Want to try out meal prepping but don’t know where to start? Well, you’re in luck! In this article, we’ll be discussing healthy meal prep ideas that will make your life a lot better.
But first, what is meal prepping? Meal prepping is an easier and cheaper way of eating. With it, you don’t only save time in the kitchen, but you also won’t break the bank by eating healthily. Prepping your own meals also allows you to customize your portion sizes, helping you reach your weight and nutrition goals faster.
How Do I Meal Prep?
Most get discouraged when they hear about meal prepping. They think that prepping involves spending a lot of time cooking batched meals. But you don’t have to spend your lazy Sundays whipping out batches of different meals for the week. There are a lot of other ways to prep your meals without hanging around in the kitchen the whole day. You can do this through:
Make-ahead meals
As its name suggests, these are full meals you can make ahead of time. You just have to refrigerate it until you need it then reheat it at mealtimes.
Batch-cooked meals
This is the most famous way of meal prepping. You get to prep meals in large batches of recipes, split them into individual portions, and freeze ‘em. While you can refrigerate some, you should freeze the others that won’t be eaten in the next five days.
Individually-portioned meals
If you’re looking to have fresher meals with little time, you can prepare individually-portioned meals. These are usually made less than a week ahead of time so you can just grab ‘em and go.
Prepped ingredients
Have a little bit more time but still can’t afford to prep and make full meals in the kitchen? By prepping ingredients beforehand, you can cut down more time compared to fully preparing and cooking a meal.
Benefits of Meal Prepping
The best thing about meal prepping is that you have total control of everything. You can portion your food depending on your nutrition and weight goals, and prep meals depending on your schedule. Most importantly, you can use recipes that fit your meal preference while still providing your body with the nutrition it needs.
You can even control the containers you can use for meal prepping. Not only are they convenient and save tons of space, but they also help your food taste a lot better. It also helps in cooking, storing, and reheating your food. More nutrients can be retained and the risk of food poisoning will significantly lessen.
Now that you know the different ways of meal prepping, you’ll finally get to enjoy these healthy meal prep ideas.
17 Healthy Meal Prep Ideas To Simplify Your Life
PB&J’ed Overnight Oats
We start the day with breakfast, so we’ll start this list with a breakfast meal prep idea! Overnight oats usually use rolled oats, chia seeds, and other healthy toppings like raspberries and strawberries. For this breakfast meal to be PB&J’ed, you’ll need peanut butter and strawberry jam.
DIY Chia Pudding
Chia Puddings are famous breakfast meals and there’s no reason not to prep ‘em. The main ingredients of this breakfast are chia seeds, almond milk, and maple syrup. You can customize your chia pudding by adding the toppings of your choice.
Greek Couscous Salad
Salads are the easiest meal to prep! With just chickpeas, couscous, feta, and veggies like bell peppers and tomatoes, you can easily whip up this Greek Couscous Salad. Not only is this meal quick and easy, but it’s very cheap to make too.
Mix ‘N’ Match Egg Muffins
There are a lot of egg muffin variations out there but for this one, you will need eggs, bacon, veggies like onion, bell pepper, and spinach, seasonings like paprika, and mozzarella cheese. This meal is one of the best grab-and-go breakfasts out there.
Hearty Lentil Soup
This filling and hearty lentil soup use lentils, diced canned tomatoes and vegetable broth for the soup, garlic, onion, and veggies like carrots and potatoes. This large and flavorful meal will definitely satisfy your appetite.
Healthy Tuna Pasta Salad
Pasta salads are the perfect balanced meal. You have pasta for the carbs, meat (canned tuna in this case) for protein, and veggies like celery, cucumber, and tomatoes. No matter what time of the day it is, this healthy tuna pasta salad will definitely give you the energy you need.
Chick ‘N’ Veggie Fried Rice
Fried rice is the perfect prepped meal. You can add or remove ingredients so you won’t have to eat the same meals in a row. Rice (it’s better if it’s leftover!) and veggies like carrots, frozen peas, and green onions make up most fried rice recipes. Adding chicken will take your fried rice to a whole new level!
Avocado Hummus in a Jar
You can also meal prep snacks and dips! For a quick snack, you just have to blend chickpeas, tahini, avocados, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and water. Serve the dip with antipasto, veggie sticks, and crackers to feel satisfied between heavy meals!
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Another one of our healthy meal prep ideas is this Chicken Pesto Pasta. It uses chicken breast, your pasta of choice, pesto, and tomatoes. This quick and cheap meal will definitely give you the fuel you will need for the day!
Veggie Breakfast Quesadilla
Who said that quesadillas aren’t for breakfast? This veggie breakfast quesadilla, much like a breakfast burrito, has veggies like onions, green pepper, and mushrooms. Lots of cheddar cheese will add that tasty and salty flavor! These are all wrapped in flour tortillas for a mess-free meal.
Trail Mix Bars
Trail mixes are great lightweight and nutritious snacks that will give you that quick energy boost you need. You can shape a mixture of oats, maple syrup, peanut butter, nuts, raisins, and hemp seeds into bars to grab and go.
DIY Deviled Eggs
Looking for a quick-and-easy but heavy and satisfying lunch? Eggs are the solution! There are lots of ways to prep these naughty little things and one of them is deviled eggs. To create basic deviled eggs, you will need mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and spices added to the yolk of hard-boiled eggs. You can even add your own ingredients to add your own twist!
Chicken Fajitas Fiesta
This recipe calls for chicken breasts, seasoning and spices like cumin and red pepper flakes, veggies of your choice, and tortillas for your carbs. You will definitely have a blast enjoying this flavorful fiesta of Chicken Fajitas!
Cinnamon Vanilla Granola
This Cinnamon Vanilla Granola recipe is another one of our healthy meal prep ideas that you can do! You can use oatmeal, chia and flax seeds, almonds, cinnamon, and fruits like goji berries and cranberries and pack them into jars for the perfect nutritious but fun snack.
Veggie Chili
This protein-packed vegan chili uses three kinds of beans: pinto, black beans, and kidney beans! To make the chili, you will also need veggies like peppers, carrots, jalapenos and tomato paste. For a more balanced meal, you can also serve the meal with rice and tortilla chips.
The Ultimate Chicken Salad
Chicken breasts, veggies like celery and onion, almonds, and herbs and spices like parsley and tarragon are only some of the tasty ingredients this recipe has. Throw it all into a bowl and you will have the ultimate chicken salad you can enjoy!
Peanut Butter Protein Balls
We end this list with a recipe you can enjoy at any time. Whether this protein-packed recipe is for breakfast, snack, or dessert, it will give you the much-needed boost you deserve! You can use oats, shredded coconut, chia and flax seeds, cinnamon, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and milk.
Meal Prepping as Your Lifesaver
Meal prepping doesn’t have to be hard and complicated. You can customize your meals to your body’s needs. Once you find the best way that will work for you, it’ll help you make life a lot easier. And if ever you’re in need of healthy meal prep ideas that will simplify your life, this article will come to the rescue!
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