6 Delicious Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss—High-Protein, High-Fiber, Totally Delicious!
Experts share how planning meals can help you reach your goals
Odds are you’ve heard of meal prepping—after all, it’s become hugely popular on social media as a way to save time and eat healthy. But this simple plan-ahead trick does more than just make busy days and weeks less chaotic—it’s also a study-backed way to slim down and curb diet-derailing cravings. Here, experts reveal how it can support your health efforts, plus they share their best meal prep ideas for weight loss to help you get started.
How meal prep helps with weight loss
“Meal prepping refers to the process of pre-determining what meals you will eat for the week (or multiple weeks) and making a list of all ingredients needed for those meals,” explains Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, registered dietitian at The Candida Diet. “Evaluate your ingredients list for the items you already have available, then purchase the rest on your bi-weekly grocery list.”
Research reveals the strategy pays off when it comes to dropping pounds: In an International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity study, people who planned their meals for most days of the week were more successful at losing weight and keeping it off than those who didn’t plan or prep.
Woman's World Answers
What makes meal prep so effective for weight loss? “It allows for more balanced and nutritious eating,” says Sarah Schlichter, MPH, RDN, registered dietitian at Bucket List Tummy and host of the Managing Mealtime Madness podcast. When prepping takes the place of last-minute cooking or opting for fast food and takeout options, you can ensure your healthy meals are high in protein and fiber, she notes.
“Protein plays a huge role in the weight loss equation. Not only does it help with fullness and satiety, it also helps stabilize blood sugar and energy levels to stave off mindless snacking and sugar cravings,” she explains. “It also helps build muscle, which can speed up metabolism.”
As for fiber, it fills you up while slowing fat absorption, keeping blood sugar steady and boosting levels of gut bacteria linked to weight loss, say authors of a Journal of Nutrition study. In fact, they found that people who increased their fiber intake lost 86 percent more weight within six months compared to those who ate less fiber.
6 easy and delicious meal prep ideas for weight loss
Healthy recipes you can prepare ahead of time help you drop pounds without being restrictive. “It’s more about empowerment,” says nutritionist and weight loss expert Amanda Dobler, CN. “You get to enjoy the foods you love and still stay on track with your goals.” And as the following easy meal prep ideas prove, you can reach your weight-loss goals while still eating downright delicious meals!
1. Overnight chia seed breakfast pudding
“For a healthy breakfast, a low-sugar chia seed pudding is great to meal prep in advance and is great for weight loss, given its high fiber content,” says Dan Jackowiak, Founder, Holistic Healthcare Practitioner and Nutrition Consultant at Yeast Infection Advisor. “Chia seeds expand in your stomach, which makes them filling and can help prevent snacking between meals.”
Ingredients:
- ½ cup chia seeds
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk or milk of your choice
- ½ to 1 tsp. cinnamon, to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh blueberries or raspberries
- 4 Tbs. walnuts or slivered almonds
Directions: Place chia seeds, almond milk and cinnamon in a bowl and stir to combine. Cover the mixture and refrigerate overnight. Top with nuts and berries before serving. Serves 4.
2. Turkey sausage breakfast casserole
“This casserole is easy to make in advance and packed with protein, veggies and other fiber-rich carbohydrates,” says Schlichter. ”Pair it with some fruit and you’re good to go!”
Ingredients:
- 4 cups sweet potatoes, diced (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
- ½ cup mushrooms, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 2 Tbs. olive oil or butter
- 1 lb. turkey sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces and precooked
- 6 eggs
- 12 oz. can evaporated milk
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese of choice
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
Directions: Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook diced potatoes, mushrooms, onion and pepper until tender. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, cheese and spices. In a separate bowl, mix cooked vegetables and sausage. Once sausage and vegetables have cooled, combine with eggs, milk and cheese mixture. Grease a 9×13 casserole pan and pour the combined mixture evenly into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 55 minutes or until cooked through. Cool and enjoy with your favorite toppings. Serves 8.
3. Hummus pasta salad
This pasta salad is an easy plant-based, veggie-rich healthy lunch that can also use protein pasta for added satiety. “It’s great to eat cold and is ready in less than 20 minutes,” Schlichter says.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. penne, rotini or other small pasta
- 2/3 cup plain hummus
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 Tbs. water
- ½ tsp. lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 medium pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- ½ cup kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions: Cook pasta according to package directions; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, whisk together hummus, olive oil, water, lemon juice and salt and pepper to make the dressing; set aside. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, pepper, onion, olives, yeast and cheese. Pour in the pasta, then add dressing and mix. Serves 6.
4. Green goddess chicken salad
This salad’s homemade dressing uses Greek yogurt as a healthier, higher-protein alternative to mayonnaise. “Enjoy it in a sandwich, on top of a lettuce salad or eat it with your favorite veggies as a dip,” suggests its creator Sarah Alsing MS, RD, founder of Delightfully Fueled.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium avocado
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup basil leaves, lightly packed
- ½ cup fresh dill, lightly packed
- 1 lemon for juicing
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded or chopped
- 1 cucumber, chopped
Directions: Add avocado, yogurt, basil, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to a blender or food processor and blitz to combine; set dressing aside. In a large bowl, add chicken, cucumber and dressing; stir to combine. Serves 4.
5. Turkey taco quinoa skillet
Need an easy dinner idea? “This recipe is high in protein and fiber for satiety and offers a blend of animal and plant protein,” says Schlichter, who adds that you can omit the turkey for a completely plant-based option. “It comes together in 20 minutes and can be served on its own, inside a pepper or over a bed of salad greens.”
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 2 tsp. taco seasoning
- 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ a (14.5 oz.) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 4 oz. canned, whole-kernel corn
- ¾ cup shredded cheese
- Crumbled tortilla chips
- ½ cup salsa (optional)
- Avocado (optional)
- Cilantro (optional)
Directions: In a small pot, cook quinoa according to package directions. While quinoa is cooking, add onion, turkey, taco seasoning and garlic to a nonstick skillet drizzled with olive oil; cook over medium heat. Add black beans, tomatoes and corn to skillet. Cook on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add shredded cheese and tortilla chips, then top with salsa, avocado or cilantro (if desired). Serves 4.
6. Ginger-soy salmon with bok choy
“Salmon is high in protein and healthy fats, offering a weight management-friendly alternative to red meat,” says Brianna Weiser, RDN, LDN, Senior Clinical Program Specialist at MOBE. She combines it with high-fiber brown rice and bok choy, which is low in calories and full of vitamins and minerals that boost weight loss. “The meal is delicious hot or cold,” she notes. “Once cooked, it makes for a great leftover lunch the next day.“
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 Tbs. light olive oil
- 1 Tbs. honey
- 4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger (or ¼ tsp ground ginger)
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 ½ lbs. wild-caught salmon fillet
- 1 lb. baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
- 2 carrots, thinly shaved using a vegetable peeler
- 2 cups brown rice, cooked
- 2 scallions, sliced (white and green parts)
Directions: Make a marinade by whisking together the soy sauce, oil, honey, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Divide the mixture in half.Add the salmon to a bowl or resealable bag with half of the marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove the salmon from the marinade and discard any excess. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil and place the salmon on the sheet skin-side down. Bake salmon for 12 to 15 minutes until it flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. (Cooking time varies). While the salmon is cooking, add the remaining marinade mixture, bok choy (cut side-down) and carrots to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Toss the carrots every minute or so, but not the bok choy. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until desired doneness. Plate the salmon, vegetables and rice. Add salt and pepper to taste; top with sliced scallions. Serves 4.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
