Are you struggling to find time to prepare meals every day because of your busy schedule?
If so, this post is here to help you find the time by providing you with plenty of easy meal prep ideas.
Most of us in this world are so busy with our work, especially in the mornings, that we’re always on the run to finish everything we have to do.
And because of this work ethic and other hectic matters in our lives, we hardly get any time to concentrate on ourselves and properly nourish our own bodies. We fail to truly notice what we’re eating and how we’re eating it.
To tell you the truth, many people don’t eat properly because it sounds a lot easier just to eat pre-packaged meals or fast food. We often don’t think we’ll have the time or energy to come up with delicious meal preps and do the shopping required for that. Unfortunately, this leads us to ignore our diets, one of the most important aspects of healthy living, and face a lot of avoidable health problems because of it.
But hereafter, you can steer clear of such unhealthy situations. Below, I’m going to share with you some easy and healthy meal prep ideas to help you take better care of yourself to manage both your work and personal lives while maintaining a naturally healthy body.
How to Get Started
1. Plan well
I believe in the phrase, “To make something successful, you should plan well.” Meal prepping is no exception to this.
It is important to plan the recipes you want to prepare before actually taking steps to prepare them. You’ll want to read your list thoroughly and make sure that you have all the tools and ingredients necessary to get the job done.
More importantly, when you plan ahead of time, you can also budget for the groceries you need and be adequately prepared for the expense.
So, to save yourself from less-than-ideal situations, plan well.
2. Know your purpose
It is a good idea to know what your biggest concerns are regarding meal prepping. Some people look for meal prep ideas to cope with a busy work schedule, some choose this method to save money or live healthier, and others have reasons that are entirely their own.
Knowing your purpose will be useful for making the best meal prep list for you because what you need could be different depending on your situation, and you’ll be more inclined to stick with it if your needs are being completely met.
3. Prepare only what is required
If you have made a realistic plan and are clear with your purpose, you are almost ready to start preparing recipes and putting your meal prep ideas to good use. You just need to think about one thing:
How much food do you need to prepare?
Making too many meals will be a waste of your energy, money, and time, and making too few will have you running back to your old habits in no time. The best balance seems to be to prepare only the meals that you will need for up to five days, or a week and no more.
Also, be sure that the food you prepared will sustain and remain edible for longer days. This way, you can avoid freezing meals for an extended period or potentially wasting food.
4. Learn a few tricks
You should try to learn some strategies and tricks while implementing your ideas for meal prep. It will make your work easier, and you’ll spend less time prepping, too.
For example, a great tip I learned: use glass containers to store meals instead of plastics. Certain spices and the chemicals in plastics can react to one another, leading to contaminated food, damaged containers, and harmful waste. Using glass is cleaner and more economical, as they need to be replaced less often than their plastic counterparts.
There are so many tricks out there that you can learn; just be sure to choose the most appropriate ones for you.
5. Choose the preps that fit you best
Obviously, there are scores of meal prep ideas available, but you should be picking the recipes that are well-suited to your needs. Consider your dietary concerns, try to limit your spending, and be conscious of the time you’ll need to dedicate toward each recipe.
Choose the meals that you can prepare easily and pick ingredients that won’t break your budget.
The Benefits of Meal Prep
1. You can follow a great diet
You can be fit and on a super diet when you strictly follow your healthy meal prep ideas. Most of the foods in my collection are so simple to prepare, and some foods you won’t even need to reheat.
You won’t need to worry about your tummy, and you can lead a good and wholesome foodie lifestyle without harming your body or metabolism.
2. You are saving time and money
You would prepare all of your meals ahead of time, saving you repeated cooking sessions, and you would be able to buy a lot of items in bulk due to pre-planning. This can save you a decent amount of money, and it would definitely keep you from spending a lot of time in the kitchen or at the store.
3. You can have dishes that are both tasty and healthy
When you are implementing meal prep ideas, you do not have to sacrifice taste for health and preparation speed. In fact, the best thing you can do to lead a restorative lifestyle without punishing your tongue is to prep healthy meals for yourself. Giving you a tension-free day and night.
4. There is no stress involved
Taking advantage of meal prep ideas will immediately reduce stress, and lift a ton of weight off your shoulders, especially on weekdays. You will not have to wait for your food; instead, it will be waiting for you.
Just don’t forget to take out your freezer meals in time to let them thaw completely before you reheat or consume them.
5. You can make other plans
Instead of struggling in your kitchen every day, you can concentrate on other plans and events that are essential to you.
You would have prepared your meals according to your schedule, leaving time for you to spend with your family or give more attention to your work.
To simplify your task of choosing recipes, I have collected 50 healthy and easy meal prep ideas in one place and categorized them into breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as by non-veg, vegetarian, and vegan styles. So, let’s see them.
