Easy recipes to meal prep for teachers on the go

My first year teaching, I lost 15 pounds. How did that happen? I literally was too exhausted to eat. 

My daily meal plan would go something like this:

Breakfast: Protein shake with half a cup of olive oil in it for the fast calories. First cup of coffee. 

Mid-morning snack: More coffee. A handful of candy in between teaching periods. 

Lunch: Third cup of coffee and vending machine snacks. Some days I skipped lunch altogether because I had too much to do. 

After school, or sometimes even during my planning period, I would pass out in my car in the parking lot. I was utterly exhausted. And while the stresses and overwhelm of first year teaching definitely played an important role, what I did not understand was that my body literally did not have enough caloric energy to function properly. I was malnourished and underfed, so of course my body and mind were perpetually exhausted.

I would feel more and more tired, but my fix would be to nap, rather than prepare food. It was too stressful to think about preparing food to eat, or even go to the grocery store to pick out things, that I ended up putting those things off and as a result, going hungry. 

It wasn’t until I saw my father in law for the holidays that I realized I needed to change things. He took one look at my gaunt, hollow face and said, “You look ill. Have you not been eating?” 

That’s when I knew that I needed to take better care of my body. So over the holidays, I designed a meal plan strategy that would require minimal effort on my part, but that would provide my body with the calories and nutrients it needed to perform optimally. And the second half of the year was so much better. I had energy! I could actually function as a human being! 

Here are some of the things I learned. Hopefully they are helpful for you. 

1. Buy at least ten tupperware or similar food storage containers (5 for breakfasts, 5 for lunches). 
2. Set aside a specific day and time every week that is dedicated to grocery shopping and meal prepping. This day and time are sacred, and take priority over everything except emergencies. If a friend wants to hang out with you during that time, they’d better be joining you on your grocery run or helping you meal prep. I’m serious about this. It has to become as natural as going to work at a certain time every day. 
3. Make a list before you go to the grocery store of exactly what you need. To do this, first plan out what meals you can realistically make that will be easy to store in the freezer or fridge and reheat during your lunch break at school. Try to choose meals that have a good balance of carbs, fats, and proteins (for sustained energy!). Find recipes, copy the ingredients, and paste them in a notes app on your phone. 
4. Immediately after returning from the grocery store, prep and cook all of the meals you will need for the week. This technique is called “chunking” – you pair two activities together (in this case, grocery shopping and cooking) – to make it more likely you complete both tasks. 
5. Don’t overcomplicate. Oatmeal with flax seeds, berries, and honey is a perfectly good breakfast. In fact, you can make “overnight oats,” which don’t even require hot water. 
6. Store your meals for the week in the fridge or freezer and you’re done! Every morning, simply grab a breakfast and lunch tupperware and head out the door.

Recipes

Here are some tried-and-true recipes I have used. Feel free to adjust them to fit your nutritional needs and tastes! Note: To prep the same meal for multiple days, simply multiply the ingredients by the number of days’ worth of meals you would like to prepare.

Breakfast Options

1. Overnight Protein Oats

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup milk (dairy or plant-based)
• 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a container or jar.
2. Refrigerate overnight.
3. In the morning, add your favorite fruit or honey for extra flavor.

2. Greek Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup mixed berries
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (e.g., walnuts or almonds)

Instructions:

1. In a container, layer Greek yogurt, berries, honey, and nuts.
2. Seal and refrigerate.

3. Avocado and Egg Breakfast Wraps

Ingredients:

• 2 whole-grain wraps or tortillas
• 2 ripe avocados
• 4 boiled eggs, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Mash avocado and spread it on the wraps.
2. Add sliced boiled eggs.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Roll the wraps and store them in foil or plastic wrap.

4. Peanut Butter Banana Protein Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 cup milk (dairy or plant-based)
• 1 scoop of protein powder
• Ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
2. Pour into a shaker bottle or container.

5. Cottage Cheese and Fruit Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 cup mixed fruit (e.g., pineapple, strawberries, and kiwi)
• 1/4 cup mixed nuts (e.g., almonds and cashews)

Instructions:

1. Combine cottage cheese, mixed fruit, and nuts in a bowl.
2. Seal with a lid and store in the refrigerator.

Lunch Options

1. Chicken and Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 grilled chicken breasts, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Instructions:

1. In a container, combine quinoa, chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, and feta cheese.
2. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.

2. Tuna Salad Bowl

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of tuna in water, drained
• 2 cups mixed greens
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup sliced olives
• 2 boiled eggs, sliced
• Olive oil and lemon juice dressing

Instructions:

1. In a container, layer mixed greens, tuna, cherry tomatoes, olives, and boiled eggs.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice dressing.

3. Avocado and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Lemon juice

Instructions:

1. In a container, combine avocados, chickpeas, red onion, and cilantro.
2. Squeeze lemon juice over the top.

4. Turkey and Hummus Wrap

Ingredients:

• 2 whole-grain wraps or tortillas
• 8 slices of lean turkey
• 1/2 cup hummus
• 1 cup mixed greens

Instructions:

1. Spread hummus on wraps.
2. Add turkey slices and mixed greens.
3. Roll the wraps and store them in foil or plastic wrap.

5. Spinach and Feta Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

• 4 bell peppers
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup cooked spinach
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cut the tops off bell peppers and remove seeds.
2. Fill each pepper with quinoa, spinach, and feta cheese mixture.
3. Store the stuffed peppers in an airtight container.

Once I got into the habit of prepping meals, I was able to pretty quickly get back to my normal weight and began feeling more energized, happy, and focused. I no longer felt the urge to fall asleep in the middle of the day, and could build other healthy life habits around my meal habits (for example, stretching in the morning before grabbing breakfast). 

Hopefully you aren’t in the situation I once was, but regardless of what your current meal habits are, I hope my tips and recipes can give you some ideas for how to streamline your own meal prep to free up time to live your life!