Easy High-Protein Meal Prep Ideas: Plant & Meat-Based Recipes

Protein is essential for your body, and increasing the amount of protein you eat can have numerous health benefits, including helping you gain muscle and lose weight. Unfortunately, it can be hard to get enough protein, especially if you have a busy lifestyle.

Meal prepping is a great way to help you get enough protein while making mealtime easier. There are tons of great high-protein meal prep ideas that are healthy and taste delicious.

Find out how to plan your high-protein meals for weight loss, muscle gain, or simply to maintain your health—vegan and vegetarian options included.

Key Takeaways

• High-protein meals can be made from plant- or animal-based ingredients.
• Some foods with the most protein include seafood, lean meat, yogurt, eggs, lentils, beans, and nuts.
• A protein-rich diet can help you achieve various nutritional goals, like losing weight, building muscles, or maintaining a vegan diet.

Easy High-Protein Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss

There’s a vast variety of great high-protein meals, which are no more complicated to meal prep than any other kind. All you need is a bit of planning. Trying to hit your protein goals while also losing weight can be challenging. These balanced, high-protein, healthy meal prep ideas that are also low-calorie can help. To ensure a balanced diet, alternate animal-based protein like meat and dairy with plant-based protein (vegetables, grains, and fruit). Research shows it’s better for your muscles and more likely to contribute to healthy body weight.

Easy Shrimp and Vegetable Skillet

One easy way to cook a low-carb and high-protein seafood meal is by combining shrimp with your favorite vegetables. If you buy frozen deveined and peeled shrimp and cut the vegetables in advance, you can make this meal in less than 20 minutes.

Stir-Fry Sesame Chicken

This chicken stir-fry uses chicken breast, which is low in fat, bell peppers, and green beans. It’s a fantastic way to eat spicy Chinese-style cuisine without putting your weight loss plan at risk. If you want to meal prep it, slice the vegetables in advance and store them in a separate container in the fridge until you need to use them.

You can also save yourself the time and effort, and order Cookunity’s tasty Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry anytime!

Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

If you can’t resist Mexican food but want to lose weight, making these lettuce tacos is a great way to compromise. The ground turkey and vegetables are a healthy combination that won’t endanger your weight loss goals, and they taste great, too! You can prepare the ground meat and toppings in advance.

Low-Carb Zucchini Lasagna

You don’t have to forgo Italian food while adhering to a muscle-building protein diet. Try making a dish of mouth-watering lasagna with zucchini and ground beef to take with you for lunch. Slices of zucchini replace pasta, and lean ground beef and ricotta cheese provide the protein.

Spicy Chickpea Bowl

This is another quick meal you can prepare in advance. Combine chickpeas with peppers or other vegetables and store them in the fridge. Before digging in, add fresh herbs, lemon juice, or spicy seasoning.

Muscle-Building High-Protein Meal Prep Ideas

Increasing your protein intake can also help you build muscle. These high-protein meals are great for increasing muscle mass. While meat contains a lot of protein, your options aren’t limited to meals that include a lot of meat. You can get protein from vegetables, grains, and even fruit.

Pesto Chicken

Pesto contains nuts and cheese and is a great choice for energizing meals. Use lean chicken meat to lower the amount of fat. You can buy organic pesto from the store or make your own.

Don't want to cook or don't have the time? Instead ordering out, you can still save money by ordering meal prep from CookUnity. Try our Pesto Chicken dish made by local chef Ruben Garcia.

Sweet Potato Hash

If you need something you can prepare a big portion of and take for lunch during the week, try combining sweet potatoes, sausage, eggs, and chickpeas. This delicious combination works well with spicy sausage or even ground beef. This meal has three high-protein ingredients, so your muscles will get all the protein they need.

Salmon With Vegetables

Rich in protein, vitamin B, and omega-3 fatty acids, salmon helps with muscle gain. It’s quick and easy to cook, too. You can meal prep the vegetables; just make sure you choose durable options that go well with salmon, like broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips.

And if you feel like trying something different, order CookUnity’s Crispy Roasted Salmon and Haricot Verts, prepared with love by award-winning chef Dustin Taylor!

Tuna Salad With Egg

You can combine tuna with various green salads and add capers, scallions, green onions, and more. If you want to meal prep this salad, just use harder salad greens, like romaine or iceberg lettuce. Mix the ingredients right before eating, and always add the seasoning as the final step.

