By now, we all should know that good nutrition is one of the biggest factors to help you lose weight. Not only does proper nutrition help you look and feel your best, but it can also keep you from having as many food cravings or getting hungry before your next meal. 

However, not everyone has the time to prepare meals daily that are filling and nutritious. That’s where meal prepping comes in. Meal prepping is the process of batch preparing meals or snacks so that it’s precooked and ready-made to heat and eat or grab for on the go.

Meal prepping helps you save time and allows you to eat healthy without spending too much time and effort in the kitchen on a day to day basis (and eliminating your “need” to grab take out because you have something pre-made at the house). 

Today, I’m sharing a round-up of healthy meal prep ideas (and the best meal prep tips) for weight loss that you can try.

Healthy Meal Prep for Weight Loss

When it comes to meal prepping, most people pick one or two days out of the week to make a big batch of food they will eat either for breakfast, lunch or dinner and sometimes snacks throughout the week. Many people prepare meals in advance for lunch at work, while others do it for convenience to combat a busy week, or to help them manage their weight loss journey.

There are plenty of meal prepping recipes that are not only healthy, but can help you lose weight fast. Today, I’ll be sharing some of those with you, but first I want to talk about the benefits of meal prepping in the first place.

Benefits of Meal Prepping for Weight Loss

Save time

One of the biggest barriers to weight loss is the amount of time required in the kitchen cooking home cooked meals versus easily picking up greasy fast food or ordering carb-heavy take out. However, by meal prepping, not only will you be in control of the ingredients you’re putting into your body, but you can also save time by making a big batch of food in advance that is ready-made to heat and eat or grab and go.

Save money

Eating out – whether you’re doing it every once in a while or daily, it can add up! Save money when you meal prep by not spending additional money beyond your standard grocery bill, by using up ingredients you have at home (before they expire), and by eliminating your need for impulsive food choices.

Have ready-made meal and snacks

A big reason people tend to fall short and not maintain proper nutrition a lot of the time is simply due to the less healthier options being more convenient. Meal prepping can help you make eating healthy convenient by empowering you with ready-made meal and snacks.

For example, it’s easy to just open a bag of chips versus getting out a cutting board and washing and cutting up fruit or veggies. However, when you meal prep, you can make the healthier choices just as convenient by batch washing, cutting, and storing your healthier choices in a grab and go container or storage option for the moments when you’re looking for something quick and easy, yet satisfying.

Cut back on food waste

Meal prepping will help you cut back on food waste because you’ll make the time to cook the produce before it goes bad.

Eat healthy

Meal prepping can help you make healthier choices just as (or more) convenient to reach for than the prepackaged junk food. You can also have more control over what you eat. This includes the seasonings and any other added ingredients usually found in processed foods or fast food alternatives. 

Manage weight

Improve your diet quality and variety when you meal prep, which will ultimately help you do a better job at managing your weight.

10 Healthy Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss

Use these easy meal prep ideas and tips to do healthy meal prep on a budget and in under 30 minutes of prep.

Breakfast and snack meal prep ideas

Hard boiled eggs

144 calories (2 eggs)

Boil a batch of eggs for a quick and easy meal prep ideas for breakfast that’s grab and go, to eat as a snack paired with a string of cheese, or have it ready to toss in a batch of your favorite chicken or tuna salad recipe for a healthy lunch. Store them in tupperware or in prepackaged individualized storage bags.

See cold meal prep ideas for even more inspiration.

2 Ingredient Oat Pancakes

256 calories

Make your meal plan even easier with this two ingredient pancake recipe that’s a perfect alternative to help you lose weight. Make a big batch and freeze the rest in a storage bag for later. Wrap them in a paper towel and microwave when ready to eat.

Ingredients

½ cup Oatmeal, dry oats (uncooked) – 150 calories

1 Egg, large – 72 calories

2 Egg white – 34 calories

1 tsp Vanilla – 0 calories

¼ tsp Cinnamon – 0 calories

Directions

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Spray a pan with an oil spray.
3. Add a small amount of mixture to pan (will make at least 6 small pancakes).
4. When you’re able to flip pancakes over, flip with a turner.
5. When pancakes are cooked through, remove from heat.

Blueberry Banana Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds

418 calories

Jump to recipe for a hardy and delicious breakfast meal that can be prepared the night before and ready in a matter of minutes.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Chia seeds – 120 calories

½ Banana – 53 calories

½ cup Blueberries, fresh – 35 calories

½ cup Oatmeal, dry oats (uncooked) – 150 calories

½ cup Milk, 2% (cups) – 61 calories

Directions

1. Combine oats, milk, and chia seeds
2. Let sit in container with lid (like a Ball jar) overnight
3. Top with blueberries and banana

Bacon Bits Eggs Benedict

437 calories

This is the tastiest bite for breakfast on a busy day. Bonus: Get this meal ready in under 20 minutes.

