Do you feel tired after a long day at work? Do you hate deciding what to cook every single night? If you end up eating junk food because you are too tired to cook, you are not alone.
Cooking every single day is hard. But there is a very easy solution: Meal Prepping.
Meal prepping simply means cooking your food for the next few days all at once (usually on a Sunday). In this guide, we will share the best and most easy meal prep recipes. They are simple, fast, and very tasty.
Why You Must Try Meal Prepping
Why do so many people love meal prep? Here are the top three reasons:
- You Save Money: Eating at restaurants is expensive. Making your own food is a great way to do budget-friendly meal prep. You will save a lot of money every month.
- You Save Time: Imagine waking up and your food is already ready in the fridge. No cutting, no cooking, and no washing dishes every day.
- You Eat Healthy Food: When we are hungry, we eat bad food. Having good food ready helps you stay healthy. If you want meal prep for weight loss, this is the best way to control what you eat.
3 Simple Rules for Meal Prep for Beginners
If you are trying meal prep for beginners, do not cook for the whole month. It will make you tired. Just follow these easy rules:
- Buy Good Boxes: Buy strong glass or plastic boxes with tight lids. They keep your food fresh.
- Start Small: Do not cook all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) on your first day. Just make lunch for the next 3 days.
- Do Two Things at Once: While your chicken is cooking in the oven, you can cut vegetables or boil rice.
5 Easy Meal Prep Recipes for Busy People
Here are 5 simple recipes. We have added tables and simple steps so you can make them quickly.
1. Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables
This is one of the best healthy lunch ideas for work. You put everything on one tray and put it in the oven. It is that simple!
| Recipe Info | Details |
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings | 4 meals |
Ingredients You Need:
- 2 big pieces of chicken breast (cut into small pieces)
- 2 bell peppers (capsicum)
- 1 small broccoli
- 2 spoons of olive oil
- Salt, black pepper, and garlic powder
How to Make It:
- Turn on your oven to 200°C.
- Put the chicken and cut vegetables on a big baking tray.
- Put oil, salt, and pepper on top. Mix it with your hands.
- Put the tray in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Put the cooked food into 4 lunch boxes.
2. 5-Minute Overnight Oats (No Cooking!)
Mornings are always busy. This breakfast recipe needs zero cooking. You make it at night and eat it in the morning.
| Recipe Info | Details |
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 0 minutes |
| Servings | 1 meal |
Ingredients You Need:
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 spoon chia seeds
- 1 spoon honey
- Some fresh fruits (like banana or berries)
How to Make It:
- Take a small box or a glass jar.
- Put the oats, milk, and chia seeds inside. Mix well.
- Add honey for a sweet taste.
- Put fresh fruit on top.
- Close the box and keep it in the fridge all night. It will be ready in the morning!
3. Quick Chickpea and Cucumber Salad
If you do not want to use the stove, make this fresh salad. It is full of protein and keeps you full.
| Recipe Info | Details |
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 0 minutes |
| Servings | 3 meals |
Ingredients You Need:
- 1 cup boiled chickpeas (chana)
- 1 big cucumber (cut into pieces)
- 1 cup small tomatoes (cut in half)
- 1/4 onion (cut into very small pieces)
- 2 spoons olive oil and lemon juice
How to Make It:
- Put the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, and onion in a big bowl.
- In a small cup, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Pour this oil mix over the salad.
- Mix everything and put it in your boxes.
4. Baked Egg Muffins
Frying an egg every morning takes time. This is a very smart 15-minute meal prep idea. You bake the eggs once and eat them all week.
| Recipe Info | Details |
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings | 4 to 6 meals |
Ingredients You Need:
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup chopped spinach (palak)
- 1/4 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup cheese
- Salt and pepper
How to Make It:
- Turn on the oven to 180°C. Put some oil in a cupcake tray.
- Break the eggs into a bowl and mix them with salt and pepper.
- Add the spinach, onions, and cheese to the eggs.
- Pour the egg mix into the cupcake tray.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Keep them in the fridge and warm them for 30 seconds before eating.
5. Garlic Butter Shrimp and Zucchini
Shrimp (jhinga) cooks very fast. This is a great dinner recipe that looks fancy but is very easy.
| Recipe Info | Details |
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings | 2 meals |
Ingredients You Need:
- 1 lb clean shrimp
- 3 zucchini vegetables (cut into long noodle shapes)
- 2 spoons butter
- 3 pieces of garlic (cut very small)
- Lemon juice
How to Make It:
- Melt butter in a pan. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the shrimp. Cook for 3 minutes until they become pink. Take the shrimp out of the pan.
- Put the zucchini noodles in the same pan. Cook for only 2 minutes.
- Put the shrimp back in the pan. Add some lemon juice on top.
- Let it cool down and put it in your boxes.
How to Store Your Food Safely
Keeping your food safe is very important. If you eat old food, you can get sick. Here is a simple table to show you how long food stays good:
| Food Name | Safe in the Fridge | Safe in the Freezer |
| Cooked Chicken / Meat | 3 to 4 Days | Yes (for 3 months) |
| Boiled Eggs | 7 Days | No (they taste bad) |
| Cut Fresh Fruit | 3 to 5 Days | Yes |
| Cooked Rice | 4 to 5 Days | Yes |
| Salads with Oil/Lemon | 1 to 2 Days | No |
Important Rule: Never put very hot food in the fridge. Let it cool down in the kitchen for 30 minutes first.
Conclusion
Meal prepping is not hard. It is just a new habit. Start with just one recipe this Sunday. Put on your favorite music, cook your food, and put it in boxes.
When you wake up on Monday and your food is already ready, you will feel so happy and relaxed!
(FAQs)
People often ask these questions about easy meal prep recipes. Here are the simple answers:
1. How long does meal prep food stay fresh?
Most cooked meals, like chicken, rice, and roasted vegetables, stay fresh in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If you want to keep food for longer, it is better to put it in the freezer.
2. Can I meal prep for the whole week?
Yes, but it is better to prepare twice a week (for example, on Sunday and Wednesday). This keeps the food tasting fresh. If you prepare everything on Sunday, some meals might lose their taste by Friday.
3. Is meal prepping expensive?
No, it is actually cheaper! When you do budget-friendly meal prep, you buy ingredients in bulk and stop wasting money on fast food or expensive snacks.
4. Do I need to reheat my prepped meals?
It depends on the recipe. Meals like chicken, pasta, and stir-fry taste better when reheated in a microwave for 1-2 minutes. However, meals like chickpea salads or overnight oats are meant to be eaten cold.
Which recipe will you try first? Tell us in the comments below!