13 Make-Ahead Meals and Snacks For Healthy Eating on the Go

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Ready for some easy recipes for healthy eating on the go? These 13 make-ahead meals are perfect for busy people trying to eat healthier.

Weeknights are tough.

Whether you’re a mom, a working gal, or both…

Between work, weeknight activities, and lunch prepping…

It can be hard to find the motivation to hover over the stove for an hour to make a healthy meal.

So, healthy fast food…

While it sounds like an oxymoron, these recipes are both healthy and perfect for someone with a busy lifestyle.

make ahead meal sausage stuffed peppers

Eating healthy on the go is possible when meals are made ahead of time and can be eaten on the go without all of the mess.

I have separated these 13 make-ahead meals into 4 categories (breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner).

Enjoy!

Make-Ahead Breakfast Meals

1. Mini Ham and Cheese Quinoa Cups 

Ham and Quinoa Chips Make Ahead Meal

Getting a protein-packed snack in is a great way to start the morning. These mini ham and cheese cups are gluten-free, packed with protein, and contain quinoa for an energy boost.

At only 47 calories per serving, these treats can be eaten on the way to the office or served to the kids before they head out the door.

By Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats. It takes 28 minutes to make this recipe. Recipe available here.

2. Overnight Oats

Overnight Oats for Healthy Eating

There’s beauty in the simplicity of this recipe. It has healthy oats for sustained energy, nuts for healthy fat, and fruit for an added morning energy burst.

By Katya at Little Broken. It takes 5 minutes to make this recipe. Recipe available here.

The easiest way to make overnight oats is to use a wide-mouth mason jar.

They are great for making delicious salads, storing oats overnight, and making smoothies.

3. Paleo Stuffed Breakfast Peppers

Stuffed Peppers for Healthy Eating

This recipe is filled with all sorts of great foods like bell peppers, eggs, broccoli, and mushrooms. It is also a perfect on-the-go meal that can be quickly microwaved for fast eating.

Also, if you’re trying out the paleo diet, it is 100% paleo-approved.

This cookbook also has more delicious Paleo-friendly recipes.

By Kiri at Paleo Grubs. It will take around 45 minutes to make. Recipe available here.

Make-Ahead Lunch Meals

4. Chicken and Vegetable Salad Rolls

Chicken and Vegetable Salad Rolls

This is a beautiful healthy recipe that is perfect for work or a light lunch with the girls.

These wraps contain avocados, carrots, bell peppers, and cilantro and are a delicious way to get a good lunch without adding to the waistline.

By Julie and Debbie at Cooks With Cocktails. It will take you 45 minutes to make. Recipe available here.

5. Skinny Starbucks Protein Bistro Box

Starbucks Protein Bistro

While the bistro box at Starbucks is a good, healthy solution while on the go, making your own is even better. There is more fruit in this box, less cheese, and it costs less than the original from Starbucks.

Bento boxes make these a super easy, throw-together meal for lunch at work or for kids lunches.

By Amanda at The Skinny Fork. It only takes a few minutes to prepare. Available here.

6. Box Lunch

Box Lunch for make ahead meals

What makes lunch containers so great is their ability to minimize portion sizes.

Mix and match different kinds of foods each day in the box lunch to ensure the body is getting in a variety of nutrients and vitamins.

By Cassie from Back to Her Roots. This recipe will take 5-10 minutes to prepare. Recipe available here.

When creating make ahead meals on the go for the kids, make sure to use also use BPA-free containers.

These meal prep containers are safe for you and your kids to reuse + provide portion control

They are microwave friendly and dishwasher safe!

7. Mason Jar Salad

Photo of Mason Jar Salad

Everybody loves a good chipotle bowl, but what they don’t love is the added butter and sodium that can add to the waistline. What makes this bowl so perfect is that it has that delicious chipotle taste without all those extra additives.

This recipe contains sweet potatoes, quinoa, and chicken, which make it filling and delicious.

By Lina at Strictly Delicious. It takes around 25 minutes to make. Recipe available here.

If you need a good wide mouth mason jar, these are our favorites.

Make-Ahead Snack Meals

8. Roasted Chickpeas

Roasted Chickpeas

If you need a delicious, simple, and healthy snack, look no further than chickpeas! They are most often found in hummus and are packed with protein and fiber.

This recipe was created by The Kitchn and will take 40 minutes to make. Recipe available here.

9. Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars

Chewy No Bake Granola Bars

Everybody loves a good granola bar, but the ones found in the grocery store are filled with fats and preservatives.

This recipe is filled with fruits, oats, and requires no baking! These are very healthy and filling, because of the healthy protein, carb, and fat combo!

By Arman at Big Man’s World. This recipe will take 10 minutes to make. Recipe available here.

10. Trail Mix Energy Bites

Trail Mix Energy Bites

Energy bites are the perfect snack for the busy girl. This trail mix version contains healthy foods like chia seeds, dried fruit, and natural peanut butter.

By Ali at Gimme Some Oven. This recipe only takes 10 minutes to make. Recipe available here.

If your current goals involve losing a little weight and eating healthier, then these portion containers are really great.

They are modeled exactly like the ones on the 21-Day Fix and are perfect for make-ahead meals!

11. Apple Chips

Photo of Apple Chips

Apples are already known for being one of the healthiest foods on the planet. This is a clever new way of getting more apples into your diet, and they also make a great snack to add to a kid’s lunchbox.

A mandoline is the easiest tool to make these yummy treats.

By Katerina at Diet Hood, this recipe takes 10 minutes to make. Recipe available here.

Make-Ahead Dinner Meals

12. Veggie Lasagna Cupcakes

Veggie Lasagna Cupcakes

This recipe contains zucchini and eggplant that replace most of the pasta with healthy vegetables. The portions on these lasagna cupcakes are an amazing solution to a meal that is usually way too large!

By Marina at Yummy Mummy Kitchen. This recipe will take 45 minutes to make. Recipes available here.

13. Grilled Chicken Salad Lettuce Wrap

Grilled Chicken Salad Lettuce Wrap

This grilled chicken wrap makes for a great and healthy way to end the day. It contains grilled chicken for protein, almonds for healthy fats, and apples/grapes for a healthy source of carbohydrates.

Make sure to use non-fat, unsweetened Greek yogurt when preparing this recipe.

By Jenny B at Honey & Birch. This recipe will take 1 hour and 15 minutes to make. Recipe available here.

Leave a comment below if you enjoyed this article on 13 make-ahead meals for healthy eating on the go or have any questions!

make ahead snack dehydrated apple slices

4 Comments

  1. Help! I just bought the online 21 day challenge plan but I clicked off of the info before I could save the plans. How can I recover this?

    1. We got your back! Check your email. I’ll send you a new copy within the next 5 minutes 🙂

  2. Ugh I could really use this. I need to cook ahead more often instead of grabbing something less healthy at the last minute 🙁

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