Get ready for these 40 meals high in protein to try for your next meal prep. Whether you're looking for meals that will provide lasting energy or just looking to add a little more protein to your diet, these high protein meal prep recipes will keep you satisfied.
We've got you covered for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with these easy meal prep recipes that are packed with protein. There is nothing better than meal-prepping and knowing you have healthy and filling meals ready to go when you need them most, plus, It's a Whole Lotta Yum!
Why eat more protein?
High protein meals are beneficial for muscle repair and growth, for weight management by helping you feel more full, and protein helps to stabilize blood sugar levels.
How much protein is considered high protein?
All of our recipe ideas have a minimum of 15 grams of protein each, most of the meal prep ideas have 20-30 grams of protein per serving! Plus, we give you easy ways to add more by adding easy sides like chicken breakfast sausage, high protein cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or protein powder.
And spreading out your protein during the day is the best way to feel full, keep energy levels up, and to maximize the benefits to our bodies and muscles.
40 high protein meal prep recipes
We've included tons of high protein meal prep ideas for you to enjoy, the majority of these are high protein low carb, many are low calorie, and all of them are using healthy real ingredients. The types of recipes you'll find:
- High protein breakfast meal prep
- High protein lunch meal prep
- High protein dinner meal prep
- High protein meal prep for weight loss
- High protein low carb meal prep
How to Meal Prep High Protein
High Protein Breakfast Meal Prep
Some of our breakfast recipes are a one dish high protein breakfast option, others are fantastic served with eggs, cottage cheese, chicken sausage, or a high protein smoothie on the side if you want even more!
You have to be a little more creative to get 25-30 g of protein for breakfast, we often add a side to make it a complete meal.
Bacon Egg Cups
27 g protein (for 2 egg cups)
Start your morning off right with these high-protein cheesy bacon egg cups!
Line your muffin tin with a slice of pork bacon and crack a fresh egg into the center, sprinkle with cheese, and bake. We also show you how to make them with turkey bacon.
Low carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free.
Overnight Chia Oats with Greek Yogurt
15 g protein (without toppings or mixins)
Overnight oats made with chia seeds and Greek yogurt are a great high-protein option for a quick breakfast! You can mix in protein powder to get even more protein.
Serve the overnight oats with something like hard boiled eggs or egg white bites to get even more protein for breakfast.
You can create a base layer made of chia seeds and Greek yogurt and then add then customize each jar by adding mix-ins such as peanut butter banana, apple cinnamon, and mixed berry.
Healthy Greek Breakfast Casserole
19 g protein
This healthy Greak inspired breakfast casserole is your breakfast solution to busy mornings! Add in cooked chicken Italian sausage or serve chicken breakfast sausages on the side to increase the protein even more.
Saute up your veggies, and prepare your egg mixture. Pour into a large baking dish, bake, and enjoy all week long! We made the casserole without meat added but you can mix in cooked chicken sausage to increase the protein even more.
Sausage and Egg Casserole
23 g protein
Here's another egg casserole, breakfast really can't get much easier than this. Try this sausage and egg casserole made with sausage, eggs, and creamy cheese.
This easy low-carb, keto friendly, gluten-free recipe is ideal for meal prepping and it can be heated in the oven when you're ready to eat. Serve with avocado slices, sour cream, hot sauce, and salsa.
This is a keto friendly casserole, to lower the fat you can swap half of the large eggs for liquid egg whites and use a chicken breakfast sausage instead of pork.
Photo Credit:www.trifectanutrition.com
High Protein Greek Yogurt ParfaitRecipe
31 g protein
Start your morning off right with these high-protein Greek yogurt parfaits!
Non-fat Greek yogurt is layered with low-sugar granola, protein powder, blueberries, hemp hearts, and fruit preserves (no sugar added). Make as many as you'd like for easy grab-and-go breakfast.
Photo Credit:sweetpeasandsaffron.com
Sheet Pan Protein Pancakes
11 g protein for just the pancakes - serve with Greek yogurt (20 g protein per cup) and fruit on the side for a 31 g of protein meal.
Enjoy fluffy sweet pancakes even on busy mornings by meal-prepping these sheet pan pancakes. They can be easily stored and the fridge or freezer and reheated in the microwave.
Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos
28 g protein
Enjoy easy grab-and-go, make ahead breakfast burritos are a great breakfast when you're short on time in the morning. Pop one in the microwave to heat through and you're on your way.
