The Story Behind My Lovable Lunch Box Creations
My Recipe Philosophy
My recipes aren’t like other recipes. Yes, they are delicious. Yes, they break down all the tricky parts of cooking into bite-sized pieces. But they offer much more than that.
#1: My recipes are balanced and portion-controlled:
The main meals contain between 300-550 kcal. Approximately, 45% of those Calories come from carbohydrate, 30% from fat, and 25% from protein, so each meal contains a bit of everything.
Carbohydrate fuels the brain, and working muscles, and often provides fiber.
Healthy fats promote fullness, protect the brain, and help keep inflammation and cholesterol down.
Protein helps build new tissue (like muscle), boosts metabolism, and increases satiety. Protein-rich food also often provide important nutrients like calcium, iron, and zinc.
Some recipes fall slightly above or below this 45/30/25 macronutrient split because nutrition is not a perfect science and it’s not always practical to stay exactly within these guidelines (no obscure ingredient measurements here)! However, you will always get a balance of carbohydrate, fat and protein in every main meal.
Snacks contain 100-300 kcal, mostly derived from whole foods. Every now and then you’ll notice treats like dark chocolate pop up in the app because healthy eating is all about moderation, not deprivation.
#2: My recipes are packed with nutrient-dense whole foods:
Now that you know how much energy my recipes provide, the next topic to address is where those calories come from. Put simply, the vast majority of calories come from health-promoting wholefoods!
Carbohydrates are derived mostly from minimally processed-whole grains, and fruit. This means that my recipes are packed with fiber, keep you fuller for longer, and contain a wide range of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.
Fat largely come from plant-based sources such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and/or seafood. Plant-based fats and seafood options like salmon are rich in mono- and polyunsaturated fats which promote heart health, protect the brain and in some cases, reduce inflammation.
Protein generally comes from the leanest animal sources or are plant-based. You will find a few recipes with lean red meat, but other than that protein is mostly derived from skinless poultry, seafood, reduced-fat dairy, legumes, and nuts. Why? These sources of protein provide all the tissue-building, satiety-promoting benefits without the saturated fat. Saturated fat derived from animal sources has been linked with elevated inflammation and risk factors for disease.
Veggies: Every main meal contains at least ¾ cup of veggies (or fruit, where applicable), if more! We have gone to great lengths to ensure that each recipe is jam-packed with plants without compromising on flavor. Veggies are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting phytonutrients to help keep your insides squeaky-clean.
Flavorings and ‘fun’ foods: My recipes lean on herbs, and spices for flavoring. You will find more indulgent ingredients such as salt, cheese, honey and dark chocolate in my recipes, but these ingredients are used sparingly.
#3: My recipes work with staples:
Occasionally you will find an unusual ingredient in a recipe, but the vast majority of ingredients are household staples and/or readily available. You shouldn’t have to shop at a specialty health food store to make breakfast/lunch/dinner.
#4: My recipes cater to your specific needs:
Food is deeply personal. We all have things we like, don’t like or can’t tolerate for one reason or another. No one’s palate is exactly the same. My recipes accommodate a range of different preferences and needs including many of the top allergens, and eating styles such as pescetarian, vegetarian and vegan. My recipes are inspired by flavors from many cuisines to keep things interesting,
#5: Simplifying something hard:
When life is busy, preparing healthy meals is one of the first things to get flung out the window. For that reason, most recipes rely on simple techniques, and can be whipped up in 30 minutes or less. There are a few longer recipes for those who have time, but you don’t need an elaborate range of skills or equipment to nail one of these creation!
Meet the Expert
Edwina Clark, MS, RD, APD (Aus), CSSD
Hi, I’m Edwina. I am Registered Dietitian, dually credentialed in US and Australia, with a penchant for running, recipe development and sunshine! Over the last couple of months I have spent my nights and weekends, developing, testing and tasting recipes for Prepd, and what a fun and delicious journey it’s been! I’ve spent dozens of hours pouring over nutrition information, tinkering with measurements, and experimenting with different flavors to create recipes that are simple, healthy, and delectable just for you.
When I started developing my recipes several months ago, the goal was to make healthy eating easy, beautiful and delicious, and that’s what has gone into every creation. Yes, I am a dietitian but I grapple with the same meal prep challenges as you. I am often short on time, I get bored of the same meals, and I don’t like compromising on flavor to enjoy healthy meals. These are the tenets of my recipe development.
