Hey friend,

This is Mason, from Kinda Healthy Recipes.

Why did the baguette go to school early? It wanted to get a head start on its "bread-ucation"! (Yes, I did it)

You know it’s that time of the year again.

Whether you're navigating the early morning rush, embarking on a fresh academic year, or simply embracing the rhythm of a more structured lifestyle, food plays a key role in your daily life.

Just like how a balanced breakfast kick starts your day, embracing nutritious eating habits can play a vital role in helping us adapt to new challenges with a clear mind and sound body.

To help you deal with the end-of-the-summer blues, I have 6 recipe ideas, 5 tips and tricks that save my life every day, and 4 meal-planning hacks for you. Let’s get this bread! (I did it again)

Quick and Nutritious Breakfasts

Mornings can be hectic, especially during the back-to-school rush. Start your day off right with these easy breakfast recipes that will give you and your family the energy you need to tackle the day ahead.

​Baked Breakfast Tacos​

Total cook time: 35 minutes

This spin on healthy breakfast tacos packs sautéed pepper and onion, crispy bacon, eggs, and cheese into crispy corn tortillas. They’re baked in the oven, so you can easily double or triple the recipe for breakfast tacos in bulk.

There are lots of ways to modify these breakfast tacos, but the base recipe makes tacos with 115 calories each.

Having a quick, macro-friendly breakfast doesn’t have to cost you tons of time in the kitchen.

​Healthy Homemade Protein Granola​

Total cooking time: 30 minutes (way less if you prepare the granola during the weekend or the night before)

The granolas are some of my personal favorite breakfast meal prep recipes. They’re crunchy flavorful, and go great with a yogurt parfait or even with just a little milk.

Not a cinnamon fan? Try the chocolate peanut butter, butterfinger, or pumpkin spice alternatives.

Perfect-To-Go Lunch Options

As we transition back to our regular routines, it's time to dust off your Kiss lunchbox.

Thinking about what to eat can be a pain. Even more, if you have to think about meals that you can eat on the go.

Sandwiches are great, but eating sandwiches all week long? C’mon. You’re better than that. These recipes are great for making ahead of the week to take to work with you (or warm up from your home office).

​Low Fat Ricotta and Beef Cannelloni​

Total cooking time: 60 minutes (don’t panic, it’ll be worth it)

In case you’re unfamiliar, cannelloni is essentially stuffed pasta rolls baked in a cheese sauce – I told you it’ll be worth it. This spin on a classic cannelloni recipe uses readily available ingredients and a few healthier options to reduce the fat and calorie content.

When it’s all said and done, you’ll have beef and ricotta stuffed lasagne rolls smothered in a blend of marina, alfredo sauce, and parmesan cheese. Each extra cheesy, beefy serving has 23 grams of filling protein with just 280 calories and 8 grams of fat!

This recipe accounts for 8 servings. Once it’s cold, you can make portions, pack them, and freeze them. All you need to know is to remember to take one and put it in the fridge the night before, and your lunch is ready.

​Greek Chicken and Veggies​

Total cook time: 40 minutes

This is one of my favorite meal prep recipes ever. You can make it an air fryer or oven. It’s so easy to make either way and yields 5 massive servings of tender chicken breast with juicy tomatoes and charred red onion. Each serving has 22 grams of protein with just 9 grams of carbs, leaving you plenty of room to get creative with how you serve it.

I like to make rice bowls and garnish them with a bit of reduced-fat feta cheese, a few Kalamata olives, and a little balsamic or red wine vinegar.

​Chicken Roll-Ups​

Total cook time: 45 minutes

Sticking with the Mediterranean vibe, these chicken roll-ups combine grilled (or baked) chicken breast, feta cheese, and grilled or roasted tomatoes inside low-carb tortillas. They’re perfect for making in bulk (the recipe makes, like, 30) and taking on the go.

You can make or buy a pre-made Greek salad or pasta salad, air-fried Greek potatoes, and your other favorite Mediterranean sides to serve alongside the roll-ups.

You can also take the recipe in a ton of different directions in terms of flavor profile. Mexican, buffalo ranch, BBQ, you name it!

Effortless One-Pot Dinner Solutions

Back to school means busy evenings, but that doesn't mean sacrificing a wholesome dinner. These one-pot wonders will save you time in the kitchen while delivering delicious and nutritious meals.

​Italian Ground Turkey Soup​

Total cooking time: 35 minutes

This ground turkey soup combines extra lean ground turkey, Italian seasoning, garlic, and Calabrian peppers with frozen cauliflower gnocchi and a cheesy ricotta sauce. Before cauliflower gnocchi sends you running for the Italian Alps, you can definitely make this soup with pasta instead.

For such a thick and creamy turkey soup, it’s surprisingly low calorie. Every giant serving has 33 grams of protein, with only 24 grams of carbs and 345 calories.

And when I say giant, I mean giant. One serving is fourteen ounces and nearly two cups. Did someone say leftovers for lunch?

​Instant Pot Red Beans and Cauliflower Rice​

Total cooking time: 45 minutes

This Instant Pot red beans recipe combines andouille chicken sausage and canned red beans to make a high-protein creole copycat that pairs perfectly with lemon parsley cauliflower rice or your choice of rice.

It’s great for meal prep, making 8 huge servings with 22 grams of protein and only 250 calories each. Once you add a big helping of cauliflower rice, you’ll have serious trouble eating more than one serving!

It’s comforting, creamy, and easy to make.

​Ground Chicken Taco Casserole​

Total cooking time: 35 minutes

This one-pan chicken taco casserole combines ground chicken breast with pinto beans, roasted corn, diced tomatoes and green chiles, corn tortillas, and Mexican cheese.

It’s a very simple recipe to follow, and each serving has 30 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber with just 340 calories.

Casseroles are one of my go-to meal prep recipes, and this one is no exception.

Tips and Tricks

• Use frozen vegetables to cut down on prep time without sacrificing nutrition. Don’t let anyone ever tell you they’re less nutritious than fresh! (Except pre-minced garlic—you’re too good for that.)
• Experiment with different herbs and spices to add variety to your meals. Don’t have a grasp of what goes with what? Try a new pre-made seasoning blend.
• Texture is a key to satisfying meals, and it can make or break lower-calorie meals. Find ways to incorporate crunch into meals where possible. You might think of chips, but crunchy cucumbers and other fresh fruits and veg work well.
• Prep ingredients ahead of time, such as chopping vegetables or seasoning/marinating meats, to streamline cooking. I like to prep as much as possible as soon as I get home from the grocery store. You’re already in the prep zone. Make it count!
• Use some of your time on the weekends to do some prepping and facilitate your work during the week. Speaking of…

Meal Planning

• Plan your weekly meals ahead of time to save both time and mental energy. It’s easy to bookmark a bunch of recipes that sound good, but I’d challenge you to think about ingredient crossover. What recipes use similar things and fit the same theme? This makes shopping easier, eliminates waste, and saves time.
• One-pot and one-pan dinners equal stress-free evenings. Google my name + one pan any time you’re in a pinch. I have a ton!
• Keep versatile staples on hand for easy meal creation when you fail to plan. That might be frozen proteins, Greek yogurt with protein granola and frozen berries, oats and grains, frozen cauliflower stir fry (we make fried rice 3-4x per week with this), tortillas and wraps, or yes, even stuff for sandwiches. I’ll never yuck your yum!

I hope this email makes your back-to-school season a bit less stressful.

Btw, I’d love to hear about your go-to prep options for taking to school or work. Can you reply to this email and let me know?

Happy cooking,

Mason