Hi friends!
I wanted this week’s Sunday meal prep to feel like fall, and I think the cinnamon apples alone did it for me. I made a walnut crumble to go with them and packed the two separately. When I want a bowl, I can just spoon the apples over Greek yogurt and add as much crumble as I want. 🤎
I also made pumpkin pie chia pudding, a fall harvest salad with roasted sweet potatoes and maple tahini dressing, and a pot of creamy butternut squash soup. One shortcut I’d absolutely take again is buying the squash already peeled and cubed. Especially on a day when I’m also chopping Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and shallots, I’m happy to have one less thing to cut.
Click play below to watch this week’s Sunday meal prep, then scroll down for the recipes and the containers I used.
Kitchen Tools, Equipment and Containers I Used
- Shop the 2027 Daily Planner
- Apron
- Chef Knife
- Walnut Hexagonal Cutting Board
- High Speed Blender
- Stainless Steel Pot (pot I made the stewed apples in)
- ZWILLING airtight containers for storing the cinnamon apples and walnut crumble separately
- Chia pudding jars for the pumpkin pudding and Greek yogurt
- 32-ounce glass salad jars with acacia lids, set of four for portioning the harvest salad
- ZWILLING vacuum containers for storing the butternut squash soup
What I Prepped for This Sunday Meal Prep
- Stewed Cinnamon Apples with Walnut Oat Crumble
- Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding with Greek Yogurt
- Fall Harvest Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Maple Tahini Dressing
- Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup
Stewed Cinnamon Apples with Walnut Oat Crumble
First up were the cinnamon apples. I like leaving them in little chunks so there’s still something to bite into when I spoon them over yogurt. The crumble is just oats and chopped walnuts tossed with butter, maple syrup and cinnamon, then baked until golden. Let it cool on the pan and you’ll get those crunchy little pieces that are so good against the soft apples.
I stored the apples in one container and the crumble in another. That way I can warm up the apples, add a scoop of cold Greek yogurt and sprinkle the crumble on at the very end. These are the ZWILLING airtight containers I used for the apples and crumble.
Grocery List
- Apples and a lemon
- Old-fashioned rolled oats and walnuts
- Unsalted butter and maple syrup
- Ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt
- Plain Greek yogurt, for serving
Serves
Makes approximately 6 servings of apples and crumble.
Ingredients
For the stewed apples
- 4 large apples, about 2 pounds, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup water, plus more as needed
- â…› teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the walnut oat crumble
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- â…“ cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- â…› teaspoon fine salt
- Plain Greek yogurt, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Toss the oats, walnuts, melted butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt together. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 16–20 minutes, stirring after about 10 minutes. Once the oats are golden and the walnuts smell toasted, take the pan out and let the crumble cool completely. It crisps as it cools.
- While the crumble bakes, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, maple syrup, cinnamon, lemon juice, water and salt. Stir to coat.
- Cover, turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for another 3–5 minutes, until a fork slides easily into the apples and the juices lightly coat them. Add a splash of water if the pan dries out.
- Stir in the vanilla off the heat. For meal prep, refrigerate the apples and pack the fully cooled crumble separately. When you’re ready to eat, spoon the apples over Greek yogurt and finish with the crumble.
Why I Love This Recipe as a Dietitian
You can use the same apples a few different ways. Pair them with Greek yogurt for a snack with protein, or warm them up and add the walnut crumble for dessert. The oats, apples and walnuts all contribute fiber.
Customization & Tips
- Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples are good choices if you like pieces that hold their shape. For softer apples, give them another few minutes in the skillet.
- For bigger crumble clusters, gently press the oat mixture together on the baking sheet and let it cool before breaking it apart.
- If you’re packing yogurt for later, bring the crumble in its own small airtight container and add it right before eating.
Estimated Nutrition per Serving
Approximately 255 calories, 3 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat and 5 g fiber for one-sixth of the apples and crumble. Greek yogurt is extra and will increase the protein.
Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding with Greek Yogurt
You guys know I love a chia pudding, and this week I went with pumpkin. The base was milk, pumpkin purée, chia seeds and vanilla. I topped my jars with plain Greek yogurt. I had originally planned on toasted pecans too, but I didn’t have any, so Greek yogurt was it.
If you’re making the cinnamon apples from this prep, a spoonful would be really good on top. You could even use some of the walnut crumble. I portioned mine into these chia pudding jars.
Grocery List
- Milk of choice
- Plain pumpkin purée
- Chia seeds and vanilla extract
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Optional pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup and toasted pecans
Serves
Makes approximately 4 jars.
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk of choice
- 1 cup plain pumpkin purée
- ½ cup chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, for topping
- Optional for the base: ½–1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup to taste
- Optional toppings: chopped toasted pecans, cinnamon apples or walnut oat crumble
Instructions
- Whisk the milk, pumpkin purée and vanilla until the pumpkin is evenly mixed in. If you’re using pumpkin pie spice or maple syrup, whisk them in now. Taste and adjust the sweetness before adding the chia.
- Stir in the chia seeds. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, then stir again, scraping the bottom of the bowl to break up any clumps.
- Divide among 4 chia pudding jars, leaving room at the top for the yogurt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Once the pudding is set, top each jar with about ¼ cup Greek yogurt. Add any crunchy toppings just before eating.
Why I Love This Recipe as a Dietitian
The chia seeds add fiber, and the layer of Greek yogurt adds protein. If you want a little more protein in the base too, this is a good place to use dairy milk or an ultrafiltered milk like Fairlife 2%.
Customization & Tips
- The second stir makes a difference. It catches the chia seeds that settle at the bottom while the pudding starts to thicken.
- If your pumpkin purée is particularly thick, stir a splash of milk into the chilled pudding before adding the yogurt.
