21 Meal Prep Recipes for Weight Loss: How To Meal Prep Without Losing Your Sanity Or Going Over Budget

Heather Burnett
August 9, 2018

Clean Eating, Clean eating Beakfast, Clean eating Dinner, Clean eating lunch, Health, Weight Loss

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If searching for healthy meal prep recipes for weight loss is not your idea of a good time, and if the thought of preparing meals ahead brings you way down, then you’ll appreciate this sanity-saving guide that explains how to meal prep and plan with better results in less time with less effort.

You know meal prep is THE way to stick to your diet and keep your budget in check, but who has the time to chop and cook all day?

And who wants to spend their free time over a stove and a meal planning worksheet?

Not me.

If you’re an aspiring meal planner, and you need a few legit meal prep recipes for weight loss, but don’t know where to start, I’m about to make life so much easier for you.

Meal Prep Recipes For The Week For Beginners! 21 meal prep recipes for breakfast, lunch, & dinner for weight loss! Fabulous menu planning tips for meal prep that save time & money! Whether you’re prepping for a family, or for 2, these simple make-ahead meal prep recipes for the crockpot, slow cooker, and freezer help you prep more in less time! If you want to start meal prep & meal planning, but don’t know where to start-THIS meal prep beginners guide is for YOU! #mealprep #healthyrecipes

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Is Meal Prepping Good For Weight Loss?

Meal prep is VIP when you’re looking to lose weight and stay on budget, but let’s face it.

It’s a struggle.

Between juggling a busy career, little league games, and trying to manage life in general- it’s hard to find the time and energy to focus on planning recipes much less spending endless hours chopping and batch cooking.

I mean, how are you supposed to do it ALL?

Newsflash: You’re not:)

Today I’m sharing the best meal prep recipes for weight loss that simplify meal prep & menu planning and save time, money, and sanity!

Here’s to losing weight & lazy weekends!

Meal Prep Tips for Beginners

Start Slow

Meal prep is overwhelming at first. Start slow with two or three dinner recipes and then work your way up to breakfast & lunch.

So many meal prep tips recommend you go on a major shopping haul to buy food for every recipe (breakfast+lunch+dinner+snacks) and meal prep all day Sunday.

Don’t. Do. It.

If you aren’t already a cooking pro/ meal prepper, this is a sure-fire way to get overwhelmed & end up on the highway to McDonald’s for dinner again.

Instead of a complete overhaul – make a mini-run to the grocery store and get the ingredients for three dinner meals.

I recommend you start with a crockpot recipe.

Most slow cooker recipes make plenty for dinner + leftovers, so by cooking once, you’ve already “prepped” two dinners, and maybe a lunch depending on how many you are feeding!

I’ve included 21 simple meal prep recipes for beginners below!:)

Choosing Meal Prep Recipes For Weight Loss

Ok, at this point you’ve dipped your toe into the pool of meal prep and you’re ready to dive in, but you’re not sure how to select recipes.

Pinterest is giving you a panic attack – because sometimes too many options is a bad thing:)

Stay focused. I’ll walk you through it.

Step One: Take Inventory

First, try to select recipes that will use what you already have! Got a pound of ground beef in the freezer? Use it!

What about your vegetable drawer? Need to use an onion or a zucchini before it has to go straight into the trash can?

Take an inventory of what you have before you go hunting for recipes for the week:)

Step Two: Consider Your Schedule

Think about your schedule for the week.

Are you going to be at the ball field every night?

Working late, again?

If your answer is yes – then you need easy one-pan recipes and slow-cooker meals. Try to avoid recipes that take 25 steps or 6 ingredients you’ve never heard of.

You need to keep it as simple as possible.

Yes, I know the other recipes are pretty. But they may lead you straight to the funny farm, so let’s save those for another time, ok?

Other considerations include picky eating kids or teenagers-if you know they can’t stand Taco Tuesday then maybe you shouldn’t use that amazing Mexican casserole recipe you found.

Unless you’re OK with them choosing cereal over your home-cooked meal – Which happens all the time over here & that’s OK.

Look for recipes with ingredients like shredded chicken, beef, pork & lots of veggies. You can batch cook all of these ingredients (easily) and make weeknight dinners fast.

Here’s a few shredded recipes that are easy to put together & make enough for leftovers! (More Meal Prep recipes are at the end of the post!)

Easy “Shredded” Meal Prep Recipes [For Weight Loss]

Low Carb “Crack” Chicken | Crockpot or Oven | 7 Hours or 30 Minutes | Word To Your Mother Blog

Mexican Instant Pot Shredded Chicken | 25 Minutes | The Whole Kitchen Sink

Cuban Shredded Beef | Little Spice Jar

Instant Pot Pulled Pork | 1 Hour | Savory Tooth

Crockpot Shredded Chicken Chili | 6 Hours | WTYM Blog

Mason Jar Meal Prep

This may be the easiest way to meal prep a packable lunch -EVER! You can do all sorts of healthy recipes in a Mason Jar!

Blueberry Banana Overnight Oats | Organize Yourself Skinny

Mornings Made Berry Easy Smoothie | xoxoBella

Mason Jar Burrito Bowls | Gimme Delicious

Step Three: Before You Go Shopping

Check Your Pantry

Make sure you know what you have vs. what you need – this will save you money.

