Name: High-Protein Meal Prep Bowls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 160 g quinoa; 320 ml water; 1 tbsp olive oil; 600 g turkey mince; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 240 g tinned black beans, drained and rinsed; 160 g tinned sweetcorn, drained; 2 red peppers, diced; 60 g mature cheddar, grated; 1 lime, juiced; ½ tsp salt

High-Protein Meal Prep Bowls

Lean turkey mince seasoned with taco spices, served on quinoa with black beans, sweetcorn and peppers, for four lunches.

45 min total Serves 4 servings Easy

The Case for High-Protein Meal Prep Bowls

The first thing to get right is the quinoa, because everything else sits on it. Rinse it well, cook it with a little less water than the packet suggests, and fluff it with a fork: it should be separate and just chewy, not wet.

The turkey is cooked in a hot pan with taco spices and a spoonful of tomato purée, which gives a savoury, slightly sticky coating. Lean turkey mince dries out if it is left, so stir it often and take it off the heat as soon as no pink remains. Season the beans and corn lightly instead of leaving them plain; unseasoned beans taste flat in a cold lunch.

Pack the parts side by side in four boxes rather than mixed together, so the quinoa does not soak up everything. Add fresh toppings such as lime and coriander only when you eat. The bowls are also good warmed through, with the cheese melted on top.

Build the Meal Around High-Protein Meal Prep Bowls

Salsa
Sliced avocado
Soured cream
Fresh coriander

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Buttermilk Biscuits, New York Bagels, Creamy Coleslaw.

How to Cook High-Protein Meal Prep Bowls

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Rinse the quinoa, put it in a pan with the water and salt, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.
Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the turkey for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains.
Stir in the cumin, paprika, garlic powder and tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the peppers, beans and sweetcorn and cook for 3 minutes until just softened.
Divide the quinoa between 4 boxes, spoon over the turkey mix and top with the cheddar. Squeeze over the lime juice.

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Notes From the Method

Rinse the quinoa before cooking.

Season the beans and corn.

Add fresh toppings only when serving.

Swaps and Variations

Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

Storing and Reheating

Keeps for 4 days in the fridge in sealed boxes.