Pressed for Time? 15 Meal Prep Shortcuts & Easy Wins
Easy Wins for
Meals & Staples
Rotisserie chicken – just pull it apart (Optional: Remove the skin to keep it lean).
Choose pre-cooked turkey breast, chicken breast, canned tuna, or salmon.
Start with salad bags – just portion the greens and dressing out (and pair with a protein source like the ones listed above!)
Buy pre-cooked quinoa, rice, and/or frozen riced cauliflower. They even have frozen cauliflower crust now!
Simple Meal
Prep Snacks
Grab pre-cut fruit and portion out a 2-ounce condiment up serving of plain Greek yogurt or peanut butter.
Portion out hummus with pre-cut veggies or pita chips.
String cheese and deli meat come through in a clutch as high-protein snacks. I like picking up light string cheese because it’s 100 calories and 14g protein for two pieces.
Low-prep
Meal Prep for
Busy folks
Throw a beef roast, pork shoulder, or chicken breast into your slow cooker or Instant Pot with broth and preferred seasonings. See my carnitas recipe for the most flavorful pork of your life.
Purchase pre-cut vegetables and steam them in your Instant Pot.
Make hard boiled eggs for the week (I like to do this in the Instant Pot).
Heat then toss fully cooked turkey or beef meatballs into a low-sugar sauce like these winners from Primal Kitchen.
Purchase nuts from the bulk section of your grocery store then portion them u into individual snack packs.
Make a smoothie freezer pack: Portion chopped fruit, vegetables, protein powder, and chia seeds into small bags or freezer-safe containers. In the morning, dump it in the blender with 8 ounces of milk.
Crockpot soups or chilis are an easy win. You may need to chop a few veggies but the cooking is on autopilot.
Overnight oatmeal can be thrown together the night before and it only takes a couple minutes. In the morning, you’ve got grab-and-go breakfast!
