Enjoy a sustainable, balanced diet with these macro friendly meal prep recipes. These high protein recipes are perfect if you’re tracking macros or if you’re looking for a well-rounded meal that includes carbs, protein, and fats to keep you full.
I have my clients focus on macros because it doesn’t label foods as good or bad. If the day gets away from you and you need to pick up something from the drive-thru, you can make it work.
Why macros?
Macros not only take the pressure off your food choices, but they also offer a vast amount of flexibility.
You will see that certain foods make you FEEL good, that they fill you better than others and by experimentation, you’ll find what works for you as an individual – which is amazing!
When you track macros, you don’t have to overhaul your lifestyle. You simply make little tweaks (reduce some sugar here, add a little protein there) and those small changes can add up to big results.
Instead of throwing some quick oats in a bowl with berries try this:
Add quick oats (or make rolled oats) in a bowl with a tsp of chia seeds, water or almond milk, and any sweetener you like (I prefer brown sugar Swerve).
If you’re short on time like I always am, microwave that for about 60-90 seconds.
Add berries, 0% Greek yogurt, and half a scoop of protein powder.
By doing this you take a meal that will leave you hungry within 45 minutes (just the oats and berries) and transformed it into a filling and fueling balanced breakfast.
The oats, chia seeds, and berries are your carbohydrates and fiber.
Adding the Greek yogurt and protein powder bulk it up andadd an additional 20-30 grams of protein (depending on how much you use). The chia seeds have some fat but if you need more you can add some nuts (walnuts or pecans are amazing additions).
What a great way to start the day.
Macro Friendly Meal Prep Recipes
There are a lot of recipes below, so if you would like to skip to breakfast, lunch/dinner, or snack recipes use the table of contents above to skip to that section.
These macro friendly recipes are high protein and will help your “fit your macros” in for the rest of your day.
In reality, any recipe can be a macro friendly recipe but it helps when it’s balanced with high protein (keeps you even throughout the day).
Think of it like a teeter totter. Maybe you had a big slice of cake after lunch, which is primarily high carb and fat. You can either have a little protein snack (like string cheese, a hard boiled egg) or at your next meal have a large salad with an extra serving of chicken but less avocado and maybe half the typical amount of sweet potato you add (another option is to keep eating as normal and enjoy your treat that day – it’s up to you).
There are simple (and little) tweaks to your day you can make to make this lifestyle work for you…so you can have your cake and eat it too (I had to, I’m sorry).
I’m going to break down these macro meal prep recipes into breakfast, lunch or dinner, and snacks.
Chicken apple breakfast sausage is a tasty and healthy breakfast recipe. Not only are these homemade sausage patties Whole30 but they're also low carb and paleo friendly. They work with the the 21 Day Fix and portion container system as well. You'll love this easy breakfast recipe for meal prep.
This delicious and healthy carrot cake oatmeal recipe is an easy meal prep breakfast that will keep you full thanks to the high fiber content and the added protein.
Healthy Egg Casserole with Sweet Potatoes, Kale, and Peppers
Talk about your breakfast for dinner! This healthy egg casserole is amazing! Made with sweet potatoes, kale, and bell peppers this Whole30 and Paleo recipe check all the boxes.
This Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal is a healthy and delicious way to start your day. Make this with or without eggs, and it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and loaded with enough nutrients and fiber to keep you full. **I recommend this recipe to my clients often. Top with greek yogurt, berries, and even srpinkle some protein bar over top easily brings this to almost 40g of protein.
These copycat Starbucks Egg Bites are so delicious and easy to make in your Instant Pot! Save a ton of money by making these healthy egg bites at home. Instead of heavy creams and cheeses, these are made with cottage cheese and Greek yogurt.
Quick ideas when you don’t have time to follow a recipe:
Bagged salad, chicken, and cooked rice or sweet potato
Stir fry using a protein of choice (tofu, chicken breast, ground turkey, steak, etc), bagged slaw/broccoli slaw/stir fry mixes, sauce of choice, rice, quinoa, or these amazing gluten free ramen noodles.
Here are some recipes that you can add to your macro meal plan:
Chicken Fajita Salad
This chicken fajita salad is one of my favorite salads ever! It's so easy to whip up and refrigerates well for meal prep. No salad dressing is needed, the fajita seasonings adds more than enough flavour.
A quick and easy chicken fried cauliflower rice recipe uses cauliflower rice instead of white rice, healthing up this popular Chinese dish by adding in more vegeteables.
This turkey harvest salad is perfect for the cooler months. Fall harvest fruits and vegetables like sweet potato, apples, cranberries, and greens bring added health benefits and a ton of flavor to this simple lunch idea.
