Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (2024)

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These Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes are easy, delicious and quick! Not to mention that each breakfast, lunch and dinner recipe includes 21 Day Fix container counts!

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that I updated this post with some Q & A's about meal prepping, a How-To guide on how I use my Instant Pot for meal prep, and a few other fun tid-bits! I hope it's even MORE helpful than before!

Hey guys, happy New Year's Eve Eve! I don't know about you, but as much as I love this time of year (and all of that delish holiday grub), almost nothing feels better than getting back to my workouts and just detoxing from it all.

So in the spirit of getting back to bidness, I put together this HUGE, amazing, outstanding, saves-you-time AND calories list of healthy Instant Pot meal prep recipes. Did I oversell it? I'm gonna say no. 🙂

I've included a bunch of great basics, like brown rice and sweet potatoes, but then also some of the tastiest lunch and dinner meal prep ideas on the planet, like Teriyaki Chicken and Pulled Pork with Mustard BBQ Sauce. So print out some meal planning sheets, make a plan and get cooking!

Oh, and btw, every single recipe in this list has 21 Day Fix container counts listed (because I know you're serious about this whole New Year, New You situation). This is your year, my friends, get after it!

P.S. - If you want to see more great recipes from me, sign up here for my weekly emails and never miss a delicious post!

Meal Prep Q&A:

What's meal prep?

Meal prep is exactly what it sounds like, prepping your meals ahead! Now this doesn't mean you have to fully cook everything you plan on eating for the week (though you absolutely can!), it can even just mean chopping up all of the veggies you're going to use in your meals for the week.

Personally, I like to fully cook 1 breakfast and 1 lunch for the week, then I cut up any veggies for snacks, salads and dinners, and make any dressings I might want for the week (my fave dressings this crazy-good Caesar and this completely addicting Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette).

Why is meal prep important?

It's such a crazy time saver!! It's so nice to have a ton of the work of cooking done ahead, you'll be amazed at how much time it really does save you throughout the week.

It can also save you money! Having your meals prepped in advance gives you a lot less excuses for going out to dinner on the reg. I can't even tell you how much money we save by going out less (mostly because it would be embarrassing).

Can meal prep help with weight loss?

Absolutely! For one, like I mentioned above, it can save you from going out to eat and that alone is HUGE.

But if you pair meal-prepping with portion control (like the 21 Day Fix plan, Weight Watchers or even counting calories if you're so inclined) it can be a game-changer. It's a super helpful tool to keep you away from the grub you know in your heart you should be avoiding (I'm looking at you, Cheetos!).

How long does it take to meal prep for an entire week?

Meal prepping the way I do (1 fully cooked breakfast, 1 fully cooked lunch and chopped veggies for the week) usually takes me under an hour!

Btw, if you're interested in prepping and freezing all of your dinners for the week (and then cooking them in your Instant Pot each night) - here's a great Instant Pot Freezer Bootcamp from my friend, Nancylynn, that's meant to take only 2 hours (yes, for ALL of your dinners)!

Can these healthy Instant Pot meal prep recipes be frozen?

Absolutely! Every single recipe on this list freezes well!

Can Instant Pot meal prep last a week?

When you cook meals ahead, you can count on them to last 4-5 days (so not a whole week). However, I always just freeze what won't last and pull those out for the last 2 or 3 days of the week.

As far as other prepped items, I can usually get a full week out of prepped veggies, creamy dressings and hard-boiled eggs. Prepped vinaigrettes last forevah!

Where to buy meal prep containers?

I always get mine from Amazon, though if I had a big-box store near me, I'd probably check there. Here is a list of my faves:

Now, on to the crazy-delicious healthy Instant Pot meal prep recipes! (that's a mouthful!)

Instant Pot Meal Prep Basics:

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (7)

1. Spaghetti Squash - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

2. Quinoa - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

3. How Long to Steam Vegetables in the Instant Pot - My Crazy Good Life

4. Homemade Applesauce - Carrie Elle

5. Whole Rotisserie Chicken - A Pinch of Healthy

6. Sweet Potatoes - Pressure Cook Recipes

7. Instant Pot Yogurt - My Crazy Good Life

8. Brown Rice - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

9. Hard Boiled Eggs - My Crazy Good Life

10. Freezer Meal Bootcamp - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

11. How To Prep Chicken for the 21 Day Fix

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Meal Prep Breakfast Recipes:

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (8)

1. Coconut & Lime Instant Pot Breakfast Quinoa - Carrie Elle

2. Instant Pot Quiche - Carrie Elle

3. Instant Pot Oatmeal Jars - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

4. Healthy Starbucks Egg Bites - My Crazy Good Life

5. Instant Pot Buttered Coconut Steel Cut Oats - Carrie Elle

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Meal Prep Lunch and Dinner Recipes:

1. 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

2. Healthy Instant Pot Baked Ziti - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

3. Instant Pot Roasted Bell Pepper Soup - Carrie Elle

4. White Chicken Chili - My Crazy Good Life

5. Broccoli Cheese Soup

6. Instant Pot Jambalaya - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (10)

7. Instant Pot Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Bowls - Carrie Elle

8. 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff

9. Healthy Drunken Noodles - My Crazy Good Life

10. Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

11. Instant Pot Shredded Mexican Chicken - Carrie Elle

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (11)

