Who doesn’t love easy meal prep ideas and 30 minute recipes? There’s few things better than being able to prep your dinner in 30 minutes or less. I don’t think anyone wants to come home after a long busy day and then spend HOURS in the kitchen.
I’m always looking for quick easy recipes that are perfect to add to my weekly meal plan. So with that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of easy meal prep ideas that ANYONE can spend 30 minutes or less making.
Before we get to the recipes, check out all my favorite tips and tricks to make meal prep as easy as humanly possible. Keep reading to get my favorite meal planning printables as well.
- The Benefits of Meal Prep
- Simple Steps to Start Meal Prepping
- Tips and Tricks for Meal Prep Success
- Free Meal Planning Printables
- Easy Meal Prep Ideas: the Recipes
- 1. Potato Cauliflower Red Lentil Curry
- 2. 15 Minute Thai Prawn Curry
- 3. Easy Meal Prep Ideas: Mexican Ranch Style Shrimp
- 4. One Pot Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- 5. Instant Pot Creole Chicken and Sausage
- 6. Mexican Chicken Zucchini Skillet
- 7. Whole 30 Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles and Marinara Sauce
- 8. Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- 9. Healthy Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
- 10. Lemon Garlic Zoodles
- 11. Easy Instant Pot Meatballs
- 12. 10 Minute Gluten Free Chicken Fried Rice
- 13. Keto Chicken Salad
- 14. Green Goddess Hummus Sandwich
- 15. Fifteen Minute Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas
- 16. Quinoa Chickpea Mason Jar Salad
- 17. Enchilada Sweet Potato Noodles Skillet
- 18. Creamy Chicken Fajita Pasta
- 19. Vegetable Miso Noodle Soup
- 20. Spinach Artichoke Salmon
- Ready to use these easy meal prep ideas?
The Benefits of Meal Prep
If you haven’t ever planned and prepped your meals, you’re missing out on a world of benefits. I’ve included a bunch of easy meal prep ideas below because meal prep IS AWESOME. With meal prep, you can:
Save Money
Think about how much money you spend going out to eat. Or better yet, track how much money you’re actually spending. I bet it’s a whole lot more than you think.
By prepping your meals in advance, you can save a ton of money by not buying food out. If you spend $10 on Chipotle for lunch every day, that’s $50 during a M-F workweek.
With $50 in groceries for homemade meals, you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Use these easy meal prep ideas to save yourself some money!
Eat Healthy
Let’s revisit eating out. How many calories are in a burrito? I promise you it’s way more than you think. By prepping your meals in advance you don’t have to guess whether something you’re eating is healthy.
You already know because you made it. When you cook your own meals you can control the oil, the fat, carbs and all the ingredients.
You can MAKE healthy meals for the week and stick to your healthy eating goals. See? These easy meal prep ideas will help you eat healthy.
Save Time
I know, it seems counterintuitive that spending some time cooking a bunch of meals will actually save you time. But think about how much time you spend just deciding what you want to eat for dinner every night.
And worse, going to the drive thru when you can’t land on something else. By having some easy meal prep ideas ready, you can consolidate all your cooking into one or two days, drastically reducing the time that you have to spend in the kitchen otherwise. These easy meal prep ideas will save you a bunch of time.
Simple Steps to Start Meal Prepping
- When you’re looking to start meal prepping, you need to make sure you have the right containers. You need something that’s sturdy, durable, and will help you stay organized. I love this set of glass containers from Amazon – they’re pretty, durable, and won’t leak toxic plastics into your food.
- Make a list of meal ideas. Before you get started, brainstorm a list of recipes that you know you love and are fairly easy to make. Use this list to narrow down your weekly menu.
- Once you’ve decided on a list of meals, write down your shopping list and make a menu for the week. Grab this pretty menu printable to help you stay organized.
- Get to cooking!
Tips and Tricks for Meal Prep Success
- Start small. If this is your first time attempting to meal prep, start with prepping one or two meals for the week. Get a feel for what works for you and how long things keep in the fridge before you start prepping a whole week’s worth of meals.
- Use a calendar. It’s helpful to start your meal prep by looking at your calendar. If you have a lot of activities planned that require you to be out and about, maybe don’t make a meal for that day. It’s ok to schedule in takeout nights, customize your meal plan to something that works for YOU.
- Look at the weather. Seriously! You don’t want to be making a bunch of hot soups when the weather’s hot, or light salads on cold winter days. Take the weather into consideration when planning out your meals.
- Eat your perishables first. Plan your meals so you use up the things more likely to go bad first (like fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs.)
- Don’t be afraid of frozen or canned vegetables. They’re so convenient and keep longer. Use them to help make your meal prep much easier.
Free Meal Planning Printables