This recipe for healthy ground chicken stuffed peppers is such a simple and easy dinner idea. Made with brown rice, veggies, ground chicken, and marinara these stuffed bell peppers are easy to make keto or low carb (make without the rice).
If you're looking for healthy ground turkey recipes for dinner then you're going to love this one pan turkey taco skillet! It's perfect for meal prep too!
You're going to love this healthy turkey chili! A high protein chili recipe that's low in fat and rich in fiber and will keep you full for hours. It's the perfect meal prep recipe for fall and winter.
Curried chicken soup is a nourishing soup to help bring you comfort during cold and flu season. It is packed with nutrient-rich ingredients and flavors that will leave you craving your next bite!
Thai Chicken Veggie Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce
If you love spiralized vegetable pasta then you're going to love this Thai Chicken Veggie Noodle Salad. It's made with a creamy peanut sauce that is quick and easy to whip up. Made with zoodles, carrot noodles, plus more veggies this healthy salad recipe is full of goodness! Perfect for work lunches or a quick dinner idea.
Eating in a calorie deficit will lead to weight loss. This spaghetti squash with ground turkey dinner can help you meet your weight loss goals by helping you eat fewer calorie and staying full.
Easy from start to finish this Chicken Fajita Meal Prep Recipe takes just 30 minutes to make excellent (and healthy) meal prep to fuel you through the week.
This chicken burrito skillet dinner comes together in one pan to make a quick, easy, and healthy dinner the whole family will love! This simple recipe has everything you love in a burrito but is made in a skillet!
This healthy chicken salad recipe is a great choice for lunches, dinner on the go, and protein filled snacks! This Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt and mayo is a great way to make low calorie chicken salad for sandwiches and salads. Crockpot Chicken Salad | 21 Day Fix Chicken Salad | 2B Mindset Chick…
Could you use a new meal prep salad that’s healthy AND delicious? This Italian Chicken Salad is the perfect mix of Italian flavors and healthy ingredients to keep you full for hours. If you need lunch salad ideas, you’ll love this one!
This healthy sheet pan pesto chicken and vegetables recipe is crazy easy! This dinner bakes in less than 30 minutes and makes a great meal prep recipe.
Easy, fast and healthy meal to satisfy the entire family. This Mexican fiesta pasta salad is the perfect way to get your daily fill of protein and veggies!
Not everything has to be a recipe that you have to cook and prep ahead of time. I’ll include a few recipes but here are some easy snacks that are either grab and go or easy to quickly whip up:
Fruit of choice, Greek yogurt, with whatever toppings you desire: peanut butter, honey, sugar free maple syrup, nuts, etc.
Cheese plate (even if it’s just some string cheese, fruit, maybe some nuts too).
Cottage cheese
Frozen skyr yogurt bars
Jerky
Turkey roll ups (sliced turkey, veggies, maybe some cream cheese
Veggies (my favorites are carrots or bell pepper), crackers, and hummus (or a greek yogurt-based dip)
If you're looking for ways to add more veggies to your diet try this strawberry cauliflower smoothie recipe. Hidden vegetables that taste like dessert? Yes! It's a high in protein that's perfect for post workout too.
This creamy lemon poppyseed chia pudding recipe is one of my favorite healthy snacks that's low calorie and packed with fiber. Not only is it quick to whip up but it's so delicious even my picky 3 year old reaches for it when she wants a snack.
These gluten free healthy oven baked crab cakes are so easy! Not only are they low carb but they're also paleo and Whole30 recipes as well. Whether you make them as appetizers or as a healthy dinner recipe, you're going to love them.
This high protein healthy tzatziki sauce recipe is a healthy dip for vegetables, pitas, or a sauce for rice and chicken. The best part? It's easy to make.
These protein-packed peanut butter bliss balls are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, made with whole foods and feature a surprising, undetectable ingredient! The perfect vegan post-workout snack idea that’s totally moreish. Delectable, easy-to-make snacks are just the best!
Protein Snack Packs filled with hard-boiled eggs, almonds, hummus, and crunchy veggies. An easy and delicious lunchtime meal-prep solution perfect for any protein lover, these fantastic little protein snack packs are perfect for school lunches, post-workout snacks, or picnics in the park.
This Homemade Salted Edamame recipe tastes just like your favorite Japanese restaurant. This healthy recipe takes 15 minutes and requires 2 ingredients. Make it as a side dish or a snack!
Randa is the Certified Holistic Nutritionist (and busy mom of two) behind Randa Nutrition and Busy Day Dinners. She's on a mission to make healthy living easier, with realistic nutrition. With her mouthwatering recipes and wellness insights, Randa shows you can have a balanced lifestyle without giving up your favorite foods (or spending a ton of time in the kitchen).
