While social media might make you feel like you need cute matching containers, a full Sunday in the kitchen, and aesthetic insta-worthy meals to be doing meal prep “right”... I am here to be your hype (future) dietitian and remind you that planning your meals can be as simple as you like, and still a success!

Even small efforts add up. Ducrot et al. (2017) found that higher levels of practical food literacy, such as meal planning, preparation, and adapting recipes, were associated with healthier overall dietary patterns.

Interestingly, the challenge of setting time aside for meal planning and preparation doesn’t just come down to a lack of motivation or self discipline. It’s also influenced by the food environments that we engage in as a part of our everyday life.

What is a food environment, you might ask? It's all the spaces, places and situations that influence what – and even how – we eat.

Say you forget your lunch at work, and the only nearby option is McDonald’s. Or you’re at university for eight hours, and there’s nowhere to store your food. You need to buy your lunch on campus. You have coeliac disease, and the only gluten-free option available is a basic salad with no carbs. It doesn’t fill you up, and you’re left distracted, with a loud rumbling stomach and inability to focus during your three-hour tutorial on biomechanical pathways.

Maybe you’re driving home after a long day at work. You’re low on energy, nothing’s prepped at home, and the idea of cooking feels exhausting. You pass five fast food outlets, and suddenly, grabbing something convenient on the way home feels far easier than having to decide what to eat.

These are all examples of our food environments. Even if you have the best intentions, when nutritious options aren’t easy to access, afford, or aren’t relevant for your personal dietary requirements, it’s no surprise that convenience often wins.

A recent systems-thinking study by Wood et al. (2025) highlights how ultra-processed foods (UPFs) dominate the food environments we live, work and study in. Compounding this, Baker et al. (2020) also explains that these foods have become more visible, affordable, and accessible than ever. 

UFPs aren’t inherently bad, but their constant presence in vending machines, checkout lines, petrol stations, and food courts can often make them the default choice. Over time, this consistent exposure can influence our habits, making it harder to choose whole foods and home-prepared meals, even when we have the desire to do so.

Recognising this context is helpful because it highlights that making healthy nutrition choices isn’t just about willpower. Instead, by understanding our food environments, and how they impact our dietary habits allows us to make more intentional choices, and build strategies that are practical in our everyday lives, not just in theory. 

One of the most powerful tools in building those everyday strategies is strengthening our food literacy. Dr. Helen Vidgen, a public health dietitian and a leading researcher in the food literacy space, defines it as “the capacity to access, understand, and use information to make decisions around food” (Vidgen & Gallegos, 2014).

But food literacy goes beyond just knowing what’s “healthy.” It includes the confidence and skills to plan, select, prepare, and eat food in a way that works with your lifestyle and values. Further studies reinforce that food literacy is shaped by our social, cultural, and environmental contexts, meaning it can empower us to navigate real-world barriers like time pressure, cost, or limited access (Amouzandeh, Fingland & Vidgen, 2019; Manna, Vidgen & Gallegos, 2024).

Further supporting this, Burton et al. (2017) surveyed over 1,000 Australian adults and found that those with higher self-reported confidence in everyday food skills, like planning meals, choosing ingredients, and cooking, were more likely to have nutritious diets and feel satisfied with their eating habits. Notably, this confidence wasn’t tied to how much time people had, but rather their belief in their own ability to make aligned nutrition decisions in their lives.

Put simply, food literacy is the skill that helps you navigate food choices in your everyday life.

It’s knowing how to throw together a quick, satisfying meal that fits your schedule, preferences, and energy. It’s being able to adapt when things don’t go to plan. And it’s knowing that you don’t need to overhaul your whole life to make a meaningful difference.

You might be wondering, “Faith, I came here for a recipe, why are we talking about food literacy and food environments?” I love sharing recipes. But I’m also passionate about helping you build the nutrition knowledge and confidence to feel more in control of your food choices, no matter what life throws at you. Understanding the influence of food environments helps explain why healthy eating isn’t always easy, even with the best intentions. And when we pair that awareness with building our food literacy skills, we can start making choices that feel more aligned with our goals, lifestyle, and values, even in less-than-ideal situations.
‍
With all that being said, having a few lazy-girl style recipes in your rotation is more than just a time-saver, it’s a practical way to exercise food literacy in your everyday life. When your food environment throws curveballs (like needing to stay back at work and suddenly having no time to cook), these simple, flexible meals help you nourish yourself without needing a perfect plan, and give you something reliable to fall back on, even when your day doesn’t go to plan.

