12 Meal Prep Ideas

Do you always buy your lunch or grab take out on your way home? Try meal prepping! This is a great way to control portions, save money and time and reduce waste. These cold meal prep ideas and hot meal prep ideas will get you started and excited for your next meal.

All of these recipes either reheat well or are delicious cold, plus they last all week. These are the best meal prep ideas for the whole week!

What's the benefit of meal prepping?

There are a few benefits to begin meal prepping. Meal prepping will save you time and money and get you excited for your next lunch. By meal prepping, you'll only buy exactly what you need for your meals and you'll save time by not having to search for a new recipe to try.
Plus, it helps with a long work day when I know I have an awesome lunch to break up the day.

Meal Prep Tips and Tricks

After you check out these recipes, if you need some more tips to being successful check out my series on meal prep and how to get started.

Cold Lunch Meal Prep Ideas

These recipes are great if you have no access to a microwave or it's too hot to cook! No heat meal prep recipes range from DIY adult lunchables to hearty salads.

Mini Cheese plate in a take out container.

DIY Adult Lunchables

DIY Adult Lunchables are quick and easy no heat work lunches. These fancy lunchables are perfect as a cold work lunch and are super easy to meal prep for the work week. A great unique meal prep idea to make you excited for lunch.

Check out this recipe

Salmon Poke bowl in a rectangular meal prep container with chop sticks. Featuring cooked salmon, fresh mango, matchstick carrots, pickled ginger, cabbage and cucumbers and sauce on the side.

Easy Baked Salmon Poke Bowl Inspired Meal Prep

These easy baked salmon poke inspired bowls are great for a no heat meal prep option for lunch or dinner. This recipe makes two cooked baked salmon bowls, but can easily be scaled up.

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One close up of the shredded brussels sprout salad and dressing

Brussels Sprouts Meal Prep Salad

If you’re worried about your lunch salad being soggy all week, you need to try this recipe! The shaved raw Brussels Sprouts Meal Prep Salad is an easy make ahead salad for a healthy meal prep.

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Tuscan Salad with Farro and Fig Tahini Dressing

Tuscan Salad with Farro and Fig Tahini Dressing is hearty and flavourful, loaded with Mediterranean flavours, fibre and protein, and topped with a thick and creamy fig dressing! Add this salad to your meal prep routine for a filling lunch or dinner option.

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Keto Breakfast Bowls

Try out these easy and convenient keto breakfast bowls for a healthy and quick breakfast ideas. These meal prep breakfast bowls are the perfect make ahead bowls for busy mornings.

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Breakfast Parfait Meal Prep

This simple parfait breakfast meal prep is an easy and budget-friendly make ahead breakfast to get you through the week. Just a couple of ingredients and a couple of minutes gets you 4 days of breakfasts in a flash!

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Chickpea Quinoa Mason Jar Salad Recipe

This chickpea quinoa mason jar salad is so fresh, delicious and filling! Chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, quinoa, green onions, avocado, zucchini and lettuce, with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice - it just screams "Summer" and "Fresh"!

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Hot Lunch Meal Prep Ideas

2 halves of eggplant, roasted and stuffed with sausage, pastas sauce and cheese. Topped with parsley in a glass pyrex container. Overhead shot.

Italian Style Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan

Italian sausage stuffed roasted eggplant is a low carb version of the traditional eggplant parmesan. Baked eggplant is stuffed with sauteed sausage and portobello mushrooms and topped with sauce and cheese to make a hearty and comforting dish for dinner or as a meal prep option without pasta.

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Overhead shot of 2 containers of chicken sausage cut into coins, roasted brussel sprouts and roasted sweet potatoes in a clear plastic container. On a wood back ground

Chicken Sausage Meal Prep Bowls

Chicken Sausage Meal Prep Bowls is a great sheet tray recipe for meal prep! With minimal prep these chicken sausage, brussels sprouts and sweet potato bowls can be a quick and easy hot lunch meal prep for the whole week on a few sheet trays in the oven.

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Overhead shot of chicken sausage cut into coins, roasted brussel sprouts and roasted sweet potatoes in a clear plastic container. On a wood back ground

White rice, black beans, corn and pulled pork in on plastic storage container. Sour cream and salsa in the background in a separate container.

Freezer Friendly Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls for Meal Prep

Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls are a great way to use leftover pulled pork. This is an easy, freezer friendly meal prep for one or the whole family. Freeze the base and add fresh toppings right before eating for a delicious hot lunch or dinner meal prep option.

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A final photo of the pork burrito bowl base next to a separate container of sour cream, avocado and salsa.

A close up of the meal prep container of chicken and broccoli with rice and oyster sauce. On a brown napkin with wooden chopsticks

Chicken and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce Meal Prep

This easy Chinese chicken and broccoli stir fry recipe is perfect for meal prep for either lunch or dinner. Chicken and broccoli with oyster sauce goes great over rice; brown rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa.

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Close up of 3 shredded buffalo chicken and cauliflower

Shredded Buffalo Chicken Meal Prep

Pressure cooker shredded buffalo chicken is paired with roasted cauliflower and a raw shredded brussel sprout salad to make an easy meal prep option. This low carb meal prep lunch idea has minimal active cooking and will last the whole week.

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Close up of just one buffalo chicken and cauliflower bowl with brussels sprout salad.

Did you try any of these recipes? Let me know in the comments below!