Meal prep ideas: 40 recipes that keep 3 to 4 days

What makes a recipe good for meal prep?

A meal prep recipe is cooked once, in several servings, and eaten over the next days, so it has to keep. On this list, a recipe is admitted only if it keeps at least 3 days in the fridge once cooked, by the USDA's storage times: the Food Safety and Inspection Service gives 3 to 4 days for leftovers, and the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart the same for soups and stews, baked egg dishes and chicken, tuna or egg salads (both checked October 29, 2026). Each recipe is written for one serving, to cook 4 times over: four servings is what fits inside that window, one a day.

Some ingredients are left out on purpose: avocado, lettuce and croutons go brown, limp or soft once a meal sits in the fridge, so no recipe here uses them. Sauces and dressings that a dish would soak up are packed on the side.

The number of recipes follows the lists that rank for meal prep: The Real Food Dietitians' list, first in the results, gathers 90 ideas in breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack groups, most of them dinners (checked October 29, 2026). This page keeps 40, also mostly dinners, with what those lists do not show: the grams, the fridge and freezer times and the figures of every recipe. Snacks are on the high protein snacks list.

Calories, protein, carbohydrate and fat are added up from the grams with the values per 100 g of USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, for the generic food. Each ingredient names its state, raw, cooked or dry, because the figures differ. Cooking oil is counted where a recipe uses it; salt, herbs and spices are not. The tables also show whether a recipe passes the IZeat healthy check, the definition the Recipes section uses: at least 20 g of protein and at least 80 g of vegetables, fruit or legumes per serving. Beans, chickpeas, lentils and edamame count as legumes; tofu and potatoes do not, as the NHS leaves potatoes out, while sweet potatoes count. Sodium, saturated fat and added sugar are not computed.

IZeat wrote these recipes and computed their figures from USDA values; creators' tested versions will replace them as they are published.

Which breakfasts can you meal prep?

These 10 breakfasts are mostly baked egg dishes, muffins, frittatas and bakes, which the USDA chart lists as casseroles with eggs, plus a baked oatmeal, a hash and burritos you can freeze one by one. Each is cut or wrapped in portions once it has cooled.

Turkey, pepper and cheddar egg muffins · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Heat half the oil in a pan and cook the finely chopped turkey and onion until the turkey is cooked through.
2. Grease a muffin tin with the rest of the oil, share the turkey, chopped pepper and grated cheddar between the cups, and pour the beaten eggs and egg whites over.
3. Bake until set, then cool and refrigerate.

Sweet potato and black bean egg bake (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Dice the sweet potato, toss it with the oil and roast until tender.
2. Spread it in a baking dish with the black beans and chopped pepper, and pour the beaten eggs and egg whites over.
3. Top with the grated cheddar and bake until set.

Mushroom and egg white muffins with parmesan (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the chopped mushrooms until golden, then wilt the spinach.
2. Share them between the cups of a muffin tin and pour the beaten egg whites and egg over.
3. Grate the parmesan on top and bake until set.

Turkey and sweet potato breakfast hash · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the diced sweet potato until tender.
2. Add the finely chopped turkey, onion and pepper and cook until the turkey is cooked through.
3. Stir in the spinach until it wilts.

Broccoli and cheddar frittata (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan and soften the chopped onion and small broccoli florets.
2. Pour in the eggs beaten with the milk, scatter the grated cheddar over and cook until the edges set.
3. Finish in the oven until the center is set, then cut into portions once cool.

Cottage cheese egg bake with spinach and tomatoes (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Grease a baking dish with the oil.
2. Whisk the eggs with the cottage cheese, stir in the chopped spinach and pour into the dish.
3. Top with the sliced tomatoes and the grated parmesan and bake until set.

Egg and black bean breakfast burritos (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pan, soften the chopped pepper and scramble the eggs until set.
2. Warm the black beans, then fill each tortilla with eggs, beans and grated cheddar.
3. Roll them up tightly, cool and wrap each one before refrigerating or freezing.

