Slow cook one of these 5 recipes and have your lunches for the week SORTED

There is nothing quite like being a super hungry mama bear come lunchtime. All of a sudden you just want to eat something, ANYTHING, to stop those hunger pains.

That’s when your best weight loss efforts on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge can go out the window, as you may end up overeating the wrong types of foods (like something you can reach for quickly, like biscuits or bread rolls).

That’s why we are BIG FANS of meal prep here at the Healthy Mummy. And it’s not just for dinners – lunches benefit from a little meal prep too.

Make any one (or two) of these 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge recipes ahead of time and have your lunches SORTED for the whole week. You could even freeze a few single serve portions to use the following week.

Make one of these 5 recipes and have your lunch sorted for the week

With recipes from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge such as Thai Beef Noodles or Winter Pasta Bake – being organised never tasted so good!

1. Chicken & Brown Rice Soup

There’s nothing better than getting organised and making a bit batch of soup that you can eat for lunch throughout the week.  Feel free to switch up the mince to whatever you have on hand, pork works well too.

Ingredients (Makes 4 servings at 326 calories per serve)

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (15 mls)
• 1/2 brown onion, diced (50 grams)
• 1 stalk celery, diced (40 grams)
• 2 medium carrots, diced (140 grams)
• 400 grams lean chicken mince
• 1L liquid chicken stock, salt reduced
• 1 cup water (250 mls)
• 2/3 cup brown rice, uncooked (107 grams)
• 2 cups baby leaf spinach (60 grams)

Method

If cooking on the stove:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
2. Add chicken mince and brown for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer for 40 minutes until rice is cooked through.

If cooking in a slow cooker:

1. Place all ingredients in the cooker on a low setting for 6 hours, then serve.

2. Indian Spiced Cauliflower & Potato

Make this recipe ahead of time so you can just reheat it when ready to serve for lunch.

Ingredients (Makes 4 servings at 444 calories per serve)

• 1 cup brown rice, uncooked (160 grams)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (15 mls)
• 2 brown onions, diced (200 grams)
• 4 medium potatoes, diced (480 grams)
• 4 cups cauliflower (400 grams)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (9 grams)
• 1 tbsp curry powder (4 grams)
• 2 cups frozen peas (320 grams)
• 1 cup liquid vegetable stock, salt reduced (250 mls)
• 4 tomatoes, diced (400 grams)
• 1/3 cup fresh coriander, chopped (20 grams)

Method

Prepare rice according to packet directions.

If cooking on the stovetop:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan, add onion and potato and cook for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the cauliflower, garlic and curry powder. Combine well and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add peas, stock and tomato and bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer for 20 minutes until the potato and cauliflower are very tender.

If cooking in a slow cooker:

1. Place all ingredients excluding the rice and coriander into the cooker on a low setting for 2 hours.
2. Serve spiced vegetables with prepared rice and sprinkle over coriander.

3. Salmon Chowder

It’s really easy to eat healthy all the time when you do some food prep at the beginning of each week. This delicious recipe makes 4 serves so you can make ahead of time and store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge or freeze individual serves to defrost and reheat as required.

Ingredients (Makes 4 servings at 312 calories per serve)

• cooking oil spray
• 1 brown onion, diced (100 grams)
• 1 stalk celery, diced (40 grams)
• 2 medium carrots, diced (140 grams)
• 1 & 1/2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (240 grams)
• 300 grams salmon steak (or firm fish of choice)
• 1L liquid fish stock
• 500ml reduced-fat milk of choice
• 2 tsp cornflour (5 grams)
• 1 cup sweetcorn kernels, fresh or tinned (160 grams)

Method

Chop salmon into bite-sized pieces.

If cooking on the stovetop:

1. Heat a saucepan over a medium-high heat and lightly spray with cooking oil.
2. Add onion, celery, carrots and sweet potato and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients and bring to the boil then reduce to a low simmer for an hour until vegetables and fish are tender and the flavours have combined.