12. Chicken Marsala - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

13. Instant Pot Spaghetti - My Crazy Good Life

14. Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew

15. Asian Pork Tenderloin - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

16. Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken

17. Instant Pot Turkey Chili - Carrie Elle

18. Healthy Shepherd's Pie - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

19. Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta - My Crazy Good Life

20. Sausage and Lentil Soup - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

21. Instant Pot Orange Chicken - My Crazy Good Life

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (13)

22. Instant Pot Chicken with Bruschetta Topping - Carrie Elle

23. Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup

24. Chicken Gyro Bowls with Homemade Tzatziki - My Crazy Good Life

25. Chipotle Pumpkin Turkey Chili

26. Beef and Broccoli - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (14)

27. 21 Day Fix Southwestern Pulled Pork Tenderloin

28. Instant Pot Taco Soup - Carrie Elle

29. Instant Pot Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash Fra Diavolo

30. Teriyaki Meatballs - My Crazy Good Life

31. Healthy Pulled Pork with Mustard BBQ Sauce

32. Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

33. Instant Pot Split Pea Soup - Carrie Elle

34. Instant Pot Caprese Chicken - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

35. How to Make Healthy Instant Pot Turkey Taco Meat (From Frozen!)

36. Beef Fajita Bowl Recipe - My Crazy Good Life

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (16)

37. Instant Pot Maple BBQ Chicken - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

38. Instant Pot BBQ Sloppy Joes

39. Pumpkin Pasta with Spicy Sausage - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

40. Instant Pot Spanish Rice with Chicken - My Crazy Good Life

41. Healthy Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta

42. Bacon and Beer Cheese Soup

43.Chili Cheese Burrito Spaghetti Squash Bowls (Instant Pot)

Some non-Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes to Work on While Your Instant Pot is Cooking!

  • Cranberry-Apple Pie Overnight Oats {21 Day Fix}
  • Healthy, Make-Ahead Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole
  • 21 Day Fix Make-Ahead Southwestern Breakfast Casserole
  • Whole Wheat Pancakes with Hawaiian Coconut Syrup {21 Day Fix}
  • Waldorf Chicken Salad Pita Pocket
  • Roasted Vegetable Chicken Chili with Avocado
  • 21 Day Fix French Onion Soup
  • 21 Day Fix Broccoli Mac and Cheese
  • Cilantro-Lime Flank Steak Sheet Pan Dinner with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Don’t have an Instant Pot yet?Click here to check it out on Amazon!(affiliate link)

Need a little extra help? Check out my How-To below!

If you make any of these Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes be sure to snap a pic and tag me@thefoodieandthefixor use #thefoodieandthefix on Instagramso I can check it out! I love watching your stories! It makes me ridiculously happy to see what you guys are making 🙂

Don't forget to save these Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes to Pinterest! ↓↓

How to Meal Prep with Your Instant Pot:

📖 Recipe

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (19)

How To Meal Prep With Your Instant Pot

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

How to use your Instant Pot to save time meal prepping!

Materials

  • Ingredients for all of the recipes that you'll be prepping

Instructions

  1. Meal Planning:
  2. - Choose your dinners for the week. You can fully prep these ahead if you like, the dinners on this list are all perfect for that, or you can just prep the ingredients for your dinners (that's what I do), it's up to you!
  3. - Choose a carb from the basics list that you can use throughout the week, something that takes no prep time to get into the IP (like brown rice, quinoa or sweet potatoes) so that you can get right to your other prepping while that's going.
  4. - Choose 1 breakfast and 1-2 lunches to make for the week, choosing one that is a non-IP recipe that you can have cooking while your IP is going. (check out the section of non-IP recipes that are perfect for this in this post)!
  5. Prepping:
  6. - First, cook the carb that you chose from the basics list in your Instant Pot.
  7. - While that's going, prep your next Instant Pot recipe, then you can immediately start cooking that in the IP after your carb is done cooking.
  8. - After you've finished prepping that Instant Pot recipe, you can prep and cook your non-IP recipe.
  9. - While those things are going, you can prep the ingredients for your dinners and cut up veggies for snacks and/or salads and you're done and prepped for the whole week!

Notes

If you also wanted to make your dinners ahead, you may want to freeze a few that you'll eat towards the end of the week (and maybe beyond depending on how much you make)! All of the recipes on this list are great for freezing!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (2024)

FAQs

Are instant pots good for meal prep? ›

They're super-versatile, so you can mix and match ingredients as you prep lunches and dinners throughout the week: salads, sandwiches, stir-fries, grain bowls, and so on.

What foods are not recommended for meal prepping? ›

What foods should you not meal prep?
FoodReason
Egg-based sauces and mayonnaiseThe ingredients may separate or curdle when defrosted or reheated.
Cream-based products, such as custard and yoghurtThe ingredients will separate when frozen and the texture will change.
9 more rows
Sep 1, 2022

How do you meal prep without it going bad? ›

When storing meal prep food in the fridge, it's important to use airtight containers. This will help to keep your prepped food fresh and prevent it from drying out. Meal prep food can also be stored in the freezer. This is an ace option if you want to meal prep for a longer period of time.

