7 Vegetarian Meal-Prep Ideas with Just 10 Ingredients
Ever stumble across a meal-prep pic so gorgeous you contemplated new Pyrex? It may have originated from Nikki Sharp. The wellness expert and vegan-trained chef fills her Instagram with pics of jar salads and fridge porn pretty enough to frame for your wall. There’s no question Sharp is a meal-prep goddess. And fortunately, she’s dedicated a whole book to the topic: Meal Prep Your Way to Weight Loss.
The book is a complete guide to keeping meal prep fresh, literally and figuratively. Sharp includes a weeklong vegetarian meal-prep plan that uses only 10 ingredients. With a pared-down shopping list, you’ll save time at the grocery store and in the kitchen. (New at this? Start with our essential guide to meal prep for beginners.)
Sharp didn’t just go with the 10 ingredients that would ‘gram best either—she took nutrition into account. She says she wanted to go heavy on the plants since they’re high in fiber, which aids in digestion. “For example, spinach and cauliflower especially have benefits from fiber,” says Sharp. “Chickpeas have protein and fiber, so you’re getting a double whammy of health without even having to think about it.” Sharp also made a point to choose ingredients that are versatile, affordable, and accessible, she says. Below, the 10 ingredients she chose along with seven of her meal ideas. (Don’t miss these seven meal-prep gadgets that make batch cooking easier.)
Ingredients
- Spinach
- Cauliflower
- Oats
- Eggs
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Chickpeas
- Beets
- Sweet Potato
- Almonds
Meal Ideas
- Banana and egg pancakes: Whisk 1 to 2 eggs and combine with a mashed banana. Add blueberries or cinnamon for flavor or coconut flour for fluffiness, if desired. Heat batter on a skillet to form pancakes.
- Fried eggs with cubed sweet potato and spinach: Sauté spinach and serve with fried eggs and roasted sweet potato cubes.
- Roasted sweet potato with eggs and spinach: Roast a whole sweet potato and stuff with scrambled eggs and spinach.
- Veggie burger: Pulse oats in a blender to create oat flour. Combine with mashed chickpeas, roasted sweet potato, egg to bind, and a small handful of chopped spinach.
- Sweet potato and beet burger: Pulse oats in a blender to create oat flour. Combine with roasted sweet potato, roasted beet, and egg.
- Cauliflower rice and roasted sweet potato and beet with spinach: Pulse cauliflower in a food processor to create rice. Heat in a skillet and top with roasted sweet potato, roasted beet, and spinach.
- Cauliflower and sweet potato mash with hard-boiled egg: Blend together equal parts steamed cauliflower and steamed sweet potato. Add butter or coconut oil if desired. Serve with a hard-boiled egg.
This article originally appeared on Shape.com.