this week's healthy food prep: 9/7

so what if i ate this entire strawberry smashed cucumber salad in 5 minutes?

i can’t lie. i’m a creature of habit. a repeat eater.

that’s why i love these preps so much. they challenge me to find new ways to make my classic go-to recipes fun and exciting each week. whether that’s new ingredients, new pairings, new flavor profiles… you get the idea.

this week, we’re still leaning heavily into texture. lots of crispy veggies, cruchy mix-ins, and bold flavors. the star of the show, in my humble opinion, is easily the strawberry pecan smashed cucumber salad. i hit the strawberry jackpot at the grocery store this week and mine were juicy and so red :’) a dream. not usually a fruit in salad girl but the smashed cucumbers in this one make an unreal duo. a must try.

i always get asked where i find inspiration for my recipes. my answer is usually my dad, since he’s an incredible cook and always inspiring me with new dishes. when it’s not him, then it’s my camera roll that’s doing the inspiring.

for anyone new here, i’ve been cooking/baking/posting healthy recipes for about 10 years now 🤯 which means my camera roll is stuffed to the brim with old recipes. using them as inspiration helps me justify the insane amount of money i spend on icloud storage hahahaha

the honey almond rainbow crunch salad i made in this prep was inspired by one that popped up in my photo memories from last year. at the time, i was going through an almond butter obsession, and was making the most incredible honey almond butter dressing on repeat. i decided to pick up a jar of almond butter at the store this week and put it to good use, both in this salad and in the banana bread breakfast brownies i made as well.

i used so many intentional ingredients in that recipe (ground flaxseed for fiber, cacao powder for magnesium, almond butter for healthy fats, etc) so not only are they delicious, but they’re functional too 😏

for a little something sweet, i turned my classic chickpea cookie dough recipe into bites, and for something savory, i opted for a garlic & herb turkey burger. i could talk about my love for both for hours, but this intro is getting a little long and i’m getting a little hungry.

let’s get into it.

the menu:

• banana bread breakfast brownies

• honey almond rainbow crunch salad

• garlic & herb turkey burgers

• strawberry pecan smashed cucumber salad

• chickpea cookie dough bites

the grocery list:

note that a handful of these items are pantry staples, so you may already have them on hand and won’t need to purchase :) or if you do need to buy them, i have plenty of other recipes that call for these ingredients, so you’ll have plenty of use for your purchase!

produce:

• 2 bananas

• 2 large red bell peppers

• 1 bag of sugar snap peas

• 1 bag or one small head of red cabbage

• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro

• 1 bag of asian slaw (i purchased a bag of shredded green cabbage and carrots, if making yourself just roughly chop both of these)

• 4-6 small cucumbers

• 1 small container of fresh strawberries

• 1 small handful of fresh mint leaves

• 1 handful of fresh dill

• 1 handful of curly parsley

meat/tofu:

• 1 block super or extra firm tofu

• 1 pound of ground turkey

eggs/dairy:

• 1/2 dozen eggs

• 1 container of feta (i prefer a block packed in brine, but can use crumbled)

• 1 container of shaved parm (can use a block of parm and shave yourself too)

misc:

• maple syrup

• creamy salted almond butter

• vanilla extract

• ground flaxseed

• cacao powder

• sea salt

• baking powder

• chocolate chips/chunks/bar of choice

• small container of honey roasted almonds (can sub in raw unsalted almonds here too)

• 1 microwavable quinoa packet

• honey

• coconut aminos (can use soy sauce)

• rice vinegar

• minced garlic

• ground ginger

• olive oil

• 1 small container of raw pecans

• lime juice

• gluten-free breadcrumb

• 1 15oz can cooked chickpeas

• creamy salted peanut butter

• oat flour

and now for the fun part— recipes below :)