Maintaining a healthy lifestyle often hinges on consistent, well-planned nutrition. For those aiming to build muscle, manage weight, or simply feel more energized, incorporating high-protein meals into their diet is essential. Meal prepping offers a convenient solution, ensuring nutritious, protein-packed options are readily available, even on the busiest days. This article explores a variety of healthy high-protein meal prep recipes, providing inspiration and practical tips to make meal prepping a sustainable part of your routine.
Why High-Protein Meal Prep?
Protein is a vital macronutrient, playing a crucial role in muscle building, repair, and overall body function. High-protein meals can also promote satiety, helping to manage hunger and support weight loss efforts. By prepping these meals in advance, you can avoid unhealthy, last-minute food choices and stay on track with your nutrition goals.
Meal prep makes healthy eating easy. With a little forward planning, you won't even have to think about cooking for days.
Preparing your food in advance makes it so much easier for you to consume the food your body requires, at the correct time.
Why spend every single day planning what to cook, buying ingredients and making your meals, when you could be doing something more productive with your time? Get ahead of the game and meal prep in advance, so you can spend your time doing what matters the most to you.
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Key Strategies for High-Protein Meal Prep
Before diving into specific recipes, let's outline some key strategies to maximize the benefits of high-protein meal prep:
- Prioritize Protein Sources: Choose lean protein sources such as chicken, turkey, fish, beef, eggs, tofu, and legumes.
- Incorporate Volume: Add plenty of vegetables to your meals to increase volume without significantly increasing calories. This helps you feel full and satisfied.
- Focus on Flavor: Don't sacrifice taste for health. Use herbs, spices, and flavorful sauces to make your meals enjoyable.
- Balance Macronutrients: Ensure your meals include a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats for optimal nutrition.
- Proper Storage: Invest in quality meal prep containers to keep your food fresh and organized.
High-Protein Meal Prep Recipes
Poultry-Based Recipes
1. High-Protein Marry Me Chicken: This one-pan wonder offers a creamy sauce and tender chicken. It’s so good and the sauce so magical, it’s easy to make protein-boosting adjustments.
2. Chicken Stir Fry: A stir fry is a go-to weeknight dinner when you just don’t have the energy to spend a long time in the kitchen-this recipe is no exception. Make it as is for the best-ever version, then use it as a jumping-off point to create your own.
3. White Chicken Chili: When craving something hearty and healthy, this chicken chili immediately jumps to mind. White beans make it heartier than your average chicken noodle soup, green chilis and jalapeño add just the right amount of spice, and a dollop of sour cream lends a tangy creaminess that will keep you coming back for more.
4. Peanut Chicken Protein Bowl: With a homemade peanut dressing, sliced chicken, sweet potato, spinach, and avocado, this healthy dinner is one to prep at the beginning of the week, then assemble and feast on all week long.
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5. Speedy Harissa Chicken & Tabbouleh: Liven up your chicken meal prep with this quick harissa chicken and tabbouleh - packed with protein and healthy carbohydrates.
6. One-Tray Cashew Chicken: Meal prepping couldn’t be easier when you only need one baking tray to make it. Try this delicious one-tray cashew chicken meal prep recipe for 4 days' worth of tasty lunches.
7. Bangin' Barbecue Chicken & Rice: This bangin' barbecue chicken and rice meal prep recipe takes under 15 minutes to make and will keep you full for hours, with a huge 41g protein per meal.
8. Chicken with Couscous: This super-tasty macro-balanced meal is perfect for nailing that meal prep. Bursting with flavour, it's a simple way to liven up your routine from plain old chicken and rice.
9. Low-Cal Lime & Chilli Turkey Burgers: These low-cal homemade lime and chilli turkey burgers will spice up your meal prep game and then some, at only 147kcal per burger.
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10. Low-Carb Turkey Gyro Bowls: With tender spiced meat, crunchy fresh veggies, tzatziki, and chewy pita, it's not hard to see why gyros are so globally beloved. Inspired by this popular sandwich, we created this healthy but hearty bowl that's perfect for a light dinner.
