The most amazing thing happened the other day.

After a gruelling (but completely fun) 45 minute spin class, I was chatting with a fellow spinner in-between water gulps and towel swipes back to the locker room.

We talked workouts, which led to nutrition which ultimately led to what we do for a living. We had only just met (I’m a spin newbie).

Turns out, she’s a#MealPrepChallenge prepper! She’s been dedicating some time on Sunday afternoons in the kitchen along with me since day one.

How fantastic is that?

It  continues to inspire me to see you, virtually and in-person, taking your meal prep challenge to heart. Keep it up!

 

 

Here we go for week 4! Remember to tag your meal prep pics #MotiveMealPrep #MealPrepChallenge.

How the challenge works: 

• To download your meal prep planner and participate in the challenge, click here
• The format chosen for this meal prep challenge is a mix and match prep. This means preparing starches, proteins and veggies separately, for versatile eating during the week.
• Meal Prep List: Below is your meal prep list for the week. It lists the suggested options for starches, proteins, vegetables and snacks for the week along with this week’s featured make-ahead recipe: Spinach Turkey Burgers
• Prep 1 or more of the suggested foods in each category: 1 x starch, 1 x protein, 1 x veggie and 1 x snack.
• Feel free to make more or less depending on your needs, but try to prepare one of the weekly featured recipes in your prep.
• You can use your own menu as inspiration if necessary. For example, if the prep list suggests quinoa as your starch, but you have a chicken and rice stir-fry on the menu later this week, then prep rice instead.
• Remember that there is no right or wrong way to prep, you need to do what works for you.
• Don’t forget to post your Prep Pictures using #MotiveMealPrep #MealPrepChallenge on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook!

Week 4 Meal Prep Challenge

Find all of the recipes for today’s challenge below

Starches

• Butternut squash soup 
• Apple Bircher

Proteins

• Feature recipe: Spinach turkey burgers
• Baked chicken

Vegetables

• Roasted beets Use to prepare our favourite beet & apple salad
• Steamed green beans 

Snacks

• HB eggs 
• Chopped fruit 

 

 

Best Butternut Squash Soup  

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 vidalia onions, sliced
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne
• 1 large butternut squash, diced (2.5 lbs)
• 6 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Method

1. Heat the olive oil on medium low heat and add the onions. Let cook with lid slightly covered until they’re soft and slightly caramelized, about 15 minutes stirring every few minutes.
2. Once the onions have cooked down, add the cayenne, the squash, water, salt, bay leaf and bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Add the maple syrup.
4. Remove the bay leaf and ladle the soup into a blender in small batches and puree until silky smooth.
5. Return to the pot to warm through and serve.

 

Apple Bircher

 

Spinach turkey burgers

Get this week’s feature recipe here

Baked chicken breast

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

• 1.Preheat the oven to 425°F placing the rack in the middle of the oven.
• 2. Rub the chicken breasts with the olive oil, garlic, and thyme. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken evenly with salt and pepper.
• 3. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish, along with the herbs and garlic cloves.
• 4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer reads 160-170 degrees F.
• 5. Rest 5-10 minutes before slicing or shredding.

 

Roasted beets

1 pound beets, ends trimmed

1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Place beets on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil and with 1 – 2 tablespoons of water. Form a very tight package and place in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour or until the beets are fork tender. Let cool to room temperature and simply rub the skin of with your fingers. (A wedge of lemon comes in handy afterwards to remove the pink stain from your fingers)

Use roasted beets in this delicious beet and apple salad during the week

Steamed green beans

1 pound green beans, trimmed

• Steam the green beans in a steamer basket for 7-9 minutes.
• Store green beans in the refrigerator up to 4 days and reheat by placing in a saute pan with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Hard-boiled eggs

• 1.Place one or more eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil.
• 2.As soon as it boils, remove from the stove, cover with a lid and let stand for 12 minutes.
• 3.Immediately rinse under cold running water. Peel and enjoy right away or store in a container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.