The Practical Guide to Easy and Delicious Meal Preps
Simple meal ideas to save you time, energy, and money
I’ve been meal prepping for the last six or seven years. There are a lot of reasons I love preparing my meals ahead of time, but I’m not into complicated meal plans or 16-step recipes. I like to toss ingredients together on Sunday night so that on Wednesday at lunchtime I feel excited about the tasty dish that’s waiting in the refrigerator.
Mmm.
I also live in Chicago, where space is at a premium. I live with two roommates in an apartment with a kitchen smaller than some peoples’ bathrooms, so I don’t have a̶ ̶t̶o̶n̶ ̶o̶f̶ any fancy gadgets or trendy cookware.
My meal prep is simple, and my food tastes good. That’s all.
Each week, I make 2–3 meals, and at least one of them always comes from this list of my favorite easy meal preps.
These meals are uncomplicated and tasty, and I make them often because I know I will be happy to eat them. I look forward to pulling them out of the refrigerator each day, so I know they won’t go to waste.
Slow cooker chicken + frozen vegetables
At Aldi, I can always find chicken thighs or drumsticks for about 69c per pound. With a $6(ish) package, I can feed myself for a week plus have several extra meals to put in the freezer for another time.
I toss the chicken in my slow cooker with one of a couple of sauce combinations:
- Tomato sauce, garlic, soy sauce, and brown sugar
- Lemon juice, chili powder, and honey
- Curry powder, garlic, honey, and paprika
I don’t measure these out — I just toss them together in a dish and taste it. I adjust until I like it, and then I pour it over the chicken.
I cook my chicken in the slow cooker, covered in the marinade, for six hours on low.
When it’s cooked, I portion out one thigh or two drumsticks per container and shake some frozen vegetables alongside it. Then I top it off with a couple of spoonfuls of juice from the slow cooker.
If you want to get fancy, you can create a nice, thick sauce by mixing a bit of corn starch into the leftover juices, and then spoon that sauce over the chicken and the vegetables.
Chili (vegetarian)
I always make a giant pot of chili because it freezes so well, so adjusts the quantities below as necessary if you’re wanting a smaller quantity.
This vegetarian chili is the most complicated of my go-to recipes, but it’s not difficult. There are just more steps.
Chop all the things
Wash, peel and slice a bag of carrots into thin slices, which is honestly the most labor-intensive step you’re going to find in this whole list of recipes. I like the texture of the thin slices and the flavor of the full carrots, but you could probably just chop baby carrots into thirds and be just fine.
Wash and thinly chop a bag of celery. I just really don’t care for celery texture, so I like mine to be really thin — but this is another area where you could probably chop bigger chunks if you like cooked celery.
Peel and dice a small yellow or white onion.
Start cooking
Toss the carrots in olive oil and pepper and roast them on a single layer at 425° for about 15 minutes (they should be firm when you pierce them with a fork).
Meanwhile, pour a tablespoon or two of olive or avocado oil into a large stockpot at medium heat and add the onion, as well as a couple of bay leaves, a couple tablespoons of oregano, a tablespoon of black pepper, and a few shakes each of cumin. Cumin is the seasoning that makes tacos taste like tacos, so use generously if you like that flavor, and sparingly if not!
When the onion is firm (not soft), add the celery. Stir now and again.
Once the celery is firm and the onion is soft, reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer as you add the following:
- Two large cans (about 60 oz total) crushed tomatoes
- One large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) each of black beans, red kidney beans, and pinto beans (with their juices)
- 2 (15 oz) cans of sliced mushrooms (drain these first)
- The roasted carrots
Then, add tomato sauce until you like the consistency of the broth and let it all simmer until it’s hot all the way through.
After you’ve added the tomato sauce, add your chili powder. How much you use will depend on personal preference, but you might be surprised by how much you use. I recommend starting with about a quarter cup and increasing from there.
From there, simmer the chili for about 45 minutes, until it’s hot all the way through and the chili powder has had some time to spread its goodness around the pot!