11. Sweet Pineapple Glazed Chicken Bowls: Sweet glazed chicken can be made in a macro-friendly way! This one has 45g protein per serving. Pineapple is the fruit to add to the glaze, but I think this would be great with orange or mango too. I also used bone broth rice here and added some cauliflower rice to it to make the portion even bigger. This one is sweet and sour and savory and overall, delicious.
12. One-Pot Spiced Chicken Sausage and Rice: I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s Sweet Italian Chicken Sausages-unbelievable macros and taste-so I used those and bone broth to get this spicy, tomatoey, and hearty meal up to a phenomenal 53g protein. And I’m happy to report, it tastes fantastic.
13. Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad: This high-protein buffalo chicken pasta salad will change your chicken meal prep game forever. Trust us - buffalo sauce makes everything better.
Beef and Pork Recipes
1. Beef & Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers: Bell peppers tend to be a bit sweeter and fruitier than poblano peppers, but poblanos really hold up to big flavors and rich foods. So we updated the typical beef and rice stuffing a bit by using fire-roasted tomatoes and spicing the sauce with chipotle chiles, ground cumin, and oregano.
2. Beef Egg Roll in a Bowl Skillet with Bone Broth Rice: I basically stole this one from Jenn but adapted it to make it my own by switching beef pork. I used 90/10 ground beef here, and it still has 33g protein! If you wanted to use a leaner cut, you could to increase the protein even more. I also used bone broth (of course) in the rice to add more. I got this idea directly from Jenn, so I don’t have to tell you it’s good, but I will anyway: this one is a must try.
3. High-Protein Spicy Beef Mac and Cheese: This one is just as cheesy as the buffalo mac, but turns up the heat even more. It’s also meatier, has more veggies to add volume, and is going to have you thinking about lunch before you’re done with breakfast. Did I mention it has 50g protein?
4. Low-Carb Teriyaki Beef Zoodles: Who said takeaway meals have to be unhealthy? Try this low-carb teriyaki beef meal prep fake-away recipe next time the cravings set in.
Fish and Seafood Recipes
1. Miso Salmon & Farro Bowl: Take your Monday night dinner into a Tuesday afternoon grain bowl with this miso-glazed salmon and charred scallion farro bowl. Miso is a Japanese cooking staple that's got toasty, deeply savory, and slightly sweet notes that pair well with hearty fish like salmon or cod, but it can also amplify the flavor of roasted veggies or even baked goods.
2. Salmon Quinoa Bowl: This recipe is not only a simple, quick dinner (ready in 20 minutes!), but it’s a texture lover’s paradise. Quinoa is the base for our bowl, setting the stage for fresh arugula, thin slices of cucumber, tender, buttery salmon, and a homemade creamy dill and yogurt dressing.
3. Quick Spicy Cajun Salmon & Garlicky Veg: This spicy salmon meal prep recipe makes 3 days’ worth of tasty lunches and is seriously easy to prepare. Plus, salmon is brimming with omega-3 fatty acids - known to enhance muscle building and keep you lean. Bonus.
4. Seared Tuna Steak & Sweet Potato Wedges: Try this super-easy seared tuna steak with pink peppercorns and sweet potato wedges for a batch of healthy meals, with a huge 38g protein per meal.
5. High-Protein Kedgeree: This ultra-speedy haddock kedgeree makes a serious meal prep upgrade from plain chicken and broccoli. Swap in Protein Rice for the ultimate high-protein meal prep.
Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes
1. Sweet & Sour Tofu: Sweet and sour sauce is a staple across Chinese-American restaurant menus-and for good reason. The combination of savory, tangy, and sweet flavors pairs well with virtually every protein. That’s especially true when it comes to tofu-because it’s mild in flavor, the sweet and sour sauce truly shines (even the tofu haters in your household will ask for seconds).
