How to meal prep like a pro: Teacher, 32, who prepares her food for the week for $40 reveals her top cooking tricks for winter - and the healthy recipes she swears by
- Katie Lolas, 32, is known for her incredible weekly meal prepping
- The organised teacher shares snaps of her prepped food on her Instagram page
- She has shared her top meals for the winter months and her budget tricks
- She shared her recipes for red Thai curry and a hearty minestrone
As the temperature plummets across Australia, many turn to quick and easy food options instead of cooking up fresh produce from the supermarket.
So, to inspire Australians to pick up their game and keep their health in check this winter, Sydney teacher Katie Lolas, 32, has been sharing her favourite meal prepping tips for the cooler months.
Dubbed the 'meal prepping queen', Ms Lolas has amassed a following of more than 150,000 on Instagram thanks to her handy budget and cooking tricks and now runs a blog to keep fans updated with her favourite seasonal recipes.
To inspire Australians to pick up their game and keep their health in check this winter, Sydney teacher Katie Lolas (pictured), 32, has been sharing her favourite meal prepping tips for the cooler months
Dubbed the 'meal prepping queen', Ms Lolas has amassed a following of more than 150,000 on Instagram thanks to her handy budget and cooking tricks (pictured is Vanilla and cinnamon overnight oats and Moroccan chicken served with baked potato wedges and a side of salad)
Just like the other seasons, Ms Lolas recommends stocking up the pantry with staples and homebrand products to prepare for any meal prepping sessions.
'I purchase the majority of my staples like brown rice, quinoa, black beans and chickpeas from Aldi or opt for a Homebrand Woolies or Coles version,' she said.
'The quality, taste and nutritional value is always on par with the more expensive brands, so why not grab the less expensive option? Keeping your pantry stocked at all times is great too because you can create quick and easy meals using ingredients that you already have.'
Ms Lolas says things like hummus, casseroles and soups are easy to make out of long-life ingredients - and it also saves you a lot of money.
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The recipe for Katie Lolas' minestrone can be found here
It's equally as important to choose recipes that can be frozen or that will make enough food for the entire week and to make healthy snacks to save money
Ms Lolas also recommends planning meal prepping around sales and promotions found in supermarket catalogues before your weekly shop and picking recipes with fruits and vegetables that are in season as it's cheaper.
'Vegetables that are in season include Asian greens like boy choy and Chinese broccoli, eggplant, kale, leeks, mushrooms and potatoes,' Ms Lolas said.
'Seasonal fruit includes grapes, apples, plums, avocados, pears, oranges, guava. These are plentiful and available at most local groceries for a competitive price.'
It's equally as important to choose recipes that can be frozen or that will make enough food for the entire week and to make healthy snacks to save money.
Ms Lolas also recommends planning meal prepping around sales and promotions found in supermarket catalogues before your weekly shop and picking recipes with fruits and vegetables that are in season as it's cheaper
For dinners, she either cooks them on the night or uses a meal service like HelloFresh (pictured)
'We don't realise just how much money we're spending on snacks because it might seem like a small amount at the time,' she said.
'Instead of turning to ready-made and possibly unhealthy expensive options, prep your snacks such as hard-boiled eggs, carrots and hummus, trail mix, or even popcorn to keep your spending habits at bay.'
Speaking to FEMAIL previously, Ms Lolas said she also designs meals that can be warmed up in the microwave for convenience.
'It's important to watch portion sizes to avoid a winter waistline. I try to reduce comfort eating by asking myself whether I'm actually hungry or just bored and or cold,' she said.
How to meal prep Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup
Ready in: 45 minutes
Serves: 4 - 5
Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
250g lean chicken breast, cut into small chunks
2 garlic cloves, crushed (or 2 tbsp garlic infused olive oil)
1 red capsicum, diced
3 tbsp red curry paste
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
100g snow peas
Bean sprouts to garnish (optional)
100g mushrooms of choice sliced
6 cups reduced salt chicken broth
1 x 400ml can light coconut milk
200g rice noodles
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp rice malt syrup
3 shallot spears, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
Method
Step 1. Heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the pot and cook until golden.
Step 2. Add garlic, capsicum and tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 3. Stir in red curry paste and ginger until fragrant.
Step 4. Stir in mushrooms, snow peas, chicken broth and coconut milk, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced, about 10 minutes.