Easy Meal Prep Ideas: the Recipes

1. Potato Cauliflower Red Lentil Curry

I’ve been in love with lentils for several years and I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for some easy lentil recipes I can meal prep quickly and easily. This red lentil curry from Minimalist Baker is easy, flavorful, and comes together in 30 minutes. You can make a large pot to serve over rice for many yummy meals you can enjoy during the week.
2. 15 Minute Thai Prawn Curry

I’m in love with anything shrimp and this thai prawn curry is no exception. This recipe is packed full of deliciousness. It’s gluten-free, dairy free, and it comes together in FIFTEEN minutes. Yeah, that’s not a typo. You can whip up a large pot of this curry for easy meal prep any day of the week.
3. Easy Meal Prep Ideas: Mexican Ranch Style Shrimp

When it comes to meal prep, I’m a sucker for easy recipes that anyone can make on a busy weeknight. This Mexican ranch-style shrimp recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes and can be topped with delicious avocados and queso fresco. Plus, it’s packed with good-for-you spinach! Serve these over cilantro lime rice for an easy, saucy meal you’ll love.
4. One Pot Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Look at how yummy this Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe looks. This recipe is super easy to make – it’s all done in one pot and ready in 30 minutes. Talk about convenience! If you’re looking for a creamy, easy and delicious pasta recipe that’s different than your usual, this is the perfect one for you.
5. Instant Pot Creole Chicken and Sausage

I’m a huge fan of recipes that only require a little bit of hand on prep time but are packed full of flavor. This instant pot creole chicken and sausage fits that description to a tee. It’s packed full of flavor and only requires 15 minutes of your time. Plus, you can sever over rice or whatever else you prefer.
6. Mexican Chicken Zucchini Skillet

Few things are better than Mexican food, and this Mexican Chicken Zucchini Skillet does not disappoint. Everything about this meal is perfect. It’s low-carb, uses a ton of fresh, season veggies, and comes together in one single pot. It’s an absolutely perfect, healthy recipe to add to your weekly meal plan.
7. Whole 30 Turkey Meatballs with Zoodles and Marinara Sauce

I love pretty food and this Meatballs and Zoodles recipe is the epitome of that. It’s healthy, low-carb, easy, and perfect for meal prep. Getting this whole thing ready takes less than 30 minutes and you can a BUNCH of this for your weekend meal prep. Plus, it’s kid approved. Check out the recipe for all the details 😉
And if you’re looking to buy a spiralizer, check out this one on Amazon. It’s affordable and comes with over 4,000 five star reviews.
8. Mexican Stuffed Peppers

I adore these Mexican Stuffed Peppers. You can customize them with your favorite protein and they’re so gooey good! Plus, it comes together in 30 minutes. Make a bunch of these and have the perfect amount of leftovers for the easiest meal prep you’ve ever had.
9. Healthy Oven Baked Chicken Breasts

They say we eat with our eyes and I don’t know about you but this chicken breast recipe makes my mouth water just by LOOKING at it. But my favorite part about this recipe is that it only takes 5 minutes of your time to prep. That’s right, FIVE minutes. The rest of the time goes into cooking in the over. Simply set a timer and forget it! This would be perfect to serve alongside the Lemon Garlic Zoodles, below.
10. Lemon Garlic Zoodles