2. Sesame Tofu & Broccoli: In this vegetarian version of a Chinese-American favorite, oven-baked tofu gets tossed in a savory, sweet, and slightly spicy sauce along with crisp-tender broccoli, then topped with toasty sesame seeds and scallions. With a side of white rice, you’re on your way to a saucy, crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner.
3. Indian Butter Chickpeas:## 4. Peanut Chickpea Protein Bowls:## 5. Vegan Meatballs:
6. One-Pot Lentil Dahl: Batch cook your lunches in advance with this flavoursome, vegan-friendly, high-protein lentil dal.
7. Sweet Paprika Vegan Bowl & Chocolate Protein Balls: Try this delicious and easy to make 3-day vegan meal prep recipe, with sweet paprika roasted chickpeas and tofu, maca sweet potato fries, asparagus and avocado cream.
Other Recipes
1. Cottage Cheese Baked Ziti: Gone are the days when cottage cheese was just a bland diet food, filling up the scooped-out well of a cantaloupe. It's now used in, well, everything-whisked into eggs, blended into dips, added to sweet treats, and, in this one-pan recipe, swapped for ricotta. Why? It has a tangier flavor and packs more protein, making it a great upgrade to classic recipes.
2. White Bean & Smoked Sausage Skillet: This white bean and sausage skillet is guaranteed to have you scraping your bowl clean and coming back for seconds. Seared smoked sausage gets smothered in a creamy sauce made from shallot, garlic, chopped kale, and tender cannellini beans, then topped with crispy-crunchy homemade mini croutons to make this hearty skillet dinner.
3. Egg Roll Bowls: When we’re craving crispy egg rolls but need a more filling lunch option, we turn to these bowls. Whether you’re low-carb, are looking for a creative lunch, or simply want to spice up your weeknight with an easy, budget-friendly dinner, these egg roll bowls are the way to go.
4. Pizza Frittata: While there's no shame in devouring slices of leftover pizza, if you're craving pizza for breakfast but want a substantial meal, turn to this pizza frittata.
5. Lean, Creamy Sausage Pasta: Give this high-protein creamy sausage pasta a go for your next batch meal prep session. This recipe uses quark in place of cream cheese and reduced-fat sausages to keep it lean - without skimping on flavour.
6. Breakfast Burritos For All Week Long: Whip these up on a Sunday for breakfast burritos that brighten up your weekday mornings. Simply pop them in the freezer, then grab one and warm it up 2 minutes’ flat for the ultimate healthy, filling breakfast.
7. Superfood Overnight Oats: This superfood overnight oats recipe is packed with powerful and nutritious ingredients including maca, bee pollen, flax, green tea extract, and chia so you can start your day right. Soaking oats overnight means the oats get super plumped up and pudding-like - great for a grab and go breakfast.
8. Sweet Potato & Chorizo Hash: Looking for something new to make with your sweet potatoes? This protein-packed sweet potato hash is the perfect muscle-building breakfast.
9. Low-Carb Loaf Tin Lasagne: Craving lasagne, but don’t want to make a whole tray of the stuff? Try loaf tin lasagne. You’ll get 3 easy portions for 3 days’ worth of low-carb, high-protein meal prep.
10. Low-Carb Burrito Jars: Try out low-carb rice in your next low-carb meal prep recipes session, at only 7kcal and 0.1g carbohydrates per 100g. Mason jars make meal prep super-easy - just shake when you're ready to eat.
11. Ultimate High-Protein Stuffed Peppers 4 Ways: Peppers make the ultimate tasty carb swap-out to stuff with all your favourite fillings. From sausage and egg sandwich stuffed peppers to burrito stuffed peppers, pepperoni pizza stuffed peppers and chilli cheese stuffed peppers for the ideal breakfast and lunch prep - what more could you ask for?
12. Asian Peanut Butter Sesame Chicken: Try switching up your chicken meal prep for our Asian-inspired peanut butter chicken, at only 498kcal and a huge 40g protein per meal.
