30+ Meal Prep Recipes Perfect for Lunch
If you’re looking for easy, hearty lunch recipes to meal prep, then you’re in the right place! I’m taking the guesswork out of what to make for lunch, with flavorful lunches that can be made ahead.
I totally get it, lunch can be such a struggle, either you feel like you don’t have time to make yet another meal, you need some ideas for lunch, or it’s something else, lunch often seems to fall by the wayside. And while there are plenty of resources out there for packing lunches for kids, there aren’t nearly enough to help with lunch if you’re an adult. But that ends now — as a habits expert, I’ve rounded up my best real food lunch meal prep recipes and tips for us adults who deserve delicious, nourishing lunches just as much as kids!
Chicken
Quick Chicken Apple Salad (No Mayo + No Diary)
Bursting with crunchy veggies and an easy, flavorful dressing, this nourishing chicken apple salad is made without mayo or dairy, and makes the perfect make-ahead salad or meal on the go. Simple to make and oh-so satisfying, you’ll want to make this one again and again!
Ingredients: cooked chicken, apple, celery, cashews, white wine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, shallot, arugula, honey, and salt.
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Quick Turmeric Chicken Salad
This quick turmeric chicken salad is bathed in a tangy, creamy dressing perfectly flavored with turmeric and tahini & loaded with crunchy veggies like carrots and cabbage. You're going to fall in love this is powerhouse salad!
Ingredients: cooked shredded chicken, shredded carrots, slaw mix (or shredded cabbage), green onion, sulfite-free raisins, turmeric, tahini, garlic, honey (optional), apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and salt.
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Quick Curry Chicken Apple Salad (No Mayo)
This quick curry chicken apple salad is an easy, nourishing, make-ahead lunch that you can prep ahead and take on the go. Made it with chicken (or any protein you like) and no mayo, it all comes together in a matter of minutes, and only requires some simple chopping and stirring.
Ingredients: chicken, cucumber, green apple, bell peppers, green onion, sunflower seeds, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, curry powder, lemon juice, and salt.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos (No Salsa)
Friends, these are the best shredded slow cooker chicken tacos ever! Using only 6 ingredients, and with the option to use no salsa, it's a simple time-saving, dump-and-go recipe that will allow you to celebrate Taco Tuesday every week!
Ingredients: garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, chicken, salsa.
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Sheet Pan Chicken, Kale & Sweet Potatoes
Sheet Pan Chicken, Kale & Sweet Potatoes is made with juicy chicken thighs roasted together with crispy kale and tender sweet potatoes. A super-simple 5-ingredient sheet pan recipe perfect you'll want to make on repeat!
Ingredients: chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, kale, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.
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Lighter Lemon Chicken Asparagus Skillet (1-Pan!)
A handful of simple ingredients combine in this easy chicken asparagus recipe, made of golden chicken, tender asparagus, and a luscious garlic lemon cream sauce that's light but still feels decadent. The ultimate low-effort, one-pan meal that'll be on the table in less than 30-minutes!
Ingredients: chicken, asparagus, chicken broth, cream, olive oil, butter, lemon juice and salt.
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2-Ingredient Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken (w/ Breast Meat)
This wildly easy 2-ingredient slow cooker BBQ chicken can be prepped in no time using store-bought or homemade sauce, yielding deliciously tender and versatile pulled chicken breasts. Perfect for meal prep on busy weeks!
Ingredients: chicken breasts (or chicken thighs) and chipotle BBQ sauce (or store bought barbecue sauce).
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Skillet Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
This easy chicken and sweet potatoes skillet can be made quickly on the stovetop and then baked in the oven. Plus it includes a delicious honey butter & chipotle pan sauce everyone will love!
Ingredients: chicken, sweet potatoes, avocado oil, honey, butter, chipotle peppers (from canned in adobo sauce), garlic and salt.
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Slow Cooker Greek Chicken
Slow cooker Greek chicken combines just 4 ingredients like lemon, garlic and Greek yogurt to create a fresh, delicious high-protein meal you can use in a number of ways. Stuffed in pita piled with veggies or in a bowl with rice or pita, it's a Greek-inspired slow cooker recipe that you will find yourself making week after week!
Ingredients: Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, chicken.
