75 Healthy Meal Prep Ideas You’ll Love (2024)

Meal prepping can save you precious time and money and help you eat healthier on an ongoing basis. But what should you make?!

“Think about meals you like to eat at restaurants and that others have made for you, then look for ways you can recreate them yourself,” suggests registered dietitian Elyse Homan, MS, RD, LD. “It can also help to choose themes like Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday and Fish Friday, which will help you narrow down your options.”

Whether you’re new to meal prepping or just looking for new ideas to invigorate your regular lineup, here are 75 healthy meal prep recipes to choose from. Happy prepping, and bon appétit!

Healthy meal prep recipes for breakfast

Breakfast is called the most important meal of the day, but too many people feel like they just don’t have time for it.

“Meal prep is a great way to be sure you have something on hand in the morning, which saves you the time and energy of whipping something up when you’re barely awake,” Homan says.

Here are a few of our favorite healthy breakfast meal prep ideas.

Smoothies, yogurt and more

Smoothies, overnight oats, chia seed pudding, yogurt parfaits … they’re all super-easy to make ahead of time and refrigerate for the week.

A quick word about smoothies, though: While you can freeze an entire smoothie, you’ll have to remember to thaw it out in the fridge overnight so you can eat it in the morning.

“Instead, portion out the ingredients ahead of time and pop them in your freezer until it’s time to make each individual smoothie,” Homan suggests.

Here are a few recipes we love for easy breakfast meal prep:

• Berry Vanilla Banana Smoothies are sweet, creamy and packed with fruit.
• Cool Tropical Smoothies are dairy-free and vegan. In the morning, just add a milk substitute and blend.
• Chia and Berry Breakfast Pudding is made with just a few ingredients and has a dessert-like texture.
• Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits are easy to grab out of the fridge when you wake up. “Mason jars are a great storage vessel for these,” Homan shares.
• Green Grape Smoothies also have pear, orange, banana and two types of greens. Portion everything out ahead of time and freeze it.
• Overnight Oats can be made in just about any flavor combo, including banana, peanut butter or pumpkin pie.

Muffins and breads

Yes, baking counts as meal prep! Whip up a batch of something tasty and healthy, and you can eat them all week long.

• Nutty Banana Muffins are made with whole-wheat pastry flour and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, thanks to the addition of walnuts.
• Pumpkin-Apple-Chia Muffins are moist, fluffy and packed with omega-3s.
• Toasted Quinoa and Date Balls can give you a quick boost of energy in the morning. “They’re also a good weekday snack, like before a workout or for a midday pick-me-up,” Homan says.
• Toasted Walnut and Raisin Energy Bar uses brown rice cakes as the base. No cooking required — just a food processor!
• Whole-Grain Cranberry Orange Muffins are heart-healthy and high in protein.
• Zucchini Raisin Muffins can be made with whole wheat or barley flour and regular eggs or vegan egg replacements.

Eggs

If you like your eggs runny, you’ll have to make them in the moment. But hard-boiled, scrambled and baked egg dishes all keep well if you make them in advance.

• Broccoli Sausage Frittata takes about 45 minutes to make. When it’s time to eat, add some sliced avocado on top.
• Frittata With Baby Greens and Feta can be stored and enjoyed for up to four days.
• Hard-Boiled Eggs stay good for up to a week in the fridge, so make a bunch and pair them with fruit for an easy grab-and-go breakfast.
• Quiche Cups are meant to be made ahead of time so you can eat them throughout the week. “They can also be frozen and reheated in the microwave,” Homan says.
• Scrambled Eggs With Tomatoes, Herbs and Goat Cheese can be easily turned into breakfast burritos. Just portion them into tortillas, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and freeze them in resealable plastic bags. Heat-and-eat for breakfast.
• Veggie Omelet “Muffins” are made in a muffin tin and can include whichever veggies you like best.

Healthy meal prep recipes for lunch

Whether you’re looking for something to pack for the workday or just want to have ingredients on hand that you can easily throw together at home, meal prepping for lunch is one of the best ways to make sure you eat well amid busy days.

As with any meal, it’s best to include a variety of food groups to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

“Having a meal that includes protein, complex carbohydrates and produce can help keep your energy up and prevent the mid-afternoon crash,” Homan says. "It also helps you avoid feeling ‘hangry’ or ravished by the time you get home from work.”

Try these healthy lunch meal prep recipes:

Salads and bowls to meal prep

Salads are one of the most versatile of lunches, coming in as many varieties as you can possibly imagine. And because they’re served cold, there’s no need to reheat your meal-prepped dish. Just dig in!

