Who says eating healthy has to be difficult? With these 36 easy meal prep recipes, you’ll be covered for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There’s everything from stir fries to salmon to pancakes, plenty of ideas to keep you on track to meet your health goals!
Meal prep recipes are the talk of the town when it comes to being healthy and proactive with your foods. Watching what you eat doesn’t have to mean skimping on flavor and your favorite dishes. It may simply mean cutting back to smaller portions.
Meal prepping can help with that and also take the guessing game out of what to make for lunch or dinner on a whim. You’re less likely to make a stop at a fast food joint if you have a meal already waiting for you!
With these 36 easy meal prep recipes I have gathered for you, you are set for lunch, dinner, and some breakfasts for weeks to come. Another idea for prepping ahead is to plan freezer meals. These are great to make one time, meal prep them for later use and pull one out at a time when you are ready for it.
The easiest way to eating healthier is to plan in advance; with all these great meal prep recipes you’ll never get bored!
36 Easy Meal Prep Recipes
- Ginger Soy Glazed Chicken Bowls
- Honey Sriracha Glazed Meatballs
- Baked Lime Chicken Bowls
- Spiralized Pad Thai Meal Prep Bowls
- Shrimp Taco Bowls
- Overnight Oats Five Ways
- General Tso’s Chicken
- DIY Starbucks Protein Bistro Box
- Coconut Mango Chicken Bowls
What does it mean to meal prep?
Meal prep is a once or twice a week large batch preparation of meals to last for 4-5 days. Meal prep is a great way to save time because you only cook a few times a week as opposed to cooking every single day. It’s also a great way to eat healthier – you’ll be a lot less likely to hit the fast food drive through if you have a meal ready to go in the fridge. You’ll also save money because cooking in bulk tends to be cheaper, and it’s way less expensive than going to a restaurant for lunch.
- Meal Prep Almond Flour Pancakes
- Healthy Sausage and Veggie Bowls
- Meal Prep Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles
- Spicy Chicken and Sweet Potato Bowls
- Make Ahead Breakfast Bowls
- Freezer Breakfast Burritos
- Greek Chicken Bowls
- Breakfast Egg Muffins
- Beef and Broccoli Bowls
Where can I buy food prep containers?
I like to use reusable plastic containers as shown in the photos. They’re lightweight, inexpensive and hold plenty of food. I purchase these meal prep containers on Amazon. I also like to use the square plastic tupperware style containers that are sold in most grocery stores near the plastic bags and plastic wrap.
- Italian Chicken Bowls
- Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli
- Lemon Roasted Salmon with Sweet Potatoes
- Deli Style Protein Box
- Chicken Rice and Broccoli Bowls
- Falafel Hummus and Salad Boxes
- Cashew Chicken Bowls
- Pork Carnitas Bowls
- Meal Prep Protein Waffles
How long can I keep meals in the fridge?
I typically plan on making meals for 3-4 days during my meal prep sessions, depending upon the protein I’m using. If I’m using seafood, I never go more than 3 days, and sometimes just do 2 day’s worth. For chicken and beef, I prep for 3-4 days at a time. I keep certain components like sauces separate until I’m ready to eat so that the food doesn’t get soggy in the fridge.
- Meal Prep Salads
- Meal Prep Burrito Bowls (recipe below!)
- Buffalo Chicken Jar Salads
- Meal Prep Veggies and Dip
- Thai Peanut Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
- Asian Chicken Mason Jar Salads
- Chicken Salad Mason Jars
- Honey BBQ Salmon Bowls
- Roasted Chicken and Veggie Bowls
Can you freeze meal prep recipes?
Some meal prep recipes will freeze better than others. Proteins like chicken, turkey and beef will hold up well to freezing. Typically starches like pasta do not hold up well in the freezer as they’ll be mushy when thawed. Rice and potatoes are great candidates for the freezer. Many vegetables can be frozen, but veggies with a high water content, such as zucchini and lettuce, do not freeze well.
How to make meal prep burrito bowls
The first step to making these burrito bowls is marinating your chicken. The chicken gets marinated in a mixture of lime juice, olive oil and seasonings, then grilled to perfection. If you don’t want to fire up the grill, you can cook this chicken inside on a grill pan or in a regular skillet. The chicken is combined with cilantro lime rice, black beans, corn and fresh salsa to make an amazing meal that tastes like it came from a restaurant.
These meal prep burrito bowls are highly customizable. You can add more toppings like cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream or guacamole right before serving. You can also swap out the rice for quinoa or substitute brown rice instead of white rice. Sometimes I also add sauteed veggies like peppers and onions. The sky is the limit!
Meal Prep Burrito Bowls
Serves 4
For the chicken
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
For the cilantro lime rice
- 3 cups cooked rice, brown or white
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- the juice of one lime
- salt and pepper to taste
Remaining burrito bowl ingredients
- 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels, thawed from frozen or canned
- 1 cup fresh salsa
To prepare the marinade, pour the lime juice, olive oil and water into a large resealable bag. add the garlic, honey, salt, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder and chili powder. Seal the bag and shake to combine. Add the chicken to the bag of marinade, seal, then refrigerate. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Preheat a grill, grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes per side or until done. Chop the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.
Place the rice in a large bowl. Add the cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat the rice evenly.