Filled with zesty sausage (chicken or pork), eggs, veggies, cheese, and avocados they're guaranteed to be a Whole Lotta Yum!
Photo Credit:www.eatingbirdfood.com
Protein Baked Oatmeal
17 g protein
Have your oatmeal and get your protein in with this protein baked oatmeal! It’s easy to make, perfect for meal prep and packs over 17 grams of protein per serving.
Your favorite vanilla protein powder, eggs, and nut butter makes this a high protein meal.
Photo Credit:www.iheartnaptime.net
Healthy Egg White Muffin Cups
16 g protein (for 2)
Get Starbucks copycat egg white bites right at home, for much cheaper and healthier!
It's easy to customize egg bites and change up the flavors.
Photo Credit:bowlsarethenewplates.com
Tofu Scramble Vegan Breakfast Bowl
15 g protein
This tofu scramble breakfast bowl with potatoes, bell pepper, and onions is savory, satisfying, and full of protein.
Dice and bake your veggies and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. While the veggies are cooking, crumble extra firm tofu and cook on a skillet for 8 minutes for a healthy breakfast ready in a matter of minutes!
High Protein Lunch Meal Prep
Greek Salad Bowl with Chicken
49 g P
This Greek chicken salad bowl is packed with protein and can easily be made in bulk for meal-prep lunches.
It's made with lean chicken on top of a bed of leafy greens and fresh veggies. Use pre-made or rotisserie chicken and store-bought tzatziki sauce to speed up the cooking process. Add a side of steamed cauliflower for added veggies.
Healthy Bean Salad with Edamame
Serve our edamame bean salad with a side of cottage cheese for a complete high protein meal!
Try this modern take on the three-bean salad, made with edamame, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans.
Combine your beans with thinly sliced red onion and cilantro, then mix in olive oil, fresh lime juice, and salt. It's healthy, refreshing, and full of protein.
Thai Chopped Salad with Chicken
33 g P
There are just three basic steps when making our Thai chopped salad recipe: make the dressing, chop and slice the veggies, and assemble it all together.
We love to purchase pre-shredded veggies, and we even bought pre-cooked chicken for added ease. A great meal prep lunch option that's only 344 calories per serving.
Shrimp Salad
22 g P
A cold shrimp salad with Old Bay seasoning and tender shrimp complemented by crisp celery and zesty red onions.
To make sure you get an evenly flavored bite, cut those veggies into very fine dice. I promise this will be a salad you'll want to make on repeat!
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Add shredded chicken to make this a high protein Mediterranean salad! A refreshing Mediterranean chickpea salad made with freshly shopped veggies and chickpeas.
Combine the dried chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, parsley, and feta in a big bowl, with a citrusy dressing over top. Your health and your taste buds will thank you.
Healthy Tuna in Avocado Halves
13 g P per avocado half, if you're eating one for lunch add high protein cottage cheese or yogurt on the side to get the protein over 25 g per serving, or just eat 2 halves.
This healthy tuna in avocado halves is perfect for summer barbeques or a high-protein meal prep lunch.
Made with red onion, celery, mustard, and dill. Tuna-stuffed avocados are also high in omega-3!
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Meal Prep
30 g P
Flavorful and simple, you'll love these Chicken fajita meal prep bowls.
Prepare fresh peppers, onions, and boneless skinless chicken thighs. Toss to seasoning and bake on a large sheet pan. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy! Make this recipe with chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, or steak for a twist on the protein.
Chicken Burrito Bowl Meal Prep
37 g P
These chicken burrito bowls are so delicious, you won't even miss the tortilla!
No need to drive to Chipotle when you can enjoy the flavors of your favorite burrito bowl at home. Start with a simple chipotle sauce, cook your chicken, and assemble your bowl with black beans, corn, brown rice, and pico de gallo.
Egg and Avocado Salad
15 g protein P
A healthy egg and avocado salad that is full of good fats and high in protein.
Chop hard-boiled eggs and avocado, add in some Dijon mustard and mayo; then season it with dill, chives, salt, and pepper. Our favorite is on a simple bed of lettuce leaves with some tomatoes on the side.
Big Mac in a Bowl (Big Mac Salad) Keto, Low Carb, GF
39 g protein P
This keto Big Mac salad tastes JUST like a big mac minus the buns!