So I hope you love this recipe. It's quick, versatile, high in protein, packed with veggies, and doesn’t require a whole Sunday in the kitchen (yay!). You can prep the base ahead and turn it into multiple meals across the week, whether you’re craving wraps, bowls, sandwiches or something warm and filling like a loaded potato salad.

Ingredients

• 500g diced chicken breast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 celery stalks (chopped)
• 4 cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1 capsicum (diced)
• a big handful of spinach and rocket mix
• 2 stalks of coriander (chopped)
• ½ cup pickled onion (diced)
• juice of ½ lemon
• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• extra chilli flakes or pepper if desired.

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper for easy cleanup.
• Prep and bake the chicken: In a bowl, toss the diced chicken breast with olive oil, chilli powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on the tray and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Let it cool slightly once done.
• Chop the fresh ingredients: While the chicken cooks, wash and chop the celery, capsicum, cherry tomatoes, and coriander. Rinse and dry the spinach and rocket mix to remove any excess moisture.
• Make the mix: In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped vegetables with the pickled onion, lemon juice, Greek yoghurt, and parmesan cheese. Mix until coated and creamy.
• Add the chicken: Gently fold the cooked chicken into the veggie mixture. Taste and adjust with extra pepper or chilli flakes if you like more heat.
• Serve it 5 ways, choose your own adventure!

Wrap it in whole grain wrap or tortillas for a quick lunch
Sandwich it between two slices of your favourite bread
Toss it with boiled or roasted baby potatoes for a loaded potato salad
Stuff it into pita pockets for an on-the-go option
Spoon it over cooked quinoa for a balanced nourish bowl
Storage tip: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Avoid leaving the mix out for more than 2 hours to maintain food safety and freshness.

If you're after another easy, protein-packed lunch idea, these Turkey Lettice Wraps are fresh, delicious, and perfect for busy days -check them out here!

PS! Let us know if you give this a go I’d love to see your creations! Tag us at @premiumpilatesandfitness & @faithdietitian to share your masterpiece. Your version might just inspire someone else’s next meal!

References

Ducrot, P., Méjean, C., Aroumougame, V., Ibanez, G., Allès, B., Kesse-Guyot, E., ... & Péneau, S. (2017). Meal planning is associated with food variety, diet quality and body weight status in a large sample of French adults. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 14, 1-12.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5288891/pdf/12966_2017_Article_461.pdf

Wood, B., Garton, K., Milsom, P., Baker, P., Anastasiou, K., Clark, J., ... & Sacks, G. (2025). Using a systems thinking approach to map the global rise of ultra‐processed foods in population diets. Obesity Reviews, 26(4), e13877.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.13877

Baker, P., Machado, P., Santos, T., Sievert, K., Backholer, K., Hadjikakou, M., ... & Lawrence, M. (2020). Ultra‐processed foods and the nutrition transition: Global, regional and national trends, food systems transformations and political economy drivers. Obesity Reviews, 21(12), e13126.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.13877

Vidgen, H., & Gallegos, D. (2014). Defining food literacy and its components. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019566631400018X

Burton, M., Reid, M., Worsley, A., & Mavondo, F. (2017). Food skills, confidence and household gatekeepers' dietary practices. Appetite, 108, 183-190. 

Amouzandeh, C., Fingland, D., & Vidgen, H. A. (2019). A scoping review of the validity, reliability and conceptual alignment of food literacy measures for adults. Nutrients, 11(4), 801.

Manna, A., Vidgen, H., & Gallegos, D. (2024). Examining the effectiveness of food literacy interventions in improving food literacy behavior and healthy eating among adults belonging to different socioeconomic groups-a systematic scoping review. Systematic reviews, 13(1), 221.