Divide the rice between 4 meal prep containers. Arrange the chicken, corn, beans and salsa on top. Cover and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to heat and serve.
Kate says
This recipe is amazing! So quick and easy. I didn’t marinate my chicken ahead of time. Instead I simmered it in a pan on low heat with all the ingredients that the recipe called for. Fantastic!
Laura says
The recipes sound delicious! I’ve never meal-prepped before and am not sure how to begin. Do you have a book out, or do I print from this site?
Karla says
Hi, these look amazing. How many days can you keep them in the fridge? 😊
Sara says
Up to 4 days!
Mark says
are the nutrition facts based on 1 serving size?
Sara says
Yes they are!
the sweet FA says
I love your ideas, wondering if it could be eaten cold and if so what kind of grains would you switch the rice for. I am a flight attendant on the road no access to oven, use to eating my meals lukewarm anyways…
Sara says
I think you could eat this cold! Maybe try quinoa instead of rice as it’s less likely to dry out.
Kate Hoffman says
Would it be possible to bake the chicken instead of grilling or cooking on a skillet? And what should the temperature be and how long should i bake it
Sara says
You can bake it at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.
keiome says
Another thing to keep in mind is that when cooking chicken in the oven, or any item for that matter, any marinades will run off and burn to the pan a bit. I like to cook it at 350-375 and put down an oven-safe baking paper. Helps make sure the bottom of the chicken doesn’t overcook due to the marinades.
**Please DO NOT use just any old baking paper, some are not oven safe and will light on fire if left in the oven**
OMAR SARA says
Thanks for sharing these recipes
Alina says
Iit looks so yummy! I love the step-by-step instructions, making it an easy recipe to follow!
Olga says
What a great idea! Love this. I’m sure this is incredibly delicious!
Sandra says
making this tomorrow-do you heat the salsa or add after reheating your meal?
Sara says
I usually add the salsa at the end after the meal is heated!
Nikki says
Hi decided to try meal prepping for me and my husband on Sunday to help with weight loss. It’s just so convenient to stop at a drive-through all the time because we have such busy lives. Anyhow if I made this on a Sunday do you think it would be good in the freezer or should this only be refrigerated?
Sara says
I think you could freeze it although the rice would be a little softer after thawing!
keiome says
Personally, I prefer to keep all of the components in the fridge until it is time to use it, either in a storage container or ziploc. Then in the morning, I put the amount of rice I need in a $20 rice cooker I bought and leave it to do its thing. I do the meal prepping for my husband’s lunches weekly and I just run the rice cooker when I get up to make breakfast. You could also do this with a pot that has a lid. The rice just doesn’t keep that well after a couple of days, if you ask me. So maybe make 1-2 days worth of rice in a pot for better quality and freeze the other portions of the components you won’t use within 3-4 days – the USDA recommended duration for safely storing cooked chicken in the fridge.
Raymond Reynoso says
How do you make the rice?
Sara says
To cook rice, boil 1 1/2 cups of water and add 1 cup white rice and 1 teaspoon salt. Turn the heat down to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes, then serve.
keiome says
It would entirely depend on the rice’s instructions. Instant rices don’t recommend rinsing the rice before cooking, while regular rice might due to the starch. Depending on the rice, it might be a 1:1 race/water ratio or varied. Cooking time also varies by type. The instructions on the back will give you a guide to making their specific rice, though. This recipe calls for 3 cups of COOKED rice, so please check the back of the box to see how much rice and water you need to add to equal 3 cups of the finished product. To cook rice, it’s generally just water+rice in a pot *with a lid*, then use high heat to bring it to a boil, as soon as it comes to a boil, cut the heat down to low and let it simmer. Do not lift the lid until the directed time has passed. Season it (usually just salt and pepper), fluff it with a fork.
Mellisa Herlache says
Just made this! It’s delicious! Is the listed nutrition for one serving?
Sara says
Yes it is! That being said, it’s hard to calculate exactly how much marinade the chicken absorbs, so I’d say the calories listed are most likely an over estimate.
Sue says
Gonna do this today, thanks! Suggestion: we should avoid using plastic, especially single use plastic, when possible. We can marinade in a NY kind of pot, bowl or pan just as well. Now, time to get cooking 🙂
Sara says
I completely agree, the meal prep containers shown in my recipe are reusable!
Supriya Kutty says
These images are just wonderful all the dishes look so yummy and I will surely try some of these out as I want to make it for myself and husband thanks for the great share of information
Gladys Marron says
I tried this exactly how it tells you to and it came out amazing ! I made my own pico de gallo and once it is all mixed it tasted just like chipotle.
Sara says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Stephanie Dallaire says
This was absolutely delicious and easy to do! Thank you so much!
Laura says
You always post the best looking recipes right after I come back from the grocery store. 🙄 Putting this on the menu for two weeks from now.
Janessa says
The recipe does not call for chili powder but the instructions do-how much?
Sara says
I fixed the recipe, thank you so much for pointing that out!
Flora P. says
I have a question regarding the nutrition for the burrito bowl. It reads that there is 1g Fiber – is this true or a typo? I thought for sure that the black beans would pack a hearty fiber punch.
Thank you,
Flora
Sara says
I ran the numbers again and you’re right!!! Nutrition label has been updated.