Easy Meal Prep Ideas To Try While Working From Home

As these days, Singaporeans spend more time indoors aka STAY HOME, and whether you’re a newbie or pro in the kitchen, you’d definitely heard about meal prep. A meal prep is the concept of preparing whole meals or dishes ahead of schedule (Pre plan). It's particularly popular among busy people because it can save a lot of time. And since it requires you to determine what to eat ahead of time, meal prepping can lead to more nutritious meal choices over the long term.

So if you want to skip the delivery waiting times, let's get started on meal prep for you and your family now!

Quick tips for meal prep :

1. Plan ahead for you meal prep ideas

2. Keep track of storage time

3. Meal prep containers

4. Mix it up - Variety choices

5. The right portions for minimal wastage

We have tried and tested some of the recipes. Here's our top 5 :

1. Japanese Sesame Chicken Spaghetti

(Credit: Stijn Nieuwendijk / Flickr)

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Servings: 4

Recipe Ingredients:

• Japanese Sesame Sauce (amount to your preference)

• 230g dry spaghetti

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 550g or 2 boneless chicken breasts (remove the skin and cut into chunks)

• Pinch of salt and pepper

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

• 2 cups broccoli

• ½ cup chopped cucumber

• ½ chopped red bell pepper
  

Recipe Instructions:

1. Begin by boiling a big pot of water sprinkled with salt. Add the spaghetti into the pot and cook to your desired softness.

2. Once done, rinse the spaghetti with cold water and drain excess water. Pour sesame oil onto the spaghetti and toss until all the noodles are coated in sesame oil. !

3. Pour vegetable oil into a pan and add the chicken breast chunks. Season the meat with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

4. Cook the meat until both sides turn golden brown

5. Boil the broccoli and mix it with the remaining vegetables. Add cilantro into the mixture and voila, your meal is ready!

How to store? Divide the spaghetti, meat and vegetables into four portions. Store each portion in a meal prep container. Pour Japanese sesame sauce into four mini sauce containers which can be kept inside the larger containers. Store them together in the fridge for up to four days.

2. Cauliflower Fried Rice

(Credit: Meal Makeover Moms / Flickr)

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Tme: 10 minutes Servings: 4

Recipe Ingredients:

• 680g cauliflower (rinsed)

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 1 egg

• 2 egg whites

• Pinch of salt

• ½ small onion (diced fine)

• ½ cup frozen peas

• ½ cup carrots (chopped into cubes)

• 2 garlic cloves (minced)

• 5 scallions (diced and separate the whites from the greens)

• 3 tbsp soy sauce (or amount to your preference)

Recipe Instructions:

1. Removing the core of the cauliflower and ensure it’s completely dried

2. Run the cauliflower core in the food processor slowly until it’s mashed to the size of a rice grain. (Avoid over processing or the cauliflower will turn mushy. The cauliflower bits will act as the ‘rice’ for this meal prep!)

3. Beat the egg and egg whites together. Add a pinch of salt.

4. Place a large pan over medium heat and drizzle cooking oil

5. Fry the eggs in the pan and set aside when done

6. Pour sesame oil into a pan on medium heat. Saute onions, scallion whites, peas, carrots and garlic cloves for about four minutes.

7. Add the cauliflower ‘rice’ to the mixture. Pour soy sauce and mix everything in the pan for about six minutes. The cauliflower ‘rice’ should feel crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

8. Finish by adding the egg and then garnish with scallion greens.

How to store? Set aside to cool before separating the cauliflower fried rice into four meal prep containers. Store them in the fridge for up to four days.

3. Chicken Burrito Bowl

(Credit: Annie / Flickr)

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Servings: 4

Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken breast (without skin)

• 1 red bell pepper (sliced)

• 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced)

• 1 large red onion (sliced)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp taco seasoning

• Pinch of salt and pepper

• 1 jar salsa

• 1 ½ cups raw brown rice

• 1 can corn

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 3 lime wedges
  

Recipe Instructions:

1. Start by washing the brown rice. Cook the rice in a rice cooker and let it cool before storing into 4 meal prep containers.

2. Preheat the oven for five minutes at high temperature

3. Meanwhile, line a baking tray with aluminium foil and place the chicken breast. Fill the rest of the tray with bell pepper and onions.

4. Drizzle olive oil onto the baking tray and spread taco seasoning evenly on both sides of the chicken breasts. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly onto the baking tray. Next, each chicken breast generously with salsa before baking in the oven for 25 to 40 minutes.

5. Once baked, let the cooked chicken breast cool for about ten minutes before slicing into strips and it’s done!

How to store? Top the brown rice in each meal prep container with corn, salsa, cheddar cheese, cooked bell peppers and onions. Add the chicken strips into the container along with a lime wedge. Store the meal prep containers in the fridge for up to four days!

4. Spicy Chicken Sweet Potato

(Credit: Mullai’s SpiceIndia Online / Flickr)

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Servings: 4

Recipe Ingredients:

• 3 boneless chicken breasts without skin (cut into chunks)

• 3 tbsp cajun seasoning

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3 sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)

• 5 cups broccoli

• Pinch of salt and pepper

• 4 tbsp hummus

Recipe Instructions:

1. Start by tossing the chicken breasts in the cajun seasoning and drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil evenly into the mixture. Store the meat in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at a high temperature for about five minutes

3. Line parchment paper on a baking tray. Arrange the broccoli and sweet potatoes onto the tray and drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the vegetables. Add a pinch of salt.

4. On a separate tray, place the chicken breasts and bake both trays for about 15 minutes

5. Once done, remove the broccoli and chicken from the tray. Stir the sweet potatoes and put them back into the oven to bake for another 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, pack the broccoli and chicken into four meal prep containers. Do the same for the sweet potatoes when they are done baking.

How to store? Pour one tablespoon of hummus into each of the four sauce containers. This will be your chicken dip for that additional taste! Seal the sauce containers and put them in the meal prep container for later consumption. Store in the fridge for up to four days.

5. Slow Cooked Beef Stew

(Credit: A Healthier Michigan / Flickr)

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 8 hours Servings: 4

Recipe Ingredients:

• 600g beef cubes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 200g potatoes

• 200g carrots

• 1½ garlic cloves (minced)

• ½ onion (diced)

• 2 cups beef broth

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• ½ tbsp worcestershire sauce

• ½ tsp dried thyme

• ½ tsp dried rosemary

• ½ tsp paprika powder

• Pinch of salt and pepper

Recipe Instructions:

1. Begin by first seasoning the beef cubes with salt and pepper.

2. Add olive oil to a pan and sear the beef cubes for two to three minutes until evenly browned.

3. When done, place potatoes, carrots, garlic and cooked beef cubes into your slow cooker while stirring in 1½ cups of beef broth! You can add worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, rosemary and paprika to the pot for added flavour.

4. Cover and let it cook on low heat for about 7½ hours

5. For the final step, whisk ½ cup of beef broth with flour and add into the mixture to thicken the stew

6. Continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes before letting it cool

How to store? Keep the stew in airtight meal prep containers in the freezer. The servings can be stored for as long as three months! Totally worth the 8 hours cooking time, we say!

READY TO GET STARTED? Bon Appetit!