100 Best Meal Prep Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are 3 keys to successful meal prepping? ›

While you definitely want variety for your meal prep, you should limit your recipes to two or three per week, and for five days ahead of time max. Being prepared is great, but you also want to make sure you're eating meals with fresh ingredients even if prepared ahead of time.

On average, a meal prep delivery business can expect to net roughly $10,000 monthly revenue after the first couple of years of overhead costs. Of course, that number can vary greatly depending on a number of factors.

The Rule of 3's is made up specifically of these guidelines: Eat at least three meals and up to three snacks a day (you might think of this as a breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal plan) Eat at least three food groups per meal (and two per snack) Allow no more than three hours between eating.

While grocery shopping turned out to be a hair cheaper than even the cheapest meal kits, it's nearly even. If you consider the time and energy you save by forgoing long trips to the supermarket, meal kits might present the better value.

Meal prepping alone could give you the benefits you need to lose weight. If portion control and eliminating temptations is all you need, this could be an easy step to get you there. Prepping all, or even some of your meals, ahead of time makes it easier to manage your diet.

A: Eggs are one of the quickest products to meal prep. Find out how many portions you need for the week ahead, cook the eggs (cooking scrambled eggs only takes ca. 15 minutes), and then divide the food into individual portions to store in the fridge.

Rice and grain bowls make great meal preps! They can chill in your fridge for up to four days and are freezer-friendly in most cases. The cool thing about meal prepping rice is that many times, microwaving it can fix any rice issues you had when cooking it.

On your meal prep day, focus first on foods that take the longest to cook: proteins like chicken and fish; whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and farro; dried beans and legumes; and, roasted vegetables.

What are the cons of meal prep? ›

Possibly Time-consuming: Meal prepping may involve a time commitment, especially if prepped meals need refrigeration or freezing. Potentially Expensive: Buying the necessary ingredients in bulk can make meal prepping expensive.

Cost-Effective Ingredients: When you purchase pre-packaged or prepared meals, you're not just paying for the food itself; you're also covering the cost of packaging, processing, and marketing. Cooking from scratch allows you to buy basic ingredients in bulk, reducing your overall grocery bill.

Cooking behaviors

In 2022, 44% of Americans say they meal prep regularly.

These include meal occasion, who will be eating, whether the food will be eaten out or at home, dietary needs, religious, cultural or ethical beliefs, the cost and availability of ingredients; current healthy eating advice and/or personal preferences.

If not, try our performance-nutrition tips to ensure you're getting the fuel you need to feel and perform your best. The 3 keys to optimal nutrition are balance, quality, and timing. To maintain balance, eat from all or most of the food groups. Eat the right amount for your activity and performance goals.