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High protein meal prep

14 recipes in this collection.

Anna in her bright kitchen, smiling as she packs a row of glass meal-prep containers on the marble island with chicken, rice, beans, and roasted vegetables. She wears a linen apron over a white tee with the sleeves pushed up. Stacks of clean containers, a halved lemon, a bowl of cilantro-lime rice, and small bowls of prepped components surround her, with white cabinets and a stainless range softly behind.

Meal prep gets a bad reputation, and honestly it earns it when it means five identical sad containers you dread by Tuesday. These are the high protein meal preps I actually look forward to: real food, built to hold up, with enough protein in each one to carry me through the afternoon.

The trick that runs through all of them is the same. Cook the components, keep the fresh bits and the sauces separate, and assemble as you eat. That one habit is the difference between a bowl that tastes made that morning and one that’s gone soggy by Wednesday.

I’ve grouped them by what you’re in the mood to prep. Chicken and beef bowls when you want a proper plate, grain and bean bowls for the make-once-eat-all-week kind of week, salads and sandwiches that keep, and a few breakfasts so the mornings are handled too.

Chicken and beef meal prep

For when you want a proper plate waiting in the fridge. Cook the protein and rice once, keep the fresh bits separate, and reheat into a real lunch.

A single assembled Greek chicken meal-prep bowl in a wide cream-speckled stoneware bowl on a white marble counter: golden lemon-oregano chicken pieces, herby rice, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, slivered red onion, a generous crumble of feta, a dollop of garlicky yogurt sauce, a sprinkle of chopped dill and parsley, and a lemon wedge on the rim. Soft natural light from the kitchen window.

Greek chicken meal-prep bowls

Lemon-oregano chicken, herby rice, cucumber and tomato, feta, and a quick garlicky yogurt sauce, portioned into four containers. High-protein meal prep that tastes good all week.

A single assembled beef burrito meal-prep bowl in a wide cream-speckled stoneware bowl on a white marble counter: a scoop of cilantro-lime rice, savory seasoned ground beef, black beans, charred corn, diced red pepper, shredded cheddar, slices of avocado, a spoon of salsa, a lime wedge, and a scatter of fresh cilantro. Soft natural light from the kitchen window.

Beef burrito meal-prep bowls

Seasoned ground beef, cilantro-lime rice, black beans, corn, and peppers packed into four bowls. A high-protein, gluten-free meal prep that reheats like a dream.

A half-sheet pan straight from the oven on a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel on a white marble counter, holding four bone-in skin-on chicken thighs with shatter-crispy deeply golden brown skin, halved brussels sprouts with charred edges and bright green centers, wedges of orange sweet potato with deeply caramelized cut sides, and a halved lemon nestled at one corner. Scattered fresh dill sprigs and chopped dill across the pan, with a small ceramic bowl of flaky salt and a small ceramic dish of olive oil beside the sheet pan. Soft late-afternoon light from the kitchen window.

Sheet-pan chicken thighs with sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts

One sheet pan, four chicken thighs, two vegetables that crisp at the edges, and a small dressing of olive oil and dill. A weeknight dinner that takes ten minutes of work and forty-five in the oven.

Make-ahead grain and bean bowls

The make-once, eat-all-week workhorses. Beans, lentils, and grains that only get better as they sit.

A wide cream-speckled stoneware bowl on a white marble counter, sectioned into a generous meal-prep bowl: a pile of warm cooked French green lentils glossy with olive oil and lemon zest, a section of cubed roasted sweet potatoes with caramelized edges, a small handful of thinly sliced cucumber rounds, a generous crumble of white feta, scattered chopped fresh parsley, a small wedge of lemon, a drizzle of pale-green herb-yogurt dressing, and a few cracks of black pepper. Beside the bowl: 4 glass meal-prep containers each holding a portion (ready for the week ahead), a small glass jar of more dressing with a tiny wooden spoon, a small bunch of fresh parsley, a small lemon, and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel. Soft mid-morning kitchen light.

