Happy Sunday, meal preppers! It’s officially summer now, and this week’s meal plan is all about those warm weather recipes. There are a couple old favorites and a couple new ones in this plan. I’m all moved into my new place and actually meal prepping for work at my new job this week – I’m excited to be done moving but not excited to get back to work!
If you’ve never been here before, welcome! My meal prep posts go a little something like this: 1) meal plan (use any or all of it!), 2) snack ideas, 3) links to the containers you see here, and 4) recipes and nutrition info. You can jump straight to the recipes by clicking the “Jump to Recipes” link above, or click the direct link to the individual recipe you want below. Otherwise, just keep scrolling down!
The Meal Plan
Day 1
- Breakfast: Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal
- Lunch: Tuna Salad Lunch Box
- Dinner: Pesto Chicken & Bacon Summer Pasta
Day 2
- Breakfast: Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal
- Lunch: Asian Inspired Chicken Salad
- Dinner: Tuna Salad Lunch Box
Day 3
- Breakfast: Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal
- Lunch: Pesto Chicken & Bacon Summer Pasta
- Dinner: Asian Inspired Chicken Salad
Day 4
- Breakfast: Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal
- Lunch: Tuna Salad Lunch Box
- Dinner: Pesto Chicken & Bacon Summer Pasta
Day 5
- Breakfast: Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal
- Lunch: Asian Inspired Chicken Salad
- Dinner: Tuna Salad Lunch Box
Day 6
- Breakfast: Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal
- Lunch: Pesto Chicken & Bacon Summer Pasta
- Dinner: Asian Inspired Chicken Salad
The Snack Ideas
- Trail mix
- Cottage cheese with jam
- Apples with peanut butter
- Blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries
- Protein shakes
- Hard boiled eggs
The Containers
Here are the direct links to the containers you see pictured in this post. Note: these are Amazon Affiliate links.
The Recipes
Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal
A gorgeous, tasty, and healthy option for Mother's Day brunch! The cheesecake & strawberry jam swirl will have her coming back for more!
Servings: servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats, (192 grams)
- 2 scoops PEScience Select Vegan Plant Based Protein Powder, Vanilla, (60 grams)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder, (2 grams)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, (8 oz)
- 2/3 cup Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla Greek Yogurt, (5.36 oz)
- 2 cups strawberries, chopped, (290 grams)
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup, (1.5 oz)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, (42 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cheesecake Swirl
- 1/4 cup Smuckers Low Sugar Strawberry Preserves, (53 grams)
- 4 oz Philadelphia Reduced Fat Cream Cheese
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar, (23 grams)
- 1 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×11" baking dish with coconut oil and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk all cheesecake swirl ingredients except strawberry preserves until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients (including strawberries) and mix. In a separate bowl, add wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour into prepared casserole dish and spread evenly.
- Dollop cream cheese mixture on top of oatmeal mixture. Add dollops of strawberry preserves beside or on top of the cream cheese mixture, then swirl with a knife, being careful not to overmix.
- Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes or until the center of the oatmeal appears mostly firm with very little movement when the dish is jiggled.
- Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes, then cut into 6 pieces for serving.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information
Serving: 234g, Calories: 321kcal (16%), Carbohydrates: 43g (14%), Protein: 15g (30%), Fat: 10g (15%), Cholesterol: 50mg (17%), Sodium: 226mg (10%), Potassium: 261mg (7%), Fiber: 5g (21%), Sugar: 18g (20%)
Pesto Chicken & Bacon Summer Pasta
The perfect pasta for summer, featuring bright basil pesto, char-grilled corn, and garden-fresh zucchini. Bacon and chicken make it a meal!
Servings: servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb short curly pasta like girelle or rotini, (500 grams)
- 6 slices Wegmans Center Cut Uncured Bacon 25% Less Sodium, chopped, (150 grams)
- 2/3 cup Buitoni Reduced Fat Basil Pesto, (166 grams)
- 2/3 cup dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, (5.36 fl oz)
- 1/4 cup half and half, (2 fl oz)
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water, (keep at least one cup just in case you need more)
- 2 small zucchini, trimmed and seeds removed, then chopped, (305 grams)
- 3 small corn on the cob, (203 grams corn yield)
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced, (12 grams)
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 tsp Oh My Spice! Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Pesto Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken tenderloins
- 1/3 cup pesto
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix all chicken marinade ingredients, then massage into chicken until evenly coated. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
- Pre-heat grill to 400°. Spray grill grates with non-stick grill spray or brush grates with vegetable oil. Allow excess marinade to drip from the chicken before adding to grill. Grill one side for 5 minutes, then flip and grill for an additional 4-5 minutes. The internal temperature should just barely reach 165° as you remove the chicken from from the grill. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Add corn to the hot grill grates and grill for 5-6 minutes, turning 2-3 times. Set aside to cool, then cut corn from the cob and set aside.
- Heat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat (I used a 7 qt enameled cast iron pot). Once hot, add chopped bacon and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes or until bacon begins to turn golden brown and is cooked through. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate using a slotted spoon.
