Hey eat goooders (I kind of like this, Jenn, can we start calling your subscribers eat goooders?) This is Jenn’s husband Brian 👋 clocking in for a takeover of this week’s edition of The Round Up! I’m excited to share some of my meal prep tips (because I’m also a meal prepper), plus five Jenn-tested and husband-approved recipes.
I’m sure a newsletter from me is coming a little out of left field (Jenn gave me one baseball analogy for the entire newsletter, so I hope I hit a homeru— I mean I hope you enjoyed it). You may be surprised to hear that I even know how to operate our stove, given what Jenn does for a living. When people first hear that I am married to her, their reaction is usually something like “you’re so lucky,” or “wow, you must never have to cook anything.” On that first one—it’s 100% true I’m very lucky to be married to her. But the second one, that I “never have to cook anything”, isn’t always the case.
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While it often does work out that I’m able to eat whatever delicious creation Jenn has cooked up to share with you all (have you tried the French Onion Meatball Skillet? or my favorite Jalapeno Cheddar Breakfast Biscuits?? I mean, come on 🤤), sometimes, I end up meal prepping for myself because believe it or not, I love the routine too!
I also have nutrition goals that have evolved over time and recently I’ve been trying to increase my protein intake significantly (yes, me and everyone else on the internet… I’m a big fan of Jenn’s high-protein meal plans too). I’ve gotten into weight training this year and aim for 1-1.5g protein per pound of body weight, so In order to hit those goals, I have to be intentional with my meals to pack in as much protein as possible.
And I have to give a shoutout to Stealth Health Life—his approach (along with Jenn’s, obviously) was what got me excited about meal prepping for myself again. With some help from your usual guide, we got my recipes typed up and refined to be just as easy to follow and tasty as the typical eat goood recipes. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Brian’s perfect meal prep
When I plan a meal prep, I focus on maximizing three things: protein, volume, and most importantly, flavor. These variables can be hard to balance and it is more of an art than a science. But if you ask me, the five recipes I share below have all three in perfect harmony!
Protein: Everyone is talking about protein right now and I don’t blame them. Protein is awesome and essential for building muscle! To reach my protein goals, I’ve added blended cottage cheese to sauces, used bone broth instead of water when I make rice, and switched to higher protein pastas. I also love on-the-go protein sources like these packets. When I can’t get enough protein through my meals, I supplement with high-quality protein bars and powders, but I try to get protein through whole foods as much as possible.
Volume: I’ve always had a big appetite and I used to think that eating healthy meant that I had to just eat smaller portions. Ultimately that approach would always leave me unsatisfied, hungry, and unable to stick to whatever plan I designed. Tweaking some ingredients to make my meals high-volume has been absolutely game-changing, like using my beloved cottage cheese or low-sugar versions of my favorite condiments and sauces, and adding spaghetti squash to noodles or cauliflower rice to jasmine rice. Because of volume-adding hacks like these I get to eat more of the foods I want while feeling full and satisfied.
Flavor: This used to be the most challenging part of the equation for me. When I would try to eat well, the food always tasted healthy (in a bad way) because I hadn’t nailed down the flavors. Ultimately, I’d waste my bland meal preps and buy expensive takeout that didn’t align with my goals. I ended that cycle when I stopped making poorly seasoned meat with a vegetable that didn’t keep well in the fridge (no wonder I didn’t want to eat those meal preps!). Instead, I tried to think of meals I already would have wanted to eat and figured out how to add protein and volume. With this approach, I’m not sacrificing anything to eat well.
Let’s get into the recipes!
The Round Up: Brian’s Favorite Meal Preps
High-Protein Buffalo Mac and Cheese — We’re starting strong with a favorite and recipe Jenn and I thought up together. For all my buffalo chicken heads out there, this is for you. Pure indulgence, in a macro-friendly way. This one comes in at 48g protein. It’s creamy, cheesy, and just a bit spicy. For some extra volume and fiber, we hid a few veggies in the sauce.
One-Pot Spiced Chicken Sausage and Rice — If you’ve followed Jenn for more than a week, you’ve probably seen that she loves a one-pot meal, so this one checks that box. I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s Sweet Italian Chicken Sausages—unbelievable macros and taste—so I used those and bone broth to get this spicy, tomatoey, and hearty meal up to a phenomenal 53g protein. And I’m happy to report, it tastes fantastic.
High-Protein Spicy Beef Mac and Cheese — Jenn tried to limit me to one mac & cheese recipe, but I couldn’t resist including this one. What is she going to do, anyway? Sue me? (I’m a lawyer, so that’s why this is funny..) This one is just as cheesy as the buffalo mac, but turns up the heat even more. It’s also meatier, has more veggies to add volume, and is going to have you thinking about lunch before you’re done with breakfast. Did I mention it has 50g protein?
Sweet Pineapple Glazed Chicken Bowls — I’m done being quiet about this: sweet glazed chicken can be made in a macro-friendly way! And this one has 45g protein per serving. I chose pineapple as the fruit to add to the glaze, but I think this would be great with orange or mango too. I also used bone broth rice here and added some cauliflower rice to it to make the portion even bigger. This one is sweet and sour and savory and overall, delicious.
Beef Egg Roll in a Bowl Skillet with Bone Broth Rice — I basically stole this one from Jenn but adapted it to make it my own by switching beef pork. I used 90/10 ground beef here, and it still has 33g protein! If you wanted to use a leaner cut, you could to increase the protein even more. I also used bone broth (of course) in the rice to add more. I got this idea directly from Jenn, so I don’t have to tell you it’s good, but I will anyway: this one is a must try.
Brian’s Meal Prep Faves
Bamboo meal prep containers — for that takeout feel
Headphones — for tuning out and locking in during prep
Food scale — everyone needs an electronic kitchen scale
Macro Factor app — for tracking that protein!
Poppi sodas (Root Beer, always) — for morale boost during prep
Nutribullet Blender — easy for sauces or dressings
Mini spatulas — gotta make sure we get all the sauce out
Saucepan — all that bone broth rice…
Stainless steel saute pan — for one-pot meals and easy sautéing
Half sheet pans — best size for roasting full meal preps or doing batch preps
Chef’s knife — of course
Cutting board — Jenn’s go to, you know this one
recently on the eat goood newsletter 👇
🚨Reminder: If you made any of this month’s recipes, leave a rating and review on the site & you’ll be entered to get a free month of the paid newsletter! All you have to do is leave your rating & review, then comment on this post letting me know you reviewed—it can be any recipe on the site! Every month we choose 3 winners!
Way to go, Brian! You knocked out of the park!!! ⚾️ Can’t wait to try them all and I agree, Eat Goooders should be a thing!
This was SO fun to read!!! You’ve got a great writing voice. I’ve been craving Mac and cheese, and this buffalo rendition is going to hit the spot, I can already tell.