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:

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

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Meal Prep Breakfast Recipes:

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

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

12. Chicken Marsala - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

13. Instant Pot Spaghetti - My Crazy Good Life

14. Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew

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

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

Tools

Instant Pot

Instructions

Meal Planning:
- 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!
- 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.
- 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)!
Prepping:
- First, cook the carb that you chose from the basics list in your Instant Pot.
- 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.
- After you've finished prepping that Instant Pot recipe, you can prep and cook your non-IP recipe.
- 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!

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

FAQs

Are instant pots good for meal prep? ›

I love the Instant Pot for its ability to quickly cook weeknight dinners and because it's great for batch cooking. This Power Hour takes advantage of both by using the Instant Pot to prep breakfast and lunch options while you prep dinners that will be cooked in the Instant Pot later in the week.

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What foods are not recommended for meal prepping? ›

What foods should you not meal prep?

Food	Reason
Raw fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas and avocados	Fruits that are likely to brown quickly or become mushy can ruin the taste and texture of your meals, particularly if you store them in the fridge.

10 more rows

Sep 1, 2022

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What is the longest lasting food for meal prep? ›

Soups, stews, and chili are the ideal meal prep because they last a little longer than most meals (up to five or six days) AND they're extremely freezer-friendly. If you're new to meal prep and are nervous about how foods taste after a few days, I recommend starting with a soup, stew, or chili.

Get More Info Here ›

How do you meal prep and not eat the same thing every day? ›

Buffet meal preps involve cooking ingredients separately (a big batch of grilled chicken, a big batch of rice, a big batch of roasted veggies, etc.) so that you're able to build meals as you go. It's ideal for anyone who craves variety in meals more than anything else but doesn't want to cook every day either.

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.

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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.

Learn More Now ›

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

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Is meal prepping for 5 days safe? ›

MEAL PREP: IS IT SAFE TO MEAL PREP FOR FIVE DAYS? Short answer: it depends. You should feel fairly confident that your meal prep will last up to four days, but after that food safety can be questionable.

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Is meal prep bad for your health? ›

THE DANGER OF MEAL-PREPPING THE WRONG WAY

It may even cause food poisoning as fungi, mold, and bacteria build-up. So, be careful when choosing which foods you'll prep for the week as not everything tastes good three days after you cook it.

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What are 7 perfect foods for survival? ›

Meats & Beans. Canned meat, chicken, turkey, seafood. and other protein-rich foods, such as. ...
Vegetables. Canned vegetables and vegetable juices. ...
Fruits. Canned fruits and fruit juices. ...
Milk. Canned, boxed or dried milk and shelf- ...
Grains. Ready-to-eat cereal, crackers, pretzels, ...
Water. Enough for 1 gallon per day.

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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.

Get More Info Here ›

What meat is best for meal prep? ›

When you're prepping, focus on choosing easy-to-cook, bulk-packaged foods that store well. My recommendation is to mix and match from these categories and go to town: Protein: Chicken breast, lean ground beef, pork tenderloin, flank steak, lean lunch meat (turkey breast, ham, or roast beef) and low-fat beef jerky.

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Is meal prepping better than eating out? ›

You'll have more dough in your pocket. Eating healthy tends to get a bad reputation for being overly expensive. But meal prepping saves money because you can buy ingredients in bulk, freeze extra food for later, and most importantly, spend less money eating out.