Hello friend, if you’re wondering if this post is for you, it definitely is. Maybe you’re curious about starting meal prep, or you want to get better at it, or you just need some new recipes. No matter what position you’re at in life, meal prep is definitely for you. I wanted to share my fav meal prep recipes with you. They are all vegetarian and gluten free, so feel free to customise to your liking. Best of all, they are ALL filling (yes!!). I also threw in a great dessert for you (double yes!!) read on for the recipes and some of my fav meal prep tips and tricks.
WHAT IS MEAL PREP?
So what exactly is meal prep/meal planning? It’s when you prepare your meals in advance, be it a week or even a month ahead of time. This could be preparing anything from full on recipes or sticking to prepping your veggies, proteins and carbs for your meals. Jessica in the Kitchen features a lot meal prep recipes. I love making meals ahead of time. Personally, and I know a lot of people who do the same, Sunday is that day that seems to slow down a bit and as such, is the perfect day to meal prep for the week ahead.
Why should you meal prep?
Personally, when I meal prep I feel in CONTROL of my life. It helps me with decision fatigue (one less decision to make). It gets pretty crazy sometimes, and I hate to say it but I often miss meals because I just don’t know what to eat, or the thought of going to prepare a full on meal when I only have an hour to do so is so daunting. Other reasons for you may include sticking to certain eating lifestyle. Maybe you’re just so tired when you come home from work that it’s so much easier to order a pizza than cook a meal from scratch. Or, you want to bring lunch to work instead of all buying it. P.S. – I did an entire post on meal prep salad lunches. All of these reasons are why meal planning and prepping steps in to save us. Prepping all your meals/foods ahead means being able to stick to your plan/schedule/manage your crazy lifestyle. It means achieving balance. Here are the recipes I consider the best meal prep recipes I’ve got. Speaking of, if you need a quick guide/cheat-list as to how to determine whether a recipe will be great for meal prep, use this:
Quick Guide/Cheat-List to choose Meal Prep Recipes
Has a lot of servings – can easily last days Can be easily reheated AND will taste great Can be frozen. SO important if you want to prep ahead. Will keep fresh for at least a few days in the fridge. You can switch up the elements. This is why I adore bowl foods. Don’t be afraid to get creative! Switch out here and there for your fav recipes!
By the way, in my opinion, one of the easiest things to prep are roasted veggies. They go with any protein, last long, taste even better than raw veggies. I’ve included my grilled balsamic veggies but you could easily roast them instead. Enjoy and happy recipes!!
Meal Prep Breakfast Recipes & Snacks
Pumpkin overnight oats
7 Quick & Easy Banana Smoothies
Chocolate Raspberry Baked Oatmeal Cups
Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
Mexican Breakfast Burritos
Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites
Brownie Energy Bites
Meal Prep Lunches & Dinners Recipes
Loaded Sweet Potato Skins
Roasted or grilled vegetables (PERFECT for sides)
Creamy Coconut Spinach and Mushroom Quinoa
Coconut Chickpea Curry
Quinoa enchilada skillet
Vegan Quinoa Cauliflower Burgers
Black Bean & Quinoa Veggie Burgers
Tropical Quinoa Salad Bowl with BBQ Chickpeas
Nourish Buddha Bowl with Harissa Tahini Dressing
Cuban Quinoa Bowls with Pineapple Salsa
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Bowl
Fajita Bowl
Chickpea & Beet “Meat” Balls
BONUS – Dessert!
Peanut Butter Cups
You’ll love to always have some of these in your freezer! Let it thaw a bit first before biting in.
BONUS TOPIC: How To Meal Prep and Plan – 5 Steps
My Fav Meal Prep Recipes Products
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If you try any of these, or have any more questions, definitely ask and let me know! Happy Meal Prepping and Eating! Please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen! For more exclusive recipes follow me on Instagram AND on Snapchat: jessinkitchen.
