learned:  Be sure that none of the yogurt mixture builds up around the rim of the Instant Pot.  This will cause the lid to not seal properly and will give you a ‘burn’ error message.  I was very confused by this message and had to research what was going wrong.
7. Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, (approx. 10 minutes).  If you are in a hurry, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for quick release.  Carefully remove the lid.
8. Serve over brown rice.  You can also serve with naan or roti.

355 calories/serving

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Why the Instant Pot is my Favorite Appliance

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