Healthy baked falafel-spiced turkey meatballs
And tips to make meal prepping suck less
Look, I understand. Meal prepping seems like a lot. It takes planning, time, energy, and by the time you’re done, the last thing you want to do is eat what you prepped or cook something different for dinner. But I swear, when you can start a busy new week knowing you have at least something prepped and ready to go, you will be so happy.
Do this for your future self. Humor me.
And allow me to offer you 3 tips to make prepping suck less and dare I say it enjoyable. (Alright, relax Em).
Tip # 1: Meal prepping does not need to be full meals. Prep what you know takes more time that you can build a meal around.
I’m a component prepper. I like to make sure I have a protein ready to go — this week are these turkey meatballs — and possibly a carb. This typically means a couple sweet potatoes cut into chunks and roasted or a small batch of rice or quinoa. Left over sweet potatoes are my favorite. And did you know they’re better for you? It turns to what’s called a resistance starch, meaning it doesn’t spike glucose. Fun, I know. Oh and I typically also make at least a small batch of hard boiled eggs.
Tip #2: Think 2 days out. No need to feel pressure to prep for an entire 5 day workweek.
This builds on the first tip. I like to know I have the bigger components I need - this means protein and a healthy carb for me - that I can throw onto greens or have on its own in a pinch. Cooking for the near future also helps you actually use up what you have, especially if you’re feeding a family. And know that by Wednesday it’s time to cook up some other stuff again or switch up the dinner plans. Allows for controlled flexibility if you will.
Tip # 3: Treat yourself after. If you’re prepping on a Sunday there’s a good chance you won’t want to cook a whole other dinner after. Let Sunday be the day you order in from you favorite place. Take the pressure off somehow and focus on the fact that your future self will thank you.
Now back to these meatballs. I love falafel spices. Cumin and cinnamon and in this case, lots of coriander are honestly my favorite combination. I have these on top of greens with lots of fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, feta or goat cheese, and a good tahini dressing or hummus and serve with roasted potatoes. Or pack them into a pita and devour. I made about 16 1.5 inch meatballs from this recipe (was aiming for 4 meatballs per serving).
Ingredients
1 lb organic ground turkey
1/2 yellow onion, minced or grated on a box grater
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp ground cumin (it’s a lot I love it. If that seems like a lot of cumin, cut to 1 tbsp + 1 tsp)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (trust me)
1 tsp kosher salt
Lots of turns of fresh black pepper
Bunch of fresh chopped parsley and cilantro
Olive oil for the baking sheet & your hands
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease with olive oil or avocado oil spray.
Add ground turkey to a large mixing bowl.
Mince or grate your onion and add onion, garlic, spices, salt and pepper to a bowl.
I like to put a little olive oil on my hands before I roll these out. Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, scoop healthy scoops and roll into balls
Arrange on the baking tray - about 16 larger ones or 18-20 small
Bake for about 15 mins or until internal temperature is 165.
Serve these with all your mediterranean favorites. I prefer a big bed of romaine lettuce, pickled onions, goat cheese, hummus, cucumbers, a tahini drizzle, and roasted potatoes on the side.
Enjoy!
PS If you like this recipe and need help figuring out how to make a healthy lifestyle work for you, consider shooting me an email! I currently have 2 more spots open for one on one coaching and am here to help you overcome behaviors that aren’t serving you anymore and create the plan that is tailored to you! emily.lasko219@gmail.com