When meal prepping, it’s crucial to choose the best type of meat for healthy meals throughout the week.
If you’re a regular meal-prepper, you are probably already conscious of your health and the impact of the food you eat!
However, it can be hard to know the nutritional value and benefits of each different type of meat that you may use in your meal prepping.
This article will cover the best types of meat for meal prepping, with a focus on the health and nutritional benefits of each meat.
We’ve even included some meat alternatives in case you want to switch up your diet (or for the vegetarians and vegans who are reading).
Let’s get into it!
Meat Choices for Healthy Meal Prep
Here is our curated list of the best meat choices for healthy meal prep!
We’ll break down the nutritional benefits, versatility in cooking, and even drop some suggestions for delicious and healthy meal prepping:
Chicken breast
Chicken breast is a classic meat used in healthy meal prepping; any gym rat will tell you this!
The nutritional profile of chicken breast is impressive if you’re prioritizing protein in your diet, as each 100g serving of chicken breast contains 31g of protein with only 165 calories.
It’s low in fat too, with only 3.6g per serving. These numbers make chicken perhaps one of the healthiest meats for meal prep, and the 31g of protein goes a long way to meeting your daily requirement.
Chicken is also perhaps the most versatile meat for meal prep; you can use it in any dish that requires meat.
Curries, salads, stir-fries, burgers, or even just pan-fried with some sides – chicken can be the star of the show!
One particular recommendation for meal-prepping chicken is to oven-roast it so it remains juicy and tender.
Then, you can store it and serve it with other veggies that you have on hand when you need them! These could be roasted as well or fresh in a salad, depending on the season.
Lean Ground Turkey
Lean ground turkey is another nutritional all-star.
An 85g serving of this meat provides you with 16g of protein, with 128 calories. It has just 7.1g of fat.
Lean ground turkey may not be a pantry staple, but it’s a great option for a protein boost with low calories.
Lean ground turkey makes a great burrito bowl, seasoned with Mexican spices and then served on rice with beans for a fiber boost and fresh salsa.
Salmon
Salmon is a delicious way to upgrade your healthy meal prep!
It’s versatile, and a 100g serving will give you 206 calories with 22 grams of the protein your body needs.
It contains 12g of fat; however, there is some variation in these numbers depending on whether the salmon is wild or farmed. Wild salmon tends to be leaner with more protein and fewer calories.
Salmon also is a powerhouse full of essential vitamins that will keep you at top performance. It contains over 100% of the vitamin B12 your body needs daily!
Salmon filets make great basic meal prep, baked and served over rice with asparagus or other seasonal vegetables.
My personal favorite is to make teriyaki salmon poke bowls with meal-prepped salmon; all you have to do is chop the fresh vegetables!
Lean Beef
Lean beef is a great source of iron, and super versatile in meal prep too.
A 100g serving of lean beef has 230 calories and contains a whopping 28g of protein! Lean beef has less fat than regular beef, with just 12 grams.
Lean beef commonly comes ground and makes a fantastic stir-fry with green vegetables (such as broccoli) and seasoned with Asian-style sauces.
This is a great healthy way to enjoy lean beef, with minimal effort required – and it’s great for making in bulk for multiple servings!
Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin contains only 125 calories, with a decent amount of protein at 22g.
In an 85-gram serving of pork tenderloin, there is only 3.4g of fat – making it proportionally similar to chicken in its nutritional content.
Much like chicken, pork tenderloin is highly versatile. However, it is best marinated and roasted, then paired with seasonal veggies. This keeps well for meal prep and is just as delicious upon reheating!
Tofu
Tofu is a great meat alternative – and even if you do eat meat in your regular diet, it’s a great addition to your menu for some variety and to do good for the environment!
A 100-gram portion of tofu contains 144 calories, with a decent 17g of protein; not bad for a meatless option. It has 9 grams of fat, and provides you with 53% of your daily requirement of calcium!
Tofu is great for meal prep, as it can be frozen and reheated easily.
Raw tofu should be pressed before cooking to remove extra water and is great seasoned with teriyaki (or similar) sauce, cubed and baked, and then used in a bowl with fresh vegetables and rice or quinoa.
Shrimp
Shrimp is very low in calories but packs a great punch in the nutrition department!.
An 85g serving of shrimp is 84 calories but has an impressive 20.4 grams of protein.
It also contains plenty of antioxidants and is a great source of iodine, making it an underrated giant in terms of healthy meats.
Shrimp may be a bit difficult to cook with, especially for meal prepping. However, it pairs amazingly in a shrimp curry which also stores well for meal prep.
If curry isn’t your thing, try a shrimp taco bowl or stir-fried kung pao shrimp served over rice.
Tuna
Tuna may seem to be a surprising addition to this list, but it packs omega-3 fatty acids which are great for brain function. Plus, it’s cheap, accessible, and can be stored for a long time!
Canned tuna provides the largest amount of protein per 28g: 8 grams, at 56 calories total. It’s also low in fat, with only 2 grams of fat per serve.
Tuna salad is a winner for meal preppers as it’s easy to throw together and provides a sizable boost of protein.
Tuna bowls are also a delicious way to enjoy tuna when mixed with rice, sesame seeds, mayo, and some vegetables!
Lamb
100 grams of lamb contains 258 calories, with 25.6g of protein and 16.5g of fat.
It is a relatively fatty meat but it has decent nutrition otherwise and provides a hefty serving of protein in your diet!
Lamb is also a high-quality source of protein, so it’s great for bodybuilders or even if you’re just looking to add a little muscle!
Lamb makes for a great Mediterranean bowl when served with flatbread, feta, cucumber, and turmeric rice.
Otherwise, to prepare ahead, lamb meatballs are a great way to incorporate lamb into your diet – and you can easily make a bulk of them and freeze them for future use!
Tempeh
Tempeh is a relatively uncommon source of protein, being another form of fermented soybean that is used as a meat alternative.
However, it’s a surprisingly heavy hitter in the ring of nutrition! An 84g serving of tempeh contains 162 calories, with 15 grams of protein and 9 grams of fat. It has a lot of protein compared to other forms of vegetarian alternatives.
Tempeh also contains iron, phosphorus, manganese, and calcium, while being low in carbs.
Tempeh is great in stir-fries, with seasonal veg and rice. It also makes a great sheet-pan meal when seasoned with balsamic or soy sauce and roasted with other nutritious vegetables such as sweet potato, carrot, mushrooms, and bell peppers.
Tips for preparing and Storing Meat for Meal Prep
Many of these suggestions can be portioned off as is and frozen!
Meat that has been meal-prepped and frozen is best eaten within 4-5 months of first cooking.
Cooked meat can also be stored in the fridge; chicken for 2 days, and other meats for up to 5 days.
Having serving-sized Tupperware is a great way to aid in accurate portioning. Otherwise, a good way to do it is to calculate the amount of protein needed per serve and then divide it up after cooking!
Final Words
Meal prepping is a great way to save time and prioritize your health by incorporating the nutrition you need in each prepped portion.
The protein sources listed in this article are the healthiest for meal prepping, so be sure to add some of these recipes to your meal prep menu!