25+ Meal Prep Recipes to Help You Lose Weight
Start your day off with a ready-to-eat breakfast by making our Cinnamon-Pear Overnight Oats, or enjoy our hearty Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing at lunchtime. No matter what you choose, these meal-prep-friendly recipes are delicious ways to support your health.
Meal prepping can make life so much easier, especially when you opt for nutritious and balanced dishes like these. Each recipe in this collection is lower in calories and high in fiber and/or proteina combination that can help you lose weight if that is your goal.
Cinnamon-Pear Overnight Oats
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Ward, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall.
These cozy spiced-pear overnight oats feature tender cinnamon-maple sautéed pears folded into creamy oats with crunchy pecans and chia seeds. A touch of Greek-style yogurt adds tang, while vanilla and cinnamon bring warmth. They’re perfect for make-ahead breakfasts throughout the week, and make a refreshing alternative to cooked oatmeal.
Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ali Redmond
These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, wait to dress this salad and top it with peanuts until just before serving.
Lemon-Poppyseed Overnight Oats
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser
These Lemon-Poppyseed Overnight Oats are a bright and refreshing twist on a breakfast classic. Creamy oats are infused with fresh lemon zest and juice, then stirred together with poppy seeds for a make-ahead breakfast that tastes like a lemon-poppyseed muffin in a jar. A touch of maple syrup adds sweetness to balance the tart lemon.
Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad Bowls
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco.
Pasta salad is a classic summer side dish, but adding protein (leftover grilled chicken is perfect here) and extra greens makes it a super-satisfying lunch. We use baby spinach, but arugula or baby kale works too. Top with a bright and tangy basil vinaigrette just before serving.
High-Fiber Cranberry-Orange Overnight Oats
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Isabelle Easter, Prop Stylist: Keoshia McGhee
These cranberry-orange overnight oats are pure fall sunshine in a jar. Each spoonful balances citrusy brightness, cranberry zing and cozy cinnamon spice between layers of creamy oats and chia seeds. These oats are perfect for meal prep or anytime you need a cheerful start to your day.
Roasted Butternut Squash & Root Vegetables with Cauliflower Gnocchi
Take cauliflower gnocchi to the next level with these hearty, plant-based meal-prep bowls. Here we double up our Roasted Butternut Squash & Root Vegetables and combine it with white beans, pesto and store-bought cauliflower gnocchi to make a week of healthy meal-prep lunches.
York Peppermint Pattie–Inspired Overnight Oats
Photographer: Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Nicole Hopper, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong
These minty York Peppermint Pattie–inspired overnight oats come together in just minutes. It’s the perfect recipe for meal prep because you can store it in jars, giving you a grab-and-go breakfast that’s worth waking up for.
Chimichurri Noodle Bowls
We’re mixing whole-grain spaghetti with zucchini noodles to add volume and save calories in these simple, flavor-packed meal-prep bowls. The bright and herby chimichurri sauce originally appeared in Katie Workman’s salmon recipe for EatingWell magazine (see Associated Recipes). Leftover chicken, tofu or canned beans can be swapped in for the shrimp.
Cranberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong
These fiber-rich cranberry cheesecake overnight oats will transform your breakfast into something special. Combining the tangy sweetness of cranberries with the rich, creamy flavors of cheesecake, these oats offer a delicious start to your day.
Roasted Root Veggies & Greens over Spiced Lentils
Ali Redmond
This earthy bowl of lentils is topped with leftover roasted root veggies from a large batch for an easy weeknight dinner. Keep it vegan or add a drizzle of plain yogurt for extra richness.
Blueberry Pie–Inspired Overnight Oats
Ali Redmond
With a jammy blueberry filling and a crumble topping, these overnight oats taste like a slice of blueberry pie. Oat milk reinforces the flavor, while lemon zest and juice provide nice brightness. Fresh and frozen blueberries both work well here—let frozen blueberries thaw first before using.
Spinach & Strawberry Meal-Prep Salad
One of our most popular salads gets a makeover in these simple yet totally satisfying meal-prep spinach salad bowls. They require minimal prep and can be customized to your taste—swap in roasted salmon for the chicken thighs, and almonds or pecans for the walnuts, and use any fresh berry that looks good at your market.
Berry Crumble Overnight Oats
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Clarie Spollen
With the perfect balance of creamy and crunchy textures, these berry crumble overnight oats will keep you satisfied all morning. The natural sweetness of the berries pairs beautifully with the cinnamon-spiced oat base, while the crumble topping adds a crunchy layer to each bite.
Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls
Ali Redmond
A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos by Carolyn Malcoun. To cut down on prep time for these healthy taco bowls, look for precut cauliflower in the produce department.
Coconut Chai-Spiced Overnight Oats
Give basic cinnamon oatmeal a spice upgrade with the warm and toasty notes of chai. Coconut milk makes these overnight oats ultra-creamy and delicately sweet too.
Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette
Ali Redmond
Inspired by the classic warm party dip, this simple salad can be served up right away or divided into small lidded containers for a week of delicious lunches. To keep the hard-boiled eggs tasting fresh, we suggest adding them to your salad just before serving or in the morning before packing your lunch to go.
High-Protein Peanut Butter, Banana & Blueberry Overnight Oats
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek
These overnight oats pack 17 grams of protein per serving, thanks to Greek-style yogurt, peanut butter and soymilk. We sweeten these oats naturally with banana, and add blueberries for more fruity flavor. Divide the mixture into Mason jars for an easy grab-and-go breakfast.
Meal-Prep Vegan Lettuce Wraps
Here, we swap the traditional warm filling with a cold plant-based bean salad loaded with fresh herbs and lemon. Topping each lettuce leaf with a little quinoa before adding the filling helps to keep the wrap from getting soggy.
Fig & Ricotta Overnight Oats
With just a bit of work before bed, you can have a fast but rich, fruity and healthy breakfast in the morning. Toast almonds and chop figs the night before, so that when you rise, you can just stir in the figs, almonds, honey and ricotta cheese for a hearty, sweet and creamy breakfast.
Lemon-Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowls
Brimming with colorful roasted vegetables, these plant-based meal-prep lunch bowls are high in fiber to keep you full throughout the afternoon. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought hummus to cut down on prep time, or make a batch of your own. You can also sub in an 8-ounce microwaveable quinoa pouch to minimize cooking.
Overnight Steel-Cut Oats
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
These overnight steel-cut oats are the ultimate make-ahead breakfast. Make a batch for the whole family, or store the extra servings in the fridge to eat throughout the week. We love these creamy steel-cut oats topped with honey, bananas and raspberries, but any sweetener, chopped fruit or nut topping will work well.
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas
This healthy high-fiber salad comes together in just 10 minutes. Serve it right away or pack it in individual servings for four super-satisfying high-fiber lunches for the week ahead. Look for roasted chickpea snacks with the healthy snacks or nuts at your grocery store.
Peanut Butter Protein Overnight Oats
Powdered peanut butter is a handy pantry staple that makes a great vegan protein booster for oatmeal and smoothies. Double or triple this recipe to meal-prep breakfasts for the week or to have breakfast ready for the entire family.
Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey
This nutrient-packed grain bowl comes together in 15 minutes with the help of a few convenience-food shortcuts like prewashed baby kale, microwaveable quinoa and precooked beets. Pack these ahead to keep on hand for easy meal-prep lunches or dinners on busy nights.
Chopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce
Make good use of crunchy and colorful seasonal produce with these meal-prep-friendly vegetable bowls. With just 30 minutes of prep, you get four healthy lunches that are ready to grab and go. We use bulgur, which cooks faster and is higher in fiber than brown rice, but you could swap in quinoa or any hearty whole grain.
Make-Ahead Spinach & Black Bean Burritos
These egg, bean and cheese burritos are designed to be made ahead and frozen. They are perfect for busy days and make a satisfying breakfast or lunch.
Meal-Prep Curried Chicken Bowls
Curry doesn’t have to take hours to prepare. With the help of our sheet-pan meal-prep chicken and some cooked whole grains, you can make these meal-prep bowls in just a few minutes! Keep them in the fridge for an easy dinner on a busy weeknight or for healthy grab-and-go lunches throughout the week.
Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing
Prep four days’ worth of high-protein vegan lunches using just four store-bought ingredients, including a veggie-heavy salad mix and a spicy peanut vinaigrette. Because this salad mix is hearty, you can dress these bowls up to 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors in this healthy chopped salad to marry.
Weight-Loss Cabbage Soup
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek,
Loaded with cabbage, carrots, bell pepper and tomato, this healthy cabbage soup packs in lots of flavor and is ultra-satisfying. This easy recipe makes a big batch for lunch or dinner all week.
Spinach & Feta Turkey Meatballs with Herbed Quinoa
These meal-prep bowls will keep you fueled all afternoon. The spinach and feta turkey meatballs are adapted from Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki by Hilary Meyer. Look for premade tzatziki near the specialty cheeses and dips at your grocery store, or make your own.
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