13 Healthy Meal Prep Ideas to Try This Sunday

If your goal is to eat healthier in a sustainable and consistent way, trying out some new meal prep ideas is a great place to start. That's because, for many people, the biggest challenge to eating healthy has to do with making last-minute decisions about food: What's available right now? The more willpower you have to exert in the moment—when you're hungry and exhausted from a busy day, and have about a million other things on your mind—the less likely you are to stick with your plan to eat nutrient-dense food that genuinely nourishes and fuels your body. If you really think about it, in those crunch-time hanger moments, you're much more likely to go for the quick fix. Which, unfortunately, is rarely as healthy as you probably would like in an ideal world.

The more you plan ahead, though, the fewer of those last-minute decisions you'll have to make. What's available? Why, all these healthy snacks and meals you prepped a few days ago! Easy, peasy. How to eat healthy without even thinking about it. It's a bit of work up front that saves you a lot of mental energy down the line and ultimately becomes part of a sustainable lifestyle.

But it's one thing to know that meal prep will help you and it's another to actually do it. For a lot of meal prep newbies, it can be a bit daunting to dive right in. To make things a bit easier for you, we compiled 13 meal prep ideas and hacks to help you start your week off on the best foot possible. Happy meal prepping!

"Overnight oats require no cooking, and you can make big batches at the beginning of the week that will last through Friday! All you have to do is combine rolled oats with liquid like skim milk, almond milk, or yogurt, let it sit overnight, then add your choice of fruit or nuts in the morning. Just make sure you use double the amount of liquid for every serving of oats and stir them up before you eat." —Carolyn Alish, Ph.D., R.D. with Abbott

Here are 13 overnight oats recipes for the easiest morning ever.

"Meal prepping fresh salads in mason jars is not only fun, it's a huge time-saver and the best way to prevent a soggy salad. Pour your dressing into the bottom of the jar, then layer with dense vegetables like peppers or carrots, followed by all your other favorite ingredients like whole grains, fiber-rich beans, and dried fruit. Save the top half of the jar for your leafy greens. If prepping several days in advance, placing a thin paper towel on the very top can help absorb some extra moisture. Being able to prep salads for two or three days at a time means no excuses for not getting in all my daily veggies!" —Shannon Garcia, M.D.S., R.D. with KISS in the Kitchen

Watch: How to Make 3 Healthy Mason Jar Salads:

"Buy foods you can eat raw or cooked so you can still get your veggies in regardless of the amount of time you have to spare. Chopping and washing the vegetables as soon as you get home from the supermarket makes it all so much easier! Let's say you get carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers, beets, red onions, and leafy greens. If you're short on time, you can snack on raw carrots with hummus. If you have some time to spare, you can make a carrots, beets, and greens smoothie, a frittata with greens, red onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers, or a big salad." —Tiffany Newenhouse, R.D., C.D.N.

Read more about how to prep veggies to use in different recipes all week long.

"One trick I use is making sauces that can be stored in the fridge and used multiple ways. For example, I will make a big batch of pasta sauce loaded with veggies one night, then I use the sauce as a stuffing for sweet potatoes or a topping for pizza the next night. This makes dinner prep so much quicker without being boring." —Edwina Clark, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., and head of nutrition and wellness at Yummly

Get started with this easy four-ingredient tomato sauce.

"My favorite meal prep hack is to pre-cook all my grains for the week, like quinoa, brown rice, pasta or couscous, and freekeh. Most use the same equipment: just a large pot and water or low-sodium broth for added flavor. Grains often cook just like rice, with a 2-to-1 or 1-to-1 ratio of grain to water. Once all the liquid is absorbed, I spread it out on a baking sheet to cool more quickly, then pack into single-serving containers. They even freeze well for several weeks if needed. I use these as a base to build balanced meals throughout the week—anything from salad toppings, burrito or taco fillings, or breakfast parfaits to quick soups or stews. There's a ton of variety, and it saves so much time since there's no need to watch a pot boil every day!" —Cara Harbstreet, M.S., R.D., L.D.

Here's how to cook every kind of whole grain perfectly every time.

