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Start the Year Prepared: January Meal Prepping
With the new year in full swing, now is a perfect time to prepare for our future and set ourselves up for success.
With vision boards and goal setting, now is a great time to make healthy changes. Break bad habits, move our bodies, spend more time outside, sleep better, and eat a clean, well-rounded diet.
One of the most important parts of successfully eating as healthy as possible is planning ahead. What better time is there to meal prep than right now?
Here are 20 delicious and easy recipes that are perfect for meal prepping.
1. Chicken + Zucchini Fritters
Here’s a protein-packed snack you can make now for everyone to enjoy later this week. Packed with ground chicken, cottage cheese, and a boost of egg, these savory, crispy, nutritious bite-sized fritters are completely crave-worthy.
2. Beef Spinach Meatballs for Meal Prep
Here’s a great lunch box meal to make life more convenient for future-you. The flavors complement each other so well to create a delicious meal. Feel free to get creative using the veggies you have on hand.
3. Overnight Oat Meal Prep Bowls
We absolutely love overnight oats here at CleanFoodCrush! Not only do overnight oats save you time in the morning, but they’re also much easier to digest than unsoaked oats. As the oats soak overnight, their digestibility dramatically improves.
These supreme pizza bowls are a nutritious meal perfect for a prep-ahead lunch on the go, a quick weeknight dinner, or a fun weekend gathering. Because they are low in carbohydrates and high in protein, they are great for a light mid-day meal.
5. Air fryer Cranberry Turkey Balls
Keep the holidays going with these festive turkey balls filled with sweet and savory flavors! Prepare them early, and when you’re ready to eat them, pop them in the air fryer. They’ll be ready in just minutes.
Tuna cakes are a satisfying and affordable nutrient-packed meal idea. I know these may seem intimidating, but I promise, the recipe is actually quite simple. Then, save leftovers in the fridge for future meals.
7. Cottage Cheese & Egg Breakfast Bars
These breakfast bars are a tasty solution for a quick and easy morning meal. Feel free to make substitutions as needed to fit your family’s taste buds. With all the protein, you’ll be ready for a long day with extra energy.
8. Mediterranean-Inspired Chicken Power Bowls
These power bowls are filling and have the perfect mix of textures, colors, and aromatics! These bowls stay great in the fridge for up to three days and are delicious when eaten cold, which makes them very convenient to take anywhere for a quick lunch.
These fajitas are a super simple and flavorful idea to get a meal packed with protein on the table that everyone will LOVE! You’ll be in awe at how fast you can have these ready.
10. Creamy Chicken + Mushroom Soup
This comforting soup is a nutritional powerhouse, featuring protein-rich chicken thighs, immune-boosting mushrooms, and a variety of sautéed vegetables. The addition of garlic, thyme, and bay leaf provides an extra boost of antioxidants and taste.
Green beans are a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, which can help support a healthy immune system, good eyesight, and great skin. Not to mention, they contain fiber… which carries lots of health benefits for your digestive system, heart, and so much more!
Talk about an explosion of flavor! This recipe is a perfect blend of spicy and sweet, with a kick of heat from the crushed red pepper flakes and a drizzle of hot sauce in the Firecracker Sauce.
Why settle for a bland breakfast when you can savor a decadent and nourishing treat that will feed your entire crew? This overnight oat pie will make your mornings much easier, especially in the busier months.
14. One Sheet Pan Meal Prep Chicken 4 Ways
Batching, or doing a bunch of similar tasks all at once, is an absolute lifesaver, especially when you have a lot of people to feed and seemingly not enough time. With this plan, you can make 4 different types of chicken for your meal prep salads, tacos, soups, gyros, whatever in under 30 minutes of hands-on prep time!
Flavorful “riced” cabbage is so delicious and versatile that you’ll want to make it a staple in your kitchen. This recipe is not only a great way to sneak in some extra veggies but also incredibly easy to make and packed with nutrients.
16. Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein
Here’s a fun, lower-carb spin on traditional chow mein! The combination of savory and umami flavors from ingredients like coconut aminos and sesame oil creates a rich and satisfying taste experience.
Cozy up with a nutritious breakfast that’s ready when you are! These creamy, indulgent oats are soaked in a rich blend of coffee, cacao, and milk and then layered with a velvety Greek yogurt and almond butter topping.
Each bite of this bowl is a beautiful balance, with the savory, seasoned salmon, cool, crisp cucumber, and lemony cauliflower rice coming together in a lunch or dinner you’ll love! It’s an excellent blend of protein, healthy fats, and veggies that will leave you feeling nourished and satisfied.
These snack boxes are highly convenient during the school months. We have protein for plenty of energy and healthy fats that can support you between larger meals. Having a few of these in the fridge definitely helps us avoid the drive-thru and concession stands.
20. Sweet Potato Meal Prep Bowls
These bowls work well for bigger families because you can customize them individually to everyone’s preferences. They are also easy to use for meal prepping. Simply assemble the bowls, refrigerate or freeze them, and enjoy them throughout the week. The perfect solution for busy lives!
There you are, 20 of our delicious recipes for all of the meal prep enthusiasts looking to fuel their bodies with whole foods.
Let me know which ones are your favorites in the comments below!