These Zoodles are perfect for meal prep because they’re just so EASY. All you really need is some garlic, lemon and Zoodles and you can create a base that you use with anything, including the healthy over baked chicken breasts (right above) o the instant pot meatballs (right below). This is perfect for anyone looking for a low-carb meal.
And if you’re looking to buy a spiralizer, check out this one on Amazon. It’s affordable and comes with over 4,000 five star reviews.
11. Easy Instant Pot Meatballs

Look at those juicy meatballs! This is a perfect, easy meal that you can make when you have a spare ten minutes, freeze, and cook up in your instant pot when you need them! These pair up perfectly with rice, pasta, and pretty much any other star or veggie you can think of. This is a super easy meal prep idea you can batch cook quickly and easily.
If you don’t have an instant pot yet you need to get one. It makes cooking so much easier and faster! This one from Amazon is affordable and comes with raving reviews.
12. 10 Minute Gluten Free Chicken Fried Rice

This fried rice is my JAM. I absolutely love that it comes together with leftover ingredients. It’s perfect to make when you have a little bit of rice leftover, some chicken, and some spare veggies in your fridge. That’s the beautiful thing about it: you don’t have to go get a laundry list of things from the store. Just go “shopping” in your fridge and pantry and use what you have on hand.
13. Keto Chicken Salad

Speaking of using leftover chicken, this Keto Chicken Salad is perfect for those of you on the Keto diet. Or for anyone who likes an easy chicken salad 😉 I love that this keeps in the fridge for a couple of days, and you can serve it a variety of different ways.
14. Green Goddess Hummus Sandwich

Look at how delicious this sandwich looks. You wouldn’t even know it was packed full of good-for-you ingredients. This recipe is perfect for an easy, healthy lunch. You can add it to your meal prep rotation when you have some extra time int he morning and need something quick as you run out the house.
15. Fifteen Minute Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

There’s nothing like a good quesadilla recipe for those lazy weekend days when you’re rushing to get your meal prep together. This quesadilla recipe comes together in only 15 minutes! You’ll be stoked to have to look forward to for lunch or dinner the next day.
16. Quinoa Chickpea Mason Jar Salad

Mason jar salads (like this one!) are perfect for those days when you’re trying to eat healthy but need something filling. I love some easy vegan recipes and this salad is perfect if you’re looking to meal prep some quick healthy meals. Bring them with you for lunch to be the envy of the office.
Looking for mason jars? You can get some big enough for salads on Amazon.
17. Enchilada Sweet Potato Noodles Skillet

This enchilada sweet potato noodles skillet is full of amazing flavors and healthy veggies for an easy one pot meal. It’s a perfect cheesy recipe you can whip up in under 30 minutes and have plenty leftover for your meal prep.
18. Creamy Chicken Fajita Pasta

If you’re a fan of both Mexican and Italian flavors, this creamy chicken fajita pasta is the perfect crossover for you! I love that this recipes comes together in one single pot, making meal prep (and clean-up) such a breeze. This is a perfect meal to add to your meal plan menu for those busy night when you just need to crank out a bunch of meals for the week.
19. Vegetable Miso Noodle Soup

Easy soup recipes is where it’s at when you’re meal planning. Anything that comes together in a single pot is a god-send when you’re trying to bust out a bunch of meals for the week. This vegetable miso noodle soup is perfect for those cold days when all you want is a nice steaming bowl of soup to warm you app. It comes together in 30 minutes and is an easy meal prep idea you’ll reach for over and over again.
20. Spinach Artichoke Salmon

For you seafood lovers (myself included!) this Salmon recipe is a great easy meal prep idea that you can make for your weekend meal prep in under 30 minutes. This salmon is creamy, rich, and perfect for those days when you just want amazingly delicious food.
Ready to use these easy meal prep ideas?
Meal prepping doesn’t have to be hard. Follow the tips and tricks outlined above for an easy-peasy meal prep that will save you time, money and effort.
Hi Ale – I love all of these recipes – there’s never enough time in the day and I’m all about quick and easy dinners. PINNED! Thank you so much for including my lemon garlic zoodles. My heart is full of gratitude. Hugs, Holly