- Add 1 tsp olive oil to the pot. Add chopped zucchini, sliced garlic, and red pepper flakes, then sauté, stirring frequently. Some of the browned bits left at the bottom of the pot from cooking the bacon should come up and coat the zucchini and garlic. Continue sautéing the zucchini and garlic for 3-4 minutes – the zucchini should turn bright green but still be firm. Remove zucchini to a bowl and set aside, removing garlic slices.
- Add wine to the pot to deglaze. The wine should quickly come to a boil and burn off the alcohol. Scrape up the remaining browned bits and pour wine out into a bowl. Set aside.
- Fill the pot with enough water to cook the pasta (mine was filled about half way to the top). Bring water to a boil, add kosher salt, then add pasta and stir. Cover and boil pasta to very al dente, about 13 minutes.
- Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and drain the rest. Return pasta to the pot, then add pesto, half and half, cooked wine, zucchini, corn, bacon, seasoning, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water. Stir and set aside to cool.
- Serve pasta with chicken on top or mixed in. Top with fresh ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and parmesan before serving, if desired.
Tips & Tricks
The nutrition info for this recipe will vary widely depending on the pesto you use. I usually like to buy the fresh made Wegmans basil pesto for maximum flavor, but calculated the nutrition using the Buitoni Reduced Fat Pesto since it’s widely available.
Click here or scan the barcode below to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 346grams, Calories: 482kcal (24%), Carbohydrates: 56g (19%), Protein: 38g (76%), Fat: 11g (17%), Cholesterol: 67mg (22%), Sodium: 674mg (29%), Potassium: 363mg (10%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 6g (7%)
Asian Chicken Salad
Bright, fresh salad with citrus ginger marinated chicken and topped with sesame ginger dressing. Great for meal prep!
Servings: servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast, raw
- 8 cups green leaf lettuce, chopped, (290 grams)
- 2 cups red cabbage, shredded, (170 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups English cucumber, julienned, (180 grams)
- 1 cup matchstick carrots, (125 grams)
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped, (6 grams)
- 4 4 oz cups mandarin oranges (in water or juice), drained
- 1/2 cup fried wonton strips, (28 grams)
- 1/2 cup Wegmans Spicy Citrus Ginger Sauce, (4 fl oz)
- 1/2 cup Wegmans Sesame Ginger Dressing, (4 fl oz)
Instructions
- Marinate chicken. Add chicken breasts and 1/2 cup of Wegmans Spicy Citrus Ginger Sauce to a resealable bag. Seal the bag and massage the chicken and sauce around to distribute the sauce and coat the chicken evenly. Set aside in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Prepare salad ingredients. If meal prepping, add a piece of paper towel to the bottom of your 4 salad containers, then divide lettuce among the containers. Top with shredded cabbage, matchstick carrots, and cilantro.
- In the salad tray or divided section of the container, add mandarin oranges and cucumbers. Divide the dressing among the dressing containers and seal. Set salad ingredients aside in the refrigerator.
- Grill the chicken. Pre-heat grill to 400° and spray grill grates with non-stick grill spray or rub the grates with vegetable oil. Allow excess marinade to drip off of chicken, then add to hot grill. Grill 6 minutes on first side, then flip and continue grilling for 4-6 minutes or until internal temperature just reaches 165°.
- Finish assembling salad. Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and adding to the dedicated/divided section in your salad container, so that it does not touch any other ingredients.
- Serve. When ready to eat, heat chicken for 30 seconds, then mix all ingredients and top with fried wonton strips.
Tips & Tricks
Scan the barcode below or search for “Peanut Butter and Fitness Asian Chicken Salad” to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 372kcal (19%), Carbohydrates: 34g (11%), Protein: 39g (78%), Fat: 13g (20%), Cholesterol: 66mg (22%), Sodium: 526mg (23%), Potassium: 889mg (25%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 19g (21%)
Tuna Salad Meal Prep Box
This classic sandwich staple is lightened up and served bento style with pita or crackers and grapes. A great no heat lunch option!
Servings: servings (212 g tuna salad per serving)
Ingredients
Tuna Salad
- 15 oz chunk white albacore tuna, drained
- 11 oz chunk light tuna, drained
- 0.625 cups Duke's Light Mayonnaise, (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp)
- 1/4 cup celery, chopped, (35 grams)
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped, (35 grams)
- 2 tbsp sweet relish, (1 oz)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, (0.5 oz)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp Oh My Spice! Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Add all tuna salad ingredients to a bowl and mix until well combined. Serve with crackers and grapes, if desired.
Tips & Tricks
- The tuna salad recipe yields about 4 cups or 1060 grams total.
- Scan the barcode below or search for “Peanut Butter and Fitness Tuna Salad2” to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 212grams, Calories: 264kcal (13%), Carbohydrates: 4g (1%), Protein: 35g (70%), Fat: 12g (18%), Cholesterol: 66mg (22%), Sodium: 790mg (34%), Potassium: 29mg (1%), Sugar: 2g (2%)
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