BREAKFAST
NON-VEG
1. Mexican Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
This dish is extremely healthy and energizes your whole day.
Avocado, lime, spinach, tomatoes, and soft-boiled eggs give you an enormous source of protein, and it is an easy-peasy dish.
Found On: Simply Quinoa
2. Egg Added Hummus and Veggie Breakfast Bowl
You can prepare a hummus and veggie breakfast bowl in 30 minutes, and it is flavorful, with its spicy crushed peppers, sesame seeds, avocado, boiled eggs, and kale leaves. It is the perfect healthy meal prep idea to fill your tummy and energy levels, too.
Found On: Gimme Some Oven
3. Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Breakfast Bowl
If you want to have a keto or paleo-friendly recipe for your mornings, then this is the best choice for you. The hard-boiled eggs, bacon, asparagus, and greens will provide you with enough protein to keep you fit and enough good fat to keep you at a healthy weight. Include this dish in your diet plan if you want to maintain your body weight.
Found On: Meal Prep On Fleek
4. Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
The best dish to add to your meal prep list. With just 30 minutes in your kitchen, you can make a healthy, delicious, and freezer-friendly dish to have for your busiest mornings.
More than that, the flavorsome homemade sausage patties, American cheese, and perfectly cooked eggs stuffed between two English muffins give you a well-fed feeling.
Found On: Damn Delicious
5. Mediterranean-Spiced Yogurt and Egg Breakfast Skillet
A complete breakfast to ease off any morning tensions for the day ahead. Because this refreshing breakfast is loaded with highly nutritious ingredients like chickpeas, herbs, eggs, shallots, yogurt, and more, you’ll not only have a great start to your day but a delicious one as well.
More importantly, it’s low in fat, so you won’t need to be afraid of gaining weight partaking in this breakfast skillet.
Found On: Brewing Happiness
Vegetarian
6. Everyday Vegetable Confetti
A super easy dish to make! It needs only four ingredients yet, gives a wonderful and colorful look.
The best thing about this idea for healthy meal prep is that it can stay fresh for up to seven days, so you can prepare this salad on the weekend and have a full serving every day of the week to make your mornings go by smoothly.
Also, you can use it as a topper on other meals for some added flavor or texture and let nothing go to waste.
Found On: Project Meal Plan
7. Spicy Southern Hot Corn
Add this recipe to your list of meal preps, and enjoy your weekdays or weekends with a rich, creamy dish that’s hard to beat. The corn, peppers, cheese, hot sauce, and other ingredients will just make your mouth water. It’s one dish you won’t want to forget.
Found On: Peas And Crayons
8. Tofu Scramble
A perfect breakfast to start your day. The vegetables you use in this dish will give you enough strength and clarity to efficiently get through the day. It is an easy recipe to freeze and reheat, and it takes only 12 minutes to be prepared.
Found On: Two Peas And Their Pod
VEGAN
9. Vegan Oatmeal with Greek Yogurt
A 10-minute recipe to provide you with a high source of nutrients. It is rich in protein, and you have the option to make it a vegan or vegetarian dish to suit your preference.
Found On: Healthy Little Cravings
10. Raw and Vegan Carrot Cake Bites
Did you know that you can make a finished cake in just 10 minutes? And that it can be made with vegetables and good calories? If not, you might be surprised to have this dish.
Raw carrot cake is a quick and simple recipe that acts as a bite of energy to enrich your metabolism.
Found On: Simply Quinoa
11. Breakfast Porridge
It is a fabulous dish that is great for an AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) Diet and for boosting your natural immunities, making it a top choice among meal-prepping ideas. Ingredients like butternut, coconut, and ginger help in repairing damage to your intestines while also presenting you with an awesome taste.
Found On: Cotter Crunch
12. Buckwheat Bars with Sprouted Groats
Making this dish is a breeze. It will serve you a high level of proteins and healthy carbohydrates, which will fill your stomach and improve your immune system, too.
Found On: Healthy Little Cravings
13. Homemade Vegan Protein Bars
Rich in calories, carbohydrates, and proteins, this vegan bar enhances your nutritional value to help you run a busy schedule. Chickpeas, dried apricots, chia seeds, and other ingredients make your morning time healthier.
Plus, it’s gluten-free and nut-free!
Found On: Cotter Crunch
14. Banana Cream Pie Chia Pudding
A simple and superb vegan breakfast to begin your day.
This dish is delicious and rich in fiber and other nourishing elements. But the best part is that you can make it in just 10 minutes.
