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Spiced Chicken Thighs & Curry Zucchini: A Low-Carb Meal Prep You’ll Crave Every Week

Roasted zucchini slices on a pan for healthy weight loss meal preps from staten island health coach megan gaul

Why I Love This Recipe

Since losing 100 lbs, I’m now used to devoting some of my brain power every single week into making meals that help me feel great. When you’re achieving a calorie deficit, or even just aiming for your maintenance calories, you want to make everything count. That means you want your lunch to feel filling, look beautiful, and give you some joy too. So, every Saturday without fail, I’d sit down to find a recipe that was the perfect marriage of filling, beautiful, and joyful.

When you’re losing weight, you also want your healthy choices to be as easy as possible. Think about it. Most days, we’d rather have someone bring us a fully cooked and great-tasting lunch (hi, uber eats folks!), when compared with having to make something from scratch. This is especially true if you don’t feel like you’re a great cook. When all you can make are dry sandwiches and cut up veggies with ranch, you end up hating the idea of home-prepped lunches. So, having a filling, beautiful, and joyful lunch already made? That’s incredibly important to successful weight-loss over time.

My best solution was Sunday lunch prep. I created a habit of making 1 batch recipe every weekend without fail. I made sure it tasted good, and I ended up enjoying it all week. Goodbye, door-dash addiction!

This sheet-pan low-carb lunch prep is one of my favorites from my weight-loss era. It’s hella filling (with 29 g of protein), it’s beautiful (full of color from the zucchini and the spices), and of course it’s full of joy, because who doesn’t love this seasoning combo? Plus, when you make it in the summer, you don’t even have to heat it up! It’s great warm OR cold.

What Makes This a Great Meal Prep Option

Pulling a half-smashed sandwich and a grainy-tasting pear out of your workbag is one of the biggest tragedies of our modern work-lives. Plus, the longer the week goes on, the worse your pears get. You’ve got to be prepping something portable, sturdy, and lasting when it comes to lunch prep.

That’s why I’m obsessed with the hardy-seasoned-protein and gorgeous-roasted-veggie combo. When you pack these in a glass container, they’re not gonna get smashed in your bag. And when you roast your veggies, they stay flavorful all week. It’s dependably and predictably delicious.

It’s also pretty flexible. You can do pork tenderloin and roasted broccoli. Sheet-pan salmon with smashed baby potatoes. Turkey sausage and brussel sprouts. Chicken thighs and roasted butternut squash. The list goes on! And if you need to make it into a larger meal, you can pair it with a side of rice, or slap the protein on a beautiful hard roll or your favorite sandwich bread. It basically helps keep your lunch ideas fresh, even when you’re using the same prepped ingredients.

Is This a Low-Carb Recipe?

This meal has 29.4 g of protein, 10.6 g of fat, and just 8.1 g of carbs (2.8 of which are fiber). [Check out how I estimate the nutrition facts for my recipes here]. So for those of you sticking to a low carb diet you and aiming for about 20-50 g of carbs daily, this lunch will really work for you

I personally love carbs, and found them very helpful in my weight-loss and weight-maintenance. But I also found that many “low carb” meals that were also high in protein and fiber were super filling for me! So I gravitated towards making my lunches higher in protein and veggies, and reduced the low-fiber starches. That’s why this meal (chicken thighs and zucchini) is a great low-carb option!

Now that’s not to say you can’t slap this chicken on a sandwich, and go on your merry way. In fact, I’ve definitely done that a few times! It comes out to be a wonderful lunch as well.

IIngredient Spotlight: Jamaican Curry Powder

Jamaican curry powder is one of my favorite all-purpose seasonings! You know how a madras curry powder or a garam masala will have a pretty raw and strong taste unless you bloom it in oil or make sure the food has been cooking for a long time? I’ve found that Jamaican curry powder has a really mild and turmeric-forward flavor that’s incredibly good on foods that aren’t swimming in oil or cooked for hours. It doesn’t have that same raw taste. That’s why I often have it stocked in my house. It’s a lovely option for most veggies and most proteins.

