Meal-prep your way to weight loss with these clean-eating recipes and tips. They will help you create healthy lunches and dinners ahead of time, saving money, time, and sanity while reaching your health and fitness goals!
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Nothing will derail your diet faster than being hungry and having absolutely nothing prepared.
What Is Clean Eating?
If you’re unfamiliar with “clean eating,” let’s go ahead and clarify that now. Eating clean isn’t a strict diet that eliminates food groups. It’s more about focusing on crowding out junk food with healthy whole foods. You can look for delivery services like the meal prep service in Palm Beach or prep meals on your own.
On a clean eating plan, you’ll avoid processed junk foods and sugar to a minimum and eat more fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats.
At first, it may feel like eating healthy and clean takes too much effort and is too expensive, but with some planning and weekend meal prep, it becomes a worthwhile habit.
Healthy Meal Prep Tips
Plan Your Meals
Take a few minutes on Sunday or Monday to choose your recipes for the week and finish the grocery shopping.
Make it easy on yourself by selecting recipes you can eat more than once or know you can use for multiple meals.
Choose recipes with vegetables that are in season. Save them to a Pinterest board or screenshot your favorites-whatever works best for you. Just find a system.
Chop Your Veggies & Buy in Bulk
Often, you can buy in bulk and save money.
Wash and chop all your fruits and vegetables for the week when you get home from the store.
Don’t put it off! Frozen fruits and veggies will work fine if you hate this chore or want to save some cash. They are picked when fresh and full of vitamins and nutrients.
Don’t Spend All Weekend in the Kitchen
Cook brown rice, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, and quinoa on Sunday for the week’s lunch and dinner meals.
These healthy starches will last up to 4-5 days in the fridge. Do this, and you’ll be ahead of the game.Having food ready will help you resist the urge to hit the McDonald’s drive-through for dinner.
Batch cook chicken and vegetables in the oven to save time later. Chicken can be used in all sorts of recipes from salads to soups! This is a huge time-saver.
Related: 30 Healthy Make-Ahead Meals For The Freezer
Stock up on shredded chicken by using this super easy crockpot recipe.
Just take 4-6 boneless chicken breasts and add 1/2 cup water or chicken broth for every pound of chicken.
Put everything in the slow cooker for 5 or 3 hours on low. Make sure you shred the chicken while it’s warm! Portion it out into 2-cup portions in an airtight container. (Most recipes call for this amount.)
It’s ok for the fridge for four days or 4 months in the freezer.
Make your snacks ahead of time and portion them out. It’s easy to go crazy grazing, so keep a few baggies or containers in your car or at work so you’ll be prepared when hunger hits!
RELATED: For more clean eating recipes for breakfast, lunch & dinner, see this popular post: 50 Clean Eating Recipes
Containers Matter
Consider investing a little money into quality containers. In other words, don’t get the cheap ones. You’ll be sorry when you have to play the “Where’s That Lid” game later.
Make it easy on yourself by using perfectly portioned reusable meal prep containers. If you prefer glass, I’d go with this Glasslock set.
These are fab and dishwasher-safe freezer, microwave, and meal prep containers for an excellent plastic option.
Use the Crockpot!
Or slow cooker—whatever name you prefer or model you choose! If you don’t have a crockpot, stop everything and go get one. I’ll be here when you get back.
Nothing beats a healthy meal simmered to perfection in the crockpot.
Getting Started
Sometimes, the first step is figuring out where to start. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, thinking you must make all your meals in advance.
The truth is, you don’t have to.
As a health coach, I advise clients to take one small step at a time. Consider starting with the meal that will make the most difference to you.
Do you need help resisting the drive-through for a quick breakfast on your daily commute?
Breakfast may be the place for you to start. Psst: this is a good one to try:)
Or do you struggle with eating a healthy lunch because there is too much temptation at the office? Then, you can start by prepping lunches.
Remember, small steps lead to significant results
Need a Clean Eating Shopping List?
Click Here!
Ready to start? Here are twelve healthy meal prep recipes for lunch or dinner.
12 Clean Eating Meal Prep Recipes
Rainbow Roasted Vegetables
Start your weekly meal prep with this recipe for Rainbow Roasted Vegetables that you can chop and store ahead of time!
Spicy Chicken & Sweet Potato
This beautiful well-balanced recipe from Pinch of Yum uses only 5 ingredients and serves 8!
Honey Sriracha Glazed Meatballs
Prepared with lean ground turkey and whole wheat breadcrumbs these meatballs from Eat Yourself Skinny are one of our favorite healthy meal prep recipes! The fact that they only take 30 minutes to make is a bonus!
Lemon Roasted Salmon with Sweet Potatoes
Keep your diet on track by meal prepping this easy lemon roasted salmon with sweet potatoes dish from Little Spice Jar. This healthy meal prep dish is super easy because the salmon, sweet potatoes, and broccolini (AKA: broccoli) all cook at the same temperature so you can pop it in the oven at the same time!
Turkey Taco Bowls
Need a low-carb Mexican dish? Here’s a fabulous make-ahead meal prep recipe from Kirbie’s Cravings to put in your keto or paleo rotation!
Jerk Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
This is the recipe that makes the other ones jealous! With jerk spiced chicken, black beans, sweet pineapple salsa, and Spanish rice, it will taste like you cooked for hours, but this dish comes together in 30 minutes!
Roasted Chicken & Veggies
Perfect for meal planning beginners this sheet pan chicken and vegetables meal is simple and loaded with flavor!
Maple Ginger Chicken Lunch Bowls
Four delicious lunches are on the other side of this yummy recipe from Sweet Peas & Saffron.
Garlic Parmesan Kale & Pasta
This healthy meal prep recipe from Budget Bytes is bursting with flavor and works well on the grill too! Just in time for summer!
Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls
Tired of taco night? Here’s an alternative with a healthy twist from Jar of Lemons! It takes only 30 minutes to put together this healthy meal using kale, grape tomatoes, corn, black beans, and chicken!
Balsamic Tempeh & Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowls
For an easy one pan vegetarian option chose this easy recipe from Simply Quinoa! One pan + 35 minutes = dinner or several tasty lunches!
Spicy Chickpea Quinoa Bowls
If you’re looking for gluten and dairy free meal prep recipes here’s an easy and delicious one from Eat Yourself Skinny that’s full of flavor and filling too!
Take your time with meal planning and keep going if you’re a beginner – don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed. Start small and work your way up! I hope these tips and clean meal prep recipes help.
Before you go, it takes hard work, discipline, dedication, and a focused mind to lose weight, stick to a healthy diet, and finally feel confident in your body. I know. I’ve been there! I’ve lost over 148 pounds, and it was not easy, but it was worth it!
One last word of encouragement: If a 40-something mother of three kids can do it – you can too!
Don’t Miss These Healthy Recipes & Tips!
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