Thanksgiving in the United States is right around the corner, so I’m featuring turkey leftover meals this week. This Greek salad lunch prep will help you get back on track after the holiday. Having some healthy turkey leftover recipes in place can aid in meal planning and prevent food waste as well. Consider using those Thanksgiving turkey leftovers in this delicious and veggie-packed Mediterranean-style salad!
Unlike our Canadian friends who have Thanksgiving in October, those of us in the U.S. celebrate at the end of November. I find it can be a little too easy to treat the entire month between Thanksgiving and Christmas as a holiday. Having some healthy turkey leftover meals helps me to resume my wellness-promoting lifestyle when Thanksgiving Day is over.
I hope this tasty Greek salad meal prep, using turkey instead of chicken, can help you with your goals as well. Throwing these together means I’ll have healthy grab-and-go lunches on Black Friday and through the weekend.
Many dietary approaches can support weight loss, but they do all tend to share some commonalities. For example, the strategy needs to be sustainable for the person so that they can adhere to it. Meal prepping my lunches is one of the ways that can help me to sustain a healthier eating pattern.
What is most important in losing weight?
There is an image that has stayed with me from the book Fat Loss Forever. It prioritizes the importance of various behavior and lifestyle components that can help with fat loss. The most important pieces are closer to the base of the pyramid:
I did not concern myself with carb/fat macros nor with supplements to lose weight. However, the rest of the above components were a part of my weight loss.
Supplements may be beneficial to some people, such as those who have undergone bariatric surgery. Some may benefit from tracking carb and fat macros. Others will be like me, able to meet their fat loss goals without the top of the pyramid.
The authors of this book did not seem to be against the keto diet or other popular dietary patterns. They recognized that no strategy works if a person cannot stick to it.
Setting yourself up for success means finding ways to make it easier to adhere to a healthier lifestyle. If meal prepping is a way that helps you, be sure to check out my other lunch prep recipes.
A minor tweak I’d make to this pyramid is to place self-monitoring below exercise. That does not mean that physical activity is not important, however.
A healthy lifestyle is not just about food and nutrition
Though the primary focus of this site is applying good nutrition with healthy recipes, fitness is critical as well. I typically take a walk after the big meal on holidays. The following day, I get right back into my regular physical activity routine.
What is my “regular physical activity routine,” you may be wondering? At the moment, I am alternating days doing Beachbody on Demand’s Transform :20 videos with 10K jogs.
Sometimes I’ll throw a hike or fun run into the mix. Recently I’ve completed both a blacklight run and a zombie run. Having zombies chase me during the race (to try and infect me lol) was undoubtedly a novel 5K experience. Haha
When I am short on time, I find the Transform :20 videos are an excellent way to work up a sweat. As implied by the name, they are only 20 minutes each (plus a quick stretch at the end). The only equipment needed is a step platform, and even that is optional.
I’ve completed many Beachbody workouts, and Shaun T’s Hip Hop Abs may always be my personal favorite. Before Transform :20, I completed Autumn Calabrese’s 80 Day Obsession. If you want to incorporate more training with weights, that one may be worth trying.
Finding a way to get some physical activity that you find enjoyable is best. If that is not possible, try to find something tolerable so that you don’t have to force yourself to do it each day. Consider experimenting with many different workouts and activities to discover your favorites.
That’s why I like Beachbody on Demand. I get to try many different workouts until I find the ones I like, and it does not cost extra. IMHO it’s a bargain!
And now for the disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The calorie information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats with yogurt post. Let’s get cooking!
Turkey Leftover Ideas: Greek Salad Meal Prep
Ingredients
- 1 lb. cooked, chopped turkey breast
- 8 c mixed salad greens
- 6 ounces fat-free feta, crumbled
- 4 Persian cucumbers, chopped
- 20 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 40 pitted kalamata olives (approximately 120 grams)
- 8 ounces roasted red peppers, sliced
- 14 ounces artichokes, canned and packed in water, drained
- ½ medium red onion, chopped
- ¼ c red wine vinegar
- 2 T lemon juice
- 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 t Dijon mustard
- 1 t dried oregano
Instructions
- Evenly distribute the mixed salad greens between four containers.
- Top each container with ¼ of the turkey, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, red peppers, artichokes, and red onion.
- Put the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, and oregano in a one-cup canning jar. Put the lid on the jar and give it a good shake. Distribute this dressing evenly between four salad dressing cups.
- Put the lids on the salad containers and refrigerate until you are ready for lunch (up to four days).
Notes
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Loading up on non-starchy veggies means you are getting a high-volume meal that is low in calories. With the protein from turkey and feta, this satisfying meal should help to support a weight loss goal. If you need a higher energy recipe, consider adding a side of whole-grain crackers or bread. The salad containers that I used can be found on my resources page. They come complete with the dressing cups and a fork!
Nutrition
What are some of your favorite healthy turkey leftover meals? Leave me a comment or a link to a recipe and tell me about it!
Delightful
Thank you!
I bought our Thanksgiving turkey today and am looking forward to making good use of my leftovers! 😀