Light & Easy Taco Salad Meal Prep
You guys… it’s TUESDAY! Which only means one thing in my house, taco Tuesday! Instead of the conventional taco recipe, I’ve been whipping up taco salads lately. It’s definitely a healthier way to celebrate taco Tuesdays and you can prep for the week ahead with a skinny taco, grab and go salad. My favorite part about this meal prep is that everything is separated into containers, meaning your ingredients stay fresh and you won’t end up with a gross soggy salad mess. I love making these fresh for dinner and then using the leftovers for meal prepped lunches for the rest of the week.
Bonus points: the salad doesn’t need dressing! Which makes it even lighter and healthier. The combination of guacamole and salsa balance the salad out really well and coat the lettuce, just like a dressing would.
Depending on your diet, you can also make modifications. I like to use ground turkey, but you can also use ground beef or a vegetarian option. If you don’t do dairy, leave it out or substitute in some dairy free cheese! As is, it’s pretty low carb. But if you’re doing a low carb or keto diet, make sure you’re using a low carb salsa!
How to Meal Prep Like A Pro
There are a few key elements to a successful meal prep. Planning is key.
First, you need to set yourself up for success by stocking up on some meal prep containers. I really like these Freshware Meal Prep Containers from Amazon. They’re BPA Free, making them 100% food safe. They’re airtight and leak proof, so you won’t end up with a giant mess all over the inside of your bag. They’re also microwave, dishwasher & freezer safe, making them super convenient and easy to use. I use the single compartment bento box for these salads, but they also come in a 3 compartment version, which are great for separating ingredients. I also use these plastic portion cups (ok, so maybe I also use them for jello shots) for sauces, or in this case salsa and cheese!
I also recommend prepping your ingredients into an assembly line. Make all of the food ahead of time and let it cool off. Then, portion it out and pack it up.
When meal prepping taco salad, make the taco meat first. While it’s cooking you can get your other ingredients ready. Once the meat is cooled off, you can start measuring portions into your containers.
Taco salads are the perfect protein packed lunch, or dinner bowl on a busy night. You can add whatever your favorite toppings are, just make sure to separate them into containers so they stay fresh. Other fun topping ideas: low fat sour cream, tortilla strips, corn, black beans, chopped onions and cilantro, or limes!
Light & Easy Taco Salad Meal Prep
Ingredients
- Frontera Taco Skillet Sauce
- Single Serving Guacamole Cups
- Romaine Lettuce
- Salsa
- Shredded Mexican Cheese
- Lean Ground Turkey
Directions
- Head a large non stick pan over medium high heat. Then, add your ground turkey and cook until it’s brown. Using a spoon or spatula, break the meat up into small crumbles. Then, add the taco skillet sauce and cook according to the directions on the package. This is my all time favorite taco seasoning. It has a ton of flavor and isn’t dried out like a lot of other taco meat recipes.
- Slice your lettuce into small strips. I just throw mine into the meal prep container, but you can also put it into a small ziplock bag to keep it fresh.
- Place your salsa and shredded cheese into the plastic cups.
- I recommend using pre-packaged guacamole cups because they stay fresh (aka none of that gross brown mush) and are great for portion control.
- Put the turkey and other ingredients into your meal prep containers & refrigerate. When you’re ready to eat, you can toss the ingredients in the meal prep container or in a bowl.
Looking for more healthy salad recipes? Try my Quick & Easy Antipasto Salad recipe next!
Everything You Need for Taco Salad Meal Prep
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