High protein meal prep ideas
Weigh 100 g of cooked chicken, salmon or tuna into each box. That’s 25 to 32 g. But 100 g of lentils gives under 8, so lentil, bean or tofu boxes need a second protein.
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How much protein should a meal prep box have?
There’s no official amount per box. But adults need 0.75 g of protein per kg of body weight a day. That’s 56 g for a 75 kg man and 45 g for a 60 kg woman.
Split over three meals, that’s about 19 g and 15 g a box. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) tells people who exercise to spread protein evenly through the day.
| Food (100 g) | Protein |
|---|---|
| Chicken breast, grilled, no skin | 32 g |
| Tuna, tinned in brine | 24.9 g |
| Salmon, grilled | 24.6 g |
| Egg, boiled | 14.1 g |
| Tofu, steamed | 8.1 g |
| Red lentils, boiled | 7.6 g |
| Chickpeas, tinned | 7.2 g |
Source: British Nutrition Foundation
So 100 g of chicken, salmon or tuna more than covers one meal. Weigh your protein once, after cooking, and you’ll know what every box holds.
Easy high protein meal prep ideas
Pick dishes you can cook in one tray or pot, then split into boxes. The protein below is worked out from British Nutrition Foundation values, for the protein foods only.
| Box | Protein foods per box | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken traybake | 100 g grilled chicken breast | About 32 g |
| Tuna and chickpea salad (no cook) | 100 g tuna in brine, 100 g tinned chickpeas | About 32 g |
| Steak and bean chilli | 70 g lean grilled steak, 100 g tinned kidney beans | About 29 g |
| Salmon and greens | 100 g grilled salmon | About 25 g |
| Lentil and tofu curry | 200 g boiled red lentils, 100 g tofu | About 23 g |
Source: British Nutrition Foundation
Why only 70 g of steak? The NHS says if you eat more than 90 g (cooked weight) of red or processed meat a day, cut down to 70 g. The beans make up the rest.
Fill the rest of each box with veg and some rice, pasta or potatoes. Watching calories too? See meal prep for weight loss.
Then pick two boxes and cook both on one day.
How do I meal prep high protein without meat?
Build a lentil, bean or tofu box on two proteins. Lentils, chickpeas and tofu give 7 to 8 g per 100 g, so 200 g of lentils gives about 15 g. That’s why a box built on pulses needs a second protein.
Source: British Nutrition Foundation
Other second proteins work too. Three medium eggs or 6 ½ tablespoons (165 g) of Quorn mince each give about 20 g, the BDA says.
Tofu varies between packs, so check the label. For more meals, see high protein vegetarian meals.
Can I do low carb, high protein meal prep?
Yes. Keep the protein and swap most of the rice or potatoes for extra veg. Diabetes UK says low carb is not recommended for children.
Diabetes UK calls a diet low carb when you eat less than 130 g of carbs a day. A medium slice of bread is about 15 to 20 g. It also says low carb shouldn’t be no carb, as some carb foods bring fibre and vitamins.
Take insulin or a diabetes medicine that can cause hypos (low blood sugar)? Speak to your diabetes team before you cut carbs. The same goes for SGLT2 inhibitors (a type of diabetes tablet, like dapagliflozin), as you might need to stop them.
Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
For a full low carb week, see high protein, low carb eating.
How do I meal prep high protein for 7 days?
Cook once, then freeze most of it. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says to eat leftovers within 48 hours or freeze them. So a fridge alone can’t carry a box to day 7.
One cook, seven days of boxes
- 1
Cool fast
Split into single boxes. Into the fridge within 1 to 2 hours.
- 2
Fridge 2 days
Keep the next 2 days’ boxes in the fridge, or 1 day if the box has rice. Freeze the rest.
- 3
Defrost
Move a box to the fridge the night before. Eat within 24 hours.
- 4
Reheat once
Until it’s steaming hot all the way through.
Sources: FSA: chilling and freezing; FSA: cooking
Boxes with rice need more care. The FSA says to chill rice ideally within an hour and eat it within 24 hours from the fridge. Or freeze it within an hour of cooking.
Your weekly protein prep
- Weigh 100 g of cooked chicken, salmon or tuna into each box for 25 to 32 g of protein.
- In a lentil, bean or tofu box, use two proteins, like 200 g of lentils and 100 g of tofu.
- If you eat more than 90 g of red or processed meat a day, cut down to 70 g.
- Split food into single boxes and get it in the fridge within 1 to 2 hours.
- Keep 2 days of boxes in the fridge (1 day if they have rice) and freeze the rest.
- Reheat each box once, until it’s steaming hot all the way through.
Sources: British Nutrition Foundation; NHS: meat; FSA: chilling and freezing; FSA: cooking
For a lunch-only week, see lunch meal prep. Training for muscle? See protein to build muscle.
When to speak to a GP
After eating a prepped box, call 111 if you:
- keep being sick and cannot keep fluid down
- have bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from your bottom
- have diarrhoea for more than 7 days, or vomiting for more than 2 days
- still have signs of dehydration after using rehydration sachets
Call 999 or go to A&E if you:
- vomit blood, or vomit that looks like ground coffee, or have green vomit
- may have swallowed something poisonous
- have a stiff neck and pain when looking at bright lights
- have a sudden, severe headache or tummy ache
- have blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
- have severe trouble breathing, or are taking lots of quick, short breaths
- are confused or not responding as usual
Take insulin, a medicine that can cause hypos, or an SGLT2 inhibitor (a type of diabetes tablet)? Speak to your diabetes team before cutting carbs.
Have kidney disease with high potassium and phosphate (minerals in your blood) on blood tests? The NHS says you may be referred to a dietitian.