Lentil and feta meal-prep bowl with lemon herb dressing

A Tuesday-through-Friday meal-prep bowl: warm lentils, roasted sweet potatoes, crumbled feta, cucumber, parsley, and a bright lemon-yogurt dressing. Twenty-three grams of protein, no sad lunch.

A tall clear glass mason jar on a white marble counter, layered for meal prep: a pool of pale green herb dressing at the bottom, then fluffy quinoa flecked with lemon zest, a layer of roasted zucchini rounds and red and yellow pepper strips with caramelized edges, golden crispy roasted chickpeas, and a tuft of baby spinach and chopped parsley at the top. Three more filled jars with lids stand softly out of focus behind it, a small bunch of parsley and a halved lemon sit on the marble, and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel is to one side. Bright natural light.

Herby quinoa meal-prep bowl with roasted vegetables

A make-ahead quinoa bowl with roasted zucchini, peppers, and crispy chickpeas in a bright lemon-herb dressing. Prep four jars on Sunday and lunch is sorted all week.

Two wide cream-speckled stoneware bowls of wild rice and roasted butternut squash side by side on a white marble counter, each with dark nutty wild rice topped with deeply caramelized orange squash cubes, scattered dried cranberries, crumbled white feta, toasted pumpkin seeds, fresh parsley and thyme leaves, and a slow drizzle of golden-amber brown butter vinaigrette. A small ceramic dish of more dressing sits between the bowls with a small wooden spoon, with two light oak forks resting on a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel beside the bowls. Soft autumn-morning light from the kitchen window.

Wild rice bowl with roasted squash and brown butter

A fall lunch bowl of wild rice, roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, feta, and toasted pumpkin seeds, all dressed in a quick brown butter apple cider vinaigrette.

Overhead view of a wide cream-speckled stoneware bowl with a grain bowl lunch: a base of nutty farro topped with golden roasted carrot wedges, crispy roasted chickpeas, a handful of fresh arugula, chopped parsley and dill, a small mound of crumbled feta, a halved lemon, and a slow drizzle of pale lemon tahini dressing. On a white marble counter with a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel, a small jar of tahini dressing on the side, and a light oak fork resting at an angle.

Roasted carrot grain bowl with lemon tahini

Warm farro, golden roasted carrots, crispy chickpeas, a tangle of fresh herbs, and a lemon tahini that ties the whole thing together. The kind of lunch that makes future-you grateful.

Salads and sandwiches that keep

No-cook and fold-together prep. Pack the components, assemble at your desk, and nothing wilts before you get to it.

Two slices of grilled dark rye bread on a small cream-speckled stoneware plate on a white marble counter, each piled high with creamy cottage-cheese tuna salad showing visible flakes of tuna, small curds of cottage cheese, scattered bright green capers, finely chopped fresh dill, a thin slice of red onion, a few cracks of black pepper, and a flake of flaky salt. A small lemon wedge rests on the plate beside the toasts. A small clear glass jar of capers, a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel, and a small bunch of fresh dill sit on the marble beside the plate. Soft midday light from the kitchen window.

Cottage cheese tuna salad on grilled rye

Tuna salad with cottage cheese instead of mayo: lighter, brighter, and quietly delivering 35 grams of protein. Piled on grilled dark rye with dill, capers, lemon, and cracked pepper.

A large shallow cream-speckled stoneware serving bowl on a pale wooden outdoor table, filled with a Mediterranean orzo salad: tender orzo glossed with olive oil and scattered with halved red and yellow cherry tomatoes, half-moons of cucumber, slivers of red onion, glistening pitted kalamata olives, a generous crumble of white feta, and a lot of chopped fresh parsley and dill. A wooden serving spoon rests in the bowl, a halved lemon and a small bunch of herbs sit beside it, and dappled late-afternoon light falls across the table.

Mediterranean orzo salad with tomato and feta

A Mediterranean orzo salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and feta in a lemon-oregano dressing. Travels beautifully, feeds a crowd, and packs perfectly for lunch.

