Dec 29, 2021
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These paleo meal prep ideas are perfect if you want to save time in the kitchen and enjoy fresh and delicious meals with your family.
In this post, you’ll find delicious and paleo-approved recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that the kids will enjoy enabling you to make one meal for the whole family.
Every recipe idea below includes a brief description of how to prep it ahead; all you have to do is click and print it.
The recipes below are simple to prep and made with fresh and real ingredients you can easily find at a local grocery store and prepped without any fancy gadgets.
If eating healthier meals as a family is part of your health goals, I’m confident you’ll find paleo recipes you can prep for your family to support your lifestyle.
How to Save Time When You’re Doing Paleo
If you are new to paleo or just want to start eating better, thinking of recipes, prep, and shopping at once can lead to overwhelm and burnout early on.
To make things easier, I recommend taking an hour at the beginning of the week or about ten minutes after dinner to prep the next day’s meals.
In addition, when you choose recipes made with simple, fresh ingredients that can be fully or partially prepped ahead, it makes it much easier!
If you struggle with getting started with incorporating paleo or whole30-like meals with a family, check out the Family KickStart Program, a paleo-based meal plan that includes family-approved recipes, a done-for-you weekly shopping list, and a detailed meal prep for the week to help you stay on track.
Paleo Breakfast Meal Prep Recipes
These paleo breakfasts go beyond eggs. You’ll find recipes for pancakes, biscuits, bread, and smoothies- all of them made without grains or added sugars.
Almond Flour Pancakes
A delicious, grain-free pancake that’s just as enjoyable as the classic recipe. Skip the syrup and serve these with sliced fruit like bananas and strawberries.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the batter and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, scoop the batter onto a griddle and cook.
Bacon & Spinach Frittata
Bacon, eggs, and veggies in a delicious breakfast you can make and ahead and reheat for a quick and tasty breakfast.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the frittata from start to finish, allow it to reach room temperature before covering the dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Paleo Oatmeal
A yummy and grain-free “oatmeal” made with nuts, chia, flax, almond milk, and a dash of cinnamon. It comes together quickly in the blender and makes a super hearty breakfast.
how to prep ahead:
Combine the nuts, seeds, and cinnamon in a blender. