No Prep Food Prep
No prep meal prep foods can be a LIFESAVER during busy weeks, traveling and weeks when you just don’t have the mental capacity to cook everything fresh.
Black Iron Nutrition coach Ryann breaks down “No Prep” food options by macro, along with some additional no prep food options specifically for fruits and vegetables. Hopefully this makes you dread meal prep a little less and gives you some more time on the weekends for FUN!
PROTEIN
Breakfast
Egg Bites- Trader Joes, Vital Farms and Costco all have options for these. You just have to heat them up on your own. They are GREAT for when you are on the go!
Breakfast Sausage- I prefer Applegate or Teton for this but again, there are so many brands out there. Just read the label and be careful with the sodium intake on these!
Yogurt Bowls- You can do Siggis or Icelandic Provisions if you prefer Skyr and Chobani is great for greek yogurt. Add in a little granola and some fruit and you have yourself an easy meal on the go.
Overnight Oats- @kreaturesofhabit seems to be the highest in protein with 30g of plant based protein in their packets!
Meat
Frozen Burger Patties (beef or turkey)- You can find these anywhere like Trader Joes to Whole Foods to Costco.
Trader Joes Roast Beef Sirloin
Costco Rotisserie Chicken
Pre Cooked Chicken Breast- Trader Joes, Costco and Whole Foods all have great options for this! I like the kabobs from Costco!
Frozen Chicken Nuggets- I prefer the Applegate ones and you can throw them in a salad or just eat them on their own!
Deli Meat- Again, keep an eye on sodium for this!
Fish
Canned Fish- I like the Wild Planet brand!
Mahi Mahi Burgers- Trader Joes has these
Salmon Burgers
*frozen fish usually cooks QUICK so even if you are cooking a fish, it only takes about 8 minutes tops.
Plant Based
Frozen Beyond or Impossible Burgers
Veggie Burgers
Plant Based Chicken Nuggets- Gardien or Morning Star
Trader Joes or Nasoya Baked Tofu
Siggis Dairy Free Yogurt
Snacks
Jerky
Protein Bars- No Cow, Built Bars, Barebell Bars, etc
Yogurt
Protein Powder
CARBS
Potatoes
Frozen fries
Hash browns
Main St. Bistro potatoes from Costco
*they are all delish and EASY!
Frozen Rice
White or brown
Riced cauliflower
*frozen rice just needs to be popped into the microwave and its ready to go. EVERY grocery store has some in their frozen aisle!
Oats
Overnight oats like Kreatures of Habit and @mush are great!
For microwave oats you can do Quaker, Bobs Redmill or Kodiak.
Pancakes or waffles
I am a SUCKER for frozen waffles. Just the good ole Eggo’s, but choose what you like. Some brands will also have protein pancakes or waffles so it can be a double whammy for breakfast!
Cereal
I love cereal more so for a snack than anything. Some cereals like Honey Nut Cheerios also have a ton of iron in them too so its more bang for your buck.
Dried fruits/regular fruits
This is talked about more in the fruit and veggie section, but don’t sleep on dried fruits. Trader joes has an awesome selection. Pre cut fruit can also be a game changer when you don’t have time to cut up a million things!
Bread
Whole grain
Bagels
Sourdough
*we love it all! Don’t sleep on bread for a quick carb. Make a sandwich or just eat it on your own.
Miscellaneous snacks
Rice cakes
Tortilla chips
Candy
Fruit snacks
Chewy bars
Smash packs
Beverages
Water Kefir, @waileabeverage is my favorite!
Gatorade
Coconut water
Body Armor, etc!
FATS
Nuts
Cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, whatever your heart desires!
Nut butters
Justins and RX nut butters come in individual packets that you can take on the go!
Seeds
Pumpkin, chia, hemp, flax, sunflower, sesame are all great options!
Coconut
Coconut milk
Coconut yogurt
Coconut flakes
Coconut oil, etc!
Dark chocolate
Do I need to say more? @hukitchen dark chocolate is the BEST!
Olives
Olives
Olive oil
*add a little EVOO and salt to a cucumber and you have a great snack!
Avocados
Guac
Regular avocado
Avocado oil
*everywhere has premade guac. It’s not as good as the homemade stuff but it gets the job DONE!
Cheese
Cheese can be higher in fats and contain some protein!
Fats from proteins
Egg yolks
Beef
Salmon
Bison
Pork
FRUITS & VEGETABLES
Fruits
Dried fruit- these are a great, non perishable snack that you can bring on the go! Trader Joes has a HUGE selection!
Frozen fruit- I ALWAYS have some frozen fruit in my freezer to throw into yogurt bowls, oats or smoothies!
Canned fruits- don’t sleep on these, they are still a good, budget friendly option!
Pre cut fruits- are these more expensive? YES, but you are paying for the convenience.
Apples, cucumbers, oranges, berries, bananas are always easy to pack for a travel day and to eat on the go!
Vegetables
Frozen/Steamable bags- Birdseye, Green Giant, Tommy’s are brands I see everywhere. Just pop them in a microwave and add some seasoning and you are ready to go!
Veggie noodles- throw these in some sauce and add some pre cooked protein and you have a balanced meal.
Riced veggies- I always think riced cauliflower and riced broccoli are great for adding volume, especially when you are in a deficit. Do 50% regular rice and 50% riced veggies and you have TONS of volume!
Pre cut veggies and pre made veggie trays- again, these are more expensive but you are paying for the convenience!
Pre packaged salads- Trader joes in particular has some delish salads!
Peppers, carrots, cherry tomatoes, celery are all great snacks that take zero prep!