Meal Planning Ideas: A Complete Guide for Meal-Prepping
These tips will make your menu run smoother from breakfast to dinner.
Fact checked by Marcus Reeves
Why Should You Meal Prep?
Meal prepping may seem like a lot of work, but it'll save you so much time later. Good candidates for meal prepping are foods that will keep for a while in your fridge and freezer, and that can be added to other recipes later. Shredded chicken, chopped vegetables, and chopped fruits are all simple meal prep ideas, but they can make any meal of the day much easier (and faster) to make when you already have them on hand. Just think of how far having a few cups of chopped onion ready in advance will go! You can also make meal-planning menus at the beginning of the week, so you can plan to use leftover ingredients from one meal as part of the next one. Meal planning can not only save you time, but it can also help your budget (and the earth!) by cutting down on food waste.
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Breakfast Meal Prep
Meal planning for breakfast is one of the easiest ways to make busy mornings run a little more smoothly. Between overnight blended oats, freezer breakfasts, and overnight slow cooker recipes, a little bit of planning now can lead to quick and easy breakfasts tomorrow, for the rest of the week, or even in a month or two.
To prep for tomorrow, try overnight oats. Overnight oats are one of the quickest, easiest ways to enjoy oatmeal in the morning. Blend together oats, milk, Greek yogurt, and other mix-ins, then let them chill in the fridge overnight. Once breakfast time rolls around, add toppers and dig in. As an added bonus, some overnight oats recipes can stay in your fridge for a few extra days—some will keep for up to 3 days, so you can prep a big batch today and enjoy oats for half of the week.
Related: 9 Overnight Grain Recipes to Make Your Morning Yummier
To prep for the next few months, freeze! You'd be surprised at the variety of foods you can make now and put on ice to enjoy for breakfast later. Pancakes, oatmeal, smoothie bags, rolls, and even coffee cake can all be kept in your freezer for up to a couple of months and reheated for breakfast later. Be sure to check the recipe notes for details about how long each food will last.
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Lunch Meal Prep
Whether you're having lunch at home or on the lookout for make-ahead brown bag lunches to take to work or school, it pays to include lunchtime in your meal planning menus. Some of our favorite make-ahead lunch ideas utilize extra ingredients from dinner the night before. If you're looking for meal planning ideas for two or more, multitask with a double batch of dinner that can roll over as the next day's mouthwatering midday meal.
Orzo Chicken Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing
To prep for the next day, plan to use leftovers from the night before in your lunchbox the following day. Many recipes calling for shredded chicken or pork can even be put together and refrigerated the night before, so all you have to do in the morning is grab your brown bag on your way out the door.
For healthy meal plan ideas that last throughout the week, layer ingredients in a way that won't make them soggy, or separate different components of your lunch to assemble later (it's usually a good idea to pack salad dressing in a separate container, for example). For some meal-planning lunch recipes, like our Homemade Cup of Noodles, you can use leftover ingredients and store them together for a few days to enjoy for lunch another day.
Dinner Meal Prep
Creating a menu of healthy meal plan ideas for dinner is easier than you might think! Of course, you can always make and freeze casseroles to bake later, but you're not limited to just casseroles, even when you're looking for meal-planning ideas for families. We have plenty of big-batch recipes that can be prepped and made ahead of time to enjoy on a busy weeknight. You can also prepare some of our healthy meal plan casserole ideas so you'll have them on hand to reach for instead of your takeout menus on a hectic day.
Green Chile Chicken Tortilla Casserole
To meal prep for the next day, look for recipes with long marinade times before cooking. Many dishes that call for a marinade have a range of time that the recipe can soak (for example, 2 to 24 hours), so you can prep the recipe on a Sunday to have it ready for the grill or the oven on Monday. Like some lunch meal prep ideas, you can also use leftovers, like shredded chicken, from the night before to repurpose in the next night's dinner.
Coffee and Smoked Paprika-Rubbed Steak with Buttermilk Dressing
To meal prep for the next week (or even the next few months), look for freezer recipes. Many casserole recipes can be prepared ahead of time, and then baked before serving. Soups and stews can also be good candidates for freezing for a few months—all you'll have to do is grab them from the freezer, and let them simmer to warm, bubbly perfection before serving.
Make-Ahead Two-Tomato and Chile Stew
Make-Ahead Meals
Some meals can be completely prepared ahead of time and reheated when you need them for a quick dinner in a pinch. You can also make entree salads ahead of time by washing and chopping all of the ingredients in advance, making the dressing, and packaging separately, then combining them together when you're ready to serve. Some make-ahead recipes, like casseroles, call for cooking and combining all of the ingredients ahead of time, and simply pulling out of the freezer and baking when you need them for dinner.
Make-Ahead Baked Ziti with Three Cheeses
More Meal Prep Tips
Just an extra hour or two spent chopping, slicing, and roasting at the beginning of the week can save you tons of time down the road. If you want to make meals quick and healthy, follow these easy meal-prepping tips to have healthy ingredients on hand all week.