If cooking in a slow cooker:

1. Place all ingredients, excluding the cooking oil spray, in the cooker on a low setting for 3 hours.
2. Divide between 4 bowls to serve.

4. Winter Pasta Bake

A delicious pasta bake filled with winter veggies. This is a great lunch to prepare in advance to share with the whole family or to portion individually and store in the fridge or freezer for easy to grab lunches for the whole week.

Ingredients (Makes 8 servings at 333 calories per serve)

• 1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed (120 grams)
• 1 small sweet potato, cubed (160 grams)
• 1 cup Brussels sprouts, finely sliced (100 grams)
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (10 mls)
• 500 grams wholemeal pasta, any shape
• 1 cup white cabbage, shredded (50 grams)
• 1 cup kale leaves, shredded (30 grams)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (260 grams)
• 1 cup reduced-fat cottage cheese (260 grams)
• 2 free-range eggs (100 grams)
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped (30 grams)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (30 grams)

Method

If cooking in the oven:

1. Preheat oven to 200C / gas mark 6, and line a tray with baking paper.
2. Combine pumpkin, sweet potato and Brussels sprouts in the oil and spread over the prepared tray.
3. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender and golden.
While veggies are roasting cook pasta in boiling water according to packet directions.
4. In the final 3 minutes of cooking, add the cabbage and kale to pasta water. Drain.
5. Combine ricotta with cottage cheese and eggs and season with salt and pepper.
6. When vegetables are roasted, reduce oven to 180C / gas mark 4.
7. Combine roast veggies with pasta, cabbage, kale, ricotta cheese mix, parsley and basil.
8. Spread into a large baking dish and cook for 25-30 minutes.
9. Divide into 8 portions, one portion is one serve. Freezes well.

If cooking in a slow cooker:

1. Can be cooked in a slow cooker if you add all raw ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add a little water during the cooking time if it seems to be drying out.

5. Slow Cooked Thai Beef Noodles

Making a large batch of these tasty noodles and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Ingredients (Makes 4 servings at 336 calories per serve)

• 500 grams lean beef
• 1 red pepper (100 grams)
• 1 brown onion, sliced (100 grams)
• 400 mls reduced-fat coconut milk
• 2 tsp red curry paste (8 grams)
• 4 tsp lime juice (20 mls)
• 1 tsp fish sauce (5 mls)
• 120 grams rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 medium carrot (70 grams)
• 2 cups mange tout, trimmed (240 grams)

Method

To prepare the Slow Cooked Thai Beef:

Slice the beef and red pepper.

If using an oven:

1. Preheat oven to 160C / gas mark 3. Place beef, red pepper and onion in an ovenproof dish.
2. Combine coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice and fish sauce. Pour over the beef and vegetables and bake for 1 & 1⁄2 to 2 hours, or until beef is really tender.

If cooking in a slow cooker:

1. Place beef, red pepper and onion in slow cooker dish.
2. Combine coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice and fish sauce. Pour over the beef and vegetables and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until beef is really tender.

To serve:

1. Prepare the rice noodles according to packet directions. Slice the carrot into thin batons. Slice the mange tout.
2. Toss together the Thai Beef, noodles, carrot and mange tout. Divide between four bowls and serve, or place in airtight containers and allow to cool before storing in the fridge.

Want access to thousands of other delicious recipes?

Check out our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.

With thousands of recipes, and hundreds of fat burning exercises and 24/7 support, The Healthy Mummy can help YOU hit your goal weight faster.

Our Challenge includes:

• 28 days of at home exercise routines (no gym needed) – with video instruction
• New CHALLENGE THEME each month – so you’ll NEVER get bored
• Customisable and breastfeeding friendly meal plans
• Time-efficient exercises for busy mums – under 30 mins
• Challenge combines Pilates exercises with interval and circuit
  training (HIIT)
• Suitable for basic to advanced fitness levels
• Home to thousands of EASY-TO-MAKE recipes!