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Easy Italian Chicken Zucchini Skillet (with Tomatoes)
This Easy Italian Chicken Zucchini Skillet combines chicken, zucchini, and tomatoes with classic Italian flavors for an easy, one-pot, high-protein dinner that simmers together on the stovetop for a full meal in under 30 minutes. Made with just a few easy-to-find ingredients, it works equally well with chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
Ingredients: chicken breasts (or chicken thighs), zucchini, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, butter (optional: traditional or dairy-free), fresh basil, red pepper flakes, garlic, Italian seasoning, olive oil and salt.
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Ginger Honey Cashew Chicken Skillet
Lightly crispy chicken combines with cashews and green beans in a delectable ginger honey sauce for a super fast last minute dinner that will keep you coming back for seconds. Just 30 minutes and one pan are all you need to make it happen!
Ingredients: chicken breasts (or thighs), green beans, ginger, chicken broth, honey, green onions, cashews, coconut oil, arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) and salt.
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6-Ingredient Slow Cooker Enchilada Chicken
This easy recipe for shredded chicken for enchiladas is totally simple, completely delicious and the perfect weeknight crockpot recipe. With just 6-ingredients and no pre-cooking, let me show you how easy this fresh & simple enchilada chicken is to make!
Ingredients: chicken breasts (or chicken thighs), onion, garlic powder, cumin, lime juice, tomato sauce, chili powder and salt.
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Orange Chicken Asparagus Skillet (20-Minute Dinner)
Ready in just 20 minutes, this orange chicken asparagus skillet is light, fresh, filling, and comes together simply in just 1-pan. Full of golden-brown chicken, tender-crisp asparagus, and a light & tangy orange sauce, it's great for company or as a last minute dinner idea.
Ingredients: chicken breasts, asparagus, garlic, orange zest, orange juice, chicken stock, white wine vinegar (or lemon juice), oil, arrowroot powder and salt.
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15-Minute Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry (Gluten-Free)
This 15-Minute Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry is a weeknight classic full of clean, simple ingredients. Naturally gluten-free and super easy, you’ll want to make this recipe again and again.
Ingredients: chicken breasts (or thighs), broccoli, coconut aminos (or tamari), scallions, cashews, coconut oil (or olive oil), garlic, ginger, and salt.
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Easy Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken
Easy to make and oh-so satisfying, this crockpot cilantro lime chicken is perfect for stuffing into warm tortillas or bowls! It’s elevated by the most flavorful homemade cilantro lime sauce and can be made with either chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
Ingredients: chicken breasts (or chicken thighs), fresh cilantro, lime juice, garlic cloves, cumin, avocado oil, honey (optional) and salt.
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Easy Chicken Enchiladas
This easy chicken enchilada recipe is simple to prepare and yields super flavorful, delicious results every time!
Ingredients: shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, corn tortillas, and shredded Mexican cheese blend.
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Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
With only 4 ingredients, this green chili chicken enchiladas recipe is easy to make, yields super flavorful results, and is an excellent make ahead meal.
Ingredients: chicken, salsa verde, Mexican cheese blend, tortillas
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Vegetarian
Autumn Lentil Salad w/ Roasted Squash (+ Maple Dressing!)
This easy lentil salad packs so much flavor and texture into every bite, yet is so simple to make. Made with brown or green lentils, roasted squash, and a homemade maple mustard dressing, it's a filling salad that eats like a meal that you'll want to make on repeat.
Ingredients You'll Need: lentils, delicata squash, olive oil, salt, pumpkin seeds, mixed greens, red wine vinegar, garlic, maple syrup, Dijon mustard.
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Smashed Chickpea Salad (No Mayo)
This smashed chickpea salad is super creamy, thanks to mashed white beans (no mayo or dairy here) with plenty of crunch from celery & apple. It takes just 10 minutes to make & packs beautifully for lunches or potlucks!
Ingredients You'll Need: olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, white beans, chickpeas, celery, apple, scallion, black pepper.
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Tomato Basil Lentil Salad
Simple to make with pantry staples and a few fresh ingredients, Tomato Basil Lentil Salad packs beautifully for lunch on-the-go, and also makes the perfect side or potluck dish.
Ingredients: lentils, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil.
Fall Lentil Salad w/ Butternut Squash
This fall lentil salad is easy to make with brown or green lentils, simply roasted butternut squash, and an addictive homemade maple dressing. Perfect to make ahead and pack for lunch or enjoy as a light plant-based dinner, let me show you how simple it is to make!
