I love food, but figuring out what to cook frustrates me. 

That’s why I created a simple and condensed five-step formula you can go by — this way, you’ll avoid racking your brains to figure out what to eat! 

I love to meal prep during busy weeks – it’s so nice to not have to think about what I’m going to eat each day, and to have it all ready to go. This is particularly helpful during finals week! So if you need meal prep ideas, you’ve come to the right place.

Here’s my no-fail meal prep formula to help you come up with tons of meal prep ideas:

Table of Contents

1. Choice of Grain

Depending on what you’re feeling, your choice of grains will be the base of your dish that fills you up!

• Pasta: 
• Macaroni, spaghetti, fettuccine, penne
•  White, whole-grain, buckwheat (gluten-free)
• Rice: 
• Long-grain, medium-grain, short-grain
• White, brown, multi-grain, purple rice 
• Bread:
• French, pita, white, whole-wheat, bagels
• Tortillas:
• Corn, flour
• soft shell, hard shell
• Potatoes:
• Sweet potatoes, russet, yams, red gold (best roasted!)

*Although potatoes aren’t part of the “grain” category, they make a great base for your dish.

2. Pick a Vegetable

The next portion of your plate should be filled with vegetables! 

Your choices are endless but make sure to include some dark leafy greens in your dish for vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

• Broccoli:
• Source of vitamin K, C, B6, E, B1, calcium, fiber
• For broccoli, a simple recipe would be to just stir fry with minced garlic and soy sauce. Easy and delicious.
• Cauliflower:
• Source of Vitamin C, K, B6, magnesium as well being antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory
• Instead of a stir-fry, I recommend roasting in the oven (at 400 degrees for 15-30 minutes) with olive oil and garlic!
• Asparagus:
• Source of vitamin A, C, E K, B6, folic acid, fiber
• Again, roasting is a great way to eat these. This recipe will show you how.
• Spinach:
• Source of vitamin K, A, magnesium, potassium (improves glucose control and lowers blood pressure)
• Steam and add minced garlic and salt, maybe some lemon.
• Okra: 
• Source of thiamin, vitamin B2/B6, folic acid, also prevents calcium and magnesium deficiency.
• This is a hit or miss for some people — there are some people who don’t like the slimy texture. However, if you don’t mind that, Okra is great for you — I recommend boiling it for the most classic preparation.
• Green Beans:
• Source of copper, vitamin B1, and A, potassium, calcium, iron while boosting the immune system and bone health. 
• I never liked the taste of green beans so when I do cook them I make them spicy; that way all I taste is the spice! If you like spicy, then you’ll enjoy this recipe.

*Instead of choosing just one vegetable, mix it up! Mix your broccoli dish with some okra or green beans, for instance.