5 Healthy Make Ahead Meal Prep Lunches & Shopping Lists

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Scroll down for full instructions and shopping list, but there is some useful info that's worth reading before!

As I write this post, September has just begun and the summer is technically over. Those who have kids that are lucky enough to get summer off, are probably looking forward to getting back into a proper routine again!

Some people are also lucky enough to get some time off over the summer, and may not be looking forward to returning to work, or perhaps the summer holidays completely ruins any chance of dieting and work is the only time they get to stick to plan.

I know that I have often struggled with healthy lunches to take to work, and if you are following a diet plan like Slimming World or Weight Watchers, buying a lunch on-the-go that fits in with your plan can be tricky.

This post is especially for those who need to grab lunch on the go, especially if you don't have easy access to a microwave. Scroll down to see how to make each little container. Here are my top tips for meal prepping:

Lot's of you always ask where I get my containers from, as well as the mini sauce tubs. There are lots of different meal prep containers, ranging from plastic to glass.

I really like to use these glass containers, although they are a little heavier.

You can also pick up these plastic containers with the meal prep compartments.

You can also get these little 25ml sauce pots on their own.

If you are taking these to work then you should get a reusable ice pack and decent lunch bag to keep it all cool.

It's a good idea to chop up all your veg before you get started, and also do all the cooking bit first.  

If you are making all of these meals in one go, then I start by cooking the chicken and pasta, and also the balsamic red onions, and also by boiling the rice.

It took me about an hour to make all 5 of these in one go, but of course I knew exactly what I was doing and have done this before, so maybe add a little time on if you are doing it the first time.

None of these particular dishes need to be reheated once they have been made.

Download the shopping list of ingredients here.

Turkey Wraps

Download the shopping list of ingredients here.

Ready Cooked Turkey Slices
Fat free fromage frais
Pepper slices
Carrot slices
hummus
ham
lettuce
cucumber
tomatoes


Lay out the turkey slices on the wholemeal wrap. Add lettuce and a spoonful of fat free fromage frais.

Roll the wrap up with the filling inside, the cut into slices. Add this to 1 compartment.

Add the ham, cucumber and tomatoes to another

Add slices of pepper with carrot sticks.

Put a large spoon of humus in the sauce pot.

Download the shopping list of ingredients here.

Tin of tuna

tin of sweetcorn

Fat free fromage frais

1 red onion

lettuce

cucumber

tomatoes

carrot sticks

Salt & pepper

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

25g cheese

1tsp smoked paprika

low calorie cooking spray

Cook the pasta following the pack instructions. Once cooked, drain and then rinse under cold water.

To make the balsamic onions, add the sliced red onion to a saucepan with the balsamic vinegar. Leave to simmer for 10 mins, or until soft and the balsamic vinegar has absorbed.

Drain the tuna and sweetcorn, then mix together in a bowl the the fat free fromage frais. Mix with the cooled pasta and add salt and pepper.

Add the lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes to one section.

Add the tuna pasta with the balsamic red onions in another.

Add carrot sticks and cheese in the last.

Paprika Chicken

Download the shopping list of ingredients here.

Chicken Breast Mini fillets
1/2 red pepper sliced
1/2 yellow pepper sliced
1/2 tin kidney beans
Wholegrain rice
slice of lemon
tomatoes
lettuce
wholemeal wrap
crucial's mint yogurt sauce



Cook the wholegrain rice following the pack instructions. Cook and then drain.

Cook the chicken in a pan over a medium heat. Add low calorie cooking spray, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Cook until chicken is cooked right through. Add the sliced red and yellow pepper.

Microwave the kidney beans in water for 2 mins, then drain and set aside.

Add the lettuce, tomato and wholemeal wrap to 1 section, with a pot of the yogurt sauce.

Add the rice and a slice of lemon to the other.

The chicken and pepper mix with the kidney beans goes in the last one.

Ham Wraps

Download the shopping list of ingredients here.

Cooked ham slices
25mg cheese, grated
fat free fromage frais
Cucumber sticks
Carrot sticks
1/4 red pepper, cubed
1/4 yellow pepper, cubed
lettuce, sliced
hummus
balsamic vinegar


Lay out the ham slices. Add a spoonful of fat free fromage frais (any any seasoning you may wish to add) Add the grated cheese.

Roll up and then cut into slices. Add as many as you can fit in the dish.

Add lettuce, peppers and balsamic vinegar in one section, carrot and cucumber sticks in the other with the hummus

Greek Chicken

Download the shopping list of ingredients here.

2 large chicken breasts mini fillets
Juice of a lemon
3 garlic cloves, finely crushed
2 tbsp of Greek Yogurt
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
1 tsp sage
Balsamic onion (see tuna pasta for cooking instructions)
Wholegrain rice
a lime slice
Sliced lettuce
sliced cucumber
Sliced tomatoes



Cook the chicken in a frying pan with low calorie cooking spray.

Cook the rice as per pack instructions, then drain and set aside.

Add lemon juice, garlic, Greek yug, oregano and sage to the cooked chicken and mix well.

Add the chicken to one section with the balsamic onions.

Add the lettuce, tomato and cucumber in another.

Then add the rice with a slice of lime.

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