Meal Prepping is a godsend for both your wallet and your waistline. Planning your meals ahead helps to ensure you don’t waste food or eat a lot of fat and sugar. When I don’t meal prep, I am much more inclined to order a pizza or heat up some unhealthy frozen meal, especially after a long day at work, where the last thing I want to do is get in the kitchen and make a nutritious meal.
When you first start out with meal prep, you might be a little overwhelmed. However, it is actually very easy once you get into the flow of things.
I have collected some healthy and nutritious meal prep ideas to get you started, along with some great tips and tricks for getting started the right way
How To Meal Prep For An Entire Week
Meal Prep Tip #1: Plan
First and foremost, you need to set a plan. When you are getting started, I recommend you just focus on one meal a day, say a week full of lunches. If you plan your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks from day one, you might overwhelm yourself.
To start a healthy meal prep you want to take it day-by-day.
Once you get the hang of planning that one meal, you can start meal-prepping another. Also, you should only be doing one or two recipes in the beginning. Don’t try to come up with seven different dinners on Sunday afternoon.
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Meal Prep Tip # 2: Check Your Inventory
Check your inventory and shop smart. Once you know what you want to eat for the week, look through the recipes and check off the items you already have. Make a list of what you’re missing and head to the grocery store.
You’d be surprised to find you probably have a lot of ingredients on hand for your meal prep recipes.
You should never go to the grocery store without a list of items you need. You’ll end up buying whatever looks good and it’ll most likely go bad before you get around to eating it.
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Meal Prep Tip #3: Get equipped
You can buy meal prep containers or even a couple of mason jars. Mason jars are great because they’re microwave safe (just remove the lid!) and oh-so-pretty! Maybe I shouldn’t make decisions simply because something is aesthetic, but I just love how they look!
Especially with salad, showing the variety of color, makes me feel so healthy and like I have my life together. if you decide to use a mason jar for your salad, simply put the dressing in the bottom and all the leafy greens at the top so it doesn’t get soggy (and gross).
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Meal Prep Tip #4: Cook In Bulk
Learn to make larger batches of your favorite meals, especially the ones that freeze well. For example, whenever I make soup, I always double the recipe. Soup can last forever in the freezer!
Also, get in the habit of prepping ingredients that go well with many different dishes. For example, I cook a lot of quinoa and keep it handy. Also, wash and prep multiple types of veggies to just toss in as a side dish or with pasta.
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Meal Prep Tip #5: Dedicate One Afternoon
I know sometimes you just want to get in and out of the kitchen, but take your time with meal prepping! Put some music on, pour yourself a glass of wine, and take the time to enjoy yourself.
It’s only one afternoon per week and you’ll be far less likely to pick up a quesadilla on your drive home from work if you have quinoa and veggies waiting for you.
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Meal Prep Tip #6: Multi-task
Once you get the hang of things, you’ll have a lot of fun channeling your inner chef! Cook some eggs while the oven preheats and the soup simmers.
Take full advantage of your oven, while baking some tofu, also toss in those sweet potatoes and carrots for future salads. Just make sure you have multiple kitchen timers ready to keep track of everything.
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Easy Meal Prep Ideas For Beginners
These are some of my favorite meal preps that are easy and delicious. I have included a variety of lunch and dinners for you to choose from and experiment with.
If you are interested in Meal-Prep Ideas For Breakfast, check out this post for 17 Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes.
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Falafel Hummus and Salad
Total Time: 30 Minutes
A great lunch option, especially if you’re vegetarian or simply trying to cut down on meat. This recipe also includes making your own hummus, but I personally buy the pre-made ones at the store and just worry about making the falafel. Get the recipe here.
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Chickpea Salad
Total Time: 50 Minutes
Great-for-you ingredients and packed with flavor, you’ll love this chickpea salad. I make salads in bulk and then have them throughout the week for lunch or as a side-dish. Get the recipe here.
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Pesto Zucchini Noodles
Total Time: 25 Minutes
I have an obsession with my spiralizer and love looking up healthy, low carb recipes to make along with it. This one is easy and full of flavor. Get the recipe here.
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Fajita Bowls with Cauliflower Rice
Total Time: 35 Minutes
A great, low-carb option for a fajita rice bowl. Kirbie even uses lean ground meat to make it even healthier (vs. traditional steak fajitas). Get the recipe here.
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Vegan Avocado Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl
Total Time: 40 minutes
This is a completely customizable meal depending on what you have on hand. I absolutely love buddha bowls (and anything that has a variety of color). Get the recipe here.
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Honey Sriracha Glazed Meatballs
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Make these meatballs in bulk to just toss in with the veggies or quinoa for those lazy days (read meal prep tip #4). Get the recipe here.
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Chipotle Sweet Potato and Quinoa Bowls
Total Time: 40 Minutes
This has three of my favorite things JUST in the title. Chipotle + Sweet Potato + Quinoa = A Happy Me. Get the recipe here.
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5-Ingredient Eggwhite Frittata
Total Time: 40 Minutes
I make a Frittata at least once a month. It comes out so large, I always have enough for five or six meals. This one is with egg whites so it’s even healthier. Get the recipe here.
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Lentil Balls with Zesty Rice
Total Time: 35 Minutes
When it comes to healthy meal prep ideas, lentil balls take the cake.
Make a couple dozen of these bad boys Sunday afternoon and have them ready to go for the week. Eat them in a pita like a sandwich with hummus or with rice as a bowl.
Get the recipe here.
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Curried Chickpea Bowls with Garlicky Spinach
Total Time: 30 Minutes
This curried chickpea recipe is in my arsenal of easy meal prep meals.
I make it almost every other weekend in bulk to always have on hand throughout the week.
Get the recipe here.
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Easy Chicken Burrito Bowls
A burrito bowl is a classic lunch meal prep idea because of how simple and quick it is to put together.
Get the recipe here
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Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chowder
Total Time: 30 Minute
Perhaps you don’t think of chowder when you think of meal prep lunch ideas (I know I don’t), but this one is so good, you’ll want to have it every other day.
Make it and thank me later.
Get the recipe here.
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One-Pot Mediterranean Quinoa with Spinach and Chickpeas
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Quinoa is one of those things (like rice) you can make in bulk and have ready for the entire workweek.
Get the recipe here.
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Fresh and Easy Green Lentil Salad
Total Time: 40 Minutes
I’ve never been good with lentils. I have problems making it just right, but this recipe takes all the guess work out of it.
Get the recipe here.
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Easy Pasta e Fagioli
Total Time: 50 Minutes
This is the perfect, healthy macaroni meal prep.
Whenever I’m trying to be ‘healthy’ but am craving carbs, this is my go-to.
Get the recipe here
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Have you tried any of these easy meal prep ideas? Let me know in the comments which are your favorites!