Found On: Choosing Chia
15. Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
Lemon poppy seed pancakes are easy to cook and are made with dairy-free milk, vegan yogurt, vanilla extract, maple syrup, poppy seeds, and lemon juice. There’s a lot you can enjoy about this great breakfast meal prep idea!
Found On: Wall Flower Kitchen
16). Pure Vegan Idli
As a pure vegan food, Idli gives you a full pack of necessary nutrients for your body. It is one of the most nutritious foods in South Asia.
Found On: Deembeam
Lunch
NON-VEG
17. Spicy Chicken and Sweet Potato Meal
It is a gift for chicken lovers to include this on their meal prep list. It is spicy and a really mouthwatering dish that you don’t want to miss.
Found On: Pinch Of Yum
18. Chopped Thai Chicken Salad with Skinny Peanut Dressing
This yummy recipe is perfect for meal prep and is loaded with things like peanut butter, garlic, chicken, chopped carrots, and greens. It gives you an excellent aroma and flavorful look, too. So, in just 20 minutes, you can have a hearty dish.
Found On: Little Spice Jar
19. Korean Beef Bowl
This delicious dish is full of thinly sliced marinated beef and vegetables, made perfectly when paired with brown rice. You can prepare this dish in large quantities and be stress-free about meal prep for most of the week.
Found On: Kirbie Cravings
20. Creamy Spinach Artichoke-Stuffed Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce
One of the tastiest ways to make salmon, this tempting and easy-to-prepare dish can be stored for up to 3 days. Since salmon is rich in iron and zinc, you can reduce many health problems with regular consumption.
Found On: Little Spice Jar
21). Low Carb Tuna Salad Lettuce Wrap
Tuna salad on romaine lettuce wraps, paired with a few fruits and veggies, is one of the best healthy recipes that can be easily prepared and doesn’t need to be reheated.
Found On: Project Meal Plan
22). Garlic Butter Shrimp and Rice
You should include this recipe in your meal prep list if you want to make something straightforward and delicious.
Since you can make this dish in an instant pot, you can definitely save a lot of your energy and time making it, and I can almost guarantee you will enjoy it.
Found On: Kitchen Atho Skins
23). Hot and Cold Turkey Tacos
An amazing solution to stop yourself from eating the same thing again and again. This is a dish that needs your creativity and, of course, is a very easy one to prepare.
Found On: Project Meal Plan
Vegetarian
24). Macaroni and Cheese
One of my favorite dishes since it is just so easy to prepare. This hearty dish is a quick recipe and will fill you up fast.
Found On: Kirbie Cravings
25). Vegetarian Quinoa Burrito Bowl
This healthy idea for a meal prep dish looks absolutely delicious and is packed with beans, corn, and avocado. And the good news is, you won’t be working hard in your kitchen because you can finish preparing this dish in less than 20 minutes.
Found On: Simply Quinoa
26). Grilled Zucchini Boats with Quinoa and Basil Vinaigrette
This spectacular and light meal is a gluten-free recipe and perfect for your lunch when you want to continue your day with a burst of energy.
Found On: Two Peas And Their Pod
27). Crispy Sesame Tofu with Zucchini Noodles
A scrumptious and appetizing dish that is low on carbs and rich in iron. This lunch is served with crispy sesame tofu, on a zucchini noodles bed, with an awesome peanut sauce. It is incredibly healthy, too.
Found On: My Food Story
VEGAN
28). Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Paprika Cashew Cream
This roasted cauliflower steak recipe is an easy and perfect vegetarian dish that contains vegetarian steaks.
The minced garlic, cashew cream, cherry tomatoes, pepper, and more make it aromatic and delicious.
Found On: Cotter Crunch
29). Farmers’ Market Pasta with Walnut Pesto
A great appetizer for vegan lovers and a simple and quick recipe that makes your mouth water. It’s also fully loaded with proteins, vitamins, and healthy carbohydrates, so you don’t need to be skeptical about its nutritional value.
Found On: Pinch Of Yum
30). Balsamic Olive Oil-Braised Green Beans
This low-cholesterol recipe is rich in calories.
It is a quick and healthy meal prep dish that features fresh green beans seasoned with thyme and braised with balsamic vinegar before being topped with toasted pine nuts. It has low carbs and is paleo-friendly!
Found On: Cotter Crunch
31). Thai Chickpea Mason Jar Salad
This freezer-friendly dish is chock-full of proteins, vitamins, potassium, and carbohydrates.
It looks gorgeous with its peanut dressing, quinoa, healthy vegetables, and honey-roasted peanut toppings. Not to mention that preparing this salad is a total snap.
Found On: Sweet Peas And Saffron
32). Cold Sesame Noodle Bowl
A healthy noodle recipe with delicious and nourishing ingredients like zucchini, carrots, chickpea, whole wheat pasta, spicy almond butter sauce, and more.
