Getting Summer Ready

I can’t believe Memorial Day weekend is here and Summer is around the corner. My mind says cup cakes and donuts but my bikini says salad and green juice. Against my better judgment I always opt for the latter and then I feel terrible after I eat it. It’s hard to find healthy options especially at work. Every time I walk into the staff lounge there are always pastries on the table. I cannot resist because something sweet goes so well with my coffee.

So, to make healthier eating choices I have committed myself to breakfast and lunch meal prep this year and it makes an absolute world of difference. Since I’ve started prepping my meals, eating a healthy snack or lunch at work each day has never been easier.

I don’t even consider buying lunch,  I just reach into the fridge and pull out my pre-made lunch and I am good to go!

I thought I’d share my top 3 meal prep tips with you which has made the process so much easier for me.

  1. Start small.  You don’t have to prep the entire week all at once. Start with one meal first. Snacks like veggies and hummus are a great place to start.

2. Schedule it. Block off an hour or two during the weekend to prep your meals. I knock out all my meals on Sunday afternoons making the other 6 days less stressful. Once you get going you will be amazed at the benefits and how much time it saves.

3. Find recipes you can depend on.  Use recipes that you have tried and love. You can add as you go along. I have a few great recipes that my mom shared with me. Also, blogger babe SimplyFae has  20 snacks that are Bikini Body Safe + Recipes as well as Summer Salads + Recipes. Please check it out.

This is my mom’s egg muffin cup recipe:

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms measured before chopping
  • 1/2 cup red pepper measured after chopping
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion measured after chopping
  • 1 cup baby spinach / broccoli (or any veggies you love) – roughly chopped measured before chopping  
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Cheese (optional)
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • 6 whole eggs or you can use just egg whites too

Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease a standard non stick 12-slot muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  3. Heat a large non stick skillet over medium heat.
  4. Once hot, add in oil, red pepper  and onion.
  5. Saute 5-7 minutes, or until peppers are tender.
  6. Add in spinach and mushrooms and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  7. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
  8. Crack eggs or if you prefer egg whites into a large bowl and whisk together.
  9. Stir in cooked veggies.
  10. Pour the egg/veggie mixture evenly into the prepared muffin pan.
  11. Sprinkle with cheese and cherry tomatoes. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are firm to the touch and eggs are cooked.
  12. Cool slightly and serve immediately!
  13. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days.
  14. These may also be frozen.
  15. To reheat, pop them in the microwave until warm.

If you have any great tips on meal prep or awesome recipes, please do share. I would love to hear from you. Thank you to all Veterans and active service members for all you do.  Happy MDW beauties.

Photo Credit: Andrew Swaine

32 thoughts on “Getting Summer Ready

    • Nikki says:

      I try Kathrine because a healthy outside always starts from the inside. Yes, please do and let me know if you liked the egg muffin recipe 🙂

  1. Ankita Bardhan says:

    I have been thinking back and forth starting with my meal preps on weekends, it surely does save a lot of time, it’s just I get super lazy on weekends and the idea of prepping my meals go in the dump. Your mum’s egg muffin cup recipe seems so healthy and YUM! I definitely will give it a try 🙂
    xx
    https://simpliannie.wordpress.com/

    • Nikki says:

      I was the exact same way at the beginning Ankita. But once I got going it got easier. Start small. Even if you do one meal prep. It’s a good start. Wishing you much health ?

  2. Jalisa says:

    You know, I’ve never meal prepped before. I tend to make my breakfast and dinners (which are also left overs for lunch the following day) the same day and I must say, it’s often stressful, especially now that I’m in my last few weeks of pregnancy. Sometimes, I just don’t have the energy to cook and I have to push through because we need to eat, lol. I think I’ll have to start doing this, it’ll make for a much smoother week for sure. I’ve bookmarked this page because I want to try those egg muffins, they look so good, thanks for sharing the recipe with us! I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, beauty!

