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Easy 5-Ingredient Chicken Meal Prep Bowls for Weight Loss

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A simple, healthy meal prep recipe featuring roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, and broccoli over quinoa with a bright lemon-thyme vinaigrette. Perfect for busy weeknights and weight loss goals.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 lbs (680g) skinless, boneless chicken breast
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 large sweet potato (about 1 lb/450g), peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Rinse quinoa under cold water and pat chicken dry.
  2. Dice sweet potatoes and cut broccoli into florets. Keep pieces uniform for even cooking.
  3. In a large bowl, toss chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, half the garlic powder, half the thyme, salt, and pepper.
  4. In another bowl, toss broccoli and sweet potatoes with remaining olive oil, remaining garlic powder, remaining thyme, salt, and pepper.
  5. Spread chicken and vegetables onto two large rimmed baking sheets. Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping chicken and stirring veggies halfway through, until chicken reaches 165°F.
  6. While veggies roast, combine quinoa with 2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff.
  7. Whisk together remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
  8. Divide quinoa among containers. Top with roasted chicken and vegetables. Drizzle with dressing before eating.

Notes

Do not overcrowd the baking sheets to ensure vegetables roast rather than steam. Rinse quinoa thoroughly to remove bitter saponin. For best texture, store dressing separately if eating over multiple days, though tossing it all together works well for flavor melding. Chicken can be pulled at 160°F as it will carry over to 165°F while resting.

Nutrition

Keywords: meal prep, chicken bowl, weight loss, healthy lunch, quinoa recipe, sweet potato, broccoli, gluten-free, dairy-free

Find it online: https://evabakery.com/easy-5-ingredient-chicken-meal-prep-bowls-for-weight-loss/