3 No-Cook Meals

These three super quick No-Cook Meals are perfect for those days when you don’t feel like cooking, AND they are also ideal for meal prepping. A delicious Lentil Salad, a Chickpea Salad Jar, and Turkey Wraps with an incredible Green Dipping Sauce. 

No oven, no stove, no Instant Pot, no heat whatsoever, and minimum dishes! 

Meal Planning and Meal Prepping are a gazillion times more effective than willpower alone when you want to stick to a healthy diet. I give tons of tips and tricks on how to meal plan and how to meal prep in my 6-Week Clean Eating Program.

Ingredients and Preparation of Chickpea Salad Jars

• Cooked Chickpeas –  because we’re not cooking, we have to rely on canned chickpeas for this salad to keep it a no-cook meal. 
• Olive Oil – or any other flavorless oil. 
• Balsamic Reduction – balsamic reduction is denser and sweeter than balsamic vinegar. It adds body and texture to this salad dressing, but it can be omitted if you don’t have any. 
• Balsamic Vinegar – I don’t recommend skipping the balsamic vinegar. However, if you don’t have it, you can mix 1 Tbsp of red wine vinegar and 2 tsp of maple syrup to achieve a similar taste and texture. 
• Carrots – great for meal prepping because they stay fresh longer than other veggies. Use two medium or one large carrot. 
• Yellow Bell Pepper – red or orange peppers work equally well. I chose yellow because I like how it looks combined with the carrots and celery. 
• Celery – same as with carrots, celery is an excellent veggie for meal prepping because it stays fresh for a few days. 
• Arugula Lettuce – it has a bold flavor that works really well for this chickpea salad. You can replace it with baby spinach leaves or your favorite lettuce leaves. 

How to make Chickpea Salad Jars

1. Prep chickpeas – if you are using canned chickpeas, I recommend rinsing them in a colander under cold water and set them aside.
2. Make dressing – add 4 Tbsp olive oil to a sealable jar, then add 1 Tbsp balsamic reduction, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, and sea salt and pepper to taste. Seal the jar and shake until well combined. Set aside.
3. Prep veggies – get a chopping board, then peel and julienne or grate the carrots. Then deseed the yellow pepper, and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Grab four stalks of celery and chop them into bite-sized pieces as well. 
4. Assemble salad – place four large salad jars and add a quarter of salad dressing to the bottom of each jar. Then add ½ cup of cooked chickpeas, a quarter of the chopped celery, a quarter of chopped yellow pepper and a quarter of julienned carrot on top. Lastly, top it off with arugula lettuce. Make sure the lettuce leaves are super dry. Seal the jars and keep them in the fridge for up to four days. 
5. Serve – before eating, just shake the jar to cover all the ingredients with the dressing and enjoy!

Ingredients and Preparation of Lentil Salad

• Lentils – same as with the chickpeas, we have to rely on canned lentils for this salad to keep it a no-cook meal. Of course, if you want to make your own cooked lentils from scratch, I have a full tutorial for making Instant Pot Lentils. 
• Celery – it is crunchy, tastes super fresh and lasts a long time in the fridge. It works really well for meal prepping.
• Bell Peppers – for this recipe I’m using one red and one yellow bell pepper. An orange bell pepper works perfectly too. 
• Red Onion – red onions have a very mild flavor and work great for salads. You can replace it with white onion, although it has a stronger flavor. 
• Mint Leaves – they’re fragrant and add a unique taste to this salad. You want to use fresh herbs, so if you don’t have mint handy, you can use basil or parsley instead. 
• Parsley – also use fresh leaves. Replace with cilantro if needed. 
• Feta Cheese – I love the taste of crumbled feta over a fresh salad. If you don’t have it, you can use your favorite crumbly cheese instead. 
• Fresh Lemon – you will use it to season the salad. Bottled lemon juice can also be used. 
• Olive Oil – extra virgin olive oil is a staple oil for salads, however you can also use any other flavorless oil like avocado oil or grapeseed oil.  

How to make Lentil Salad

1. Prep lentils – if you are using canned lentils, I recommend rinsing them in a colander under cold water. Then put them in a large bowl and set aside. 
2. Chop veggies – grab a chopping board and 4 stalks of celery, cut them first lengthwise, and then chop them into very small pieces. Then, grab the bell peppers and deseed them. Chop them into small pieces, the same size as the chopped celery. Set aside. 
3. Chop onion – grab the red onion, and depending on the size, use a whole onion or only half. Finely chop it and set aside. 
4. Chop herbs – grab a handful of mint leaves and two handfuls of parsley. Destalk both herbs and finely chop the leaves only. 
5. Assemble salad – add the chopped veggies, onion and herbs to the bowl with the lentils. Crumble about 3.5oz of feta cheese into the bowl as well. 
6. Season salad –  squeeze the juice of 1.5 or 2 fresh lemons over the salad, sea salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle about ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil into the bowl and give the salad a good stir to mix everything. 
7. Serve – here you have two options. You can serve the salad in a bowl and eat it right away, or you can divide it into 4 meal prep containers and use them for lunch for the next couple of days. Because we chose veggies that last long without getting soggy, this lentil salad stays fresh and crunchy for up to four days. 

Ingredients and Preparation of Turkey Wraps with Green Dipping Sauce

• Mayonnaise – store-bought or homemade mayo. In this case, I’m using store-bought to save time. 
• Lime – you need the juice of one fresh lime or you could use bottled lime juice instead. 
• Cilantro – fresh cilantro leaves with stems. It can be replaced with parsley if needed. 
• Jalapeño Pepper – the green dipping sauce is the secret for these turkey wraps. Jalapeño pepper or green serrano pepper add the right amount of kick to the sauce. If you want it mild, you can omit the chili peppers and use cilantro only. 
• Carrots – use 2 medium carrots or a large carrot. 
• Red Bell Pepper – use red, orange or yellow pepper. I like using red pepper because I like the taste and gives a pop of color. 
• Whole Wheat Tortilla Wrap – use a large tortilla wrap. I recommend whole wheat wraps because they have higher fiber content and less refined flour. But you can replace it with any other tortilla wrap of your choice. 
• Lettuce Leaves – choose whatever lettuce is your favorite, just make sure it is super dry after washing it to avoid making the tortilla wrap soggy. For these turkey wraps I’m using butter lettuce. 
• Sliced Turkey – you want to include some protein in the wrap, in this case I’m using sliced turkey breast. However you can also use tuna, shredded chicken, or your favorite deli meat. 

How to Make Turkey Wraps and Green Dipping Sauce

1. Make Green Sauce – grab a jar big enough to fit an immersion blender or use a regular blender. Add 3 Tbsp mayonnaise to the jar, the juice of one lime, a large handful of cilantro leaves with stems, and a deseeded jalapeño or serrano chili. Blend everything until the sauce is bright green and super smooth. Store the sauce in a sealable container in the fridge. 
2. Prep veggies – grab a chopping board and carrots, peel them, and then julienne or grate them. Grab the red bell pepper, deseed it and also julienne it. 
3. Assemble wrap – place the tortilla wrap flat on a piece of parchment paper large enough to wrap it completely when rolled up. Add a few lettuce leaves, and then some sliced turkey on top of the lettuce. Add a quarter of the julienned peppers and carrot on top, and then roll the wrap tightly, tucking the sides in, and then wrap it all up with the parchment paper. By not adding any sauce, these turkey wraps can be kept in the fridge for up to four days without getting soggy. 
4. Serve – when it’s time to eat the wraps, just unwrap them, cut them in half and dip them into the delicious green dipping sauce. 

Frequently Asked Questions About No-Cook Meals