Easy meal prep ideas: 30 recipes with 5 ingredients or fewer

What makes a meal prep idea easy?

An easy meal prep idea is a dish you can cook in one batch from a short shopping list, in a few steps, that still keeps in the fridge for the days ahead. On this page that means 5 ingredients or fewer, 3 steps or fewer, and 3 to 4 days in the fridge once cooked, such as the spinach and cheddar egg cups, with 3 ingredients, or the salsa chicken with rice and black beans, with 5. Each recipe gives the grams for one serving; for a batch of 4, multiply every gram by 4.

Why five? Most easy meal prep collections do not put a number on "easy": Slender Kitchen's 33 recipes and Food Network's 38 do not say what makes them easy (read November 4, 2026). Sarah's Cucina Bella does, for a skillet of "just five ingredients (oil, salt and pepper don't count!)". This page holds every recipe to that rule: 5 ingredients at most. Cooking oil, water, salt, pepper, herbs and spices are not counted; everything else in the ingredient list is, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and broth included.

Some ingredients go in already cooked, and no step cooks them: brown rice, white rice, quinoa, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, white beans, lentils and roast chicken breast. Cook them beforehand or buy them ready: rice and quinoa in pouches, beans, chickpeas and lentils from a can, drained and rinsed, and the roast chicken breast left over from a roast or bought cooked, without the skin. Their figures are USDA's for the cooked food, beans boiled without salt, so canned beans differ a little, mostly in salt. The steps start from there, and the grams are the cooked weight.

The storage rule is the one of IZeat's meal prep ideas: a recipe is listed only if its kind of dish keeps at least 3 days in the fridge once cooked, by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart, and it holds no avocado, lettuce or croutons, which do not keep once dressed. The 30 recipes here are new: none repeats a recipe of IZeat's other meal prep lists.

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. Cooking oil is counted in the figures where a recipe uses it; salt, herbs and spices are not. The tables also show whether a recipe passes the IZeat healthy check, the Recipes section's definition: at least 20 g of protein and 80 g of vegetables, fruit or legumes per serving; potatoes and tofu do not count as produce, while sweet potato, corn, peas, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and jarred salsa count as vegetables. Sodium, saturated fat and added sugar are not computed; jarred salsa, broth and soy sauce carry most of the salt.

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

Which breakfasts are easy to meal prep?

Egg cups, egg bakes and baked oatmeal set in the oven in one go and cut into 4 servings. These 6 breakfasts take 3, 4 and 5 ingredients; the freezer egg, bean and cheese burritos freeze wrapped one by one, for the days after day 4.

Spinach and cheddar egg cups (vegetarian) · 3 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Grease a muffin tin with the oil and share the chopped spinach between the cups.
2. Pour the beaten eggs over, top with the grated cheddar and bake until set in the center.

Ham, broccoli and cheddar egg bake · 4 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Grease a baking dish with the oil and spread the small broccoli florets and diced ham in it.
2. Pour the beaten eggs over, top with the grated cheddar and bake until set.

Egg white and red pepper muffin cups with feta (vegetarian) · 4 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Grease a muffin tin with the oil and share the diced pepper and crumbled feta between the cups.
2. Pour the egg whites beaten with the egg over and bake until set.

Banana baked oatmeal squares (vegetarian) · 4 ingredients · 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 and milk.
2. Stir in the oats, pour into a baking dish and bake until set, then cut into squares once cool.

Sheet pan sweet potato hash with baked eggs (vegetarian) · 4 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Toss the diced sweet potato and onion with the oil on a baking tray and roast until tender.
2. Stir in the spinach, make hollows, crack in the eggs and bake until the whites and yolks are set.

Freezer egg, bean and cheese burritos (vegetarian) · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pan and scramble the eggs until set.
2. Fill each tortilla with the eggs, warmed black beans, cheddar and salsa, and roll it up tightly.
3. Cool and wrap each one before refrigerating or freezing.

Which chicken recipes are easy to meal prep?

Chicken breast or thighs, a starch and a vegetable on one tray or in one pot make the simplest meal prep. The sheet pan lemon chicken with broccoli and potatoes cooks on one tray; the salsa chicken uses a jar of salsa as its whole sauce. These 8 chicken mains pair the chicken with rice, potatoes, pasta, sweet potato or black beans; the curry chicken salad is the one cold dish. The chicken, black bean and salsa soup is with the soups and salads below.

