Meal Prep Made Easy

What once began as a trend for athletes and gym-goers has become a staple for people from all walks of life. Whether you want to save time, eat healthier or save money, meal prepping is an excellent way to meet your goals. Cooking meals once or twice throughout the week allows you to grab a dish out of the fridge and enjoy a balanced, delicious meal in just a few minutes, leaving you to enjoy the rest of your day.

Meal prep won't add any dishes, take up a lot of time or leave you grabbing unhealthy and expensive takeout because it's convenient. Still, meal prep recipes can range from simple to overwhelmingly complex. The easier it is, the more likely you are to stick to it, so we put together a guide on how to meal prep, complete with some easy meal prep ideas to keep you cooking without much hassle.

How to Meal Prep for the Week

Some people think you can only meal prep if you're making ultra-healthy dishes, but you can prep almost anything, like fajitas, stir fry and pasta. As long as it's easy to grab and eat and you prepared it ahead of time, you're in the spirit of meal prep. No matter what you cook, making these foods at home is usually much healthier and cheaper than buying from a restaurant, and prepping saves you a lot of time and stress associated with cooking dinner every night.

If your goal is to make meal prep as easy as possible, try these tips:

• Use pre-cooked meats: With pre-cooked meats, you don't need to worry about proper preparation and can focus on making tasty meals. You also get to use fewer dishes and reduce the time it takes to cook your meal prep. You can grab some simply seasoned meats like steak strips or oven-roasted chicken to fit into any recipe or use our pre-seasoned and breaded meats for specific dishes, like steak fajitas and orange chicken.
• Use convenience foods: Meat isn't the only way to save time, and you don't need to make everything from scratch. Consider grabbing frozen veggies, canned sauces and other pre-made foods to help you along.
• Grab some good containers: Meal prep dishes can come in any shape or size, but investing in some good, reusable dishes can be a big help. The need to spoon out your portion from a large bowl can sometimes be enough to send you to a pre-portioned TV dinner, so have your dishes ready to grab and go.
• Focus on balance: Think about balancing your meals during prep so you won't need to do it later. Follow the Healthy Eating Plate guidelines and aim to fill about 50% of your plate with fruits and vegetables and 25% each of whole grains and proteins. Remember to factor in fiber and some healthy fats to keep you full throughout the day.
• Start simple: If you head to social media, you might see people meal prepping every single meal for the week. That can be tough, so smart small, perhaps by prepping dinner for the next two or three days. An approach like this can help make meal prepping more sustainable and less intimidating.

Easy Meal Prep Ideas

With those tips in mind, let's dive into a few easy meal prep ideas that you can use to eat healthy and save time.

1. Chicken, Beef or Steak Fajitas

For some south-of-the-border flavor, try these fajita tacos made with our pre-seasoned fajita meat in chicken, steak or Angus beef varieties. You'll need some flour tortillas, a few bell peppers, red onion and your favorite toppings, such as cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocados and cilantro. To make prep even easier, you can also find pre-cut and frozen fajita vegetables in most grocery stores.

Making this tasty Chicken Fajita Taco recipe meal-prep friendly is as easy as holding off on the toppings. Fill your tortillas with the vegetable and meat mixture, and keep your toppings off to the side so they stay cold. Heat the tacos in the microwave, then add your refreshing toppings before you dig in.

2. Grape and Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich

This Grape and Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich recipe requires no cooking when it's time to eat, so it's perfect for microwave-free lunches. It uses a bag of our Oven Roasted Diced Chicken, mayonnaise, croissants and whatever ingredients you want. We've included red grapes, chopped pecans, red onions and celery in our recipe. 

After mixing all the ingredients together, you'll stack the mixture between two halves of a sliced croissant. Wrap up the sandwich or put it in a sealed container, and you're ready to go!

3. Pepper Steak Stir Fry

Bell peppers, fluffy rice and John Soules Foods Steak Strips come together in this tangy stir fry. You can simplify this easy meal prep even further with pre-cut veggies, microwavable rice and pre-packaged stir-fry sauce. Cook the recipe according to the instructions and separate portions into your containers. Then, heat in the microwave and enjoy!

4. Chicken Nugget Mashed Potato Bowl

Craving chicken nuggets but want something a little more well-rounded? Try this delightful homestyle Chicken Nugget Mashed Potato Bowl recipe that adds hearty potatoes, cheese, corn and gravy. Our pre-cooked chicken nuggets make it especially easy. You can find most other ingredients already made, too, for even faster meal prep. Swap in our Jurassic World Dominion Chicken Nuggets for a kid-friendly twist. John Soules Foods Spicy Chicken Strips are also a great adjustment if you like a little spice.

Meal prepping this recipe is as easy as following the instructions, portioning out your servings and reheating them when you're ready to eat.

Make Meal Prep Simple With John Soules Foods

Pre-cooked foods are one of the best ways to make meal prep fit into a busy schedule and minimize stress around mealtime. When it comes to meat, fully cooked frozen or refrigerated products allow you to eliminate concerns about proper preparation while drastically reducing your time in the kitchen. We offer a wide range of versatile and great-tasting beef and chicken products to fit into your favorite meal prep ideas.

Find our products at a store near you to enjoy these simple, healthy meals any day of the week!

Spending time with your loved ones is always a treat. On a sunny day, you might be looking for some fun things to do together without breaking the bank. A spring or summer picnic is a perfect way to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. Not to mention, you can bring your own games, activities and food to create an entire day tailored to your family's needs and preferences. 

When it comes to bringing food to a picnic, you want something that tastes great and is easy to make and transport. Here are some easy picnic ideas you can try the next time you want to relax on the beach or at the park with your family. 