“For green salads, store dressings on the side, or else your greens will wilt in storage,” Homan advises. “For pasta salads, though, include the dressing with your meal prep.”

Here are some of our favorite salads of all varieties:

• Arugula Lentil Pasta Salad is gluten-free and easy to make with boxed lentils.
• Buddha Bowls can be loaded up with the ingredients of your choice. When it’s time to eat, add a little dressing and a few avocado slices.
• California Kale Cobb Salad is traditional and easily portioned into mason jars.
• Chickpea Pasta Salad is gluten-free and uses a simple oregano vinaigrette.
• Easy Chicken Salad is, well, really easy! Eat it over a bed of lettuce, on whole-grain bread or with whole-grain crackers.
• Mediterranean Bulgur Salad is full of fiber and veggies. Just hold off on the dill garnish until you’re ready to eat. To make this meal more filling, try it mixed with a packet of tuna or salmon to boost the protein and heart-healthy fat.
• Quinoa Orange and Pistachio Salad is vegan, gluten-free and super convenient.
• Sesame Chicken Salad With Mandarin-Ginger Vinaigrette is light on prep but heavy on flavor.
• Spring Veggie and Grain Bowls are made with quinoa, asparagus, carrots and other light flavors, with a tahini dressing you can store separately.
• Tortellini-to-Go Salad is lightened up with reduced-fat cheese tortellini.

Healthy, homemade salad dressings

If you’re meal prepping a salad of your own creation but want to make your own dressing to go with it, here are some options that are easy to prep and enjoy all week:

• Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette is tangy and flavorful thanks to basil and scallions.
• Fig, Prune and Balsamic Vinegar Dressing is fat-free and mega-flavorful.
• Protein-Rich Creamy Garlic Dressing can also serve as a dip for veggies.
• Lemon and Balsamic Salad Dressing is lightly sweetened with agave.
• Mediterranean Salad Dressing is so simple — just four ingredients!
• Pico De Gallo Vinaigrette gets a zip from diced tomatoes and jalapenos.
• Raspberry Vinaigrette includes sugar-free raspberry jam and Dijon mustard.
• Spicy Cashew Dressing has just the right amount of tang and heat.

Sandwiches and wraps to meal prep

Nothing says “grab and go” like a handheld that can go right from the fridge, onto your plate. Sandwiches and wraps are, of course, also easy to pack for work or school lunches, making them a perennial favorite for adults and kids alike.

“Aluminum foil will help your wraps stay tightly wrapped in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them,” Homan adds.

Try these recipes for tasty, healthy, easy lunches:

• Asian Chicken Wraps With Shiitake Mushrooms are made with bagged coleslaw and rotisserie chicken. “You can use the rest of the chicken for meal prepping dinners,” Homan suggests.
• Chicken and Broccoli Slaw Wraps should be assembled the day you want to eat them, but you can make and refrigerate all the ingredients ahead of time.
• Crunchy Coleslaw Flatbread Folds use rotisserie chicken instead of processed lunch meats. “Refrigerate the mixture until you’re ready to roll them up in tortillas,” Homan instructs.
• Cold Pizza Wraps aren’t actually made with cold pizza. For a balanced meal, eat them with a small piece of fruit and raw veggies and low-fat ranch dip.
• Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls include soba noodles, almond butter, mango and more. Roll ’em up like little burritos and don’t halve them until it’s time to eat. Throw in a pack of dry roasted edamame as a protein source on the side.
• Fruit-Forward Peanut Butter Sandwiches on whole-grain bread might just be the easiest food in the world to prep.
• Ginger-Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps are full of healthy fats and Asian flavors. “Don’t wrap them in lettuce leaves until you’re ready to eat them,” Homan advises.
• Lime, Herb, Ginger and Jalapeno Chicken Salad Wraps are low-cal with lots of fresh herbs.

Healthy meal prep recipes for dinner

There’s no reason you can’t make “lunch” meals, like salads, wraps and sandwiches, for dinner (or breakfast, for that matter!). But if you’re looking for dinner dishes that are slightly heartier, these recipes make meal prep easy — whether you’re cooking for just you or for a whole family.

Burgers, meatballs and more

Burgers and meatballs are ideal for meal prep because they’re easy to freeze. That means you can make some now to come back to much later.

But here’s an important tip: “Meat-based burgers and meatballs should go into the freezer uncooked,” Homan states.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says uncooked ground meat is good in the freezer for three to four months, so long as you choose freezer-safe storage methods. When it’s time to cook them, let them thaw in the refrigerator or pop them in the microwave before you start cooking.

