meal prep weekend | taco stuffed peppers

Mex-themed meal prep this week for you. I’ll admit, I scared this recipe up due to an intense guacamole craving – nothing compares to a creamy scoop of mashed avocado, tangy lime, and snappy cilantro to hedge a spicy main. These peppers are wonderfully simple to batch cook, require few ingredients, and while the peppers soften in the oven you can easily prepare everything else to make the best use of your time. Serve with brown rice, an easy green salad, and, of course, guacamole.

Fats are so crucial for endurance athletes, particularly as a hormone regulator and as a source of energy during long aerobic events. After carbs, fats are the primary macronutrient burned during prolonged efforts, yet most outlets discuss fats as a menial nutritional aspect of an athlete’s diet. Proper amounts of fat help prevent early bonking, as the body will use both stores instead of solely carbohydrates to fuel the muscles. Avocados are mostly comprised of healthy unsaturated fats. Other sources include dairy, nut butters, olive oil, salmon, and nuts.

So eat your guac, kids.

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taco stuffed peppers

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Ground turkey, chicken, or beef work well for omnivores; for vegetarians/vegans, try out soy chorizo (as I did), veggie ground, or even black beans!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 7

Ingredients

• 7 bell peppers, various colors, tops removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lb ground meat or meat substitute of choice
• 2 packets taco seasoning
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 bag mixed salad greens
• 4 roma tomatoes, diced
• cooked rice, salsa, guacamole, to serve (optional)

Instructions

• First, prepare the peppers. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment. Mix olive oil and garlic in a small bowl, then brush each pepper thoroughly. Season peppers with salt and pepper (as desired), place in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until peppers are soft. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Heat stovetop to medium and add 2 T olive oil to a skillet. Add diced onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Toss ground meat or beans of choice with taco seasoning and cook until browned, about 8-10 minutes.
• To assemble peppers: scoop about 1/2 cup or so of meat/meat substitute into each pepper. Top with about 1/4 cup cheese. Place peppers back into the oven and cook for 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted.
• To portion: add one pepper to container of choice. Add about one cup of greens and 1/2 tomato to another compartment, OR mix whole bag of greens with chopped tomatoes and store separately. Add rice, guacamole, and salsa, as desired.