- For a smoother texture, blend the pudding after the chia seeds have had time to soften.
Estimated Nutrition per Jar
Using ultrafiltered 2% milk and plain nonfat Greek yogurt, each jar has approximately 215 calories, 16 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 9 g fat and 9 g fiber. This includes the yogurt topping. Optional maple syrup and nuts are extra.
Fall Harvest Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Maple Tahini Dressing
This was the most colorful part of the prep. I roasted sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and shallots together on one pan and gave the chickpeas their own pan. That let me pull the vegetables when the sweet potatoes were tender and leave the chickpeas in a little longer to crisp up.
For the rest of the salad, I used chopped kale, feta, pomegranate seeds and a maple tahini dressing. The little bites of salty feta and tart pomegranate are especially good with the roasted sweet potatoes. I used these 32-ounce glass salad jars with separate containers to portion everything for the week.
Grocery List
- Sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and shallots
- Kale and pomegranate seeds
- Canned chickpeas and crumbled feta
- Olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper
- Tahini, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and Dijon mustard
Serves
Makes approximately 4 lunch salads or 6 side servings.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 cups sweet potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes, about 2 medium-large sweet potatoes
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved, or quartered if large
- 2 large shallots, peeled and cut into thick wedges
- 1 can chickpeas (15 ounces), drained, rinsed and patted very dry
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus 1 teaspoon for the kale
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 packed cups finely chopped kale, tough stems removed
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
For the maple tahini dressing
- ¼ cup well-stirred tahini
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 3–5 tablespoons water, as needed
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F and set out two large rimmed baking sheets.
- On one sheet, toss the sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and shallots with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Spread them in a single layer, placing the Brussels sprouts cut side down where you can.
- On the second sheet, toss the dried chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and the smoked paprika.
- Roast both pans, turning the vegetables and shaking the chickpeas halfway through. Start checking the vegetables at 20 minutes. They’ll usually take 25–30 minutes. Roast the chickpeas for about 25–35 minutes, until golden and crisp at the edges. Let everything cool before packing.
- Whisk together the tahini, vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon and salt. The tahini may thicken at first. Whisk in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dressing drizzles easily from a spoon.
- Massage the chopped kale with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil for about 30 seconds. Divide the kale, roasted vegetables, feta and pomegranate among your jars. Keep the dressing and chickpeas separate until you’re ready to eat, then toss everything together in a bowl.
Why I Love This Recipe as a Dietitian
The chickpeas do double duty here. They give the salad crunch and add plant protein and fiber. Between those, the sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and kale, this is a lunch with plenty of fiber before you even add the toppings.
Customization & Tips
- Cut the sweet potatoes into small, even cubes so they finish roasting around the same time as the Brussels sprouts. Leave the shallots in thick wedges so the edges brown without burning.
- Refrigerated chickpeas soften a bit. If you want that crunch back, give them 5–8 minutes at 400°F while you get the rest of lunch ready.
- I like emptying the salad jar into a wide bowl before adding the dressing. It’s much easier to get a little feta, pomegranate and sweet potato in every bite.
Estimated Nutrition per Lunch Serving
Approximately 500 calories, 16 g protein, 64 g carbohydrates, 23 g fat and 15 g fiber for one-quarter of the salad with one-quarter of the dressing.
Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup
I bought the butternut squash already peeled and cubed for this one. You need 6 cups, and being able to open the package and spread it straight onto a sheet pan saved me some time. I roasted it with onion and garlic, then blended everything with broth and a can of white beans.
The beans give the soup a creamy texture, and a squeeze of lemon at the end balances the sweetness of the squash. I kept mine plain on top and portioned it into these ZWILLING vacuum containers for the fridge.
Grocery List
- Pre-cubed butternut squash, yellow onion, garlic and a lemon
- Canned cannellini beans or other white beans
- Low-sodium vegetable broth
- Olive oil, dried thyme, salt and black pepper
Serves
Makes approximately 6 servings, depending on how much broth you add.
Ingredients
- 6 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can cannellini beans (15 ounces), drained and rinsed
- 3–4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the squash and onion with all but 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, plus ½ teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Wrap the garlic cloves in a small piece of foil with the reserved teaspoon of oil. Place the packet on the sheet. Roast for 25–35 minutes, turning the vegetables halfway through, until the squash is soft enough to mash with a fork and golden at the edges.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins into a large pot. Add the squash, onion, white beans, 3 cups broth, thyme and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Blend until smooth with an immersion blender, or use a countertop blender in batches following its directions for hot liquids. Stir in the lemon juice. Add the remaining broth a little at a time until the soup is as thick as you like.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve warm, or divide into shallow airtight soup containers and refrigerate promptly.
Why I Love This Recipe as a Dietitian
Blending a can of white beans into the pot is an easy way to add fiber and a little protein without changing the smooth texture I want in a squash soup. The squash also contains beta-carotene, which gives it that orange color and which your body can convert into vitamin A.
Customization & Tips
- If your pre-cut squash comes in large chunks, cut the biggest pieces in half so the whole tray roasts evenly.
- Start with the 3 cups of broth and blend first. It’s easier to see how much more you need once the squash and beans are smooth.
- The soup thickens in the fridge. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating. Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze individual portions for later.
Estimated Nutrition per Serving
Approximately 170 calories, 5 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat and 6 g fiber for one-sixth of the soup, served plain.
Wrap-Up
If you make just one thing from this week’s prep, my vote is the cinnamon apples and walnut crumble. You can eat them warm the day you make them and still have some to spoon over yogurt the next morning. And if you’re already turning on the oven for the harvest salad, that’s a good time to get the squash ready for the soup too.
Let me know which one you try first. I always love seeing what you make from these Sunday meal preps. 🤎
xx Ayat