7 Meal Prep Recipes for the Week That Actually Taste Good
Seven make-ahead meal prep recipes covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner — so your whole week is handled before Monday even starts.
By Paris C•Sep 1, 2026•2 min read
You know the feeling. It's 6:30 PM on a Wednesday, you're tired, and the fridge is full of ingredients but somehow nothing to eat. Meal prep fixes that. Spend a couple of hours in the kitchen once, and the rest of the week becomes a matter of opening a container and reheating.
Below are seven meal prep recipes — breakfasts, lunches, and dinners — chosen because they store well for 3–4 days, reheat without going rubbery, and don't require fancy equipment. Pair them with our healthy grocery list for the week and you'll knock out your shopping in one trip too.
Choose two or three recipes for your next prep session. Each complete recipe below has adjustable yields, measured ingredients and step-by-step directions.
The recipe
Overnight oats with berries and Greek yogurt
Ingredients
- 180 grolled oats2 cups
- 480 mlmilk2 cups
- 245 gGreek yogurt1 cup
- 2 tbsphoney or maple syrup
- 300 gmixed berries2 cups
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- Pinchsalt
Method
- 1Mix oats, milk, yogurt, sweetener, vanilla and salt.
- 2Divide into four jars, top with berries and refrigerate overnight.
The recipe
Sheet-pan chicken, sweet potato and broccoli
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (or 8 thighs)
- 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
- 2 headsbroccoli florets
- 3 tbspolive oil
- 1 tbspsmoked paprika
- 1 tspgarlic powder
- To tastesalt and pepper
Method
- 1Heat oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss vegetables and chicken with oil and seasoning, then arrange across two sheet pans.
- 2Roast about 25–30 minutes, checking chicken with a food thermometer; the thickest part must reach 74°C (165°F). Divide into containers.
The recipe
Mediterranean quinoa chickpea bowls
Ingredients
- 280 gcooked quinoaweigh after cooking
- 2 canschickpeas, drained
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 250 gcherry tomatoes, halved9 oz
- 1 red onion, diced
- 150 gfeta, crumbled5 oz
- 4 tbspolive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tspdried oregano
Method
- 1Cook quinoa according to the packet if needed, then cool before assembling.
- 2Combine quinoa, chickpeas, diced vegetables and feta.
- 3Whisk olive oil, lemon juice and oregano; toss with the salad and divide into four containers.
The recipe
Turkey and black bean chili
Ingredients
- 900 gground turkey2 lb
- 2 cansblack beans, drained
- 1 canchopped tomatoes
- 1 cancorn, drained
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 tbspchili powder
- 1 tbspcumin
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
Method
- 1Brown turkey with onion and garlic in a large pot until the turkey reaches 74°C (165°F).
- 2Add beans, tomatoes, corn, pepper and spices; simmer about 30 minutes.
- 3Divide into six portions and chill or freeze promptly.
The recipe
Egg muffin cups with spinach and feta
Ingredients
- 10 eggs
- 60 gbaby spinach, chopped2 cups
- 100 gfeta, crumbled3.5 oz
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- To tastesalt and pepper
Method
- 1Heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- 2Whisk eggs, fold in vegetables and feta, season and pour into the tin.
- 3Bake 18–20 minutes until the centers reach 71°C (160°F). Two muffins make one serving.
The recipe
Peanut chicken stir-fry with rice
Ingredients
- 600 gchicken breast, sliced1.3 lb
- 1 headbroccoli
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 carrots
- 4 tbsppeanut butter
- 4 tbspsoy sauce
- 1 tbsphoney
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 clovegarlic
- 370 gcooked rice2 cups
Method
- 1Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, lime and garlic with a splash of water.
- 2Sear chicken until it reaches 74°C (165°F), then set aside. Stir-fry cut vegetables 3–4 minutes.
- 3Return chicken to pan, add sauce until hot and glossy; serve over cooked rice.
The recipe
Lentil and vegetable soup
Ingredients
- 400 gdry red lentils, rinsed2 cups
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalkscelery, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1.5 litresvegetable stockabout 6⅓ cups
- 1 canchopped tomatoes
- 1 tspcumin
- 1 tspturmeric
- Littleoil, for cooking
Method
- 1Soften diced vegetables in a little oil in a large pot.
- 2Add lentils, stock, tomatoes and spices; simmer about 30 minutes until lentils are tender.
- 3Divide into bowls or shallow containers.
How to Plan Your Prep Session
You don't need to make all seven. A realistic Sunday session looks like this:
- Pick 2–3 recipes — one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner.
- Write your shopping list and combine the overlapping ingredients.
- Cook in order of effort: start the oven recipes first, simmer the soup or chili while you assemble the cold dishes.
- Cool everything before sealing containers, and label with the date.
The best meal prep plan is the one you'll actually follow. Two recipes you enjoy beat seven you abandon by Wednesday.
The Easier Way: Let MealyDO Do the Planning
Choosing recipes, checking they fit your diet, combining the ingredients into one grocery list, and scaling everything to your household — that's the tedious part. MealyDO builds a complete weekly meal plan around your dietary preferences, allergies and intolerances, household size, budget, and cooking experience — and generates the shopping list automatically, with quantities already aggregated.
The free plan gives you one complete weekly plan with a grocery list every 30 days. If you want unlimited plans, the ability to swap any single meal you don't fancy, and support for bigger households, MealyDO Pro is $4.99 USD/month (€4.99 EUR, £4.99 GBP, CA$6.99 CAD, or A$7.99 AUD) — less than one takeaway coffee.
Don't overthink what to chew. Let MealyDO.