Spinach and feta egg muffins (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Grease a muffin tin with the oil.
2. Beat the eggs, stir in the chopped spinach and pepper and the crumbled feta, and pour the mixture into the cups.
3. Bake until the eggs are set in the center, then cool and refrigerate in a covered container.

Blueberry banana baked oatmeal (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Mash the banana and whisk it with the egg, milk and honey.
2. Stir in the oats and blueberries and pour into a baking dish.
3. Bake until set and golden, then cut into portions once cool.

Baked eggs in tomato and pepper sauce (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan and soften the chopped onion and pepper.
2. Add the canned tomatoes and simmer until the sauce thickens.
3. Make hollows, crack in the eggs, crumble the feta over and bake until the whites and yolks are set.

Which lunches can you meal prep?

These 12 lunches are bowls, grain and bean salads and a soup, packed in one container each. The egg, tuna, and chicken and pasta salads keep 3 to 4 days like the rest, but do not freeze well.

Turkey taco bowl with black beans and rice · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the finely chopped turkey with the chopped pepper and taco spices until cooked through.
2. Share the rice, black beans and turkey between containers.
3. Top with the chopped tomatoes, the grated cheddar and the lime juice.

Greek chicken rice bowl with cucumber and feta · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the sliced chicken until cooked through.
2. Share the rice, chicken, chopped cucumber and tomatoes and the crumbled feta between containers.
3. Mix the Greek yogurt with the lemon juice and pack it on the side.

Chicken and broccoli pasta salad · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; does not freeze well

1. Boil the pasta until tender, adding the broccoli florets for the last minutes, then drain and cool them.
2. Mix with the sliced roast chicken and halved tomatoes.
3. Dress with the olive oil and lemon juice and grate the parmesan over.

Salmon, brown rice and edamame bowl · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Roast the salmon in its own fat until it flakes and is cooked through, and cook the edamame from frozen.
2. Share the rice, flaked salmon, edamame, grated carrot and sliced cucumber between containers.
3. Pour the soy sauce over.

Tuna and white bean salad with celery · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; does not freeze well

1. Mix the drained tuna with the white beans and the finely chopped pepper, celery and onion.
2. Dress with the olive oil and lemon juice and share between containers.

Chicken, quinoa and roasted vegetable bowl · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Toss the diced zucchini and pepper and the chicken with the oil and roast until the chicken is cooked through.
2. Slice the chicken and share it between containers with the quinoa and vegetables.
3. Squeeze the lemon juice over before closing the containers.

Ginger beef and broccoli with brown rice · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the beef with the garlic and ginger until browned and cooked through.
2. Add the broccoli with a splash of water, cover and cook until tender.
3. Stir in the soy sauce and share between containers with the rice.

Egg salad with Greek yogurt on toast (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; does not freeze well

1. Chop the peeled eggs and mix them with the Greek yogurt and the finely chopped celery.
2. Pack the egg salad with the sliced cucumber, and toast the bread on the day before spreading it.

Lentil, roasted carrot and kale salad with feta (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; does not freeze well

1. Toss the sliced carrots with half the oil and roast until tender.
2. Mix them with the lentils and the finely chopped kale.
3. Crumble the feta over and dress with the rest of the oil and the lemon juice.

Chickpea, quinoa and feta salad (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; does not freeze well

1. Chop the cucumber and pepper and mix them with the rinsed chickpeas and the quinoa.
2. Crumble the feta over and dress with the olive oil and lemon juice.

Lentil, carrot and spinach soup (vegan) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pot and soften the chopped onion and carrot.
2. Add the canned tomatoes, the cooked lentils and a cup of water, and simmer until the carrots are tender.
3. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then cool in shallow containers.