As I mentioned earlier, this makes a big pot. I think mine is 6 or 8 quarts, and it gets full. You can always adjust the amounts down! I usually portion out enough for a week of meals, and the rest I put in the freezer, in containers that hold about 3 servings. That makes them easy to pull out and thaw next time I want chili!
I like to pack a little container of greek yogurt and a little container of cilantro to add to the top of my chili. It makes it look pretty and taste even better (but this chili is darn good all on its own, too)!
Meat-eaters can brown ground beef or turkey to toss into the chili at the same time as the chili powder.
Salmon + roasted vegetables
Ah, back to simple things.
So many vegetables are great for roasting:
- Carrots
- Carrots + radishes
- Carrots + mini potatoes
- Asparagus
- Asparagus + mushrooms
- Sweet potatoes (I chop them into ¾” cubes)
- Broccoli or broccolini
- Zucchini + summer squash
Which vegetables I choose depends largely on what’s on sale that week.
They’re all (in my opinion) delicious tossed in some oil and pepper. Usually, I’ll use olive or avocado oil, but I like my sweet potatoes in unrefined coconut oil because it makes them taste even sweeter!
A quick google search for “roasted asparagus” or “roasted sweet potatoes” or what have you will tell you what temperature to back them at, and for how long.
As for the salmon, I recommend wild-caught, never-frozen salmon . . . but that’s not what I buy myself, because it’s expensive. I watch for sales and do prioritize wild-caught over aquaculture salmon, but I almost always buy frozen. (If you can afford it, though, do go for the fresh stuff — it really does taste better).
I cut the raw filet into pieces about the size of my palm using kitchen shears. Then I rub some melted butter on it (and if I’m feeling inclined, some minced garlic and/or lemon juice), and put it in the oven, skin-side down on a pan, for about 12–15 minutes at 425°. You’ll know it’s done when the meat “flakes.”
“The easiest way to see if your salmon has finished cooking is to gently press down on the top of the fillet with a fork or your finger. If the flesh of the salmon flakes — meaning, it separates easily along the white lines that run across the fillet (strips of fish fat) — it’s finished cooking. Take it off of the heat! Do it! Now! If you cook the salmon any further it will dry out and crumble when you cut into it.”
- “Here’s How to Tell if Salmon is Cooked Perfectly” (Bon Apetit)
Burrito bowls (vegetarian)
These are super simple, taste great, and make me feel like I’ve eaten something very healthy!
Cook a cup or two rice according to the instructions on the package. If you’ve never made rice before, know that a little goes a long way! Check out the serving sizes on the package before you decide how much to make. (But if you make too much, you can also freeze and reheat it.)
Drain 2–3 cans of black beans (or pinto beans).
Mix some cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder into the beans. If you’re looking for spice, add some ground red pepper or red pepper flakes as well.
Chop a package of tomatoes. I like to use cherry tomatoes, but full-size tomatoes work great, too.
Rinse a package of cilantro and remove the leaves from the stems. The stems can be discarded or you can keep them if you keep scraps for making broth.
I use two separate containers to store my burrito bowls, one larger (like these) and one smaller (like these).
I fill the larger container with greens (usually, spring mix) and in the smaller container I put:
- A half-cup of rice
- A half-cup of seasoned beans
- A generous scoop of tomatoes
- A small scoop of storebought salsa
- A sprinkle of cilantro
- A sprinkle of shredded cheese
The reason I separate them into two containers is that I like to warm up my rice and beans before I put them over my greens. I don’t mind my tomatoes and cilantro being warm, so they get placed in the same container as my rice and beans.
If you don’t want your tomatoes warm, put them in the bottom of the larger container and set the greens on top (this will help prevent the mushiness that would come from putting tomatoes on top of your lettuce).
If you’re a meat-eater, you can also brown some ground beef, turkey, chicken, or chorizo, and if you’re feeling luxurious you could even do steak!
