Meals in Minutes.1
Reality bite. Eating well doesn’t require hours in the kitchen, a culinary degree, or a love of cooking. A great meal can be made in minutes with simple ingredient choices and a dose of desire. Restaurant/take-out food tastes delicious due to liberal amounts of fat, salt and sugar. Chefs want you to be happy with their meal! Dine out often enough, though, and it may hurt your health. Home-cooked meals can give your body what it needs to function well, but getting one on the table is not always easy. Some common reasons meal prep gets relegated to the back burner: “I don’t have time.” “I don’t like leftovers.” “It’s too much.” “I get bored eating the same thing.” “I don’t know what to buy.” “I’m not a cook.” “My schedule’s unpredictable.” “I waste too much food.” “I don’t want to spend my Sunday cooking.” “It never actually saves me time.”
Our Meals in Minutes series, posted over the next 4 weeks, will tackle these challenges. Each week, will include: a mindset reframe, a weekly staples list, and 3 meal prep options. A serving will provide at least 25g of protein and 1–2 cups of veggies.
🧠 Mindset of the Week:
“If you can scroll, you can sauté.”
Has it happened to you? You look at your screen time and think "How did that happen?" A scroll here, a check there, the seconds add up to hours in no time. But let’s go deeper. Why the scroll? Is it distraction? A break? A way to avoid something more complex? If social media is eating up your meal prep time, it’s time to act. Delete Instagram and Facebook from your phone. Turn off notifications. Allow yourself to check-in on social media at set times only, i.e. while the food cooks! We are not too busy, we are just prioritizing other things. Own that distinction. Audit your time. Reclaim a few minutes. Stir something instead!
Shopping List📝
Granted, to cook at home, you must shop. Make a list. Set a time to go. Here is a simple list of everything you need to make the three meals below. Purchase: Eggs (1 dozen or more), 2–3 chicken breasts, Baby spinach, Box of mixed greens, Tomatoes, Bell peppers, Zucchini, Broccoli, Sweet potatoes, a bunch of Green onions, Feta, A carton of blueberries, Whole wheat or corn wraps, Olive oil, Rice wine vinegar, Spices: garlic, cumin, paprika, chili flakes, salt, pepper.
🍳 Morning Scramble and Roll
Ingredients:
2 eggs + 2 egg whites
A handful of baby spinach
¼ cup diced bell pepper
1 tbsp chopped green onion
1 tbsp crumbled feta
1 small whole wheat wrap
Side: a cup of fresh blueberries
Instructions:
Scramble eggs, spinach, peppers, green onions, and feta in a nonstick pan (about 5 mins). Load into the wrap, roll it up, and serve with blueberries on the side.
25g protein, 1 cup veggies and 1 cup fruit, prep. 7 mins
🍽️ Evening Power Plate
Ingredients:
1 small chicken breast (5–6 oz)
½ cup zucchini, diced
½ cup bell pepper, sliced
½ cup broccoli florets
½ cup cherry tomatoes
½ small sweet potato, diced
1 tsp olive oil
Spices: garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper.
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss all veggies in olive oil and spices. Spread on a small baking sheet. Nestle chicken in the center. Bake for 20–22 mins (or until chicken reaches 165°F). Broil for 1–2 mins if you like crisp edges.
30g protein, 2+ cups veggies, 5 mins prep, 20 mins bake
Tip: Cooking for more? Scale up portions and use two trays. One for chicken, one for veggies.
🥗 Remix bowl
Make dinner into the next day’s lunch..
Ingredients:
Leftover chicken + roasted veggies
A handful of fresh spinach or mixed greens
Tomatoes
Feta
Splash of rice wine vinegar or your favorite dressing
Instructions:
Slice leftover chicken, layer with reheated veggies and fresh greens. Drizzle with vinegar or dressing. Toss gently. Done.
30g protein, 2 cups veggies, 5 mins
Next week we’ll look at low-effort, high return, batch-friendly meals.
Bon Appetit!
Wednesday at Empower✌️
WOD | 21:00
RX:
On a 5-minute clock, complete:
200-meter run
Then, 2 rounds of:
3 bar muscle-ups
6 deadlifts
9 box jumps
Rest with the remaining time in the interval.
On a 7-minute clock, complete:
400-meter run
Then, 3 rounds of:
3 bar muscle-ups
6 deadlifts
9 box jumps
Rest with the remaining time in the interval.
On a 9-minute clock, complete:
800-meter run
Then, 4 rounds of:
3 bar muscle-ups
6 deadlifts
9 box jumps
Rest with the remaining time in the interval.
155-lb barbell and a 24-inch box
225-lb barbell and a 30-inch box
Intermediate option:
On a 5-minute clock, complete:
200-meter run
Then, 2 rounds of:
1 bar muscle-up
6 deadlifts
9 box jumps
Rest with the remaining time in the interval.
On a 7-minute clock, complete:
400-meter run
Then, 3 rounds of:
1 bar muscle-up
6 deadlifts
9 box jumps
Rest with the remaining time in the interval.
On a 9-minute clock, complete:
800-meter run
Then, 4 rounds of:
1 bar muscle-up
6 deadlifts
9 box jumps
Rest with the remaining time in the interval.
105-lb barbell and a 20-inch box
155-lb barbell and a 24-inch box
Beginner option:
On a 5-minute clock, complete:
200-meter run
Then, 2 rounds of:
2 ring rows
4 deadlifts
6 box step-ups
Rest with the remaining time in the interval.
On a 7-minute clock, complete:
400-meter run
Then, 3 rounds of:
2 ring rows
4 deadlifts
6 box step-ups
Rest with the remaining time in the interval.
On a 9-minute clock, complete:
400-meter run
Then, 4 rounds of:
2 ring rows
4 deadlifts
6 box step-ups
Rest with the remaining time in the interval.
55-lb barbell and a 12-inch box
75-lb barbell and a 20-inch box
