30 Meal Prep Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are the whole 30 rules? ›

The Whole30 diet is a strict 30-day elimination diet that many people turn to for weight loss or help with digestive concerns. The program encourages you to cut out alcohol, sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, and additives from your diet for 30 days. It is advertised as a total lifestyle change, rather than a simple diet.

While you definitely want variety for your meal prep, you should limit your recipes to two or three per week, and for five days ahead of time max. Being prepared is great, but you also want to make sure you're eating meals with fresh ingredients even if prepared ahead of time.

Choose a specific day of the week to: 1) plan the menu, whether week by week or for the whole month, and write out your grocery list 2) food shop, 3) do meal prep, or most of your cooking. Some of these days may overlap if you choose, but breaking up these tasks may help keep meal planning manageable.

Once you figure out how much food you need, focus on the ratios: 1 part protein, 1 part carb, 4 parts fruits and veggies. You do NOT need to count calories to achieve your health goals with meal prep. Once you get into a rhythm, you should be able to eyeball portion sizes within your containers.

Are Potatoes Whole30? Yes! As of January 2021, all varieties of potatoes are included in the Whole30 diet. Yet, the catch is that fries and chips are not included in the diet as they are not considered to be “real” or whole foods.

What about bananas? Yes, both pickles and bananas are allowed on Whole30. Yet if they are a potential trigger food for you (for instance, the sweetness of bananas sets off a craving for other treats or makes you want to binge on the fruit), then you may consider including them on your “don't eat” list.

Meal prepping can be beneficial for a number of reasons, including: It can save time on daily cooking. It gives you access to healthy, homemade meals every day. It allows you to ensure all your meals are nutritious and enables you to monitor your portion control.

A: Eggs are one of the quickest products to meal prep. Find out how many portions you need for the week ahead, cook the eggs (cooking scrambled eggs only takes ca. 15 minutes), and then divide the food into individual portions to store in the fridge.

Typically, refrigerated meal preps last between 3 to 5 days, depending on the ingredients used. However, this relatively short window can be a challenge for many people, as it requires diligent planning and scheduling to ensure that all meals are consumed before they spoil.

Make sure to include carbs from brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, or whole wheat to boost your nutrient intake, and you will never run short of healthy meal prep ideas. Your taste buds will thank you for the added variety to your weekly meals.

What is the 3 meal rule? ›

Three meals a day: An origin story

In ancient Rome, the custom was to eat one large meal, plus two small, light meals. In the US, our eating habits are now typically organized around our workdays or school days. But cultural norms aside, there's no scientific reason for you to eat exactly three meals every day.

Meal Prepping Is Linked to Weight Loss and Obesity Prevention. Takeout meals are almost always higher in calories, total fat, saturated fat, and sodium than those prepared at home, says Syn. That explains why meal prepping has been linked to weight loss and obesity prevention.

A cup of uncooked white rice will produce 3 cups of rice when cooked, while a cup of uncooked brown rice will give you 2 cups cooked. So if you are cooking rice for 10 meals, we suggest that you cook 2½ cups of brown rice, which should give you 5 cups. You can then eat 1/2 a cup of rice per meal.

Rice and grain bowls make great meal preps! They can chill in your fridge for up to four days and are freezer-friendly in most cases. The cool thing about meal prepping rice is that many times, microwaving it can fix any rice issues you had when cooking it.

Eat meat, seafood, and eggs; vegetables and fruit; natural fats; and herbs, spices, and seasonings. Eat foods with a simple or recognizable list of ingredients, or no ingredients at all because they're whole and unprocessed.

Whole30 is a 30-day elimination diet with rules including the removal of alcohol, sugar, legumes, grains, dairy, and all processed foods. Followers of the diet have noted weight loss and increased energy, along with the identification of any problem foods.

Whole30 and Coffee

Here's their official stance on coffee: “Yes, you can have your coffee. You're welcome. You can drink it black, add unsweetened compatible nutpods, coconut milk, almond milk, or add cinnamon or vanilla beans to the brew.