Curry chicken salad with apple and celery · 4 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; does not freeze well

1. Stir curry powder into the Greek yogurt.
2. Mix in the diced roast chicken, apple and celery and share between containers.

Sheet pan lemon chicken with broccoli and potatoes · 4 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Toss the diced potatoes with the oil and roast until nearly tender.
2. Add the chicken and the broccoli florets to the tray and roast until the chicken reaches 165°F inside.
3. Squeeze the lemon juice over and share between containers.

Chicken, sweet potato and black bean sheet pan · 4 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Toss the diced chicken, sweet potato and pepper with the oil and cumin on a baking tray.
2. Roast until the chicken reaches 165°F inside and the sweet potato is tender, then stir in the black beans.

Salsa chicken with rice and black beans · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Lay the chicken in a baking dish, cover it with the salsa and bake until it reaches 165°F inside, then shred it in the sauce.
2. Share the rice, black beans and salsa chicken between containers and top with the grated cheddar.

One-pot chicken tomato pasta with spinach · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pot and cook the diced chicken until it reaches 165°F inside.
2. Add the tomato sauce, the pasta and enough water to cover, and simmer until the pasta is tender.
3. Stir in the spinach until it wilts and share between containers with the grated parmesan.

Shredded chicken burrito bowls with corn and salsa · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Simmer the chicken in water until it reaches 165°F inside, then shred it with two forks.
2. Warm the corn and black beans, and share the rice, chicken, corn, beans and salsa between containers.

Soy ginger chicken rice bowls with broccoli · 5 ingredients · 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 sliced chicken with the grated ginger until it reaches 165°F inside.
2. Add the broccoli with a splash of water, cover until tender, and stir in the soy sauce.
3. Share between containers with the rice.

Honey soy chicken thighs with green beans and rice · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Brush the chicken thighs with the honey and soy sauce and roast them beside the green beans, tossed with the oil, until the chicken reaches 165°F inside.
2. Share between containers with the rice.

Which other mains are easy to meal prep?

Ground beef and ground turkey brown in one pan in minutes; pork tenderloin, salmon and cod roast on a tray beside their vegetables; shrimp cook in a pan in a few minutes. Cook ground beef to 160°F, ground turkey to 165°F, and pork, fish and shrimp to 145°F, the FSIS minimum internal temperatures, measured with a food thermometer. The 10 mains here include chickpea and sweet potato sheet pan with feta, tofu and broccoli rice bowls with peanut sauce and black bean and corn quesadillas, which keep meat and fish out.

Baked cod with potatoes and peas · 4 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Toss the diced potatoes with the oil and roast until nearly tender.
2. Add the cod to the tray and roast until it flakes and reaches 145°F inside; cook the peas from frozen.
3. Squeeze the lemon juice over and share between containers.

Sheet pan pork tenderloin with carrots and green beans · 4 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Toss the sliced carrots and green beans with the oil on a baking tray.
2. Brush the pork with the honey, lay it on the tray and roast until the pork reaches 145°F inside.
3. Rest the pork for at least 3 minutes, slice it and share everything between containers.

Chickpea and sweet potato sheet pan with feta (vegetarian) · 4 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Toss the chickpeas, diced sweet potato and pepper with the oil and paprika on a baking tray.
2. Roast until the sweet potato is tender and crumble the feta over.

Ground beef taco rice bowls · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Brown the beef with taco spices in a dry non-stick pan until it reaches 160°F.
2. Share the rice, beef and black beans between containers and top with the salsa and grated cheddar.

Lemon garlic shrimp with quinoa and zucchini · 5 ingredients · 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 zucchini until just tender.
2. Add the shrimp and garlic and cook until the shrimp are pink and opaque all the way through (145°F).
3. Squeeze the lemon juice over and share between containers with the quinoa.

Tofu and broccoli rice bowls with peanut sauce (vegan) · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Bake the cubed tofu and the broccoli florets on a lined tray until the tofu is golden.
2. Whisk the peanut butter with the soy sauce and a splash of hot water.
3. Share the rice, tofu and broccoli between containers and pack the sauce on the side.

Ground beef and green bean stir-fry with rice · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the beef with the garlic until it reaches 160°F.
2. Add the green beans with a splash of water and cook until tender, then stir in the soy sauce.
3. Share between containers with the rice.