Black Rice Grain Bowl

Rice grain bowls can also be full of protein if you include the right vegetables. Black rice, portobello mushrooms, spinach, carrots, and edamame beans are a yummy combination. All the vegetables and the rice can be meal-prepped; just add the spinach leaves and seasoning when ready to eat.

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Vegan & Vegetarian High Protein Meal Ideas

Even vegetarians can enjoy tasty recipes high in protein, as more plant-based protein options are available than ever before. From lentils, beans, and tofu to high-protein whole grains, like quinoa, nuts and seeds, discover how to use these ingredients best below if you want to learn to high-protein meal prep for vegans effectively.

Vegan Lasagna

Lasagna is a versatile dish with some fantastic vegan variations. It also makes for a great batch-cooked lunch. Using lentils as a ground beef substitute and including cashew nuts and tofu will taste great and provide incredible nutritional value.

Chickpea Cutlets

You can use chickpeas to make delicious cutlets for dinner, which you can also slice to put in a salad or burger. A larger portion will be enough to last you for the working week, and you can add a spicy sauce or mustard for flavor.

Tofu Scramble With Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Kale

Tofu is often used as a vegan scrambled eggs substitute. If you want a protein-rich variant, use vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, and kale for additional protein. It’s a yummy breakfast, but you can also take some with you for lunch!

Vegetable Quinoa Bowl

You can roast the vegetables of your choice in advance, including some high-protein veggies (like cauliflower), and have them ready to combine with the cooked quinoa. The best part is that you can use all kinds of sauces and seasonings, so it’s never boring.

Save time and try CookUnity’s Sustainable Chickpea & Quinoa Bowl - a delicious plant-based quinoa recipe for all vegans and vegetarians on a high-protein diet?

Vegan Pumpkin Peanut Butter Soup

As the days get colder, comfort food like pumpkin soup is nice to have on the menu. If you combine pumpkin with peanut butter, the soup will be creamier, and you’ll get much more protein from your meal. It also tastes better the next day, making an ideal next-day lunch.

How to Meal Prep High Protein Food

Even high protein easy meal prep ideas require some amount of planning. You’ll need to:

• Plan out your meals
• Determine what ingredients you need to buy and write a grocery list
• Purchase the necessary ingredients
• Wash and cut fresh veggies
• Cook protein and grains
• Prepare any sauces or dressings
• Assemble your meals

Once your meals are portioned and assembled, store them in air-tight containers to preserve freshness. Label each meal with the date to prevent spoilage.

Batch cooking is a common option for protein meal prep recipes. It allows you to make a big batch of a meal, like a stew or a casserole, then portion it out and freeze it. If this is the route you want to take, choose foods that freeze well and cool your meals before popping them in the freezer.

Tools to Help You Meal Prep

Meal prep can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when you’re focusing on macros and nutrition. Fortunately, there are a variety of apps that can help you effectively meal plan, and some even include high-protein meal prep ideas.

These apps include:

• Cronometer
• Eat This Much
• MealPrepPro
• Mealime
• MyFitnessPal

These apps can help you plan your meals and track your protein intake all in one place. This helps ensure you eat the amount of protein you want for weight loss or muscle building.

Case Studies on the Effectiveness of Protein-Rich Diets

Scientists have been examining the benefits of high-protein meals for years now, with studies showing that a consistent protein-rich diet can help people achieve health goals like losing weight and building muscle mass.

In 2020, the Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome published an article that examined various studies on the correlation between high-protein diets and weight loss. It found that high-protein diets overwhelmingly promote weight loss without harmful effects on the body.

A 2018 study in Nutrients showed that while eating a high-protein diet won’t inherently build muscle mass, it can help with muscle building. High-protein diets help your body repair muscles, especially if you space out your high-protein meals throughout the day.

Expert Opinions on Protein Balancing

Protein is essential for our bodies. Registered Dietitian Jamie Nadeau explains on her website, The Balanced Nutritionist, that protein helps us build new cells, digest food, and move oxygen throughout our body.

It also helps you feel full longer, which reduces excess snacking. On top of that, protein supports your immune system and promotes healing. You can consume protein in two different ways through:

1. Animal-based sources, like chicken and beef
2. Plant-based sources, like tofu and beans

Your body needs nine different types of amino acids, and animal-based protein sources provide all of them. However, “Most plant sources of protein are ‘incomplete proteins,’ so you won’t get all nine essential amino acids from just one food,” explains Nadeau. However, these sources are still important, as they’re high in nutrients and “also tend to have more fiber, which can help maintain your blood sugar levels and support your gut health.”

