Roasted Vegetable Quinoa

Fall is here ya'll and I am diving into the comforting, warm foods. Roasting is one of my favorite ways to cook veggies at this time of year because you can infuse a lot of flavor and use them in practically everything.

I love using butternut squash because not only is it delicious, but packed with vitamin A, with 1 cup boasting almost 300% of your daily dose! It also has vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, and manganese. This dish combines also uses a whole grain, nuts and some fruit for a vitamin packed, fiber full dish with just a hint of sweetness and some plant based protein. Enjoy!

Photo by Sara Dubler on Unsplash

Ingredients

1 butternut squash – peeled and cubed

2 cups brussels sprouts

1 cup quinoa

2 cups kale

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 cup whole pecans

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425. Halve brussels sprouts and cut off ends, combine with butternut squash and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper and spread across baking sheet roast for about 20-25 minutes, stirring once.

2. Bring water to a boil and add quinoa, cook for about 10 minutes or until al dente.

3. Combine quinoa, kale, roasted veggies, pecans and cranberries, toss with maple syrup serve immediately.

How to Meal Prep Like a Boss!

No matter the time of year, we're all super busy. There's a party to go to, mountain to climb, pumpkin patch to explore, kayaks to float in, microbrews to drink- I get it. That’s where a little planning and prepping one day a week can make a big difference in your life. If you are busy, want to lose weight, eat healthier or just like to get all your cooking done at once, this is the way to go.

It can seem daunting at first to plan that far ahead (I know it was for me) but hopefully these tips will help make it easier and get you going towards successful meal prepping.

Start Simple This isn’t really the time to start eating crazy foods you aren’t used to, at least for the first few weeks. Think about putting together foods you already like and know how to prepare, this will save you time to begin with.

Master Breakfast If you already eat oatmeal, try doing overnight oats. I love oats because they are high in fiber, and can be super nutritious for a filling and healthy breakfast. If you’re more of an egg person, you can prep the veggies for a scramble or omelette ahead of time and throw them in the pan in the morning with some already beaten eggs and whip up a breakfast in just a few minutes. Better yet, bake egg muffins all at once and have breakfast all week.

Shop Smart Don’t head to the store without a plan, you run the risk of roaming the aisles and buying foods that don’t really go together. Plan out what you’re going to have for the week and make a list to take to the store, you’ll save time, money and sanity.

Be Snack Savvy Pre-packaged minimally processed bars like Kind and RX make great snacks that take absolutely no work. If you’re looking for more whole food options, buying things in bulk like string cheese and hard boiling a bunch of eggs ahead of time are great to grab on the go.

Get Freezin’ Making large batches of food ahead of time and freezing them is a great way to save time. You can throw tomorrow’s dinner in the fridge to thaw before you head to work and come home to a dinner that will require a few minutes in the microwave. Or, if you’re into smoothies, try making homemade smoothie kits of frozen fruit and veggies and then after a workout or whenever, throw it in a blender with your milk or water of choice and you’re good to go.

Choose Grains Wisely Pick grains you can use for multiple meals and cook a big batch on Sunday. Quinoa is great for breakfast in place of oatmeal, or you can throw it into salads for extra protein, or serve your fish or chicken for dinner on top of it.

Spread Your Food Out On a sheet pan that is. Roasting veggies and protein in big batches in the oven is a super easy way to prepare a lot of food at once. You can throw these in salads, or use them for low maintenance dinner ideas.

Slow It Down If you have a slow cooker- bust that thing out! You can make all sorts of food in your slow cooker, and it doesn’t just have to be soup. You can make quiches, oatmeal bakes, lasagna, enchiladas, roasts, the sky’s the limit. Set it to go before you leave work, come home to a delicious meal you can reheat all week.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and prep yourself for a week of healthy eating and spend less time in the kitchen. If you are looking for or in the need of some awesome meal prep ideas then make sure to check out my pinterest board.