"I collect two large containers of vegetable and herb scraps. Edible odds and ends like veggie skins, leaves, and stems go into a bin in the fridge for later use; inedible portions go into a bin in the freezer for later composting. Every few days, I sauté the fridge bin's contents into a fun pasta dish or a hash along with potatoes and topped with fried eggs. It helps prevent food waste, saves time, and tastes great!" Jackie Newgent, R.D.N, culinary nutritionist and author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook

Here are 11 ways to use all your food and cut down on waste. Broccoli stem zoodles and carrot green pesto, anyone?

"Take 20 minutes out of your week to plan what groceries you will need for your next trip. Sure, it takes some time out of your day, but it will save you more time than wandering around the grocery store. It will also save you a lot of money because it will prevent you from buying unnecessary food! Go into the store knowing how many servings of proteins, grains, and vegetables you need. When you get home, get creative to use up everything you've purchased, and make enough for leftovers." —Ashvini Mashru, M.A., R.D., L.D.N., author of Small Steps to Slim and owner of Wellness Nutrition Concepts, LLC

Here are eight great grocery shopping tips from registered dietitians.

"I love Greek yogurt parfaits, so I'll often create a few days of breakfast at once. I'll layer plain Greek yogurt, sliced mango or frozen blueberries, slivered almonds or pistachios, and a dash of cinnamon in sealed, refrigerated containers. Then all I have to do is grab and go the next couple of mornings." —Amy Gorin, M.S., R.D.N., owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition

Try this peach and quinoa yogurt parfait recipe.

"One of my favorite meal prep hacks is making a mixed vegetable dish with beans and grilled chicken, then putting it all directly into Tupperware for the week. I sauté a large pan of mixed vegetables with olive oil, garlic, Himalayan sea salt, ground pepper, and white or red wine. Then I cover it for five to 10 minutes to soak up the juices and steam. I transfer the vegetables to five separate Tupperware containers, then add black bean or kidney beans that I've rinsed and heated on the stove. Next I add some grilled chicken and top each container with Parmesan cheese, which melts due to the heat. After that, I've got five meals for the upcoming week!"—Melissa Burchill, R.D., C.D.N. for Zone Manhattan

Here's a simple recipe you can turn into a week of healthy lunches.

"In the spring and fall, I plant seeds for basil, cilantro, and parsley, my most frequently used herbs in cooking. I keep them indoors but by the window for good light. I then am able to clip from them all year rather than going to the store to buy the herbs needed. It's easy, and it's fun to grow your own food!" —Jen Haugen, R.D.N., L.D., author of The Mom's Guide to a Nourishing Garden

Try using herbs in unexpected places—like this herby egg and cheese sandwich.

"“Smoothies aren’t complicated. But if you’ve slept in, have kids, or simply aren’t a morning person, making them can feel about as doable as a prepping a gourmet four-course meal. DIY freezer smoothie bags literally take less than a minute to prepare.”—Rachael Hartley, R.D., L.D., C.L.T., owner of Avocado A Day Nutrition

Here are 9 freezer smoothie tips to help you save time in the morning, as well as 7 freezer smoothie recipes for a whole week of healthy breakfasts or snacks.

"I use both a large 11-cup food processor and a smaller 7-cup food processor. I especially like the food processor for making creamy and smooth hummus, for quickly whipping together energy bites with grains and dates, and for instantly grating vegetables that I'll add to soups, sauces, and more.I also have a 1-cup food processor that is perfect for small, quick jobs like chopping nuts for a recipe or a yogurt topping!"—Molly Morgan, R.D., C.D.N., C.S.S.D., owner of Creative Nutrition Solutions

A food processor was one of the 9 must-have kitchen appliances to help with healthy eating, according to RDs. Do you have everything on the list?

"I’ve noticed that people tend to have more balanced dinners than lunches, likely because they are home cooking dinners and often eat lunch out or just pack a quick sandwich," Maxine Yeung, R.D., C.P.T., and owner of The Wellness Whisk, told SELF. But the key to eating a balanced lunch is partially in how you pack it, she says. "While I don’t measure my food, I do have a variety of containers ranging in sizes from a quarter to two cups, which helps keeps my portions in control. For instance, I’ll pack nuts and hummus in my quarter-cup containers and fruit in half-cup containers. For packing entrees, I use the 2 cup size containers." Yeung says she doesn't use anything fancy—just regular tupperware and mason jars will do the trick.

Read How To Pack Your Lunch The Right Way to learn more about how humble containers can make or break meal prep.

Quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.