Meal Prep Under 1 Hour

plus anyone can make these recipes

It’s not a secret that many don’t have too much time to spend in the kitchen, and even tho I think meal prepping for the next few days usually helps to spend less time, I still like making menus that take you less than 1 hour with all the prep and cleaning.

Today we are making 3 recipes:

• lunch/dinner: sheet pan chicken and veggies

• breakfast/dinner: sticky mango coconut oatmeal

• and a little snack or dessert: simple but tasty energy balls

🥕 Sheet Pan Chicken & Veggies

• chicken (around 150 g per portion)

• 3 colors of bell peppers

• 1 large sweet potato

• 1 red onion

• salt, pepper, olive oil

• chili flakes, paprika powder

• rice

• optional: any sauce or 1 tbsp homemade hummus

Cut the chicken into thin strips, slice the peppers into similar strips, and cube the sweet potato. Add everything to a baking tray, season well, drizzle with olive oil, and mix until evenly coated.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for around 25–30 minutes, or until the veggies are soft and everything is cooked through.

To be completely honest, I usually throw everything in together because I don’t want the hassle of adding ingredients at different times. But if you want a slightly tastier result, add the chicken and peppers around 10 minutes after the sweet potato and onion so the chicken stays juicier and the peppers don’t overcook.

Cook rice on the stove as usual and divide everything into portions. I personally love adding a tablespoon of hummus to the bowl on the day of eating.

🥥 Mango Coconut Oatmeal (4 portions)

• 1–2 mangoes

• 4-5 cups coconut milk (can sub some of it with water if prefered, I just use milk)

• 2 cups oats

• 4 tbsp chia seeds

• 2 tbsp ground flax seeds

• 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey

• 3–4 tbsp shredded coconut (optional)

• coconut chips for topping

• peanut or almond butter for topping

• nuts or seeds of choice

• extra mango for topping (optional)

Add the mango to a pot together with the maple syrup (or honey) and coconut milk. Start heating everything together.

Once warm and the mango softens a bit, mash it slightly and add the oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, and shredded coconut if using.

Cook everything together until soft and creamy. Add more milk or water if needed.

Be patient with this one and let it simmer properly. Don’t rush the process. The longer it cooks, the creamier the oatmeal becomes.

Once done, transfer into meal prep containers and add toppings either immediately or on the day of eating. I usually recommend adding granola, nuts, or anything crunchy later so it stays crisp. Nut butters are usually completely fine either way.

🍪 Super Simple Energy Balls

• 3/4 cup oats

• 1.5 cups Medjool dates

• 1/2 cup almond butter (I used blanched)

• water or maple syrup if needed (just a touch)

• dark chocolate for topping (optional but very recommended)

Pit the dates and add all ingredients to a food processor. Blend until the mixture comes together and is easy to roll into balls. If needed, add a splash of water or a little maple syrup to help everything combine.

A small tip: slightly damp hands make rolling the balls so much easier.

Once rolled, melt some dark chocolate and drizzle it over the top, or fully coat the balls if you prefer. Drizzling is definitely easier, but both work.

Place them in the freezer for a short time so the chocolate hardens faster, then transfer to the fridge and store in a sealed container.

Thank you for meal prepping along. See you next time 🤍

Love,
Sanja
@food.journalista