Easy (and Waste-Free) Weekday Meal Hacks
When daily meal planning gets overwhelming, we often resort to takeout or prepared meals that are pricey and come with excess plastic packaging. Let us help you take the stress (and plastic waste) out of daily meal planning with these weekday meal hacks — quick and easy meals for dinner, lunch, or breakfast that you can easily prepare, transport, and serve in a Stasher Bowl.
One-Bowl Wonder Breakfasts
Overnight Oats
Add overnight oats to your weekday meal rotation for an easy, nutritious breakfast. Start with a 1:1 ratio of two ingredients — old-fashioned rolled oats (regular or gluten free) + liquid. Dairy or non-dairy milk is the most commonly used liquid, but juice or water also work. Build from there by adding yogurt, chia seeds, fruit, sweetener, etc. Simply combine everything in one Stasher bowl, then mix and place in the fridge overnight (or a minimum of 2 hours). In the morning, simply grab a bowl and dig in, or pack it to go.
Chia Pudding
Similar to overnight oats, chia pudding is easy to prepare ahead of time for a quick breakfast that’s high in fiber, protein, calcium, antioxidants, and omega-3s. Start with the simple ratio of ¼ cup chia seeds to 1 cup of milk (dairy or non-dairy), adjusting as needed for your preferred consistency. Customize the recipe by adding sweetener to taste, fruit (fresh or preserved), spices, nut butter, yogurt, etc.
One-Bowl Wonder Lunch or Dinner
Buddha Bowl
Buddha bowls are a plant-based delight made with small portions of whole grains (brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, etc.), plant proteins (chickpeas, edamame, tofu, tempeh, nuts, etc.) and vegetables (raw or cooked). The ingredients are typically layered or artfully arranged in a bowl, drizzled with dressing, and served cold.
Buddha bowls are a great way to use ingredients in your pantry and freezer along with any vegetables you have on hand. Use the 6-Cup or 8-Cup bowl to assemble a family-size portion, or divide ingredients into several bowls for a to-go meal that’s perfect for lunch at school or in the office.
One-Bowl Ramen
Possibilities for enhancing the simplicity of ramen noodles and flavorful broth are as endless as the uses for your Stasher reusables. Plus, it’s easy to prepare ramen in the microwave with just one Stasher bowl. Simply fill the bowl with tap water, referring to the instructions on your noodle package for the amount of water to use, then bring it to a boil in the microwave. Carefully remove the boiling water from the microwave, add noodles, then seal the bowl and let it sit until the noodles break apart and are flexible — typically 3-5 minutes.
Customize your ramen bowl with protein and veggies. For adding flavor to broth, try miso, chili oil, soy sauce / tamari, sesame oil, etc.