Ingredients

1 English muffin, whole wheat – 120 calories

2 Uncured bacon, slice – 88 calories

2 Egg, large – 144 calories

1 tsp Hot sauce (tsp) – 0 calories

1 Tbsp Hollandaise sauce – 85 calories

¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Directions

1. Slice English muffin in half and toast.
2. Cut bacon into small pieces. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.
3. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Reduce to simmering. Crack in one egg at a time, cooking for 3 minutes. Scoop out with a ladle and add to English muffin.
4. Add bacon bits, two sauces, and pepper to English muffin.
5. No bacon? Use turkey or soy bacon. No dairy? Skip the hollandaise sauce (you will have extra calories you can add to somewhere else!).

Dessert Meal Prep Ideas

3 Ingredient Banana Cookies

393 calories

Ingredients

0.3 Tbsp Cacao powder – 6 calories

1 Banana – 105 calories

½ cup Oatmeal, dry oats (uncooked) – 150 calories

2 tsp Sugar – 32 calories

Directions

1. Mash banana with a fork.
2. Combine all ingredients and mix evenly.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Spoon mixture evenly onto tray and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Almond Flour Edible Cookie Dough

430 calories

Ingredients

3 Tbsp Almond flour/Almond meal – 120 calories

1 Tbsp Chocolate chips, semisweet, Tbsp – 60 calories

1½ Tbsp Butter (Tbsp) – 155 calories

¼ tsp Vanilla – 0 calories

½ tsp Water (tsp) – 0 calories

6 tsp Sugar – 96 calories

Directions

1. Add butter to microwave safe bowl.
2. Melt butter in microwave 15 seconds.
3. Add all ingredients (besides chocolate chips) into bowl, stir.
4. Fold in chocolate chips once mixture has cooled.

Lunch or dinner meal prep ideas

2-Step Marry Me Chicken

484 calories

Ingredients

6 oz Chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories

¼ cup Cheese, Parmesan, grated (cups) – 86 calories

1 Tbsp Butter (Tbsp) – 103 calories

¼ cup Milk, whole (cups) – 37 calories

2 Tbsp Broth, chicken or beef (Tbsp) – 4 calories

1½ cups Broccoli, frozen – 47 calories

1 Tbsp Tomatoes, sun-dried, oil packed – 17 calories

¼ tsp Oregano – 0 calories

¼ tsp Basil, dried – 0 calories

⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes – 0 calories

⅛ tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories

Directions

1. This recipe works best when making 2-3+ servings at once. So multiply the ingredients above, and then divide by that number of servings once cooked.
2. Add butter to a large pan, and heat on low until melted.
3. Brown chicken for 2 minutes on each side.
4. Add in the rest of the ingredients – frozen broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, broth, milk, Parmesan, and seasonings.
5. Simmer on lowest heat for 20+ minutes, until chicken is cooked (internal temp 165 degrees F) and broccoli have cooked through, and most of the liquids have evaporated.
6. Serve and enjoy.
7. No chicken? Use tofu and vegetable broth. No dairy? Use a higher fat dairy free milk/cream e.g. coconut cream, and use oil instead of butter and Parmesan.

Basic B Chili with Spicy Cauliflower Rice

355 calories

You can also swap out the cauliflower rice in this recipe for brown rice for a hardier and more familiar bite. Enjoy this tasty take on chili to warm up on a cold winter day.

Ingredients

4 oz Ground beef, 90% lean, raw – 185 calories

1 cup Canned, diced tomatoes – 56 calories

1 Carrots, whole, medium – 25 calories

¼ cup Celery stalks, chopped in half – 4 calories

¼ Onion, yellow, large – 14 calories

2 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated (Tbsp) – 34 calories

1 cup Cauliflower rice, raw (already riced) – 38 calories

⅛ tsp Cumin – 0 calories

⅛ tsp Chili seasoning – 0 calories

⅛ tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories

⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes – 0 calories

Directions

1. This recipe works best when making 2-3 servings at once.
2. Dice carrot, onion, and celery.
3. Spray a pan with an oil spray. Stir fry beef on medium heat 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink.
4. While beef is cooking, spray a pot with an oil spray. Cook carrots, onion, and celery for ~6-7 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
5. Add in tomatoes and beef to the pot with the veggies. Add in cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, red pepper flakes.
6. Cook pot’s contents on low heat for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. While chili is cooking, clean the ground beef pan and spray it again with an oil spray. Stir-fry cauliflower rice for 7-8 minutes on medium heat, or until you see some browning.
8. Add in Parmesan cheese, cumin, and chili powder.
9. Top cauli rice with chili and serve.
10. If you want to add a little cilantro and/or sliced jalapeno please do!
11. No beef? Use ground turkey, tofu, or beans instead. No cheese? Use a dairy-free cheese, top chili with a little avocado, or use oil instead of an oil spray.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

