How to Meal Prep

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Want to learn how to meal prep healthy recipes but don’t know where to start? I get it, the whole idea can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be with this helpful meal prep guide. Learn how it can help you save time, money, and sanity because waiting until 5 p.m. to decide what’s for dinner every night is exhausting. Plus, you’ll find 55 easy and healthy meal prep recipes you can make today to set yourself up for success tomorrow!

If you’re just getting started or looking for some basic meal prepping for beginners information, you’ve come to the right place. This meal prep guide will cover the basics of meal prep that you can make for multiple meals, along with some complete easy meal prep recipes.

What is Meal Prep?

If meal planning is sketching out and then shopping for a week’s worth of dinners, meal prepping takes that situation further. Meal prep is making those planned meals (or parts of them) ahead of time so you hit the kitchen running at mealtime. However, it’s important that you keep these things in mind:

• There is no one type: Prepping can range from light, depending on your needs and how much time you have. Light meal prep may involve simply washing and tearing up lettuce for your nightly salad or chopping onions, celery, and garlic to streamline soup-making. On the other hand, heavy meal prep could mean cooking and freezing entire dishes like lasagna, meatballs, or soup, which can be thawed and reheated on busy days.
• All-inclusive or a la carte? You can meal prep for seven dinners a week or cook dishes for the nights you know you have no time to spend in the kitchen. For example, if you have a packed schedule on certain days, you might prepare complete freezer meals for those evenings while leaving other nights open for fresh cooking. The key in successful meal prepping recipes is to find a balance that works for your schedule and your family!
• Breakfast and lunch included: Prepping isn’t just for dinner. Take that same concept and apply it to breakfast or lunches. Consider making a big batch of overnight oats or big frittata for the week. We all know breakfasts can often be the hardest meal of the day because of the morning rush (if that’s you, you will love my easy ideas for everyday breakfast). You can also pre-pack school lunches or work meals such as power bowls or wraps.

Tips for Meal Prepping Recipes

1. Ramp up slowly. Start small by prepping a few ingredients or one or two meals a week. One easy way to begin is by washing and chopping or portioning all your fresh produce as soon as you return from the store or farmer’s market.
2. Consider doubling up. An easy way to meal prep recipes is to double the batch of a freezer-friendly recipe. Make one for tonight and freeze one for later. It doesn’t take much more effort and you can pull them out as needed for quick, no-prep meals on busy days.
3. Be mindful of how long various foods keep in the fridge. So your efforts don’t go to waste with food thrown away, use fragile foods first, like leafy greens and berries, and save the hardier veggies, like squashes and root vegetables, for later.
4. Label and date your food. Colorful painter’s tape and a Sharpie marker are great for labeling containers. This helps keep track of food and is especially helpful if you’re freezing items.
5. Keep a pantry full of your most-used non-perishables. Items like rice, grains, pasta, canned tomatoes, and beans, as well as a well-stocked spice cabinet, are essential for quick and versatile meals.
6. Be flexible. If you’re out of a particular ingredient, swap in something similar. Out of rice for your chicken taco bowl? No worries – use quinoa instead. Similarly, kidney beans make a great swap for black beans. Simple substitutions keep meal prep stress-free and exciting.

Best Meal Prep Containers

• Glass Bento Boxes: Portion out ingredients (like cooked beans) you will use throughout the week. Or divide a large recipe like sheet pan chicken fajitas into single servings and have your work lunches prepped to go for the week.
• Single or Double Compartment Plastic Containers: These are great for grab-and-go meal prepped portions of veggies for school lunches and snacking or overnight oats.
• Half-Pint Mason Jars: These are good for preparing snacks like chia pudding, homemade yogurt, or 2-ingredient chia jello. You can also use them to store batch-cooked foods such as spaghetti sauce, marinara sauce, or muesli. You can also use the quart-size jars to pack salads for lunch or work.
• Silicone Bags: Multiple-use freezer bags can be used for portions of big batches of cooking as well as freezing pre-cut veggies for later use. I love using them for freezing bananas and avocados for easy morning smoothies.
• Fridge Storage Containers: These containers are clear like glass so you can always see what’s inside, but are light and easy to carry. They’re stain and odor resistant and completely leak proof. I use them to store prepared fruits and vegetables mostly.