If you don’t have it handy, the roasted zucchini is incredibly good with almost any seasoning blend. Pick one you really enjoy. Some folks love lemon pepper, other people swear by their cajun seasoning, and still others are obsessed with everything bagel seasoning or even za’atar. Experiment and see what works for your flavor-palate.

Tips for Juicy, Flavorful Chicken

Chicken Thighs are Your Best Friend
Chicken breast is wonderful. Yes, it’s low-fat. Yes, it’s only 120 calories per serving, whereas chicken thighs are 140 or 160 depending on the fat content. But here’s the thing. Chicken thighs STAY MOIST. Gone are the days where I suffer through rubbery overcooked chicken breast all week in the name of weight-loss. No, my friends. You’ve got to choose the dark meat that actually cooks up moist and flavorful, and stays that way all week.

Salt It Early
The recipe below mentions that you should season your chicken around the time you’re preheating your oven. But you can actually season it with kosher salt super early, even the night before! The longer the meat has salt on its surface, the more it can absorb the flavor (not just on its surface, but all throughout the meat.) And this keeps the meat moist as well. So, season your chicken nice and early. Just be sure to refrigerate the meat until about 30 minutes before you’re going to cook.

Use an instant read meat thermometer.
Having a digital, instant-read meat thermometer will help you lose weight. That’s right, I said it! The more enjoyable your prepped protein turns out, the more likely you will be to eat it (instead of ordering out or just snacking throughout the day). So, make sure you are equipped with this tool, and your homemade meals will be more delicious (therefore, you’ll be more likely to stick with them).

How to Get Roasted Zucchini That Isn’t Mushy

Zucchini can be a dream or a disaster, depending on how you roast it. If you’ve ever ended up with floppy, wet zucchini that’s more like a soggy sponge than a delicious roasted veg, I feel your pain. Luckily, a few tricks will totally change your game.

Don’t slice it too thin.
Thinner slices = faster cooking = mush. I like to cut my zucchini into thick slices so they still have a little bite after roasting. Aim for pieces that are at least 1/4 inch thick.

Give it room on the pan.
If you overcrowd your sheet pan, the zucchini will steam instead of roast. Spread it out in a single layer with space between pieces. Use two pans if you need to—your future self will thank you.

High heat is your friend.
Roast at 425°F to get those golden, caramelized edges without turning the zucchini to mush. You want the outside to get a little crispy while the inside stays tender but not limp.

Shortcut Ideas or Variations

If you’re short on time or ingredients, this recipe is super forgiving. I’ve made this a dozen different ways and it always hits the spot.

Swap the veggie.
Don’t have zucchini? No problem. Try broccoli, bell peppers, green beans, or even brussels sprouts. Just cut your veg to similar sizes so they roast evenly, and keep the seasoning simple.

Switch up the protein.
Boneless skinless chicken thighs are my go-to, but this works with bone-in chicken, turkey tenderloin, or even shrimp (just add them later in the roasting process). You could also use tofu if you’re going plant-based—just be sure to press it first for best texture.

Add carbs if you need more fuel.
Pair with a side of roasted potatoes, rice, farro, or even a warm pita if you’re not trying to keep things low-carb. It’s all about what your body needs that day. This meal plays well with others!

Use store-bought seasoning blends.
I love Jamaican curry powder, but if that’s not your thing, no worries. Use taco seasoning, shawarma spice, garlic herb, or anything else you love. Make it your own!

How Else Can I Support My Weight Loss Goal?

You can stay in my circle! My name is Megan Gaul. I’m an online wellness coach specializing in weight loss and food freedom. My 100-lb weight loss journey, which began in 2018 here in Staten Island, New York (I’ve been maintaining my healthy weight range since then), was the catalyst I needed to start my coaching career in 2021. I have a number of resources that can help you:

Grab your free Journey-Day-1 coaching call: Book Now
Attend live Meal Planning classes every week, taught by yours-truly (join free here)
Enroll in your 1-1 coaching program to get out of your negative cycle and actually lose weight for good: Learn More
Follow my Instagram for more recipes and strategies, and all about Messy Life after Losing 100 lbs (find me at @partake_foodie)

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Spiced Chicken Thighs and Curry Zucchini