Simply cook your ground beef and serve over a bed of crisp lettuce, then top with cheddar cheese, onions, pickles, seasoning, and our homemade big mac sauce.
High Protein Dinner Meal Prep
Sheet Pan Chicken Breast and Veggies
39 g P
Sheet pan chicken breast and veggies will become one of your favorite high protein meal prep recipes.
Seasoned chicken breast and tender veggies are cooked to perfection using just one pan; perfect to cook in bulk for meal prep. Another bonus - it's low-carb, dairy-free, gluten-free, keto, Paleo, and Whole30.
Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl (Vegan)
13 g as written, it's harder to get a meal high protein when you don't add meat tbh. Boost this popular recipe by adding tofu to make this higher protein, sprinkle it with nutritional yeast, or use plant based Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
Cook your diced sweet potato on the stove until cooked through and crispy on the outside. Then add to a bowl with kale, chickpeas, fresh avocado, and red onion; then drizzle with a creamy sriracha sauce.
Italian Chicken Stuffed Zucchini
44 g P
Healthy and filling Italian chicken stuffed zucchini! You'll love this zucchini boat recipe with chicken sausage, marinara, cheese, and sauted veggies.
Air Fryer Sausage and Veggies
24 g P
Healthy air fryer sausage and veggies makes a quick and simple one dish meal!
It's easy to change up the veggies you're using and of course the type of sausage too! We most often use precooked chicken sausage but kielbasa sausage is also delish.
Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
38 g P
A ground turkey sweet potato skillet is great for muscle gain!
Even better? This recipe is made all in one pan for easy cooking on busy weeknights. This is so easy to meal-prep for perfectly portioned meals throughout the week.
You can skip the cheese if preferred, turkey and sweet potatoes is a winning combo without or without it.
Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
35 g P
Taco-stuffed sweet potatoes are absolutely delicious and definitely a keeper for your meal rotations.
Stuff with your favorite meat such as ground turkey, chicken, or beef. Everyone can customize a potato with their favorite toppings. Keeps the whole family happy and full.
Weight Watchers Egg Roll in a Bowl
30 g P
One of the tastiest recipes with high protein, this egg roll in a bowl recipe will quickly become one of your new favorites.
We love how quickly it comes together! Another bonus is that it's keto-friendly, low-carb, gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30.
Healthy Turkey Meatballs (Baked)
37 g P
Turkey meatballs are savory, flavorful, and one of the best high-protein meal prep recipes!
Our meatballs are made with turkey and zucchini. The turkey is leaner than traditional beef meatballs and can be eaten on their own or added to your favorite pasta dish!
Italian Turkey Zucchini Skillet
32 g P
We're obsessed with our ground turkey recipe and know that you will be too!
We first season the turkey as it gets cooked to pack in as much flavor as possible, and then we add in even more flavor while sauteing the veggies (zucchini, red onion, and bell pepper). Serve it over rice, pasta, or quinoa!
Korean Ground Beef Bowl
38 g P
A healthy spin on the popular Korean bulgogi beef recipe!
The addition of our spicy mayo adds some Japanese flare to the recipe. For a healthy low-carb and calorie version, we used cauliflower rice instead of white rice. The flavors deepen as the week goes on making it great for meal-prepping!
10 Easy High Protein Ideas for Weight Loss (No Recipe Needed!)
While it can be fun to cook and meal prep all of your recipes, sometimes you just want something easy that you can throw together in a few minutes. We know how it is, and we do it too.
If you want to simplify your meals as much as possible, try these 10 easy high-protein ideas that don't require a recipe.
- Greek yogurt and berries: A drizzle of honey is great for added sweetness or add granola for crunch. My favorite is mixing in 15 g of vanilla protein powder with 200 g nonfat Greek yogurt to get a simple 30 g of protein meal.
- Hard-boiled eggs and avocado slices: Hardboil a bunch of eggs at once for easy snacking throughout the week. An egg has 6 g of protein per large egg, so mix hard boiled eggs with cooked egg whites to keep the fats lower.
- Whole grain crackers with tuna salad or chicken salad (greek yogurt can be used in place of mayo), veggie sticks on the side.
- Cottage cheese and fruit: Chia seeds or flax seeds can add extra fiber and protein.
- Protein bar + turkey stick: my go to combo as a pre or post workout snack.
- Turkey or chicken slices wrapped around avocado or veggie slices, plus whole grain crackers on the side.