Ingredients: lentils, olive oil, salt, butternut squash, microgreens, roasted pumpkin seeds, red wine vinegar, garlic, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard.
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Simple Dill Egg Salad
This 10-minute dill egg salad is fresh, bright, and super simple to make ahead for weekday lunches. Crunchy celery & onion plus creamy hard boiled eggs all get coated in a mouth-watering lemon-dill-mayo dressing.
Ingredients You'll Need: lemon juice, garlic, salt, mustard, dill, mayonnaise, celery, onion, and eggs.
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Turkey
Easy Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
This healthy ground turkey sweet potato skillet is a fast, easy last minute dinner idea that’s so tasty you’ll want to put into your regular weeknight rotation. It’s ready in under 30 minutes, so keep this one in your backpocket for busy weeks!
Ingredients: ground turkey, sweet potatoes, olive oil, garlic powder, shredded cheese (traditional or dairy-free), baby spinach, chipotle honey vinaigrette and salt.
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20-Minute Ground Turkey Taco Skillet (w/ Beans & Corn)
Solve dinner tonight with this quick & easy turkey taco skillet! Made with ground turkey, beans and corn, it’s a flavorful and filling protein-packed meal that comes together in just 20 minutes. Trust me, this is one is a family dinner win you'll want to make on repeat!
Ingredients: ground turkey, onion, garlic powder, cumin, canned black beans, canned fire-roasted tomatoes, frozen corn, olive oil and salt.
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Egg Roll Veggie Noodle Bowls
All the flavor of an egg-roll, but without the fuss. Tossed together with a tangle of veggie noodles, Egg Roll Veggie Noodle Bowls are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, nut-free, Paleo, Whole30 and so delicious!
Ingredients: ground turkey (or ground chicken or pork), crimini mushrooms, cabbage (or slaw mix), carrots, coconut aminos, vegetable noodles (spiralized carrots or zucchini), lime juice, green onion, ginger, olive oil, and salt.
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Ground Turkey + Green Bean Skillet (20-Minute Dinner!)
This ground turkey and green beans skillet with sauce comes together in 20 minutes using one pan! It's savory, satisfying, and packed full of Asian-inspired My top tip? Double this quick and easy recipe. You'll want leftovers!
Ingredients: ground turkey (light or dark meat), green beans, garlic, ginger, honey, chicken stock, lime juice (or rice wine vinegar), tamari, arrowroot powder, olive oil, and salt.
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20-Minute Reset Turkey Chili
20-Minute Reset Turkey Chili is a delicious weeknight staple that’s fast, filling, can be made in one pan, and with just 10 ingredients.
You can also use ground turkey for this quick dish! These weeknight turkey tacos with sweet corn salsa come together in less than 20 minutes.
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Beef
Southwest Beef & Sweet Potato Skillet
This easy Southwest Beef & Sweet Potato Skillet is a super simple and flavorful weeknight meal that everyone will love.
Ingredients: ground beef, sweet potato, canned diced tomatoes, mild chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, water, baby spinach, lime juice, olive oil, and salt.
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Basil Beef and Cauliflower Rice Bowls
Fresh Thai-inspired flavors combine in Basil Beef and Cauliflower Rice Bowls, a simple, gluten- and grain-free weeknight recipe.
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Slow Cooker Taco Meat (No Pre-Cooking!)
You will not believe how easy this dump-and-go slow cooker taco meat recipe is! Made simply with ground beef, spices, and salsa, it requires no pre-cooking and no chopping, so it's perfect for feeding a crowd, as a super easy dinner idea or as protein meal prep!
Ingredients: ground beef, salsa, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, mild chili powder, and salt.
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Steak Fajita Noodle Bowls
A fresh twist on fajitas, Steak Fajita Noodle Bowls are easy to make and can be made with pasta, zoodles, or both!
Sweet Potato and Pineapple Beef Bowls with Mango Avocado Salsa
Savory pineapple beef combines with roasted sweet potatoes and fresh spinach, along with a quick mango avocado salsa, in this delicious weeknight bowl.
Ingredients: lean ground beef, sweet potatoes, canned crushed pineapple, mango, avocado, baby spinach, cumin, garlic powder, mild chili powder, olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, and salt.
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