You get the best of both worlds by eating a diet rich in animal and plant-based protein.

Regulatory Updates for Protein Intake

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) includes several key points on protein in its Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It recommends that the average person consuming 2,000 calories per day should eat at least 5.5 ounces of protein foods per week.

The USDA further breaks down protein needs with these recommendations:

• 26 ounces per week should come from meats, poultry, and eggs
• Eight ounces per week should come from seafood
• Five ounces per week should come from plant-based protein sources

Of course, this amount will vary depending on your specific dietary needs and health goals. However, the USDA recommends varying your protein intake and choosing nutrient-dense forms of protein.

Additionally, there has been a global trend toward sustainable protein sources, which cause less environmental damage than traditional sources. This includes a push toward more plant-based protein sources and some less conventional sources like algae and insects.

High Protein Meal Prep FAQs

Below, we’ve addressed some frequently asked questions about high protein, healthy meal prep ideas.

What are the Best High Protein Foods for Meal Prep?

Some of the best high-protein foods for meal prep are seafood, lean meat, eggs, yogurt, legumes, nuts, and soy products.

Seafood and Shellfish: It’s easy to add seafood to your diet as it’s a great addition to all kinds of salads, paellas, casseroles, and pasta. One of the best sources of animal-based protein and healthy fats, fish like salmon and tuna make for a healthy and satisfying meal.

Lean Meat: Low-fat meat like chicken breast (without skin) or lean beef are the best for protein-rich meals. They don’t contain as much fat and are lower in calories than other types of meat so they are great for weight loss too.

Eggs: There are so many ways to prepare eggs. You can make scrambled eggs, omelets, frittatas, or poached eggs. They’re a delicious addition to salads and soups too.

Yogurt: Yogurt is full of nutrients, protein-rich, and great for gut health. It can also be combined with high-protein grains like quinoa and oatmeal, nuts, and fruits that contain a lot of protein.

Legumes: Whether it’s chickpeas, black beans, or lentils, all varieties are the perfect way to add plant-based protein to your diet. These nutrient-rich foods are a great meat alternative in vegan recipes.

Nuts: Not only are nuts a good source of plant-based protein, but they also contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Peanuts contain the highest amount of protein, but almonds, cashews, and pistachios are also high-protein options.

Soy products: Tofu and edamame are two examples of soy products, which are known for their high protein content. You can also add soybean sprouts to fresh salads or use them in stir-fry recipes.

How can I get 40 grams of protein for lunch?

You can try various high-protein meal prep lunch ideas to get you to 40 grams of protein. Check out the stir-fried sesame chicken, vegan pumpkin butter soup, and salmon with veggies for a burst of protein.

How can I add more protein to my meal prep?

If you’re struggling to add more protein to your weekly meal preps, there are a few things you can try:

• Choose higher protein meats.
• Incorporate high-protein fresh veggies as a side.
• Pick high-protein snacks like cheese sticks, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese.
• Prepare eggs for breakfast — like omelets, hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, or frittatas — instead of having cereal or oatmeal.
• Make protein shakes or smoothies with extra protein powder.

What are high protein foods for weight gain meal prep?

The best high-protein foods for weight gain are also high in calories. Options like eggs, dairy products, peanut butter, and meat are all great choices.

What vegetables are high in protein for meal prep?

There’s a variety of protein-rich vegetables to choose from, including soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, beans, spinach, green peas, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

What fruits are high in protein?

While fruit normally contains less protein than meat or vegetables, there are types of fruits that are rich in protein, too. These are guava, granadilla, avocado, jackfruit, pomegranate, and apricots, as well as many types of berries.

What plant-based foods are high in protein?

Grains, nuts, and seeds contain a lot of protein. Some of the most protein-rich ones include peanuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, pistachios, cashews, chia, and sesame seeds.

Final Thoughts

Meal prepping with high-protein recipes is an excellent way to stay on track with your nutrition goals, whether you're focused on building muscle, losing weight, or simply maintaining a balanced diet. By preparing meals in advance, you can save time during busy weeks while ensuring that you’re nourishing your body with the right nutrients. Whether you opt for plant-based proteins or lean meats, planning ahead makes it easier to stick to your healthy eating habits. Ready for more convenience? Try CookUnity’s high-protein meal delivery and save 50% on your first week and 10% on the next three today!

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