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Meal Prep Like a Pro (part one) has been shared over 40,000 times on social media! Therefore, I have put together Meal Prep Like a Pro: Part Two for your culinary delight. I am all about saving time, and minimizing decision making, with meal planning. This year I’ve taken it a step further and have been meal prepping, too. With my husband working in IL most of the week, and me being in MI, it’s a real pain to cook for one person. I can hardly stand cooking for two, let alone one, and meal prepping has saved my husband from fast food meal after fast food meal, and me from eating cereal every night. (Neither of us is very good on our own….) Now I spend a couple hours (tops) on Sunday evening making 2-3 meals for the week and portion them out into 8 meals and a few lunches so both of us have food ready to heat all week long. Remaining lunches are sandwiches I make and wrap for the week. Easy peasy!
If you are just starting to meal plan, you’re going to need some to-go containers. I use these containers for all of my husband’s prepped meals. I also often make dinners for my college-age daughter to have on hand in her freezer. (I like to load her up when she visits, and these work well from freezer to microwave.) They come in a package of 50 for under $20, they take up very little storage space, are a good portion size and are dishwasher friendly- not one has melted yet! Plus, they can be disposable if he (ahem) happens to leave a used one in his car for 3 weeks and I am terrified to open it, let alone wash it. <ick> My husband is not into separate compartments, so these bowls are perfect for him.
I prefer my food to be compartmentalized, and I work from home (so there is no risk of leaving my container in a hot car for weeks on end,) and I use these awesome glass containers. I LOVE these containers! They are under $30 and come in a package of 4 with lids that lock tight and keep food perfectly fresh for days. They are microwave and dishwasher friendly, and I find the compartment sizes to be perfect.
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Ready to check out some recipes? Here we go!
I loooove buffalo chicken and these Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats look delicious! Better yet, they only have FOUR ingredients! It doesn’t get much easier than that! If you don’t have a nice sheet pan, these are fantastic. They are very well made and don’t “buckle” in the heat of the oven. They are super easy to clean (and dishwasher friendly!!) too. We use them all the time- they are great for making no-mess bacon!
The Wholesome DishSometimes you don’t feel like a super involved lunch – or you are so swamped at work you know you’ll be having lunch at your desk. These “deli boxes” are the perfect solution. AND, you don’t have to cook anything to prep them! (Well, maybe the hard boiled eggs, but you could buy those if you wanted to….) These are prefect for snacking through lunch. (Taking your lunch to work is a HUGE money saver. You can easily spend $40+ a week on lunch if you purchase it every day. Think about what you could do with that money saved over the course of a year! Want some more money saving tips? Check out 10 Sneaky Ways to Save More Money Each Month.)
These sushi-inspired Spicy Tuna Wraps are perfect for lunch. They would also be great for weekend lunches at kids’ sporting events because they are easy to transport! The shredded carrots give them a nice crunch, too!
Wild SelectionsHow amazing does this sheet pan teriyaki chicken look?! Can you believe it’s made on one pan for super easy clean up? Portioned into lunch size servings, this is a great choice for a week of lunches!
Life Made SweeterWho doesn’t love peanut sauce? I know I do! (My husband, unfortunately, is in the “doesn’t” group- so I never make it. This would be a great solution for me because he can make his own lunch, lol!) These Thai Chicken Wraps with a side of peanut sauce for dipping look sooooo gooooo! Individual condiment containers help keep foods separated and fresh- perfect for the peanut sauce. (And great for to-go salads, too!)
Gimme DeliciousI first read this is “Honey Sangria Glazed Meatballs” and thought “well that’s different!” Turns out they are “Honey Sriracha Glazed Meatballs“, which sounds A LOT better. When used for meal prep over rice, these look delish! You could totally make a bunch of them to freeze, too.
Eat Yourself SkinnyCheck out these healthy Greek-seasoned Chicken Bowls! They look sooooo good! Served over cauliflower rice with a garlicky tzatziki sauce this dish is sure to be a hit!
40 Aprons
These Fried Rice Meal Prep Bowls are sure to become a fast favorite because of their versatility. They can be made with chicken, pork, steak, tofu, vegan fysh sauce…whatever you love! If you don’t have a wok, you may want to consider one like this. It is traditional hammered steel, which gets ***hot*** to perfectly sear meats. This wok is multi-functional, as well. It can also be used as a deep fryer, and the handle is removable so the pan itself can be used in the oven as a roaster.
Life Made SweeterOh. My. Word. These Spicy Shrimp Bowls look awesome! These are definitely moving to the top of our short list. With avocado, corn and bean salsa, and some lime, these promise to be great!
Two Sisters KitchensAnd finally, my own recipe creation – Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowls. These are SO GOOD. I first made them when we were on vacation in Florida to have some quick lunch options instead of going out to lunch. I’ve since made them two more times and they have been a huge hit! I use fresh corn from the cob, but I think frozen would work just as well! I also use boil-in-the-bag rice (because I CANNOT make rice for some reason!) which is a big time saver, making this a pretty quick dinner or meal prep lunch option.
Looks Like Happy
We are big fans of meal prepping and easy dinners around here- meal prep all week long with these awesome ideas that go way beyond kids’ school lunch ideas!
Meal Prep Like a Pro With These 10 Yummy Recipes
Meal Prep Like a Pro- Part Two: 10 Awesome Recipes to Try This Month
Meal Prep Like a Pro: Part Three- The Lunch List
10 Easy Dinners for Busy Weeknights
Super Easy Dinners For Super Busy Weeknights
Our Meal Prep Motivation board on Pinterest is full of awesome meal prep recipes- check it out!
Happy meal planning!
Allison
I need to get better at meal prepping. We are so busy with the little’s and sports that I know it would make a better and healthier impact on my family!
Hi Beth! I remember the sports days! I used to do a lot of freezer meals when my kids were in sports. THAT was a huge time saver, and it was so easy for my older daughter to throw dinner in the oven when I was gone with my younger daughter straight from school. It’s hard to find time with busy kids!
Allison
I’m SO bad at meal prepping and planning; I always forget to prepare until the last minute! Thanks for these tips; I’ll take them to heart 🙂
Hi Whitney! It is hard to find the time to prep, but so worth it! I hope you’re able to give it a try soon! I did not prep this week and I am kicking myself. :p
Allison
You can save lots of time and money through meal prep. We have glass containers and reusable plastics for home and smaller reusable plastics for hubby to take to work.
Totally agree, Val! Such a time saver- and a HUGE money saver, too!
Allison
I love the variety of healthy options! My whole family would love the fried rice.
Finding meals the whole family will eat is half the battle, Maegan! We loooove fried rice, too.
Allison
All of these recipes and meal prep tips are fantastic! This will save a lot of time during the week for lunchtime.
Meal prepping is such a huge time saver, Sharon! It’s been a life (and budget!) saver for us!
Allison