Black bean and sweet potato quinoa bowl (vegan) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Dice the sweet potato, toss it with the oil and roast until tender.
2. Share the quinoa, black beans, sweet potato and chopped pepper between containers and squeeze the lime juice over.

Which dinners can you meal prep?

These 18 dinners are sheet pan dishes, stews, chilis, bakes and rice dishes, with chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish, shrimp, tofu, beans or lentils. Stews and chilis freeze for 2 to 3 months, so half a batch can wait for the following week.

Chicken enchilada bake · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Mix the shredded roast chicken with the black beans and the chopped pepper and onion.
2. Layer the tortillas, the filling and the tomato sauce in a baking dish and top with the grated cheddar.
3. Bake until bubbling and the cheese has melted.

Turkey meatballs in tomato sauce with zucchini · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Mix the finely chopped turkey with the beaten egg, the oats and the parmesan and roll into small balls.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the meatballs, then add the tomato sauce and simmer until they are cooked through.
3. Add the diced zucchini for the last minutes, until just tender.

Turkey, black bean and pepper chili · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pot and soften the chopped onion and pepper.
2. Add the finely chopped turkey and chili spices and cook until the turkey is cooked through.
3. Add the canned tomatoes and black beans and simmer until thick.

Turkey and eggplant bake · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Slice the eggplant, brush it with the oil and roast until soft.
2. Cook the finely chopped turkey with the onion in a non-stick pan until cooked through, then stir in the tomato sauce.
3. Layer the eggplant and the sauce in a baking dish, top with the mozzarella and bake until golden.

Chicken and cauliflower curry with brown rice · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pot and soften the chopped onion with curry spices.
2. Add the diced chicken, cauliflower florets and canned tomatoes and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Stir in the spinach, then the Greek yogurt off the heat, and serve with the rice.

Honey garlic chicken with broccoli and rice · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the diced chicken until cooked through.
2. Add the garlic, honey and soy sauce and stir until the chicken is glazed.
3. Steam the broccoli until tender and share everything between containers with the rice.

Cod and white bean tomato stew · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pot and soften the chopped onion.
2. Add the canned tomatoes, the white beans and the chopped kale and simmer until the kale is tender.
3. Lay the cod, in pieces, in the sauce, cover and simmer until it flakes and is cooked through.

Sheet pan chicken with sweet potato and broccoli · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Cut the chicken, sweet potato and broccoli into pieces and toss them with the oil and spices on a baking tray.
2. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the sweet potato is tender.

Shrimp and vegetable fried rice · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the shrimp until pink and opaque all the way through, then set them aside.
2. Stir-fry the diced carrot and pepper, add the cold rice, then push it aside and scramble the egg in the space.
3. Return the shrimp, add the soy sauce and the sliced scallions and toss together.

Ginger tofu with green beans and brown rice (vegan) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the cubed tofu until golden.
2. Add the green beans, ginger and garlic with a splash of water and cook until the beans are tender.
3. Stir in the soy sauce and share between containers with the rice.

Beef and lentil bolognese with pasta · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pot, soften the chopped onion and carrot, then brown the beef until cooked through.
2. Add the lentils and the tomato sauce and simmer until thick.
3. Boil the pasta until tender and serve the sauce over it with the parmesan.

Roast pork tenderloin with potatoes and carrots · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Toss the potatoes, carrots and onion, cut into pieces, with the oil and roast until tender.
2. Roast the pork tenderloin until cooked through, rest it, then slice it.

Chicken and white bean vegetable soup · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pot and soften the chopped onion, carrot and celery.
2. Add the diced chicken and two cups of water and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Add the white beans and diced zucchini and simmer until the zucchini is tender.

Baked salmon with green beans and potatoes · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Boil the potatoes, cut into pieces, until tender.
2. Toss the green beans with the oil and roast them beside the salmon until the fish flakes and is cooked through.
3. Squeeze the lemon juice over and share between containers.

