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5 Ingredient Healthy Pasta for Meal Prep Lunches

Mar 7, 2020 · 60 Comments

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Lunchtime just got a little more delicious! By making this 5 ingredient healthy pasta for meal prep, you can now look forward to lunches or a healthy meal again!

The best pasta recipe for meal prep lunches this image


Do you ever get bored with healthy lunch options? I know I really do! I work out in the middle of nowhere, and while there are a few options, I just don’t feel like making the trip (in the snow – or lately, rain) and eating something I’m not really wanting, or that isn’t the best for me health wise.

How to make the best 5 ingredient healthy pasta for meal prep for lunch

The only thing that really works for me is planning a little ahead and meal prepping.

This pasta is amazing. It’s so easy to make, flavorful, and filling and a healthy lunch option!

And, the beauty of this 5 ingredient recipe is that it has simple ingredients, and you can customize it based on what you have in hand.

The 5 ingredients in this healthy pasta recipe are whole wheat pasta (you can use any type of pasta), turkey sausage (or chicken sausage, or any type of sausage), swiss chard (or spinach or kale), olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Super easy to make, and when you divide it up, you have 2 ounce portions of pasta, so you’re not sitting there eating more than a serving (which I’m totally guilty of!)

The best healthy meal prep pasta

I pack lunches for my husband and I almost every day. There are some occasions where I haven’t done any meal prepping, and we both can really tell and send each sad face emoji texts to each other during lunch. What I like to do is to take a few hours on Sunday to meal prep, it ensures that we have something made and ready to eat for the week. Here are some of my favorite recipes for meal prepping:

  • Breakfast: 5 ingredient vegetable frittata (this one reheats really well!)
  • Lunch: the recipe below for this 5 ingredient pasta, or the best shrimp cauliflower fried “rice” (I could seriously eat this every day)
  • Snacks: energy bites are my go tos! I make these no bake oatmeal cookie energy bites (pictured above) all the time. I also make these coconut date energy bites (they’re consistently one of the most popular recipes on my site) and my hubby always requests these 5 ingredient peanut butter pretzel energy bites!
  • Dinner: This turkey meatloaf and roasted vegetables is omg so good and perfect for meal prepping and so is this 5 ingredient slow cooker salsa chicken and quinoa for healthy meal prepping. I also love making recipes from my cookbook (because the recipes all only have 5 ingredients in them!!) like the below pictured Italian sausage parmesan rigatoni which is such a great easy meal that freezes/reheats really well.

The best recipes for healthy meal prepping

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about some of my favorite recipes to meal prep, among them is definitely this 5 ingredient pasta with sausage and swiss chard. Do you meal prep? I’d love to know! Tag me on Instagram, @philiakelnhofer

Other recipes you might enjoy:

  • Meal Prep Breakfast: Miso Butter and Egg Toast
  • Freezer Meal: Chicken Enchilada Casserole
  • On the go oatmeal cups & toppings

5 Ingredient Healthy Pasta for Meal Prep Lunches

Lunchtime just got a little more delicious! By making this 5 ingredient healthy pasta for meal prep, you can now look forward to lunches again!
4.63 from 54 votes
Print Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • Meal prep containers
  • Non-Stick Covered Skillet
  • Stainless steel colander

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta - can use any type of pasta you'd like
  • 4 turkey sausage links - can use any type of sausage you'd like, each link should be 2.5-3 oz, 10-12 oz total
  • 1 bunch of rainbow swiss chard cleaned and chopped (about 4 cups raw) - can use kale or spinach
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded, divided

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Drain, and divide the pasta into 4 containers (I love these).
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet over high heat add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the sausage until brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes, turning every few minutes to brown. Remove the sausage from the pan and slice and divide among the 4 containers.
  • Next add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add in the swiss chard. Cook, stirring occasionally until the swiss chard reduces, about 5 minutes (sometimes I add in a few tablespoons of the pasta water if the pan seems to dry). Divide the chard among the 4 containers.
  • Top each container with 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
  • Put a lid on each container and shake it a couple of times to mix everything. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy within a week.

Notes

I love these food storage containers. 350-400 calories per serving depending on what type of ingredients you use.
The nutrition information presented on this site should be considered an estimate as the calculations will change based on the exact products you use in your own kitchen.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1096mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1014IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 324mg | Iron: 2mg

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ian says

    October 14, 2019 at 3:08 pm

    Adding pesto really took this to the next level for me!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      October 20, 2019 at 8:42 pm

      What a great idea!! Thanks for commenting!

      Reply
  2. D says

    July 20, 2019 at 8:03 am

    No seasonings?

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      July 22, 2019 at 1:42 pm

      You can definitely add seasonings if you’d like – I usually find the sausage and parmesan to be flavorings enough 🙂

      Reply
  3. Olga says

    March 21, 2019 at 10:50 am

    Phi, it’s really awesome! This will quickly become a favorite in our house!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      March 26, 2019 at 11:35 am

      So happy to hear that, we love this one too 🙂

      Reply
  4. Pashia says

    February 7, 2018 at 5:22 pm

    Love this recipe!! Love it even more because it only needs 5 ingredients! Can I sub in a smoked sausage instead of using the turkey sausage links??

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      February 12, 2018 at 9:23 am

      Thank you so much – so glad you like this recipe! And YES!!! You could definitely make that substitute, I think it would taste wonderful.

      Reply
  5. Michael stranahan says

    January 17, 2018 at 12:45 pm

    Just made it.it was great used organic spinach but great. Thank you so much need alot of healthy foods

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      January 18, 2018 at 3:10 pm

      Thank you – that’s so nice to hear how you liked the recipe!!

