Easy lunches you will actually look forward to eating
Have you ever found yourself staring in to your refrigerator at lunchtime wondering what am I going to eat? Me too. That is why this paleo lunch meal prep guide is the answer to that problem. Taking an hour or two prepping meals ahead of time makes eating a healthy lunch effortless during your busy week.
Whether you work from home, need to pack lunch for the office, or just want to always have lunches available when you need them, this guide will help you stay on track.
Why meal prepping works
Meal prepping is not just about saving time, it is about making better choices. Having healthy meals already prepared makes following a paleo lifestyle much easier.
Some of the benefits are:
- Saves time during busy weekdays
- Reduces wasting food
- Helps to stay within your food budget
- Makes healthy eating easier
- Eliminates last minute “what do I eat for lunch” stress
- keeps you full by eating protein, vegetables, and healthy fats
What makes a great paleo lunch?
A good paleo lunch includes a balance of protein, vegetables, and healthy fats. Eating those foods together help you keep your energy through the day, while giving you plenty of nutrients. Focus on foods such as:
- Lean proteins like chicken, turkey, shrimp, fish, and hard-boiled eggs
- Grass fed beef
- Pork
- Roasted and fresh vegetables
- Healthy fats like extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, olives, nuts (no peanuts, they are a legume) and avocados
- Healthy carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, yams, squashes like butternut, spaghetti squash, and acorn squash
- Bananas, pineapple, mango, grapes, peaches, nectarines, plums, and all the berries, like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
Best Proteins for Meal Prep
These proteins are great to make ahead and hold well in the refrigerator for the week.
- Grilled chicken breast
- Grilled chicken thighs
- Ground turkey taco meat
- Grass-fed beef- think flank steak and skirt steak
- Grass-fed ground beef
- Shrimp
- Slow cooker pulled pork
- Sliced pork tenderloin
- Hard-boiled eggs
Cook a few of these each week in order to create different lunches with little work.
Vegetables that can be made ahead and re-heat well
Not all vegetables taste good when you reheat them, but these veggies stay delicious for meal prepping.
- Asparagus
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Green beans
- Roasted carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Squash
- Zucchini
Roasting these vegetables with olive oil, salt, pepper, and some garlic powder is a simple way to get great flavor. Load a sheet pan with a few different ones for some variety throughout the week.
Here are some paleo lunch prep ideas
Remember to always keep your dressings, sauces, or salsa in a separate container until you are ready to eat. I like to get a small container, fill with my dressing or sauce and place right in the container that I am using each food prep meal.
- Grilled chicken power bowl– Take some grilled chicken breasts or thighs and place on top of cauliflower rice. Add some roasted sweet potato, sliced avocado, and your favorite paleo dressing or sauce for a quick grab and go lunch.
- Taco salad bowl– Fill a container with seasoned ground beef (use my taco seasoning), chopped romaine lettuce, tomatoes, chopped red onion, sliced avocado, cilantro, and salsa.
- Roasted fish and vegetables– Bake fish that you have seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pair it with roasted asparagus and sliced sweet potatoes.
- Egg roll in a bowl– This truly is a great meal to prep for the week. Ground pork and veggies simmered in a yummy sauce. Get my egg roll in a bowl recipe here.
- Chicken salad– Homemade chicken salad is a great meal prep meal that needs no reheating. Grab some lettuce leaves and make a lettuce wrap when you are ready to eat.
- Steak and veggie bowl- Cook flank steak or skirt steak and serve alongside roasted vegetables and sweet potatoes and a homemade chimichurri. This is also a great way to use up leftover steak.
Meal prep tips for success
Choose one day each week to prep your ingredients and put together your meals. Sunday is always a good day to get it done and to start the week out right. But you choose a day that works best for your schedule.
Prep:
- Two proteins
- Two roasted vegetables
- one healthy carb
- A homemade dressing or sauce, OR a paleo approved dressing or sauce
- Washed greens that are ready to use
- Fresh fruit to have for a snack
- Hard-boiled eggs for a healthy protein filled snack
Make enough for each day of the week. Store everything in glass containers so they are ready to be packed each day for your lunch. You can also prepare each meal for each day and have them ready to grab and go.
Paleo sauces that will add big flavor to your meals
- Avocado ranch
- Balsamic vinaigrette
- Buffalo sauce
- Caesar dressing
- Chimichurri
- Cilantro lime dressing
- Garlic and herb viniagrette
- Paleo BBQ sauce
- Paleo honey mustard
- Salsa
- Sriracha (Yellowbird is my favorite brand and it is paleo)
Yes, making your own sauces will not only save you money, but will ensure that you know what ingredients are going in to your sauces and dressings. However, we are all short on time and sometimes need a quicker option. I love to use Primal Kitchen sauces and dressings. Make sure you check the labels because not all of their dressing and sauces are paleo.
Storage tips for meal prepping
Most cooked proteins and vegetables will stay fresh for 5 days. Always allow hot foods to cool down before you cover and place in the refrigerator. If you are going to freeze any meals, make sure you label them with the name of the meal and the date.
Paleo lunch meal prepping does not have to be complicated
With a few simple ingredients and a little planning, you can have healthy and satisfying lunches all week long. Mix and match your proteins, vegetables, and sauces to keep things fun and different. Keep your meals simple and before long you will see how easy it is to prep your lunches each week. Happy prepping!
