Plan ahead for the week with these healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free, and low carb meal prep lunch bowls packed with spicy chicken, roasted lemon broccoli, and caramelized sweet potatoes. Paleo & Whole30 compliant!
Another week, another meal prep Sunday in the books. It gives me immense pleasure to look ahead on a crazy week and know that I won’t have to go to the grocery store exhausted after work, or ever have the endless, “what do YOU want to eat” conversation. I can pull into my driveway at 5, and be in sweatpants with wine in hand at 5:03. My work breakfasts and lunches will be healthy and delicious and will not leave me in a low, dark, 2 P.M. food coma after the weird, fried cafeteria lunch. It’s the little things that bring me peace.
This week we have meal prep lunch bowls packed with spicy southwestern baked chicken, lemon pepper roasted broccoli, and caramelized sweet potatoes. A few little apple slices on the side for a sweet, crunchy treat. HELLO HEALTHY. All made at the SAME TIME on sheet pans. #blessed. 45 minutes. A week’s worth of yummy, healthy lunches. Great success.
Life is overwhelming in the best way possible right now, (um, we might be buying a house! Stay tuned J) so the LAST thing I need to worry about is what I’m going to eat three times a day, (who am I kidding, six times with snacks). Maybe it’s just me, but after spending all day making decisions, going 100 miles an hour, getting humped and bitten by the puppy, doing dishes by hand constantly because the dishwasher is broken, writing 20-page papers on marketing strategy in Japan because grad school sucks, and just generally being stressed, the thought of grocery shopping on the fly after work and thinking MORE can just throw me into a full-blown meltdown.
But the humping, crazy, biting puppy is FREAKING adorable, so I manage.
That’s why meal prep Sunday is so important people. Research, get inspired on Pinterest, plan ahead, make lists, wake up Sunday morning refreshed and full of coffee, and knock it out. While the food is in the oven, lay on the couch and watch HGTV reruns for the 10th time and fall in and out of naps. I promise, it’ll be fun 😉 You can also try my Healthy Greek Chicken Meal Prep Bowls for more great meal prep lunch bowls.
- For the sweet potatoes:
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in ½" cubes
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- .
- For the chicken:
- 1.5 lbs bonesless, skinless chicken breast cut into four- 6 oz. portions
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- .
- For the broccoli:
- 1 head of broccoli, chopped into bite-size florets
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp lemon pepper
- .
- Fresh fruit, like apple slices or grapes for "dessert"
- Preheat an oven to 425 degrees, and line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.
- Put the diced sweet potatoes on one sheet, and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, and ¼ tsp garlic powder.
- Toss to coat all the sweet potatoes evenly, and spread out in a single, even layer.
- Put the sweet potatoes in the oven, and set a timer for 35 minutes, (you're going to put the chicken and broccoli in with 25 minutes left to go).
- Next, prep the broccoli. Place the broccoli florets on the second sheet pan, and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp lemon pepper.
- Toss to coat evenly, and spread the broccoli in a single, even layer on the baking sheet, leaving a space in the middle for the chicken breasts.
- Spray the empty space on the baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the chicken, mix up the spice mixture in a small bowl, (1½ tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, ¾ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, ¼ tsp dried thyme, ¼ tsp garlic powder, and ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper) and spread the spice rub evenly on the four chicken breasts.
- Place the seasoned chicken breasts in the middle of the sheet pan, and top with a coat of more nonstick cooking spray.
- Place in the oven with the sweet potatoes when the timer has 25 minutes left.
- When the time is up, remove both sheet pans from the oven, and divide into four even portions in tupperware containers.
- Let everything cool completely before placing it in the fridge. The meal prep bowls should stay good refrigerated for about 5 days.
- To reheat, microwave for 1 minute, 30 seconds. Enjoy!
How is this a ‘week’s worth of lunches for two people??
Hey Nanci,
It’s not supposed to be a week’s worth of lunch for two, it’s 4 lunch servings, (so maybe one person can bring them monday-thursday). If you were directed from the meal plan, the breakfasts and lunches are only supposed to be for one, and the dinners are built for two. Hope that helps!