It seems like everyone is on the go these days—between work, school, and soccer practice, there’s hardly time to breathe, let alone cook dinner every night. The solution? Delicious and easy meal prep recipes that the whole family can enjoy.
From nostalgic favorites to instant hits, here are some of the best affordable meal prep ideas for weekday meals.
1. Beef Fried Rice
If you have 25 minutes, you can whip up a batch of this simple beef fried rice. The ingredients are simple: beef, rice, soy sauce, and your choice of veggies. Simply cook the meat as the rice cooks separately, add the veggies to the beef, then the rice, and let those flavors simmer. You’ll have lunch ready for the week in no time.
2. Taco Time
Who doesn’t love a good Taco Tuesday? I know it is my favorite night of the week. But now, tacos can be enjoyed every day with taco meal prep. I like to cook a couple of pounds of ground beef or ground turkey with taco seasoning. Keep your favorite toppings on hand so you can enjoy tacos for the rest of the week.
3. Mediterranean Salads
Are you looking for a healthy lunch on the go? These salads are the answer for you. I like to bake three to four chicken breasts marinated in Greek dressing early in the week. Make separate containers mixed with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and olives, and add the chicken when ready. These are some of my staple meal preps that are healthy, quick, and easy to make.
4. Enchiladas
Another one of my favorite dishes from south of the border is enchiladas. They are delicious and so easy to make large batches of. I like to use a grocery store rotisserie chicken for mine. Shred the chicken and wrap it in flour tortillas, add some cheese, and top it with sauce. You are ready to throw it into the oven. You won’t believe how much tasty food this will bring you.
5. Pulled Pork
Some of the best meal-prepping recipes are so easy to make. Pulled pork can be put in a slow cooker for eight hours while you are at work, and you will have enough pulled pork to last a week when you come home. Add it to sandwiches, wraps, and salad for an easy go-to meal.
6. Meatballs
Meatballs are some of the easiest sources of protein to make. Pick your meat preference; I usually go with lean ground beef or a lean ground turkey. Mix with some egg yolk, breadcrumbs, and seasoning, and cook them up. You can freeze some for later, but they make great additions to pasta and salads.
7. Quiches
I like making batches of quiche because it is healthy and simple and I can eat it quickly. Plus, I thought I was a fancy chef when I saw the word quiche. But seriously, these egg dishes are super delicious and convenient if you are in a hurry. Mix whatever meat or vegetable you want with eggs and cheese and bake. Keep one in the fridge for fast snacking.
8. White Bean Chicken Chili
This is one of my favorite slow cooker meal prep recipes. Fill the slow cooker with chicken breasts, corn, white beans, broth, jalapenos, onions, and cilantro, and let the slow cooker do all the work. Add some cream cheese, and you will have soup for the week ahead.
9. Spaghetti
Have you ever noticed that you end up with too many noodles when you cook pasta? That’s okay because we are cooking for the entire week now. Mix your favorite sauce with ground beef, turkey, or sausage, and portion it out for the week. Pair it with a fresh salad, and you will enjoy spaghetti night like your mom used to make it.
10. Meatloaf
Besides the taste, one of my favorite things about meatloaf is the sheer size of the finished product. I mean, it is called a loaf for a reason. This dish takes ten minutes to prep before you throw it in the oven. This will bring you back to your childhood. I grew up on meatloaf, so it is nostalgic for me. But it’s a great option for meal prepping as it produces a lot of food for the upcoming week.
11. Cobb Salads
Cobb salads are a fresh and healthy lunch option for a busy individual. Cook a batch of chicken breast, bacon, and hard-boiled eggs (eggs can be bought pre-boiled and peeled) and add them to your salad mix. Separate into separate containers for a healthy salad on your lunch break.
12. Breakfast Burritos
My favorite breakfast dish is one wrapped up in a tortilla. You can easily meal prep some breakfast burritos and freeze them. Fill a tortilla with eggs, cheese, and whatever other vegetable or meat you like and freeze separately. Pop that burrito in the microwave when ready, and you’ll have an easy on-the-go breakfast.
13. Roasted Veggies
It’s not a meal per se, but I like to take a baking pan and roast up some of my favorite vegetables to use later in my meals. Vegetables are an important part of our diet, so it is important always to have them on hand. I like to add them to a quick protein that I cook up after a long day at work.
14. Smoothies
Sometimes, you don’t have time to sit down and eat because you are just too busy. That is where smoothies come in. Pick your favorite fruits and greens and separate them into ziplock bags. Add protein powder if you like, but now, you have separate pre-portioned smoothies for a refreshing lunch.
15. Stuffed Bell Peppers
These delicious peppers are so easy to make and can be frozen to keep longer. There is no wrong answer to what you can stuff a pepper with, so get creative. I personally like ground turkey, rice, tomato sauce, and cheese. Make a big pan and save some for later.