Beef and rice stuffed peppers · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Cook the beef with the chopped onion in a dry non-stick pan until cooked through, then stir in the canned tomatoes and the rice.
2. Halve the peppers, fill them with the mixture and top with the mozzarella.
3. Bake until the peppers are tender and the cheese has melted.

Lentil and mushroom shepherd's pie (vegetarian) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Boil the potatoes until tender and mash them with the milk.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, soften the chopped onion, carrot and mushrooms, then stir in the lentils, the tomato paste and a splash of water.
3. Spread the filling in a baking dish, cover with the mash and bake until golden.

Chickpea and spinach stew with brown rice (vegan) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pot and soften the chopped onion and garlic.
2. Add the canned tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer until the sauce thickens.
3. Stir in the spinach until it wilts and serve with the rice.

Black bean and sweet potato chili (vegan) · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pot and soften the chopped onion and pepper with chili spices.
2. Add the diced sweet potato, canned tomatoes, black beans and a cup of water.
3. Simmer until the sweet potato is tender and the chili is thick.

How long does meal prep last in the fridge and the freezer?

Cooked meal prep lasts 3 to 4 days in a fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below, by the USDA's times for each kind of dish below. Frozen at 0°F (-18°C), food stays safe indefinitely; the freezer times are for quality, as the FoodSafety.gov chart says.

Cooked ground meat is where sources differ. The FSIS gives cooked ground beef about 3 or 4 days in the fridge, like other leftovers; Harvard's Nutrition Source is stricter and gives cooked ground poultry or ground beef 1 to 2 days (both checked October 29, 2026). This page follows the USDA; if you prefer the stricter time, eat the ground beef dishes first in the week, or freeze half the batch.

1. Cool cooked food fast: the FSIS asks for leftovers to be in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking, 1 hour above 90°F, and to divide large amounts into shallow containers so they chill quickly.
2. Cover each container or seal it airtight, and write the day it was cooked on the lid.
3. Eat the servings by day 4, and freeze any you will not reach by then.
4. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge, in cold water or in the microwave, and reheat until the food reaches 165°F all the way through; bring soups and sauces to a rolling boil.

How does meal prep fit into your day?

A batch fixes the portion in advance: each container holds one serving with the grams above, so its calories and macros are known before you open it. A bigger spoon of rice or a second drizzle of oil at reheating changes them; the figures describe the recipe as written.

How much you need in a day is personal: the calorie calculator gives a reference from your age, size and activity. This page sets no target.

IZeat is the five-star chef calorie tracker that suggests satisfying, great-tasting meals, so you enjoy every calorie you have left. It works inside ChatGPT, Claude or any other assistant: IZeat knows your numbers for the day, which foods fill you up and what you like.

After you connect your assistant, say what you ate in one sentence. IZeat logs the meal and returns calories, protein, carbohydrate and fat for the day, with the source of each figure. A container from the same batch is the same meal, so the next day it takes one sentence again.

Where are the meal prep lists for a specific need?

To plan which of these to cook in a week, and what to buy, the weekly meal plan guide builds an example week from them, with its grocery list. Recipes with at least 20 g of protein per serving are on the high protein meals list, and meals of 500 kcal or less on the low calorie meals list, and breakfasts and lunches that pass the IZeat healthy check on the healthy breakfast ideas and healthy lunch ideas lists. Meal prep lists by need each get their own page in the Recipes section as they are published:

• Vegetarian meal prep ideas keep meat and fish out.
• Best recipes for meal prep keep the dishes that hold up best: they keep, freeze and pass the healthy check.
• High protein meal prep keeps at least 30 g of protein in every container.
• Easy meal prep ideas take 5 ingredients or fewer and 3 steps or fewer.
• Chicken meal prep ideas build the week around chicken.
• Low calorie meal prep keeps the calories per container low.
• Ground beef meal prep cooks the week around ground beef.
• Weight loss meal prep gathers the containers people pack when they want to lose weight, each with its figures.