How to Plan Out Your Meal Prep

• Analyze your days and weeks. What meals and/or days do you need help with? Is it Tuesday nights when your kid has late soccer practice or the junk food you routinely grab for lunch? Take an honest look at your week and see where some meal prep would be the most helpful.
• Know yourself (and others in your house). Do you happily eat leftovers three days in a row? Then make a big lasagna and have at it. Or is variety important to you? Then, go with smaller batches or try using one chicken in multiple ways as shown in my post on chicken meal prep.
• Take stock in your pantry, fridge, and spice cabinet. Go through your cupboards and fridge and take stock. What needs to be used up? What do you need to buy? Incorporate using up items you already have to eliminate food waste.
• Choose dishes that share ingredients. Make the most of a week’s worth of grocery shopping by using one ingredient in multiple ways. A bag of carrots can be cut up for school lunches and go into stew. Spinach is salad one day and a tasty addition to a pasta dish or smoothie the next.
• Shop smart: Now you are ready to make a comprehensive grocery list to minimize time running to the store. A well-thought-out grocery list saves time and energy so when it’s time to prep, you’ll have everything you need.

Best Meal Prep Recipes

Whether you’re looking for chicken meal prep recipes or individual components that make your busy weekdays just a tad easier, these meal prepping recipes will be a game changer. With many different types of meal prep, you have the freedom to lean into what works best for you. If all you have time for is a batch of salad vinaigrette, chopped veggies for the stew, or Instant Pot shredded chicken, then just do that! On the other hand, if you’re feeling adventurous enough to make ready-to-heat or freezer-friendly meals, there are plenty of tasty options to try out. No matter the level of commitment or time available, you’ll find everything you need in this collection of healthy meal prep recipes to simplify your week so your future self will thank you.

Meal Prep Condiments and Staples

Having the right condiments and food staples on hand is essential to successful meal prepping. While you can easily purchase these items at the grocery store, if you have a little extra time on the weekend and want to get ahead, these healthy and easy meal prep recipes are worth it. Many of these recipes take just 5 minutes but will pay off significantly during busy weeknights.

Fresh Ingredient Prep

Preparing fresh ingredients for your weekly meals is an effortless way to save time and have options ready during meal time. Prep regularly used produce like carrot sticks or celery for lunch boxes or salad greens for dinner. Alternatively, you can prepare a week’s worth of diced onions or minced garlic or chop all the vegetables you’ll use during the week. Do all the fresh ingredient prep on the weekend to set yourself up for success. Trust me, it is a game changer for stress-free dinners during the busy week.

Cooked Ingredient Prep

Die-hard meal preppers lean hard into this. Make a large amount of protein like roast chicken, flank steak, or beans and use it creatively in different dishes for days. For example, a roast chicken can be shredded and repurposed into meals like chicken pot pie, chicken enchiladas, or a hearty chicken salad. To maximize this versatility, you may want to consider keeping the seasonings minimal to complement multiple cuisines and allow the freedom to dress them up later to fit a specific dish.

Meal Prepping for Beginners

Beyond the condiments, chopped veggies, and cooked proteins, you can also start with simple yet complete meals to focus on each week. Consider dishes like grain bowls, where you can mix and match a base of hearty grain and a variety of toppings like fresh or roasted vegetables and your choice of protein. Another foolproof option is stews or soups that can be made in large batches and portioned out for quick meals throughout the week. Check out some of my favorite options for meal prep lunch recipes that can be enjoyed any time of the day.

Freezer Meals and Components

Kick it old school with the timeless method of big-batch cooking. All those recipes that say freeze well – now is their time to shine. It is the perfect opportunity to double these recipes and freeze half for later. Dishes like spaghetti, quiches, soups, and stews are excellent choices, as they maintain their flavor and texture for freezing. And if you’re not into making complete freezer meals, consider freezing essential building block ingredients like chicken breasts, spaghetti sauce, or cooked grains. This way, you’ll have key components ready to go, making it even easier to assemble quick meals during busy weekdays.

Frequently Asked Questions

For more similar roundup of recipes, be sure to check out: Easy and Delicious 30-Minute Meals, Recipes to Make With Ground Beef, Easy and Healthy Muffin Recipes, and Easy and Delicious Packed Lunch Ideas.

If you found this recipe roundup for Meal Prep Recipes helpful or if you try any recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipes! It helps others who are thinking of trying out this tutorial and we would love to hear about your experience. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!