Additional Meal Prep Tips
Beyond specific recipes, here are some additional tips to streamline your high-protein meal prep:
- Bulk Cooking: Cook large batches of protein sources like chicken, beef, or tofu to use in various meals throughout the week.
- Pre-Portioning: Divide your meals into individual containers to help with portion control and make it easy to grab and go.
- Utilize Leftovers: Repurpose leftovers into new meals to reduce food waste and save time.
- Snack Prep: Prepare high-protein snacks like Greek yogurt with berries, hard-boiled eggs, or a handful of nuts to keep hunger at bay between meals.
- Invest in the Right Tools: Having the right equipment can make meal prepping more efficient. Consider investing in items like:
- Bamboo meal prep containers - for that takeout feel
- Food scale - everyone needs an electronic kitchen scale
- Nutribullet Blender - easy for sauces or dressings
- Mini spatulas - gotta make sure we get all the sauce out
- Saucepan - all that bone broth rice…
- Stainless steel saute pan - for one-pot meals and easy sautéing
- Half sheet pans - best size for roasting full meal preps or doing batch preps
- Chef’s knife - of course
- Cutting board - Jenn’s go to, you know this one
High-Protein Breakfast Ideas
Breakfast can be the hardest meal to get in some protein. But foods like breakfast meats, eggs, Greek yogurt, protein powder, and oats help increase the protein in breakfast recipes. These high-protein breakfast ideas rely on those ingredients to supply between 15 and 25 grams of protein per serving.
Prep Tips for High-Protein Meals:
These prep tips can be applied to a number of different recipes, and mixed and matched for variety.
- Cook the quinoa and chicken in bulk at the start of the week, then portion them into containers. Add roasted veggies and a few slices of avocado just before eating.
- Brown the ground turkey with your favorite seasonings, then store it in individual containers. When you’re ready to eat, simply spoon the turkey into lettuce leaves and top with your favorite fixings.
- Bake the salmon and sweet potatoes in the oven at the same time to save on cooking. Portion out the salmon and sweet potatoes into your containers, adding the green beans or asparagus as a side.
- Scramble your egg whites with veggies, then portion them into containers for quick breakfasts or post-workout meals.
- Layer Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and granola in mason jars or airtight containers.
- Portion out the cottage cheese into individual containers and pair it with pre-sliced veggies. Cottage cheese is not only high in protein but also a great source of calcium.
- Stir-fry the beef and veggies in a bit of sesame oil, then portion them into containers with brown rice.
- Simply mix the chickpeas and veggies, top with grilled chicken, and drizzle with dressing.
- Create smoothie bags by pre-portioning protein powder, greens and fruit into freezer bags. In the morning, just blend with water, almond milk or coconut water.
- Sauté tofu until crispy and golden, then stir-fry with vegetables and cooked noodles.
Maximizing Protein Intake
When tackling a goal of getting 100 grams of protein per day, start by planning 3 daily meals that provide about 30 grams of protein each. That means aiming to get 30 grams of protein at breakfast, 30 grams of protein at lunch, and 30 grams of protein at dinner. Then, supplement those with at least one daily snack that provides about 10 grams of protein. This could be ½ cup of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, a protein bar, or other snack recipes boosted with protein.
I’ve gotten into weight training this year and aim for 1-1.5g protein per pound of body weight, so In order to hit those goals, I have to be intentional with my meals to pack in as much protein as possible.
To reach my protein goals, I’ve added blended cottage cheese to sauces, used bone broth instead of water when I make rice, and switched to higher protein pastas. I also love on-the-go protein sources like these packets. When I can’t get enough protein through my meals, I supplement with high-quality protein bars and powders, but I try to get protein through whole foods as much as possible.
The Importance of Nutrient Timing
Research shows that to get the best out of your training regime, it's vital to consume enough protein and carbohydrates at the right time, in order to expedite muscle recovery and growth and prevent muscle catabolism (i.e. breakdown)1.Preparing your food in advance makes it so much easier for you to consume the food your body requires, at the correct time.