Try these dinner meal prep recipes:

• Black Bean Burgers are vegan and rich in fiber, protein and iron. “As with meat, store these extra patties in freezer bags, between sheets of wax paper,” Homan advises, “then thaw them out later for a quick meal.”
• Chicken Meatballs With Fresh Tomato Sauce are a lightened-up comfort food Serve them with a big salad for a balanced meal.
• Meatloaf With Peppers and Herbs is lighter than your average meatloaf recipe, thanks to extra lean ground beef. And it’s more flavorful, too, thanks to lots of spices — and even some grated orange rind!
• Snappy Salmon Burgers are a heart-healthy option for the stovetop or grill.
• Southwestern Turkey Patties have only four ingredients, and you can eat them alone, on a bun or in a wrap.
• Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs include a sauce that’s best served fresh. “If you’re storing them for the future, don’t assemble the sauce until you start that week’s meal prep,” Homan notes.
• Turkey Patties With Cilantro, Scallions and Ginger are made in a nonstick skillet — no grill needed.

More easy dinners to meal prep

Whether you’re just prepping a main ingredient (like making a roasted chicken to use in various meals throughout the week) or creating and portioning out entire meals, here are a few main entrees that are great for dinnertime meal prep:

• Baked Cinnamon-Thyme Chicken makes eight servings and has lots of nutrients and lots of flavor.
• Chicken and VegetableStir Fryis a classic dish served over brown rice.
• Chile Verde Chicken is rich in nutrients, low in calories and keeps well for the week.
• Just-Right Spicy Chicken is a super-easy standby that you can pair with a side salad or oven-roasted vegetables.
• Lasagna Rolls are lightened up and healthier than your typical lasagna recipe. “To freeze them for up to three months, just wrap them in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil,” Homan advises.
• Slow-Cooked Brisket With Fennel and Onions takes eight hours to make in a slow cooker, but you can portion it and reheat it all week long.
• Slow Cooker Apple Pork is lean and cozy, thanks to ingredients like pumpkin pie spice and a bit of brown sugar.
• Spring Chicken Fajitas take just 20 minutes to make. When it’s time to eat, reheat the fajita mixture and warm up some tortillas.
• Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls, sometimes called “eggroll in a bowl,” are simple and healthy. “This recipe is really easy to double and freeze for later,” Homan says.
• Zoodles With Turkey Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes are a delicious and healthy alternative to pasta. “You can also freeze plain zoodles for up to a year,” Homan adds, “but they do start to lose their flavor over time.”

Soups and chilis to meal prep

“Soups, stews and chilis are an ideal meal prep food,” Homan continues, “You can rotate recipes weekly and enjoy them for days at a time.”

Another bonus? They’re often better on the second day, once the ingredients have had some time to sit and meld together, which deepens the flavor of the dish.

Here’s a long and delicious list of some of our favorite soups to meal prep:

• Barley Soup With Kale and Parmesan is the perfect antidote to blustery winter weather. Add the grated cheese when it’s time to eat.
• Beef, Bean and Cremini Mushroom Stew definitely gets better as it sits, and it freezes well, too.
• Butternut Squash, Carrot and Ginger Soup is creamy, satisfying and naturally sweet.
• Chicken Mushroom Barley Soup can be made in the slow cooker or on the stove, paired with whole-grain crackers and a side salad for a hearty meal.
• Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup is both easy and healthy. Just throw everything in a slow cooker for four hours and portion it out for the week! “It also freezes beautifully for times when you’re sick or too rundown to meal prep,” Homan shares.
• Curried Squash and Sweet Potato Soup is easy to make and full of plant nutrients.
• Green Pozole With Chicken and Avocado, a slow cooker recipe inspired by a traditional Mexican soup, is made with hominy and spices. Don’t add the avocado until it’s time to eat it.
• Minestrone Soup With Farro includes an ancient grain that makes it extra-hearty and lends a slightly nutty flavor.
• Moroccan Sweet and Spicy Soup can be served over whole grain quinoa or with a side of mixed baby greens, like arugula.
• One-Pot Jambalaya can be made as spicy or as mild as you like, with shrimp, chicken or lean pork.
• Pumpkin Leek Soup With Smoked Paprika is nutrient-dense and dairy-free.
• Southwestern Sirloin Soup can be made with chicken, beef or beans, depending on your protein preference.
• Spicy Lentil and Kale Soup makes a whopping 22 servings. “This is a good one for meal prepping for a big family or to freeze for the future,” Homan says.
• Tomato Soup With Chickpeas and Lentilsis seasoned with peanuts and cozy Indian spices.