      Reply
  6. Hannah Winter says

    November 18, 2017 at 6:34 am

    Hi.
    This looks good!
    Is this ok to be reheated too, to eat hot?

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      November 18, 2017 at 9:28 pm

      Yes! Definitely delicious when reheated (that’s what I do when I make this and then take it to work). Usually only needs about 2 minutes in the microwave 🙂

      Reply
  7. Brittany Shelvin says

    November 13, 2017 at 5:38 pm

    Hi, how many calories are in this pasta?

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      November 14, 2017 at 1:16 pm

      350-400 per serving – depending on what type of sausage/pasta you use 🙂

      Reply
  8. Tori Chenault says

    November 11, 2017 at 3:20 pm

    What would you call this ? I just made it and added a few ingredients and it’s marvelous !!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      November 13, 2017 at 1:18 pm

      I just call it healthy pasta for lunch 🙂

      Reply
  9. Ama says

    October 29, 2017 at 1:06 am

    Can I use Broccoli instead or would that change the taste? A bit of berbs in it should be fine right? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      October 29, 2017 at 10:42 am

      I’ve definitely used broccoli instead and it’s delicious- also herbs are always good when added 🙂

      Reply
      • Ama says

        October 31, 2017 at 2:37 pm

        Thanks! Excited to try it out soon. Do you have soup recipes? I am currently battling with a cold 🙁

        Reply
        • Sweetphi says

          November 1, 2017 at 9:46 am

          Hope you feel better soon! I have two awesome soups I always make when I’m sick – this one or this one (both are made in the slow cooker so there’s not a lot of hands on time).

          Reply
  10. Maddie callahan says

    September 1, 2017 at 10:36 am

    Are all/most of your meals healthy? I’m looking for ways to stay healthy in college and meal prep!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      September 2, 2017 at 11:23 am

      Hi Maddie, I have a mix of recipes with a lot of healthy meal prep recipes thrown in, just have a look through my recipe index, there are over 750 recipes to browse 🙂

      Reply
  11. Megan says

    June 26, 2017 at 11:24 am

    Hi! Thank you so much for sharing this great meal prep for lunch. I had it today and I can’t wait to eat it again this week. I made it last night, so do you think it will stay good until Thursday lunch?

    Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      June 27, 2017 at 4:24 pm

      So glad you liked this! And yes it will for sure last stored for a week

      Reply
  12. Emily says

    April 17, 2017 at 8:33 pm

    Love this! Meal prepping can be such a great way to save time and money! 🙂 Your recipes look delicious!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      April 19, 2017 at 9:40 am

      So glad you like my recipes, hope you enjoy 🙂

      Reply
  13. Dakota says

    March 19, 2017 at 3:55 pm

    This is so simple, yet so good! I subbed the chard for asparagus since Trader Joe’s had fresh bundles of it for $1.99. I also used Trader Joe’s chicken apple sausage. ??

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      March 22, 2017 at 12:28 pm

      Those substitutions sound absolutely amazing!!! I love how versatile this dish is, thanks for sharing the feedback 🙂

      Reply
  14. Little Cooking Tips says

    February 13, 2017 at 3:09 am

    Fantastic! We recently discovered some healthy -no dangerous preservatives- fresh sausages in the local butcher, and are really excited to try them in this recipe! It really makes for a yummy, filling lunch! Thank you so much dear!
    xoxoxo

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      February 13, 2017 at 8:34 am

      It’s so great when one finds healthy & non preservative laden sausages, isn’t it? I bet those would work perfectly in this recipe 🙂 Thank you so much for your comments!

      Reply
  15. Gingi Edmonds Freeman says

    January 22, 2017 at 10:20 pm

    These look great! I do meal prep every Sunday, and this looks sooooo easy!!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      January 23, 2017 at 10:43 am

      I’m so glad you like the looks of this, meal prep is a total life saver, isn’t it?

      Reply
  16. Beth says

    January 22, 2017 at 5:57 pm

    What a great idea! I’m always happy when I’ve prepped in advance and can pack a lunch for work.

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      January 23, 2017 at 10:48 am

      Thank you so much! Lunch prep definitely helps me during the crazy busy week 🙂

      Reply
  17. Bridget says

    January 21, 2017 at 10:10 am

    Sounds delicious and healthy… question re sausage … whats the ‘weight’ amount of sausage? Recipe sounds adaptable but not sure if u were using breakfast sausage links? Turkey kielbasa? Etc … with a sense of the quantity I can adapt recipe to what I have on hand … thanks much!!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      January 22, 2017 at 2:37 pm

      Thank you for the comment Bridget, I’ve updated the recipe with the weight amount. Total weight of the sausage should be 10-12 ounces. Hope you enjoy this dish

      Reply
  18. cheri says

    January 20, 2017 at 4:53 pm

    Hi Phi, love your healthy pasta lunches, your 5 ingredient meals are the best.

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      January 22, 2017 at 2:38 pm

      Thank you so much Cheri, I appreciate that you like my 5 ingredient meals, they’re my favorite!

      Reply
  19. Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says

    January 20, 2017 at 12:07 pm

    Isn’t meal prep the best? I love it when I’m organized and get my food together on Sundays. Love these little seasonal pasta salads and I could so eat these all week! Yum!

    Reply
    • Sweetphi says

      January 22, 2017 at 2:40 pm

      Meal prepping totally saves my sanity during the week!! Pasta salads are definitely among my faves!!

      Reply
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