The High-Protein, High-Fiber Lunch Is Meal-Prep on Repeat

I’m pretty tough when it comes to meal planning. Seriously. I even have a spreadsheet. Since I usually go shopping on Sundays, I will try to plan the week’s meals on the Friday or Saturday before that. I’ll include ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner and check which items will have leftovers for the next day or so, which helps ensure that I don’t plan on cook more food than I need. With everything organized in a spreadsheet, I can see what the week’s meals look like at a glance and make a shopping list.

I have found meal planning to be beneficial for several reasons:

• Knowing what’s available throughout the week helps me make a complete grocery list, making sure I have everything I need and—except for impulse buys—nothing I miss. without finding it.
• Using everything I buy at the grocery store, along with whatever I need, helps me reduce food waste.
• Whenever I see a recipe I want to make, I can add it to a spreadsheet for inspiration for future meals.
• Planning my meals helps me ensure I get the nutrients I need, such as plenty of protein and fiber, every day.

I will say that although I like to plan meals, I don’t like to cook. I can usually eat one thing for three or four days, but I want to mix it up. I also choose which things to make ahead of time and save. (You won’t find me making tomatoes in the fridge!) But I also don’t have time in the middle of the workday to idly look in the fridge and try to make meals come together, so sometimes it’s necessary preparing small meals.

That’s why I was so excited to find our recipe for Spinach & Feta Turkey Meatballs with Herbed Quinoa. Makes four servings and keeps for four days in the refrigerator. It’s a great thing to prepare for Sunday and enjoy lunch for the next few days.

A combination of turkey meatballs and quinoa each pack 32 grams of protein. Additionally, greens and quinoa provide 6 grams of fiber. Protein is very important to me, as a regular runner and strength trainer. If you are trying to build muscle or maintain muscle mass, protein is essential. And protein and fiber help you feel full and satisfied after a meal.

To make this delicious lunch for next week, you will start by cooking quinoa. First, wash the quinoa if it hasn’t been washed before to get rid of the saponins, which are naturally occurring chemicals that taste bitter. Then you can cook the quinoa in water or broth until it is soft. To help it cool faster, I spread it out on a rimmed sheet. (If you make more quinoa than the recipe calls for, you can use up the rest and continue the next time you make this dish.)

Now, while the quinoa is cooling, you can work on the meatballs. I’m a huge turkey lover. I think it’s an easy way to add protein to a meal, whether you’re twisting it or turning it into meatballs or burgers. Here, meatballs are perfect for splitting weeknight meals.

You will mix the turkey with the thawed frozen spinach (make sure to squeeze it dry to remove any excess moisture), crumbled feta cheese and a little garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. (Notice I didn’t say breadcrumbs? That’s right; this recipe is gluten-free.) Then divide the mixture into 12 portions and roll them into balls. I like to divide the mixture into quarters and divide each quarter into thirds to get meatballs of the same size.

The meatballs are cooked in a pan on the stove, and since the pan is only coated with cooking spray, there’s no splatter to worry about. You’ll want to make sure the meatballs are nice and brown all over and that they register 165°F inside. My stove tends to get very hot, so if I find that the meat is browning too much before it’s done, I’ll lower the heat and throw the lid on the pan for a few minutes. Be careful not to overcook them, as dry turkey can dry out.

Now it’s time to finish the quinoa. Transfer it to a bowl and mix the lemon juice, olive oil, chopped parsley and mint and salt and pepper. I love the freshness that herbs add.

If you are ready to prepare the meal, you can divide the quinoa and meatballs among individual dishes and add cucumbers and cherry tomatoes to each one. Remember what I said about prepping? I like to put the meatballs and quinoa in the fridge separately, and then every day when I’m ready to eat lunch, I’ll separate them in my bowl and cut up the cucumbers and add them, together and tomatoes. It’s up to you how you want to do it.

Meatballs should be served with tzatziki, which you can make or buy. I love tzatziki, but to change it up sometimes, I also like to dress the meat with Whole Foods’ 365 Organic Avocado Greek Yogurt Dressing. I always have a bottle in the fridge, and it’s easy to pour one into my bowl. The tanginess of the dressing is perfect here.

You can reheat the meatballs before serving if you like, but I think they are too cold. So if you’re in a hurry or can’t use a microwave, you always have that option. The bowls are surprisingly filling but don’t leave you feeling like you just ate too much food. For me, they take care of my afternoon hunger pangs and give me the energy to get through the day. The next time you need a protein and fiber packed lunch idea, I hope you give this recipe a try.