Now that I’m working full time, I’ve learned to LOVE meal prepping! Every Sunday, I plan out my meals for the week and go grocery shopping at Aldi (the BEST!). I then go home and prep all of my lunches for the week. Keep reading to find out how I made my lunches for this week!
Let me start out by saying that I am NOT a chef- or even close to it. I never even cooked until this past school year when I finally lived in a house! I’m slowly learning how to follow recipes though and it’s something that I really enjoy doing.
This week’s meal prep lunches: Caprese Pasta Salad + Quinoa Taco Bowl! And the best part? They’re super easy, only a few ingredients, and about $4 per meal! Keep reading to find out how I make both dishes.
Caprese Pasta Salad:
Ingredients:
- Pasta (I used bow ties and ziti noodles) ($1.50)
- Mozzarella Cheese ($2.50)
- Cherry Tomatoes ($2.50, also used in the next recipe)
- Spinach or Lettuce ($2, also used in the next recipe)
- Basil Pesto ($3)
Quinoa Taco Bowl:
Ingredients:
- Quinoa ($3)
- Taco Seasoning ($.80)
- Lettuce (used above)
- Cherry Tomatoes (used above)
- Mexican Fiesta Cheese ($2)
- Salsa – OPTIONAL ($1.85)
- Black Olives – OPTIONAL ($1.50)
TOTAL: $20.65. It’s even less if you already have some of the ingredients!! For 6 meals, that means each is about $3.44- which is WAY cheaper than eating out every day!
*Note: Pricing varies by location and brands
I use these meal prep bowls on Amazon (only $8 for 7 of them!) because I think they’re a perfect size. They’re super filling and last me the whole work day!
Instructions to make both recipes at once:
- Pot #1: Combine 1.5 cups of quinoa and 3 cups of water in a pot and bring it to a boil.
- Pot #2: Add water and bring to boil. This is the pot that you will cook the pasta in.
- Pot #1: Once the quinoa and water begin to boil, bring the heat to low and add a cover to the pot so that the water can get absorbed. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
- Pot #2: Once the water is boiling, add pasta. Add however much pasta you think you’ll eat! I usually measure it out in my meal prep bowls. This week, I used bow tie noodles- use whichever your heart desires! Add salt to the pot and stir every few minutes while the pasta cooks. Read the instructions on the pasta box for how long you should cook the pasta for (usually 9-14 minutes).
- While the pasta and quinoa are getting prepped, start preparing the other ingredients for the lunches!
- Caprese Pasta Salad:
- Combine spinach/lettuce and cherry tomatoes in the meal prep bowl. Add 1-2 spoonfuls of Basil Pesto (but don’t shake it up yet!
- Cut up the mozzarella cheese to the size you like it. Don’t add it to the bowl yet though.
- Quinoa Taco Bowl:
- This bowl is fun because you can add whatever you’d like to it! For me personally, I added lettuce, black olives, chopped yellow onion, and cherry tomatoes to the bowl.
- Caprese Pasta Salad:
- By now, the pasta and quinoa should be ready!
- Take the lid off the quinoa pot. Add a 1oz packet of taco seasoning to it and use a fork to stir it in and fluff the quinoa. Allow the quinoa to cool off.
- Strain the water out of the pasta pot. Allow the pasta to cool off.
- Once both are cooled, you’re ready to finish it off!
- Add the pasta to the meal prep bowls. Add a splash of balsamic vinaigrette and put the lid on and shake it up. Open up the lid and top off the dish with the mozzarella cheese cubes. This dish is now ready to go into the fridge until you’re ready to eat it!
- Add the taco-seasoned-quinoa to the taco bowls. Stir everything up and top with mexican fiesta cheese. Put the lid on and put it in the fridge! Optional: I added salsa to my bowl, but I kept the salsa in a smaller container and added it right before I ate to avoid getting the ingredients soggy. This lunch pairs well with some Tostito chips! You can also put your own twist on the bowl by adding avocado, beans, or any other ingredient.
Both of these meal preps taste great when cold, but can also be reheated in the microwave if you prefer!
I hope you enjoyed learning how to make my favorite lunch preps! Let me know if you try them out!