A near-overhead view of a wide shallow cream-speckled stoneware bowl on a white marble counter, filled with a cold salad of creamy white cannellini beans, thin half-moons of crisp cucumber, slivers of red onion, a generous scatter of crumbled white feta, a lot of finely chopped fresh dill, and a few cracks of black pepper, all glossy with a lemon and olive oil dressing. A halved lemon, a small bunch of fresh dill, a small dish of flaky salt, and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel rest on the marble beside the bowl. Soft bright midday light.

Cucumber, white bean and dill salad with feta

A cold, crunchy white bean and cucumber salad loaded with dill, feta, and lemon. No cooking, naturally gluten-free, and it only gets better after an hour in the fridge.

An open-faced smashed chickpea salad sandwich on a thick slice of seeded dark rye, set on a pale wooden board on a white marble counter. The chickpea salad is piled high and craggy, showing roughly mashed chickpeas, flecks of chopped fresh dill and parsley, small dice of celery and red onion, and a few cracks of black pepper, topped with a small handful of baby arugula. A second open sandwich rests behind it, a thin lemon wedge sits on the board, and a halved lemon, a small bunch of dill, and a folded striped cream-and-blue linen napkin are arranged on the marble. Soft midday light from the kitchen window.

Smashed chickpea salad sandwich on rye

A smashed chickpea salad sandwich that eats like a real lunch: creamy, lemony, herby, full of crunch, piled on seeded rye. Ten minutes, no cooking, and it travels.

Make-ahead breakfast

Because mornings count too. Bake or stir these on a Sunday and breakfast is handled all week.

A small cream-speckled plate of make-ahead egg cups on a white marble counter: golden baked egg muffins flecked with green spinach, red pepper, and white feta, a few more still in the muffin tin softly behind, a small bowl of cherry tomatoes and a sprig of dill alongside. Soft morning light from the kitchen window.

Breakfast32 min

Make-ahead egg and veg breakfast cups

Make-ahead egg cups baked in a muffin tin with spinach, peppers, and feta. Grab-and-go high-protein breakfast meal prep that reheats in under a minute.

A 9x13-inch parchment-lined ceramic baking dish on a white marble counter, holding a finished spinach and feta egg bake: a thick fluffy custard cooked through, deep green wilted spinach folded throughout, generous crumbles of white feta scattered across the surface and browned at the edges, a snow of finely chopped fresh dill, sliced scallions, and a few cracks of black pepper. One corner has been cut into a tidy 3-inch square and slightly lifted. Beside the dish: a small cream-speckled stoneware plate holding one cut square, a small ceramic dish of more crumbled feta, a small bunch of fresh dill, a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel, and a halved lemon. Soft mid-morning kitchen light.

Breakfast50 min

Cottage cheese spinach and feta egg bake

A make-ahead breakfast bake with eggs, cottage cheese, wilted spinach, and feta. Forty minutes in the oven, six servings, and quietly 22 grams of protein per slice.

A clear glass jar of finished overnight oats on a white marble counter, the contents in soft layers: a thick pale-cream oat-and-skyr base flecked with small dark cardamom and visible mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax) folded throughout, topped with a generous spoonful of fresh dark blueberries, a small handful of raspberries, a drizzle of golden amber maple syrup pooling at the edges, an extra small handful of mixed seeds scattered on top, and a tiny snow of more ground cardamom dusting the surface. Beside the jar: 3 more matching glass jars also filled with overnight oats and ready to go (lined up like a Sunday-night meal prep), a small ceramic dish of mixed seeds with a tiny wooden spoon, a small wooden honey dipper, a small lemon, a folded striped cream-and-blue linen tea towel. Soft Sunday-evening kitchen light.

Maple cardamom overnight oats with seeds

Five-minute overnight oats with skyr, maple, cardamom, and a generous spoonful of mixed seeds for crunch. Twenty-two grams of protein in a jar, ready by morning.