Listen, I know. You’re a student. You’re busy. Meals are tough. So meal prep sounds like a good idea, yeah? Well I have something better. Get ready. Healthy meal prep ideas.
Health + Meal Prep = a perfect universe.
Kinda like that chem exam, you probably weren’t as prepared for being a proper adult as you thought you were and some things took you a little by surprise. While I can’t help you mentally handle stoichiometry, I can help you with food. I am always here for you if there’s food involved. Always.
Breakfast
This is the meal you’re probably the least prepared for. Which is valid, considering you probably wake up at noon, but if we’re committing to eating healthier, we should try to commit to actually being healthier, as a whole.
Muffins
…Or everything you can make in muffin tins. And the possibilities are endless: quinoa breakfast cups, frittata muffins, and you can even drop that Egg McMuffin for some spinach, egg, and sausage muffins. Quick and easy doesn’t have to be unhealthy, loves.
Bars and Bites
Although there’s the store-bought options, make your own because you’re a culinary master. Plus, you then know what’s going into your food rather than trusting obscure ingredient lists that read like ancient spell books. Just scream polysorbate at someone and watch them cower.
PB Granola Bars? Glorious. Trying to keep away from the oven so you don’t burn down the house? No-bake blueberry bites. Pumping some iron? Protein bites.
Mason Jar Breakfast
When it comes to mason jars, everything is possible—even like, actually eating breakfast. Up your game with overnight oats, yogurt parfaits, and chia pudding. Minimal effort for such sweet rewards.
Lunch
Forgo your usual dining hall trauma and instead go with pre-made lunches. Remember the better times, when your mom gave you a paper brown bag, you sat with friends at a cute lunch table, and you didn’t cry about upcoming midterms and have existential crises? Ah. Happy times.
Soups ‘n Stews
Both are super easy to make in batches, making them perfect healthy meal prep ideas. Want fancy chicken noodle? Chicken stew is what’s up. Vegetarian? Vegetable stew has your back. Vegan and bougie? Whip up some bisque. Fancy soup for a fancy you.
Mason Jar Salads
Its Mason to the rescue once again—what did I tell you? These guys are a-maze. Skip the line at Chipotle, Panera, even the Sushi bar. You’ll be out the door in no time, and you’ll feel good about it.
Step up your Bread Game
So mason jars are super cool, but what if your heart’s in the classics, and you just need a good sandwich? I gotchu, but I feel we can go up a level. Chicken pita pockets, simple wrap recipes, and black bean tacos. Boom.
Dinner
If you’re trying to be healthy, dinner is a sort of pitfall. Ordering in can be so, so tempting after a long day. However, with these healthy meal prep ideas, you’ll be able to stick to your goals and kick temptation to the curb.
Hearty and Filling Entrees
Sometimes you need something a little more, well, more, to fill you up. But while it seems like a good idea at first, filling yourself with 10 pounds of chicken nuggets is, oddly enough, not super great for you. Weird.
When it comes to dinner, the oven is your friend. Bake some salmon, or maybe some chicken, instead of yourself tonight. Meat not your style? Switch stuff up with this stir-fry—you won’t believe it’s not takeout.
Pleasant Pasta
The better kind of noods, pasta is filling, quick, and easy to make a lot of. However, loading yourself with unhealthy carbs and fats at the end of the day is, perhaps, not the best idea. However, there are ways to redeem this dish.
Spiralizing your vegetables helps you get those daily servings in. It’s like witchcraft, I know, but it’s for real. No spiralizing witch tools? Don’t worry, you don’t even need them. Add some homemade sauce or pesto and you’re golden.
Scrumptious Sides
Odds are, you’ll need something to complement those gorgeous main dishes you’ve pulled together. Fries might seem like a cool idea—and guess what, you’re right. Sweet potatoes, cauliflower–even beets can be made into fries. Beat that, McDonalds.
Desserts and Snacks
Oh, wait, you thought that was it? Well, this is awkward…
Ehem. Anyway, I think, after all that hard work, you deserve something sweet to add to the savory. And these can be healthy too! Truffles, carrot cake balls, and, my personal favorite, strawberry banana summer rolls. Mmm.
But, what if you need some packaged snacks, because cooking is hard and you need a break? Don’t worry, there are plenty of healthy snacks to help you cheat—I mean, save time. Shh, I won’t tell.
You are now the boy scout of mealtime. Sew a patch onto your shirt to let the world know.