This plant-based vegan meal should definitely be on your meal prep idea list since you can store it for up to 4 days, and you can make it so easily.
Found On: Sweet Peas And Saffron
33). Chickpea Shawarma Salad
Opting for chickpeas instead of meat, this gluten-free, sugar-free, and easily customizable recipe can be prepared in just 20 minutes.
It is full of great flavor and also packed with highly nutritious ingredients.
Found On: Running On Real Food
34). Vegan Caesar Smashed Chickpea Sandwich
This oil-free and flavorsome vegan chickpea salad will give you enough healthy nutrients to keep you energetic until dinner.
This is a quick recipe that contains simple ingredients. Plus, you don’t need to put too much effort into preparing it, making this a great meal prep idea for a quick lunch.
Found On: The Vegan8
35). Spicy Chickpea Wrap with Spinach and Avocado
A super uncomplicated dish that you can finish making in 10 minutes. This plant-based meal is incredibly healthy and can be taken as your lunch or dinner.
Found On: Running On Real Food
Dinner
NON-VEG
36). Baked Lime Chicken Bowl
A healthy and delectable non-veg meal that needs a little time and more ingredients to prepare, but despite that, it would be a perfect addition to your meal prep list, if only to shake things up every once in a while.
Found On: Yummy Healthy Easy
37). 20-Minute Skinny Sriracha Shrimp and Broccoli
This flavorsome, tempting healthy meal can be prepared in 20 minutes, and the crispiness of this dish provides a taste that is both fresh and satisfying.
Found On: Baker By Nature
38). Grilled Chicken and Asparagus Pesto Pasta
Super easy and a recipe that requires only simple ingredients but gives a yummy taste with its special preparation style. It is low in cholesterol and high in proteins, which means you can have a healthy dinner without compromising taste.
You can serve it warm or cold, to your preference.
Found On: Recipe Runner
39). Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Garlic Shrimp
This gluten-free and low-carb recipe makes your dinner a light one but nutritious and packed with loads of well-seasoned veggies. You can make this dish with ease, and it certainly deserves a spot on your list of ideas for meal prep.
Found On: Down Shiftology
40). Skillet Ground Beef Stroganoff
This instant dish is a great one for weeknight dinners, and making it is a breeze.
Ground beef, mushrooms, onions, and other ingredients added in this recipe give you a delectable taste and a fantastic look.
Found On: Little Spice Jar
41). Asian Grilled Shrimp and Mango
A unique and easy recipe that won’t disappoint your tongue even though it uses very simple ingredients.
It’s also a great dish to make in a big batch, meaning you can have a fabulous and hearty dinner time with your family when you make this dish.
Found On: Taming Of The Spoon
VEGETARIAN
42). Cucumber and Avocado Sandwich
Include this recipe in your meal prep list to have a fresh, simple, tasty dinner that can serve as your lunch, too.
Found On: Two Peas And Their Pod
43). Skillet Vegetarian Enchiladas
An appetizing recipe to enjoy with your whole family.
Though you will require many ingredients to make this dish, you can finish cooking it in 30 minutes.
Found On: Two Peas And Their Pod
44). Grilled Italian Sausage and Peppers
A fresh-looking, spicy dish that will quickly become a favorite on your list of meal-prepping ideas! It is so easy to prepare and can serve as a perfect dinner for your whole family.
Found On: Two Peas And Their Pod
VEGAN
45). Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
It is a light yet creamy dinner recipe that is easy to prepare and makes your dinner time an exceedingly enjoyable one.
Found On: Well Vegan
46). Vegan Sloppy Joes
A delicious vegan recipe that you will really love adding to your dinner meal prep list. It will rock your taste buds with its sweet, tangy, and salty flavors.
It is also very healthy, and you can store it for up to 5 days.
Found On: Running On Real Food
47). Vegan Summer Squash Rigatoni
An instant recipe that tastes great and only needs a few ingredients. It is a light, spicy, and flavorsome dish that you would love to make weekly.
Found On: This Savory Vegan
48). Zucchini Noodle Spaghetti Salad
This vegan, gluten-free noodle salad contains loads of veggies and is a super easy one to prepare.
Found On: Eating Bird Food
49). Spaghetti Squash and Chickpea Sauté
This simple recipe can be prepared in 20 minutes, with spaghetti squash, chickpeas, crumbled feta, red onion, and more, to give you a light, inventive, and nutritious dish that is perfect for your dinner meal prep list.
Found On: Womans Day
50). Vegan Avocado Pesto Pasta
Making avocado pesto pasta is as simple as 1-2-3. By mixing hot-cooked pasta with pesto, an awesome and delicious meal can be just minutes away.
Found On: Deembeam
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