    XO,

    Jalisa
    http://www.thestylecontour.com

    • Nikki says:

      You are so welcome Jalisa. Meal prepping is such a time saver and will get easier if you give it a chance. Wishing you the very best as you near your final stretch in your pregnancy. Enjoy your MDW as well beauty. ?

  3. mapolo.style says:

    I have never meal prepped before, it can sure save me a lot of time, I’m such a lazy and I don’t enjoy cooking at all. Thanks for sharing.

    • Nikki says:

      You don’t need any healthy eating tips from me Mapolo. You look amazing and your body is ridiculously in shape. I should be getting health tips from you 🙂 Cheers beautiful ?

  4. Marieta (ootd_in_style) says:

    Hi Nikki,

    I am just like you and love something sweet with my coffee–hehe–so goooodddddd!!

    Totally agree – making healthy choices is so easy when you have the right ingredients or even better a prepared meal in the fridge at work. I tend to bring a bag of spinach, carrots, hummus and whole wheat bread just so I have something for the days I did not prepare lunch for. Having a bun of fruit to snack on is also great. I like and will try your mom’s egg muffins – those look and sound delish.

    Thank you for sharing!

    Xoxo,
    Marieta

    • Nikki says:

      Lol. I am glad the post resonated with your Marieta. I agree, carrots and hummus is the perfect little snack and so quick to make. You will love the egg muffins. Enjoy the rest of your evening babe. ?

  5. Vyom says:

    Whoaaaaa!!!! I am so amazed with this brilliant idea of yours Nikki. This is so amazing and leaves you without any stress during the weekdays especially because I feel when you have your food available and ready to eat, you tend to gravitate less towards junk food!!! Will definitely follow this. Thanks so much for sharing.

    • Nikki says:

      You are very welcome beautiful lady. So glad you’re joining me on this journey to eating healthy. Here’s to healthy bodies, healthy minds and happy lives ?

  6. Ting says:

    Those egg muffins look scrumptious! I definitely going to try it tomorrow. Thanks for sharing Nikki! You make preparing meals more enjoyable with your beautiful pictures!

    • Nikki says:

      You are very welcome beautiful lady. Thank you so for stopping by. Enjoy those egg muffins 🙂 ?

    • Nikki says:

      Yayyyy. I am so glad Dominique. Here’s to healthier eating habits for the two of us ?

    • Nikki says:

      Thank you Camila. I really appreciate your comment. So far so good. I am really enjoying this healthy lifestyle. ?

  7. Andreea Birsan says:

    Oh girl, it’s so hard eating healthy these days. I adore ice cream and it’s super hard to stay away from it :(. But yeah, your plan sounds like a great one and it should definitely work with the meal prep plan. You cooked some delicious stuff in there and those egg muffins are totally worth trying :). Wishing you a lovely day! xx

    Andreea,
    http://couturezilla.com/

    • Nikki says:

      Lol. I hear you Andreea, the struggle is real !!! Ice-cream is my weakness too 🙂 Everything in moderation though so a little ice-cream every now and then is ok 🙂 Meal prep is definitely a great start to making better food choices. Thank you so much for stopping by. Have an awesome day as well ?

  8. Tales of Two says:

    You look so cute with your hair up! But cakes and pastries at work are the bane of my healthy existence! I always take my own food but so hard to resist them ! One key thing that works though is to take multiple small meals like you have shown! Great to resist snacking as you can just go for your yogurt or nuts.

    http://www.talesoftwoblog.blogspot.com

    • Nikki says:

      Totally agree with the multiple small meals. Definitely the way to go. Thank you for sharing that great tip 🙂 ? Enjoy the rest of your evening beautiful lady.

  9. Pentene says:

    Such a great idea! My sister in law does this every Sunday and I still haven’t caught on to it, but breaking it down the way you did makes a lot of sense and I am convinced. Saves money and is healthier. Thanks for sharing beautiful.

    Xoxo
    http://www.stylemefancy.com

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