What is the longest lasting food for meal prep? ›

The effectiveness of meal prep storage often depends on the ingredients you use. Meals containing pasta, cheese, or grains tend to last longer than those with highly-perishable ingredients such as avocados or berries.

Are Instapots safer than pressure cookers? ›

With stovetop cookers there's still a small risk of pushing the pressure too high and blowing the thing up, but the Instant Pot doesn't have that danger. And it also has different pressure modes, so you can set it at low pressure for things like soup and high pressure when you're in a hurry.

What foods can you meal prep for a week? ›

24 Meal-Prep Recipes You Can Make On Sunday For The Whole Week
  • Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki. ...
  • Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowls. ...
  • Slow Cooker Butter Chicken. ...
  • Honey Garlic Salmon Lo Mein. ...
  • Korean Steak Bowls. ...
  • Sheet Pan Salmon Niçoise Salad. ...
  • Instant Pot Greek Chicken and Rice. ...
  • Honey Baked BBQ Salmon Bowls.
Oct 25, 2020

What are 3 keys to successful meal prepping? ›

Follow these three steps and you'll be planning and prepping nutritious and delicious meals that fit your preferences and lifestyle!
  • Step 1: Make a Menu. First, think about your approach to meal planning — do you: ...
  • Step 2: Stock Your Pantry and Freezer with the Five Food Groups. ...
  • Step 3: Keep a Running Grocery List.
Jul 18, 2019

Is meal prepping for 5 days safe? ›

The Shelf Life of Refrigerated Meal Preps

Typically, refrigerated meal preps last between 3 to 5 days, depending on the ingredients used. However, this relatively short window can be a challenge for many people, as it requires diligent planning and scheduling to ensure that all meals are consumed before they spoil.

Is meal prep bad for your health? ›

For one, unless you're eating perfectly rounded meals each day, chances are you'll miss out on some needed nutrients by not diversifying your plate. You may also be hindering your gut microbiome or even preventing you from losing weight if you're trying to do so.

Is rice good for meal prep? ›

Rice and grain bowls make great meal preps! They can chill in your fridge for up to four days and are freezer-friendly in most cases. The cool thing about meal prepping rice is that many times, microwaving it can fix any rice issues you had when cooking it.

Can you meal prep eggs? ›

You can meal prep hard-boiled eggs, fried eggs, as well as almost any egg-based dish, like omelettes, quiches, and casseroles with eggs. When properly stored, eggs last up to a week in the fridge and for several months in the freezer.

Is it better to freeze or refrigerate meal prep? ›

Anything you plan to eat within 1–2 days, you can refrigerate. You generally want to freeze anything that you won't eat within 3–4 days. Even in the refrigerator, things will start going bad after 3 days. Freezing will keep them as fresh as possible.

What are 7 perfect foods for survival? ›

What Emergency Foods to Keep in Your Pantry
  • Peanut Butter. ...
  • Whole-Wheat Crackers. ...
  • Nuts and Trail Mixes. ...
  • Cereal. ...
  • Granola Bars and Power Bars. ...
  • Dried Fruits, Such as Apricots and Raisins. ...
  • Canned Tuna, Salmon, Chicken, or Turkey. ...
  • Canned Vegetables, Such as Green Beans, Carrots, and Peas.
Mar 27, 2023

What meat is best for meal prep? ›

Lean ham, turkey, or chicken can be low in fat, high in protein, and a flavorful way to enhance any meal or snack. Add to a salad kit, make a hearty sandwich or wrap, or simply pair with some cheese, crackers, and fruit for an easy meal kit. Most options last for about five days in the fridge.

What single food can you survive on the longest? ›

It is argued that the single, most complete food a human needs to survive is human breast milk. Other foods may be nutritious but inevitably lack certain vitamins, minerals, etc.

Are pressure cookers good for meal prep? ›

Instant Pot and other electric multi-cookers can make meal prepping and batch cooking faster and easier. If you're motivated to cook healthy whole foods for yourself and your family, this tool can really help support your efforts. Reason #1: Pressure cookers cook faster!

How long do Instant Pots usually last? ›

The average lifespan of an Instant Pot ranges from 2-5 years, but it can last longer depending on how often it's used and how well-maintained it is. So it's safe to say Instant Pots aren't commonly being replaced, and may even be a one-time purchase.

How reliable are Instant Pots? ›

Yes, the Instant Pot is widely considered an effective and versatile pressure cooker. Many users find it worth the price due to its convenience, time-saving features, and ability to perform various cooking functions in one appliance. Absolutely, an excellent kitchen appliance!

Can you use instant rice for meal prep? ›

Now you've tried these ideas, try mixing and matching your own favorite ingredients with Minute® Rice Cups and invent your own recipes. Note: If you like to meal prep, batch cook enough servings of our Instant Rice and use it to make quick meals throughout the week.

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