5 Simple Picnic Food Ideas 

It can be challenging to come up with picnic recipes that everyone will love and that you don't need to heat. We've compiled a list of transport-friendly food options that can be served at room temperature and will suit a wide range of taste buds. 

Keep in mind any ingredients from this list can be removed or substituted for any preferences or allergies. You may also want to size up or down for these recipes depending on how many people you're serving!

1. Steak and Brie Sandwich 

For an easy, on-the-go version of a gourmet pub-style sandwich, try this delicious steak and brie recipe that your whole family will love! Here's what you'll need for this recipe:

• Your choice of steak or beef 
• Red onion
• Dijon mustard
• Fig jam
• Arugula 
• Brie cheese
• Bread of choice 

Start by cooking or heating your steak and slicing it thinly, as you would with steak fajitas. Using John Soules Foods Steak Strips can make this part of the recipe super quick and easy! Next, caramelize the onions in a skillet with a few teaspoons of Dijon mustard for extra flavor. Slice up your brie cheese and bread and lay them out so you can assemble your sandwiches. 

Starting with the bread, add arugula to one slice of each sandwich. Top it with the steak, brie and caramelized onions. On the other slice of bread, spread the fig jam for a touch of sweetness, close the sandwiches and cut them in half. If you're not a fan of figs, you can use regular steak sauce or even mayonnaise. 

2. Nugget Board

If you have some younger ones in your family, a nugget board is a fun way for them to eat their lunch! It takes minimal effort and can be entirely customized to your family's favorite picnic foods. Here's a simple recipe to give you some inspiration:

• John Soules Foods Jurassic World Dominion Chicken Nuggets, John Soules Foods Sweet & Spicy BBQ Chicken Strips or John Soules Foods Southern Style Chicken Bites
• Cheddar cheese slices
• Celery sticks
• Carrot sticks
• Grapes
• Pickle slices
• Apple slices
• Pretzels 
• Watermelon
• Ranch, barbecue or other sauce of choice for nuggets 

For this recipe, all you need to do is cook your pre-made chicken nuggets. For the rest of the nugget board, simply cut up some fruits and vegetables for your family to enjoy. Have your family help you assemble the board together to get everyone involved. 

3. Classic Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is a common spring picnic idea because it's easy to assemble and versatile! You can eat it by itself, spread it onto a croissant or sandwich roll, eat it as a lettuce wrap or eat it with crackers. Here's what you'll need:

• 4 cups of John Soules Foods Flame Grilled Chicken, chopped
• 1 cup of celery, chopped
• 1 cup of red seedless grapes, chopped
• ½ cup of almonds, walnuts or pecans
• ½ cup of dried cranberries
• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients besides the parsley. Stir until well combined. You may want to start off using a small amount of mayonnaise at a time until you reach the desired creaminess. Garnish with a tablespoon of parsley. Cover with a lid and enjoy at your picnic! 

4. Chicken or Steak Fajita Salad 

Despite what you may think, you can take fajitas on the go! With this fajita salad recipe, you can enjoy a bunch of different flavors in a refreshing bed of lettuce. You'll need the following ingredients:

• 16 oz. of John Soules Foods Chiekn Fajitas or John Soules Foods Steak Fajitas
• 3 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 medium avocado, sliced
• 1 medium red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 cans of chopped green chiles
• 1 cup toasted almonds 
• 2-3 tablespoons of canola oil 
• ½ cup lime juice
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

In a skillet, heat up a tablespoon of canola oil and saute the garlic, onion, red pepper and chiles. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are tender and crisp. Once fully cooked, set aside. Add another tablespoon of canola oil and heat up your chicken or steak of choice. Turn the meat several times to ensure it's fully heated, then add your vegetables back in to combine. 

Stir in the almonds until they are just toasted, then remove the skillet from heat. In a large salad bowl, add your shredded lettuce, tomatoes and avocado. Once your fajitas have cooled a bit, add them to your salad. For extra flavor, add lime juice over the salad and toss until well combined.

5. Chicken Club Lettuce Boats 

Everyone loves a chicken club sandwich! Switching out the bread for some crispy, refreshing lettuce can be a perfect treat on a hot day! For this recipe, you'll need:

• 2 cups of your choice of chicken, like John Soules Foods Flame Grilled Chicken
• 8-10 leaves of romaine or iceberg lettuce
• 4 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cup of grape tomatoes, diced
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste 

First, you'll want to make the creamy dijon dressing. Combine the Dijon mustard and sour cream, then add salt and pepper to taste. Prep the rest of the ingredients beforehand and store everything in plastic containers. 

Once you arrive at your picnic, lay out your lettuce leaves on each plate and add your chicken. Then, set out the rest of your toppings and allow everyone to build their lettuce boats with the ingredients of their choice. Drizzle a little bit of the creamy dressing over the lettuce boats. Simply wrap them up and eat them like a taco!

Make Hosting and Family Meals a Breeze With John Soules Foods Fully Cooked Chicken and Beef

Finding recipes that are quick and easy can be a saving grace if you're hosting a picnic, party or summer barbecue. No matter what the occasion, having delicious, pre-cut, pre-seasoned and pre-cooked meats on hand makes cooking much more convenient. At John Soules Foods Fully Cooked Chicken and Beef, it's our goal to help you spend more time with your loved ones with our products. Our fully-cooked products allow you to make practically any dish without needing to marinate and cook, meaning you can make a delicious meal in minutes. 

Whether you're making dinner for your family or serving many loved ones, we make it easy to save time and effort with our exceptional, mouth-watering products. Find a store that offers John Soules Foods Fully Cooked Chicken and Beef near you, or check out our website for more delectable recipes.