Prospre: Meal Planner
Meal plans based on macros
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October 4, 2023
Starting a diet and sticking to it can bring a lot of challenges. It can be a hassle to shop for healthy food every day and cook a fresh meal every night. You may also want to avoid eating the same thing for each meal to avoid getting tired of those options quickly. Meal prepping is a great way to solve these problems. By putting in the effort once or twice a week you eat well every day while saving time. Learn about some delicious meal prep foods and how to make meal-prepping work for you.
Check out our macro calculator to find a daily calorie recommendation that's tailored to you and your lifestyle! You can then use our Macro Meal Plan Generator to create a custom meal plan based on your macronutrient goals.
When you look for the best meal prep foods, there are a few criteria you want each food to meet. They should be easy to prepare ahead of time, they should be easy to reheat if needed and they should keep in the fridge for a few days without spoiling. Here are 10 easy staples to add to your menu.
Grilled chicken breast is a versatile and protein-packed option, making it one of the best foods for meal prep. Season chicken breast with a variety of spices for different flavors to make it easy to pair with an assortment of side items. Grill a large batch of chicken breasts to use in salads, wraps, sandwiches, or paired with roasted vegetables for low-calorie meals.
For an easy and healthy side item in your prepped meals, cook up some quinoa. This grain is full of nutrients and it's easy to prepare a lot at once. Flavor it with broth, herbs, or spices to create your favorite flavor profiles. Use quinoa as a base for grain bowls, an addition to salads, or eat on its own as a side.
Roasted vegetables are easy meal prep foods to make and enjoy for several days. Just toss your favorite veggies in a bit of heart-healthy oil and seasoning and roast them in an oven or air fryer. Try options such as sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots or bell peppers. Roasting brings out their natural flavors and makes them last longer in the refrigerator.
One of the best meal prep foods is one you may not have expected: hard- boiled eggs. You can cook a few on the weekend and add them to your breakfasts and lunches. They have plenty of protein to fuel your body. Eat one alone as a snack, pair it with some cut vegetables for a light meal, or cut up on salads to add protein to meals. Hard-boiled eggs can last up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
There is a reason mason jar salads became so trendy: they are a fun and easy meal prep idea for busy people who want to eat well. These salads are great for meal prep because of how you layer the ingredients. By placing wet ingredients at the bottom of the jar and leafy greens toward the top, you can keep the vegetables from wilting as quickly and make a few days' worth of salads at one time.
If you want foods for meal prep that work for breakfast, dessert, or a snack, start making chia seed pudding. Soak the chia seeds in almond or oat milk overnight and add cinnamon, honey, and fruit for a low-effort snack you can make on the weekend and have all week long.
Breakfast is an important meal, so why not meal prep for it? Overnight oats are popular meal prep foods because they're easy and filling for someone on the go. Just put rolled oats into a container of your choice with milk and let them sit in the refrigerator for the night. Try adding yogurt, fruit, or nuts to personalize to your tastes. Grab the oats from the fridge in the morning for a quick meal before work or heading to the gym.
For people willing to do a little more daily cooking with their meal prep foods, try a stir-fry. Prep the sauce on the weekend by combining soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and honey, and then store the mixture in the fridge. Prep your veggies on the weekend by chopping them up and storing them in the refrigerator. During the week, toss your protein of choice and the chopped veggies with your sauce in a hot pan for a fresh and filling dinner.
Chilis, soups, and stews are lovely meal prep foods. Cooking large pots of food is an easy way to prep several servings at once. Just grab a bowl for dinner or split the soup into containers to bring for lunch. You can add all of the foods you want, giving you the opportunity to customize to your liking, for example, vegetarian soup or high-protein stew.
Remember to think about dessert when you make your list of foods for meal prep. You can make plenty of easy treats without much effort that will last you through the week. Try oatmeal cookies, energy balls, or banana muffins. Homemade versions will also have less sugar and additives than the store versions.
Take control of your diet by meal prepping. With a few meal prep foods on hand, you can avoid fast food and convenience meals. Get Prospre for more help.