I love a good formula meal, so I thought I’d create a round-up of all of my formula meal posts so you can easily find them (and use them!) to create ta on of healthy meals.
Formula meals are super easy to make and you’ll never get bored – just change up the ingredients for a completely different meal. My formula meals are full of good-for-you ingredients, too.
Today I’m sharing 13 healthy formula meal templates that you can use over and over for simple meal planning. Make sure to bookmark this post because you’ll want to come back here again and again!
Poke Bowls
Have you tried the poke bowl “trend?” I say “trend” because poke bowls have actually been around for a long time. A Poke bowl is made with diced raw fish that’s marinated and served with greens and vegetables. It’s one of the main dishes of native Hawaiian cuisine. I think they’re here to stay!
Homemade Pesto
Pesto isn’t a meal by itself, but it’s an amazing way to create flavorful sauces to spruce up a recipe. I love adding pesto to pasta and grilled cheese. Add it to chicken breast and you’ve got yourself a tasty dinner. Top some pesto on a filet of salmon for a fresh twist. Make a parsley-based pesto (also known as chimichurri) and you’ve got next-level dinner with just a few minutes of extra work.
Plant-Based Sheet Pan Meals
Sheet pan meals are one of my favorite formula meals. You can whip up one of these one-pan meals with a few minutes of work – pop it in the oven and dinner is served. (Use the homemade pesto formula above for an extra special sheet pan meal.) You can use what you’ve got on hand, or even better, use it to clean out the veggie drawer before your next shopping trip and eliminate food waste.
Chili
Chili is the ultimate formula meal. You can make all kinds of different chili following this formula and you’re pretty much guaranteed an awesome meal. You can also use this formula to make it in your crockpot!
Stuffed Squash
I love stuffed squash. You whip up a filling, use it to fill in the cavity on your favorite squash (or whatever you have on hand), and pop it in the oven. This is an amazing canvas for so much creativity! Also, there’s very little upfront work, you just have to wait for the oven or crock pot to do its magic.
Veggie Burgers
Veggie Burgers are so much fun! They’re a great way to add more veggies into a meal, plus, they are usually a family favorite, because who doesn’t love burgers? You take a burger patty, decorate it with your favorite sauces and toppings, and voila, dinner is served. A food processor makes this super easy to do. To make for a really simple weeknight meal, make a batch of these ahead of time, form them into patties and freeze them individually on a flat surface. To make dinner, simply pull out the number you need for dinner and heat them up in a skillet.
Spaghetti Squash Boats
Spaghetti squash is the perfect base for a healthy meal because it’s easy to cook, loaded with nutrients, and has a neutral flavor that can take on a variety of seasonings. It easily takes on a spaghetti-like texture (hence the name), so it’s a great low-carb pasta alternative. It acts just as well as a rice alternative or as a delicious base to any savory toppings! It’s also conveniently bowl-shaped, so you can fill it up with whatever ingredients you want without making a big mess.
Bean and Vegetable Saute
Whip up a tasty, vegetarian meal in minutes. A Bean and Vegetable Sauté is the perfect lunch or quick weeknight meal – no recipe required! Simply saute up veggies, add in drained rinsed canned beans (or cook up dried beans using the method in this formula meal post.) Add in some aromatics and seasonings and dinner is served.
No Bake Energy Balls
This is one of my go-to formula meals. No formula meal round-up post would be complete without featuring these beauties. It’s such a fun jumping-off point for a myriad of flavors and ingredients. I love to play with different flavorings and dried fruit to see what I can come up with.
Quinoa Salad
Quinoa salad is the perfect Summer dinner. It’s cool and refreshing. Plus, it’s totally customizable so you can choose the ingredients that you (or your picky toddler) like and leave out the ones they don’t. You can also make it ahead of time to allow it to chill and for the flavors to marinate.
Egg Muffins
Egg muffins are such a great meal prep item for quick grab-and-go breakfasts or even snacks. Hey, you could even have them as a breakfast for dinner kind of option. They are easy to whip up and just like all the other formula meals, you can customize them to your own tastes.
Buddha Bowls
Buddha bowls are so amazing. It’s the perfect vehicle for vegetables if you aren’t a big salad eater, you can use roasted vegetables (or even mix and match some raw and some roasted). The sky is the limit. Add in your favorite beans and whole grain and you’ve got a well-rounded meal. Not only that but there’s a fun sauce to top it all off which makes it even more fun!
Stir Fry
Stir Fry is such a great formula meal. Who needs to order take-out when you can spend just a few minutes chopping up your favorite veggies (or whatever you have on hand) and choose your favorite protein and you’re pretty much ready to eat. Add in some flavorings like soy sauce, vinegar, and top with your favorite toppings to dress up your stir fry however you’d like. This will be a formula meal that you use again and again.
With these 13 formula meal options you’re able to whip up a healthy meal with very little prep! Simply follow the formula and customize it to your tastes – or use what you’ve got on hand.
If you want more easy healthy meals and the support of others who are doing the same thing, consider my Nourish 21 Program.
Nourish 21 can help you:
- Create your own sugar strategy for use after the program so you can enjoy the foods you love in a workable way
- Choose healthy foods based on how they make you feel and not what’s on the label
- Lose weight without painful restriction and starvation
- Eat MORE food, not less (and still feel full!)
- Stop counting calories and create your meals around the “Nourish plate”
- Figure out what foods keep you full and satisfied so you’re not always craving more