Roast vegetables ahead of time and store them in your fridge. Some good candidates are beets, Yukon gold potatoes, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots. Add them to salads throughout the week, or use them as a fast and healthy side dish.
Roast a whole chicken, or grill a pork tenderloin or flank steak. Shred or slice the meat, store it in the fridge, and add to soups, salads, and sandwiches throughout the week.
Chop or slice a few veggies ahead of time, like sweet peppers, mushrooms, and red onions. Use them for making stir-fries, salads, and fajitas, or give them a quick saute and serve an egg on top for a speedy dinner.
Make hard-cooked or soft-boiled eggs in advance for adding to salads and other recipes. Both can also be peeled ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Hard-cooked eggs will keep for up to 7 days, and soft-boiled eggs will keep for up to 3 days.
Make a big batch of vinaigrette for all your salads. Shake the ingredients together in a Mason jar and store in the fridge. If you're stuck, try this go-to recipe: Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Freezer Foods
Take advantage of your freezer when you're meal-prepping! Double or triple batches of sauces, grains, or even meatballs, then store the extras in the freezer for later. Just follow these tips for reheating and storage:
Grains: It's super easy to make a big batch of rice, quinoa, or farro ahead of time! Store in the freezer for up to 6 months, and reheat in the microwave or a saucepan with a splash of water when you're ready to use them.
Meatballs: Meatballs may not seem like freezer food, but making them ahead of time is a great way to get a jump on your next plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Once baked, store in freezer containers for up to 3 months. Reheat slowly in sauce, covered, over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
Tomato Sauce: Just like meatballs, your extra tomato sauce will freeze beautifully. It can be reheated in a saucepan on the stove in just a few minutes and stays fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Herb Sauce: Freeze homemade pesto or other herb sauces in plastic freezer bags or ice cube trays. If you use an ice cube tray, just transfer the cubes of frozen sauce to a freezer bag once they're completely frozen. No matter what herbs you're using, the sauce will keep for up to 3 months.
Guacamole: Made too much guacamole? No problem! Save it for your next party by storing it in plastic freezer bags (just make sure to squeeze all of the extra air from the bag). Your guac will stay good for up to a month, so plan your next celebration soon!
No-Chop Prep Tips
Chopping and slicing can quickly become one of the most time-consuming parts of any meal. It certainly pays to do some of this prep work ahead of time, but you can also avoid it completely by stocking up on these foods that require no chopping. Some are completely no-chop, like pearl onions, and others you can find pre-chopped at the grocery store, like sweet peppers.
For Your Freezer:
Mixed berries
Mango
Dark sweet cherries
Pineapple
Cooked, diced chicken breast meat
Whole pearl onions
Chopped onions
Chopped peppers
Broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower
Pepper stir-fry
Mixed vegetables of corn, peas, carrots, lima beans, and green beans
For Your Fridge:
Rice vegetables like cauliflower, sweet potato, and broccoli
Pre-chopped onions
Pre-chopped peppers
Pre-sliced zucchini/yellow squash
Garlic paste
Minced ginger
Broccoli and cauliflower florets
Diced butternut squash
Grape tomatoes
Sliced mushrooms
Apple slices
Matchstick carrots, baby carrots, pre-sliced carrots, carrot sticks
Grapes
Cubed or sliced melon
Pre-washed spinach, kale, mustard greens, and traditional lettuces
Pre-shredded cabbage
Extra-lean ground beef, turkey, and chicken
Extra-lean stew meat
Chicken and turkey bulk sausage and sausage links
Chicken tenderloins, breasts, and thighs
Center-cut bacon
Diced extra-lean ham
Pork chops
Assorted cheeses, sliced, grated, shredded, and crumbled (including fresh mozzarella pearls)
Prepared guacamole
Fresh salsa
Hummus
For Your Pantry:
Canned chopped green chiles
No-salt-added canned vegetables, including pumpkin
Bottled salsa
Sliced ripe and/or green olives
Canned artichoke hearts
Bottled roasted red peppers
Slivered and chopped nuts
Bottled pasta sauce
Whole grains
Canned beans, peas, and lentils
Petite potatoes, including fingerling and honey gold
Cipollini onions
Breads (wide variety), including pre-sliced
What to Look For in Meal Prep Storage Containers
While nowadays meal prep is an excellent option for busy lives and weight and health management regimens, you can’t overlook one key step—food storage. The best food storage containers for keeping your lunches and leftovers fresh are those non-porous (to avoid stains or odors), resistant to cold and hot temperatures, and made out of non-toxic materials. Storing your food in glass containers, instead of thin, plastic ones, is recommended, especially non-tempered glass, which is far more durable in the long run. Keep in mind that some of these sets or meal-prep glass containers may be expensive, so think of them as an investment if you’re serious about organizing your meal plans. Look for containers with dividers, leak-proof, and when possible, bamboo lids. You can even re-use old Mason jars for salads or overnight oatmeal as we featured above. In a pinch, BPA-free disposable meal containers would work, just make sure are labeled as food-grade safe and recyclable.
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