A fool-proof meal plan with 5 ingredients, 4 meals in 3 steps.

Happy Monday! Today I’m sharing a how to post that’s all about simplicity. If you caught the Healthy Eating Made Simple Series last week, then you know that despite the 100’s of recipes I share on NS, my actual philosophy when it comes to cooking IRL is all about keeping it simple. Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking up a big delicious meal for special occasions or on the weekend when there’s more time. But during the week, my life is so full that I rely on simplicity to save me time and energy in the kitchen all while eating nourishing foods.

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The entire mission and ethos behind Nutrition Stripped is to keep it simple and strip away all the extra information but also “fluff” that you see in the wellness world. Let’s go back to basics and keep meals super simple with this template. You don’t need a different recipe for every meal of the day. In fact, you can get a full spectrum of nutrients and solid nutrition by utilizing 3-4 nutrient dense and macronutrient balanced recipes a week and then switch it up the week after. For example, today I’m sharing a Sweet Potato and Greens Bowl topped with poached egg, Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos, a Southwest Nourish Bowl, and Stuffed Sweet Potatoes all made with the same 5 base ingredients to show you just how simple nourishing food can be.

The key to making cooking at home simple is keeping a stocked pantry and rotating out fresh ingredients every week. I promise, even though that first grocery trip stocking your pantry might be a doozy both time and price wise, it’s 100% worth it when the next week you can pop into the store and grab 5 things! I usually buy in bulk to save money and to make sure I always have ingredients ready to go. Read up here on stocking and organizing your pantry for more info. After you have a stocked pantry, you can rely on just a few nourishing whole foods to combine in different ways throughout the week.

In general, I like to always include lots of greens, a veggie, protein, a healthy fat, and different sauces in my meal plan. You’ll cover your nutritional bases if you include each of these in your meals. This simple plan relies on kale (greens), sweet potatoes (veggie), avocado (healthy fats), eggs and black beans (protein), and salsa (sauce) to add some flavor. Keep reading for the how to!

The Plan

Step 01: Go shopping

Fresh ingredients to grab at the store:

• 3 large or 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 bunch or 1 bag of kale
• 2 avocados
• 6 eggs (or 3 servings tofu/tempeh)
• Organic salsa

Pantry ingredients you should already have:

• 2 cans of black beans
• gluten free or corn tortillas
• quinoa or brown rice
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

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Step 02: Batch cook

On Sunday (or your preferred cooking day), make ahead your main ingredients. This should only take around 30 minutes.

1. Chop sweet potatoes, leaving 1 whole, and bake for 30 minutes at 350. (If you’re using tempeh or tofu for protein, cook this at the same time in the oven.)
2. While sweet potatoes are baking, cook your quinoa on the stovetop according to package directions.
3. While sweet potatoes are baking and quinoa cooking, wash kale and rinse black beans. Store all ingredients in airtight glass containers in the fridge.

Step 03: Put it together

Sweet Potato and Greens Bowl topped with poached egg

Serves 1, 5-10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup roasted sweet potatoes
• 1 cup kale
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1 egg (or vegan substitute)
• olive oil

Instructions:

1. Poach the egg.
2. While water is boiling for the egg, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add kale and season with salt and pepper. Sauteé until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Place kale in bowl and top with sweet potatoes, avocado, and poached egg and enjoy.

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Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos

Serves 1, 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup roasted sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup raw kale (or you can sauteé for flavor)
• 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 2 gluten free or corn tortillas (I used Rudi’s)

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients into two tacos and enjoy.

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Southwest Nourish Bowl

Serves 1, 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup roasted sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup raw kale (or you can sauteé for flavor)
• 1/4 cup black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 2 eggs, scrambled (or use vegan substitute) (optional for added protein)

Instructions:

1. Scramble eggs.
2. Layer quinoa, kale, roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, salsa, and avocado. Add scrambled eggs and enjoy.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Serves 1, 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup kale
• 1 baked sweet potato
• 1/4 cup black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Sauteé kale in olive oil with salt and pepper.
2. While sauteéing, slice open baked sweet potato stuff with black beans, salsa, and avocado. Top with kale and enjoy.

BONUS:

Have leftover sweet potatoes? Try a Sweet Potato Julius or Sweet Potato Pancakes for breakfast.

Get to preppin’.

I hope this inspires you that you can keep your meals simple and still get enough nutrients throughout your week to nourish your body. And if you need support or just want to save even more time and effort by following ready made meal plans, check back in on Tuesday, April 25th when enrollment for the NS Guide to Master Meal Planning is open. The Guide to Master Meal Planning gives you ready made meal plans, shopping lists, healthy recipe ideas, videos, and extra ebooks to give you everything you need to master meal planning. Get on the list if you don’t want to miss out!

xx McKel