Bella Breakdown

One of my personal goals this year is to prep more meals, so I have easy and healthy options throughout the week. Not only does this allow you to control what you put in your body and maintain a healthy diet, but it can save you a ton of money in the long run. Just think, you could save $25 a day or more just by preparing your own breakfast, lunch and dinner. That’s a lot of money to stash away for future purchases.

If you don’t know where to start, try one of these easy recipes that you can make ahead of time and store for a grab-and-go meal. See a full list of great meal prep options here.

Peanut Butter Blueberry Overnight Oats

1 container siggi’s 2% coconut or 0% blueberry skyr yogurt
1 ¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 cup rolled oats, gluten free if desired
1/3 cup fresh blueberries
For the layers/toppings:
2 tablespoons low sugar blueberry jam (or your favorite jam)
2 tablespoons peanut butter (or your favorite nut butter)

Add yogurt and almond milk to a medium bowl and stir until well combined and creamy. Stir in chia seeds, oats, and blueberries. Cover bowl and place in the fridge for at least three hours or overnight.

Once ready to assemble, grab two 12 ounce mason jars. Fill each jar halfway full with oat mixture, then add a tablespoon of blueberry jam followed by a tablespoon of peanut butter to each jar. Top with remaining oats, then cover and place in the fridge for later or enjoy immediately.

Chicken Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Muffins

8 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup coconut flour
½ pound chicken sausage of choice, or your favorite breakfast chicken sausage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided (use whatever cheese you like)
To serve: Serve with avocado chunks and salsa on top

Cook the chicken sausage according to directions on package. If your chicken sausage is already cooked, no need to reheat, simply chop it into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease 12 muffin cups of muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, salt and pepper. Slowly add in coconut flour, while still whisking. Fold in cooked chicken sausage and ½ cup shredded cheese.

Evenly pour mixture into the greased muffin tins. Sprinkle with ½ cup remaining cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until muffin puff up and eggs are set. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Thai Peanut Chicken Wraps

DRESSING:
1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon honey, optional
2-3 tablespoons warm water, to thin dressing
Optional: Few dashes of red pepper flakes OR a few dashes of hot sauce

WRAPS:
2 large spinach tortillas (burrito size)
2 large carrots, shredded (or ¾ cup shredded carrot)
1 red bell pepper, julienned
3/4 cup shredded red cabbage
2 cups baby spinach
¼ cup diced fresh cilantro
¼ cup diced green onion
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
1 pound grilled or baked chicken breast, sliced or diced into pieces

Make your dressing. In a small bowl mix together peanut butter, low sodium soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, honey and warm water until well combined and the consistency of a dressing. If you want it to be a little spicy, add in red pepper flakes or a little hot sauce. Set aside.

Now it’s time to make your wraps! Evenly divide carrots, red bell pepper, red cabbage, spinach, cilantro, green onion, peanuts and sliced chicken breast between two large spinach tortillas.

Drizzle ½ of your dressing into each wrap before rolling them up. Carefully tuck in the sides of each wrap as your roll until ingredients are secured inside. You can secure everything together with a toothpick before cutting in half. Serve with extra peanut sauce! Serves 4, 1/2 burrito per person. If you’re really hungry you can eat the whole thing.

Wrap in plastic wrap if you are serving later. Keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days.

White Chicken Chili

½ tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 can mild green chiles (or sub 2 seeded and diced jalapenos)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast (can also used shredded rotisserie chicken)
½ cup frozen corn
1 medium lime, juiced
1/3 cup fresh, chopped cilantro

Start by adding 1 ½ cups of the rinsed and drained chickpeas (from one of the cans) and ½ cup water to a blender. Blend until somewhat smooth, adding a little more water if necessary.

Add olive oil to a large dutch oven or large pot and place over medium high heat. Add onion and green chiles and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Next stir in cumin, chili powder, coriander and dried oregano; allow the spices to cook for 30 seconds, then add in chicken broth, blended chickpeas, remaining whole chickpeas and salt and pepper. Simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes.

After 20 minutes, stir in the shredded chicken breast, corn, fresh lime juice and cilantro. Allow to cook for 5-10 more minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, an extra lime wedge and avocado if you’d like. Store in the fridge or freezer for longer storage.