Turkey and zucchini skillet with rice · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the turkey until it reaches 165°F.
2. Add the diced zucchini and the tomato sauce and simmer until the zucchini is tender.
3. Share between containers with the rice and the grated parmesan.

Soy glazed salmon with broccoli and rice · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Brush the salmon with the soy sauce and honey and roast it beside the broccoli until the fish flakes and reaches 145°F inside.
2. Share between containers with the rice.

Black bean and corn quesadillas (vegetarian) · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 3 to 4 months in the freezer

1. Mash half the black beans with the salsa and stir in the rest with the corn.
2. Spread the filling on half of each tortilla, add the grated cheddar and fold.
3. Cook in a dry pan until golden on both sides, then cool and wrap.

Which soups and salads are easy to meal prep?

A soup or a chili cooks in one pot and keeps as well as any other leftover; a grain or bean salad needs no cooking beyond the grains. The five-ingredient beef and bean chili takes 5 ingredients and the spices. The cold salads keep 3 to 4 days but do not freeze well.

Chicken, black bean and salsa soup · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Bring the broth and salsa to a simmer and add the whole chicken breast.
2. Simmer until the chicken reaches 165°F inside, lift it out and shred it.
3. Return it with the black beans and corn and simmer until hot.

Tuna, chickpea and cucumber salad with feta · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; does not freeze well

1. Mix the drained tuna with the rinsed chickpeas and the diced cucumber.
2. Crumble the feta over, dress with the oil and lemon juice and share between containers.

Five-ingredient beef and bean chili · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Brown the beef with the chopped onion and chili spices in a non-stick pot until the beef reaches 160°F.
2. Add the canned tomatoes, the kidney beans and the corn and simmer until thick.

Turkey and white bean soup with spinach · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, 2 to 3 months in the freezer

1. Heat the oil in a pot and brown the turkey with the diced carrot until the turkey reaches 165°F.
2. Add the broth and the white beans and simmer until the carrot is tender.
3. Stir in the spinach until it wilts.

Lentil, tomato and spinach soup (vegan) · 5 ingredients · 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 broth and the cooked lentils and simmer until thick.
3. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then cool in shallow containers.

Quinoa, black bean and corn salad (vegan) · 5 ingredients · keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge; does not freeze well

1. Warm the corn from frozen and let it cool.
2. Mix it with the quinoa, black beans and diced pepper, and dress with the oil and lime juice.

How long does easy meal prep last in the fridge?

Cooked meal prep lasts 3 to 4 days in a fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below: the FSIS gives that time to leftovers, and the FoodSafety.gov chart to soups and stews, baked egg dishes and chicken, tuna or egg salads (both checked November 4, 2026). Raw, the chart gives ground meat and ground poultry, and fresh chicken or turkey, only 1 to 2 days, so cook them soon after shopping. 27 of the 30 recipes here freeze, for 2 to 4 months depending on the dish; the 3 cold salads, curry chicken salad with apple and celery, tuna, chickpea and cucumber salad with feta and quinoa, black bean and corn salad, do not freeze well.

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, divided 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. Reheat until the food reaches 165°F all the way through; thaw frozen portions in the fridge, in cold water or in the microwave.

How do you start meal prepping the easy way?

Start small: one or two recipes for the first week, not a fridge full of containers. A short list of ingredients means a short shopping list and fewer pans to wash.

1. Pick one breakfast and one lunch or dinner from the tables above, and multiply each ingredient by the number of servings you want.
2. Buy the raw meat or fish for the day you cook, and keep the beans, rice, broth and frozen vegetables in the cupboard and freezer.
3. Cook both recipes in one session, using the oven for one and the stove for the other.
4. Pack 4 days in the fridge at most and freeze the rest.

How does easy 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 other meal prep lists?

Meal prep ideas lists breakfasts, lunches and dinners that keep, without an ingredient limit; the best recipes for meal prep keep, freeze and pass the IZeat healthy check; the vegetarian meal prep ideas keep meat and fish out; and high protein meal prep keeps at least 30 g of protein in every container. Recipes with at least 20 g of protein, meal prep or not, are on the high protein meals list. Chicken meal prep and low calorie meal prep each get their own page in the Recipes section as they are published.