467 calories

Ingredients

½ cup Canned, diced tomatoes – 28 calories

1 Carrots, whole, medium – 25 calories

½ cup Celery stalks, chopped in half – 8 calories

½ Onion, yellow, large – 28 calories

6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories

¼ cup Beans & legumes, black beans, cooked – 57 calories

½ oz Tortilla chips – 62 calories

2 cups Broth, chicken or beef (cups) – 70 calories

1 tsp Garlic, minced (tsp) – 0 calories

⅛ tsp Chili seasoning – 0 calories

⅛ tsp Cumin – 0 calories

¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories

¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

Directions

1. Spray pan with an oil spray.
2. Cut raw chicken into small pieces. Chop veggies into small pieces.
3. Spray a pot with an oil spray. Add in garlic, heat for 1-2 minutes on low heat.
4. Add in veggies, beans, chicken, and seasoning, cook for ~10 minutes, until chicken has cooked through.
5. Add in tomatoes and broth.
6. Turn the burner to low heat & let simmer at least 10 minutes.
7. Top with tortilla chips (crumbled) at the end.

Slow Cooker Lamb Stew

560 calories

Ingredients

5 oz Lamb shoulder, raw – 398 calories

1 cup Celery stalks, chopped in half – 16 calories

2 Carrots, whole, medium – 50 calories

1 Onion, yellow, large – 55 calories

1 tsp Avocado oil (tsp) – 41 calories

¼ tsp Garlic salt – 0 calories

1 tsp Thyme, dried – 0 calories

Directions

1. Note: This recipe works best when making multiple servings at once
2. Slice carrots, onion, and celery into medium chunks
3. Add oil to your slow cooker (instant pot, crock pot), then your vegetables, then your meat (you can place the meat in whole, or sliced into large chunks), then your seasonings
4. Cook on low heat for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours
5. Slice or shred your lamb into strips, and mix back into the stew
6. Add more seasoning to taste if you like
7. No meat? Swap this meal out for another.

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Salad

490 calories

Ingredients

4 Tbsp Barbeque sauce, unsweetened – 30 calories

6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories

1 oz Tortilla chips – 123 calories

4 cups Leafy green, spinach – 28 calories

1 Tbsp Red wine vinegar (Tbsp) – 3 calories

¼ tsp Salt – 0 calories

¼ tsp Pepper, ground – 0 calories

½ Avocado, small – 117 calories

Directions

1. This recipe works best when making multiple servings of the bbq chicken at once in the crock pot
2. Place chicken breasts and bbq sauce in the crock pot (or instant pot on slow cooker setting). Stir to coat the chicken breasts. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Remove chicken and shred with a fork, return to the pot to coat the chicken again before serving.
3. When you’re ready to eat: mix together your spinach, red wine vinegar, salt & pepper.
4. Crumble tortilla chips, dice avocado, and slice parsley. Extra bbq sauce from the crock pot? Drizzle it over your bowl as an extra sauce.
5. Top your salad with tortilla chips, avocado, and chicken.
6. No meat? Stir fry barbecue sauce and white beans on the stove top.

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken

439 calories

Ingredients

6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw – 190 calories

½ cup Beans & legumes, black beans, cooked – 114 calories

½ cup Corn, canned – 63 calories

½ cup Salsa – 32 calories

1 tsp Avocado oil (tsp) – 41 calories

¼ tsp Garlic salt (tsp) – 0 calories

¼ tsp Red pepper flakes (tsp) – 0 calories

Directions

1. NOTE: This is a “slow cooker” meal – you can use a crockpot, the instant pot, etc. You’ll likely prefer to make multiple servings at once.
2. Add oil to the bottom of your slow cooker, then add in the rest of your ingredients & give them a stir.
3. Cook your food on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
4. Shred your chicken with a fork (either in the pot or out of the pot on a cutting board & re-mix it in).
5. Enjoy!
6. No meat? Use white beans, but make a stir fry instead (nothing needs to slow cook here).

Looking for high protein meal prep ideas? We’ve got you covered.