Make Room

Also – make sure there’s room in the freezer and fridge. You don’t have to do a complete clear out, but you do want to avoid an unfortunate I Have No Space scenario when you unload the groceries!

Meal Prep On A Budget Tips

Select recipes with ingredients that are on sale. Check the Sunday paper for ads, and coupons- BEFORE you pick your meals for the week

Choose recipes with fruits & vegetables that are in season. They’ll be less expensive.

Make meals stretch by adding extra veggies and rice. Bonus: You can prep both on one day in a couple of hours.

Select recipes you can double or that will yield leftovers. Find one or two that you can use more than once. Chili is my go-to double recipe. Easy, simple, and nobody complains about having it as leftovers – especially when they have no idea that last night’s chili is tonight’s burrito or taco salad!

Save Money By Shopping At Thrive

Check out Thrive Market! Yes, I know shopping online in your PJ’s sounds too good to be true, but Thrive makes it happen. They make the best healthy foods and products affordable and accessible to everyone. Especially those of us who live in rural areas and a “quick run” to Whole Foods means packing a suitcase:)

Shop Multiple Stores

Yes, this can be time-consuming, but it’s also a way some people save BIG on food! If you’re new to this meal prep thing, I don’t recommend shopping all day-at five different stores-you’ll have zero energy left. Focus on saving money on canned & bagged items at the Dollar Store first.

Meal Prep Shopping

Organize Your List

Go with a master list and do not get distracted! Stick to your list and make one trip to the store. This will save you time & so much money…Those last minute trips to the store cost you a ton!

To stay on track – organize your shopping list by section. Produce, Dairy, Meats, Frozen, Canned, Baking, Spices-if you know your store’s layout by heart, place these categories in the order of how you shop. I like to leave the cold stuff for last because I’m super-paranoid something will spoil because I took too long to get it home.

Buy in Bulk

If you know you’re going to be eating chicken for three nights, take advantage of the family-sized packages of chicken. You can also buy meat and pork in value-sized packs. When you get home, you can portion it out in ziplock bags & freeze for later.

Frozen Is Fabulous

Buy frozen fruits & veggies to save time & money! Frozen fruits & vegetables are just as healthy as fresh – & sometimes they’re BETTER – they often have a higher level of antioxidants & vitamins because they’re picked at their peak & flash frozen!

Meal Prep On A Budget Favorites

Carrots

Cabbage

Beans

Oats

Sweet Potatoes

Lentils

Brown Rice

Eggs

Meal Prep Batch Cooking

Don’t spend all day meal prepping. Set a timer for two to three hours on your preferred meal prep day-most folks do Sunday, but it’s up to you. Roast all of the veggies for your upcoming meals and portion them out in air tight containers. Use these for salads, side dishes, or soups. Cook chicken, make a roast, and batch cook quinoa and wild rice.

You’ll be amazed at what you can get accomplished in a few hours. A few of my favorite meal prep batch cooking foods are:

Chicken

Veggies: Roast Cauliflower, Zucchini, & Carrots together-they have similar cook times

Grains: Quinoa & Wild Rice

Beans & Legumes: Navy-Black-& Kidney beans, Chickpeas

Meal Prep Storage & Tools

Containers

Do invest in quality meal prep containers. You need dishwasher, microwave, and oven safe. This Glasslock 18-piece assorted oven set is fabulous!

Zip-Top Freezer Bags

Use these for everything from smoothie prep to soups to save space. Make sure you get all of the air out before sealing.

Labels

Make sure you label all of your meals-especially freezer meals with the name of the dish, date it was prepared, and the expiration date. You may want to write other instructions too like dethawing time & cook time. Use a label maker or a permanent marker so it will last!

Measuring Cups & Spoons

You’re looking for durable, easy to see measurements & you want dishwasher safe. Nobody has time for hand wash. I found this angled measuring cup you may like because of the grip. It’s also easy to read…OXO Good Grips: Measuring Cup

Sharp Knives

Nothing is more frustrating than sawing your way through a vegetable with a dull blade! You don’t have to spend a fortune – but do make sure you have a few good knives! You can get the Rada Cutlery Meal Prep 4 piece set on amazon here. This comes with 3 pairing knives + the Rada Vegetable Peeler.

Sheet Pans

You don’t need anything super-fancy here. I found this Wilton Perfect Results Mega Large Cookie pan on amazon. It’s non-stick & dishwasher safe. Check to make sure it will fit into your oven before you buy-it’s 15X21!

Muffin Pans

Get a non-stick pan & save money on foil or paper liners! Wilton has one available on amazon-12 cup regular pan-Non-Stick

Crockpot or Slow Cooker

Call it a crockpot or a slow-cooker – either way; it’s going to be your best friend! These easy recipes make dinner happen with little to no work! You can also use them to batch cook! Use your crockpot or Instant Pot on meal prep day to make your chicken for the week. Here’s an affordable one with tons of great reviews on Amazon – mine is so old it isn’t available anymore!

Instant Pot

Do you have to get an Instant Pot? No! But if you enjoy super fast cook times – it’s a darn good idea:) This Instant Pot Duo Plus comes in 3 different sizes-3 Quart-6-Quart-8 Quart & does everything from steaming rice to making yogurt!