Casseroles + Frozen Vegetables (vegetarian)
There are so many simple casserole recipes out in the world for vegetarians and meat-eaters. I grew up in the midwest, where tater tots are king, so I’m particularly fond of the Minnesotan delicacy “tater tot hotdish.”
Once cooked, casseroles are super easy to portion out into your meal prep containers.
I usually pair a slice of casserole with a helping of frozen peas, broccoli, or California Mix, even if there is a vegetable or two within the casserole itself.
Simple bento boxes (vegetarian)
For years, I called these my “peasant lunches.”
My boyfriend affectionately calls it “eating ingredients.”
Most Americans today would say I’ve packed a “bento box.”
Authentic bento is an art form! Bento can be very beautiful and intricate, and the form dates back almost a thousand years to Japanese hunters packing dried fish and other stable food items to take with them on the hunt.
There’s a good reason my boyfriend calls my version “eating ingredients.” For me, this kind of lunch is basically an adult Lunchable — a collection of miscellaneous ingredients I put in a container together.
Sliced cheese, sliced or dried fruit, nuts, raw sliced vegetables, rice, seeds, and crackers are all good options for my little “peasant lunch.” Just stick to drier ingredients: cut cucumber, for instance, is pretty juicy and will soften any nuts or crackers you’ve packed.
In the combination that’s pictured, I have dried figs and dried peaches (Trader Joe’s!), blueberries, walnuts, baby carrots, parmesan cheese, and Rolo’s chocolates. Ideally, this lunch wouldn’t be so beige-orange based, but it’s all about using up what I have in my kitchen! Cherry tomatoes, edamame, beet chips, apple slices, dried seaweed or grapes would add a nice pop of color if I had them lying around. (I’ve never in my life had dried seaweed lying around, but I’ve seen other people eat it.)
Meat-eaters can add hard-boiled eggs, sliced deli meat (steer clear of fragrant meats like pepperoni, which will make everything in your container taste like pepperoni)!
Fruity nut salad (vegetarian)
One of my favorite salads is: greens, mandarin oranges, cubed avocado, walnuts or pecans, and parmesan cheese.
When you pack a salad, you want to put the juiciest items down on the bottom of the container so they don’t mess with the texture of your greens, which you’ll put at the top.
I use fresh mandarin oranges rather than canned because they stay drier (and I think they taste better!) but either option works.
I don’t add dressing to my salad because there’s so much flavor going on, but if you do add dressing, put it at the very, very bottom. It’s okay for your oranges to marinate in the dressing. (Asian sesame dressing is great with this combination of ingredients).
I like this salad because the cheese and nuts provide protein (and crunch!) and the avocado adds some calories, both of which help me feel satiated.
Meat-eaters can add hard-boiled eggs or diced chicken to this salad combination.
Sandwiches (vegetarian)
Back to basics on this one: a good sandwich can be very satisfying as a workday lunch. Here’s how to build yourself a luxurious-but-robust lunchtime treat.
Pick bread you’ll look forward to eating. I prefer a hearty bread, one with some texture.
Add a good helping of lettuce. For me, adding lettuce immediately makes a sandwich feel deluxe. The color! The crunch!
Add your main ingredient. Maybe it’s falafel or a special cheese, a sliced cucumber, and avocado, or for meat-eaters a hard-boiled egg or slice of deli meat.
Toss in your favorite toppings. Sunflower seeds, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, whatever you get excited about.
If you want to put condiments on your sandwich (I like mayo or wasabi!) I recommend packing them separately in a mini-container like these. When you’re ready to eat, you can add your condiments, which keeps them from sogging up your delicious bread! The same goes for sliced tomatoes — keep liquidy ingredients separate until you’re ready to eat!
Pair your sandwich with some baby carrots or a sliced apple and potato chips for a nostalgic picnic feel.
Meal prepping doesn’t have to be a big production. Simple, practical ideas like these set you up for mealtime success throughout your week. And if you need some help getting started, check out my Practical Get-Started Guide to Meal Prep!