Step 5. Stir in rice noodles, fish sauce and rice malt syrup until noodles are tender, roughly 5 minutes.
Step 6. Remove from heat; stir in shallots, coriander, basil and lime juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Step 7. Garnish with bean sprouts and extra coriander (optional) and you're done!
The meal prepping shop usually costs her $25-$40, including meat, vegetables and fruit and it covers breakfasts, lunches and all snacks
Some of Ms Lolas' favourite winter meals and snacks include chunky vegetable sauce and linguine, red Thai curry noodle soup, minestrone soup, banana bread cookies, apples, hummus and carrot sticks, chicken cashew stirfry and chocolate protein brownies.
To prepare, she spends a few hours every Sunday cooking and makes sure to follow a simple formula when filling her meal prep containers: 50 per cent colourful vegetables, 25 per cent lean protein and 25 per cent Low GI Carbohydrate.
The meal prepping shop usually costs her $25-$40, including meat, vegetables and fruit and it covers breakfasts, lunches and all snacks.
For dinners, she either cooks them on the night or uses a meal service like HelloFresh.
The recipe for Ms Lolas' low carb taco salad can be found here
Ms Lolas originally turned to meal prepping as a way to help manage her nutrition and digestive health and ever since, she has been sharing snaps of her colourful creations.
'I cook up my weekly batch of fresh food on a Sunday morning, to ensure I have everything ready for work on Monday,' Ms Lolas said.
'It takes between 1.5 to two hours depending on what I make. I always have my groceries ready though, so I can start cooking on Sunday morning.
'I prepare five breakfasts and between four and five lunches each week. To change things up, I usually have morning tea at work on Friday and I grab something different from the shops for lunch.
Ms Lolas uses good quality meal prep containers like Sistema and Meal Prep Australia and for breakfast food she uses mason jars from Kmart or the Reject Shop
'I still like to make healthy choices even on my days off prepping. Sometimes I'll have brown rice sushi for lunch or a brown bread egg and salad sandwich. It really just depends on what I feel like on that particular day.'
Ms Lolas uses good quality meal prep containers like Sistema and Meal Prep Australia and for breakfast food she uses mason jars from Kmart or the Reject Shop.
She is also launching her own brand of meal prepping containers soon called Meal Prep MVP.
'It makes me feel organised and ready to succeed, which is most certainly a positive,' she said
By prepping breakfasts, lunches and snacks, Ms Lolas is spending a third of the money she would have spent if she was buying them each day and she has been able to manage various health issues.
'It has helped me manage my IBS, which has made a world of difference in my life. My stomach cramps and bloating have markedly improved because I'm eating homemade food that is high in fibre and nutrition,' she said.
'I decided it was time to stop stressing about what to eat and wasting time each day looking for something and just have everything organised and ready.
'It makes me feel organised and ready to succeed, which is most certainly a positive.'
How to meal prep Low GI Super Fudgy Chocolate Protein Brownies
Ready in: 30 minutes
Serves: 9 pieces
Ingredients
400g sweet potatoes (roughly two medium sized)
2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I use Tropeaka)
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup chopped cashews (or nuts of choice)
1/4 cup dark chocolate baking chips (optional)
3 tbsp cacao powder
1/4 cup coconut flour (or flour of choice)
2 tbsp rice malt syrup
1 tsp coconut oil
Method
Step 1. Preheat oven to 180°. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes and boil for 15 mins or until soft before draining and rinsing with cool water
Step 2. In a blender add the flour, protein powder, egg, rice malt syrup, baking powder, coconut oil and chopped nuts and give it a quick blitz
Step 3. Add the sweet potato (it doesn't need to be completely cold, just not super hot) to the blender for 30 seconds or until mixed
Step 4. Grease a baking tray or line with baking paper and pour the mixture onto it
Step 5. Bake for 30 mins then allow to cool completely before removing from the baking tray and slicing into 9 pieces
- Post | Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
- Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
- Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
- Katie Scarlett Lolas (@lady.lolas) ¿ Instagram photos and videos
- Post | Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
- Post | Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
- Blog | Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
- Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
- Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
- Post | Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
- Post | Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
- Post | Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
- Meal Prep MVP (@mealprepmvp) • Instagram photos and videos
- Post | Katie Lolas Sydney | Lady Lolas
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