If you’re looking for the best meal prep recipes, you’re in the right place! Meal prepping is a great way to save time, money, and eat healthier. Whether you’re a busy parent or a college student on a budget, meal prep can benefit anyone who wants to have delicious and nutritious meals ready to go.
What is Meal Prep?
Meal prep is the process of preparing meals in advance, usually for the week ahead. This means cooking large batches of food and dividing them into individual portions for easy storage and reheating. It’s a great way to plan your meals for the week, ensuring that you have healthy options available when you need them.
Meal prepping can be as simple as preparing vegetables ahead of time before cooking, or as complex as making entire meals for the week.It all depends on your preferences and time constraints. But no matter how you do it, meal prep can save you time and stress in the long run.
What Makes a Good Meal Prep Recipe?
A good meal prep recipe is one that will stay in the fridge of the freezer for more than a day. It should also be nutritious, tasty and easy to make. But what are the qualities that make a meal prep recipe truly great?
1. Versatility
A good meal prep recipe is one that can be used in different ways. This means it can be eaten as a standalone dish or used as an ingredient in other recipes. For example, a simple grilled chicken can be used in a salad, sandwich or pasta dish. The goal is to cook once and be able to use it in multiple dishes.
2. Balanced Nutrition
A great meal prep recipe should provide balanced nutrition with a good balance of protein, healthy fats, complex carbs, and micronutrients from fruits and vegetables.
3. Easy and Quick to Prepare
One of the main reasons people turn to meal prep is for convenience, so it is essential that the recipes are easy and quick to prepare. Look for recipes with simple instructions and minimal ingredients. This will save you time and make meal time less stressful!
4. Freezer-Friendly
A good meal prep recipe should be freezer-friendly, meaning it can be stored in the freezer for longer periods without losing its flavor or texture. This is especially useful for those busy days when you don’t have time to cook a fresh meal. Freezing individual portions of your meal prep recipes also allows for more variety throughout the week.
5. Budget-Friendly
Meal prep can help save money by reducing food waste, but it’s important to choose recipes that are budget-friendly in the first place. Look for recipes that use affordable ingredients and can be made in bulk to save even more money. Don’t make recipes that call for a lot of expensive ingredients, but instead look for recipes that are simple.
Meal Prep Tools
It’s important to have the right tools when you meal prep. Here are a few Amazon Affiliate links to the exact meal prep tools I use in my kitchen:
Breakfast Meal Prep Recipes
Looking for some easy breakfast recipes? Here are my favorite for meal prep:
- Meal Prep Eggs
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Egg Bites (Starbucks Copycat)
- Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
- Easy Homemade Bagels
- Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
Overnight Oat Recipes
- Banana Bread Overnight Oats
- Blueberry Overnight Oats
- Protein Overnight Oats
- Greek Yogurt Overnight Oats
Muffin Recipes
- Brown Sugar Muffins
- Banana Cinnamon Muffins
- Pumpkin Spice Muffins
- Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Banana Nut Muffins
- Banana Blueberry Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Pineapple Coconut Muffins
- Carrot Cake Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Egg and Chicken Sausage Meal Prep Muffins
Lunch Meal Prep Recipes
- Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Chicken Taco Cupcakes
- Southwest Quinoa Salad
- Bean and Rice Burritos
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Ham and Cheese Sliders
Dinner Meal Prep Recipes
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Turkey Meatloaf with Roasted Veggies and Potatoes
- Mini Caprese Pizzas
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
Resources
These resources are helpful articles on how to meal prep some of your favorite staples, like rice, quinoa and more.