- Beef or turkey jerky or turkey sticks, a hard boiled egg with a side of veggies or fruit.
- Hummus and veggie wrap: Whole grain high protein tortilla, hummus, and sliced veggies.
- Smoked salmon with cream cheese; eat it on a high protein wrap.
- Bean salad: Mix canned beans (chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, etc.) with diced vegetables and a simple vinaigrette.
Easy lean protein ideas
The key to eating more protein as part of a well balanced eating plan whether you're trying to build muscle or prevent muscle loss, is to focus on lean protein sources. Here's are some of our favorites, many of which are inexpensive protein sources too.
- Ground meats: Lean ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground beef. I said lean, friends as in try to eat the 99%-93% ground meats that are lower in saturated fats.
- Shredded chicken or turkey: great for adding to salads, soups, sandwiches, or on a wrap. Buying the 2.5 lb bags of frozen chicken breast meat or chicken tenders is the way to go here to keep costs down.
- Canned tuna: did you know one can of tuna has over 40 grams of protein? Our favorite way to eat it is mixed with our easy low fat tzatziki sauce served over lettuce, with crackers, or as an open faced sandwich.
- Eggs: while one large egg has 6 g of protein per serving, mixing an egg in with egg whites and sauteed veggies is a great way to get 20-30 grams of protein in one meal.
- Leaner meat cuts: chicken such as boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken tenderloins, turkey breast meat, turkey tenderloin, pork tenderloin, or game meat.
- Seafood: fish filets, smoked salmon, shrimp, crab, clams, or mussels.
- Organic grass fed beef: Eating local grass fed beef is a leaner option that grocery store beef.
- Plant based sources: tofu, edamame beans, soy protein, and tempeh.
- Protein powder: Mixing whey based protein powder or vegan protein powder into smoothies, yogurt, making protein powder pancakes, or mxing it into overnight oats is a great way to get a protein boost.
- Beans and legumes: the highest protein beans and legumes are chickpeas, lentils, green peas, kidney beans, soybeans, black beans, pinto beans, and white beans.
Popular Questions
How much protein do I need in a day?
The rule of thumb is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight,or 0.36 grams per pound and up to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram if you lift weights and are trying to build muscle.
To build muscle and prevent muscle loss while losing my last 25 lbs, my trainer is having me eat 150 grams of protein per day split between 5 small meals per day. Your daily goals could be different than this, and we recommend you check in with your doctor, trainer, or medical professional before going whole hog on protein.
So if you weigh 150 lb, your daily protein should be at least 50 grams of protein per day. If you're trying to build muscle or prevent muscle loss as we get older, eating more than that is recommended.
How long does meal prepped protein last in the fridge?
High-protein meals usually last about 3-5 days in the fridge. But this also depends on the types of ingredients you use. For example, seafood should usually be eaten within a few days, while cooked chicken or turkey can last up to 4 days. Always store your meal preps in airtight containers to help them stay fresh for longer.
Regardless, prepping meals in advance makes it much easier to eat healthy and hit your protein goals during a busy week.
Can High Protein Meals Help With Weight Loss?
Yes, high protein meals can aid in weight loss by increasing satiety, reducing appetite, and enhancing metabolic rate. Protein-rich foods require more energy to digest, absorb, and metabolize, which can also contribute to burning more calories.
Are Plant-Based Proteins As Effective As Animal-Based Proteins?
Plant-based proteins can be just as effective as animal-based proteins when a variety of sources are consumed to ensure all essential amino acids are included in the diet. Combining different plant proteins can provide a complete amino acid profile.
How Can I Add More Protein to My Meals Without Adding Too Many Calories?
To add more protein without excessive calories, choose lean protein sources like chicken breast, turkey, fish, legumes, and low-fat dairy. Incorporating protein powders into shakes or meals is another effective way to increase protein intake without significantly increasing calorie intake.
Can High Protein Diets Be Harmful?
While high protein diets are generally safe for healthy individuals, excessively high intake over a long period may strain the kidneys in people with preexisting kidney conditions. It's important to balance protein with other nutrients and consult a healthcare provider if you have health concerns.
More Meal Prep Ideas
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- 35 Meal prep salads
- 50 Easy lunch meal prep for the week
Be sure to join our healthy recipes email list to get lots of meal prep ideas, plus free meal planning printables. We're here to make meal time simple!
