How To Turn One Chicken Recipe Into A Week’s Worth Of (Different) Lunches

Whether you’re at the office, studying or constantly on-the-go, eating lunch away from home can be rushed and unhealthy if you’re not prepared. But, packing a lunch in the morning can seem stressful when you haven’t even had your morning piccolo and you’re rushing to make the train. This is why meal prepping is so popular (for some), but often ends up in the too-hard-basket for many of us. But, what if we could give you one chicken recipe that would not only feed you for a week, but also give you something different each day? Read: it’s not five days of boiled chicken and broccoli. Get your freezer-friendly containers out, this recipe is a cinch and will make your (healthy) midday meal something to actually look forward to.

Beauticate loves this image by Lauren Becker

Chicken, it’s the LBD of your kitchen – it never goes out of style. You can add it to almost any dish and it provides protein, extra flavour and fills you without making you feel bloated. Not to mention, chicken is high in phosphorus which is an essential mineral that supports your teeth and bones, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system function. By preparing chicken breasts in one simple way, you can add them to 5 different dishes and et voilá! You have five lunches, high in protein and prepped for the week.

The Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place chicken in Dutch oven or skillet and cook until brown on both sides. 12-15 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

After making these five chicken breasts, add them to the simple recipes below. Keep Monday and Tuesday’s meals in your fridge and store the remainder of your chicken in the freezer.

Monday:

Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap

Ingredients

1 chicken breast (from above recipe)
1 medium spinach wrap
2 tbsp of caesar dressing
¼ cup of romaine lettuce
2 tbsps shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

Cut the chicken breast into small slices
Layer lettuce, sliced chicken, and sliced parmesan cheese over spinach wrap
Season wrap with salt and pepper
Keep caesar dressing on the side until prepared to eat so the lettuce doesn’t get soggy
Roll the wrap and enjoy cold

Tuesday:

Chicken Taco Bowl

Ingredients

1 chicken breast (from above recipe)
1 cup of quinoa
½ cup of cooked, drained, rinsed black beans
½ chopped tomato
¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
½ sliced red onion
½ avocado

Directions

The ratio is 1 cup of uncooked quinoa to 2 cups of liquid. Bring quinoa and liquid to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the covered pot for another 10 minutes.
Put rice in a container.
Add sliced chicken breast, shredded cheese, chopped romaine lettuce, chopped tomato, ½ avocado, ½ chopped onion layered on top of rice.
Heat ½ cup of pre-cooked and rinsed black beans (you can use same pot that was used to cook rice in).
Once the beans are heated, place them in small, separate containers.
You can combine the beans with the rice during lunch, but it’s important to keep them separate until then so that the rice doesn’t get soggy.

Wednesday:

Chicken Club Sandwich

Ingredients

1 chicken breast (from above recipe)
2 slices of preferred bread
Sliced tomato
3 strips of bacon of rindless bacon or vegan bacon (fakon)
Romain lettuce leaves
Mustard of choice

Directions

Lightly toast sandwich bread
Layer romaine lettuce leaves on top of bread
Layer one slice of tomato
Layer chicken breast
Cook 3 slices of bacon or fakon in non-stick frying pan, then layer
Keep mustard on the side until prepared to eat

Thursday:

Chicken and Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients

1 Chicken breast (from above recipe)
1 cup of quinoa
1 cup cherry tomatoes
½ red onion
1 lemon
Sprinkle of feta cheese
½ cup of olives
Dash of olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

Slice chicken breast
Quinoa (you can make 2 portions of quinoa when you prepare the taco bowl)
Cut cherry tomatoes in half
Using the other half of the red onion from the taco bowl, thinly slice red onion
Break apart feta cheese
Slice lemon in half
Combine in a container: quinoa, sliced chicken, cut cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, feta cheese and olives. Keep slice lemon on the side and add when prepared to eat.
Combine olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a small container on the side and add when prepared to eat.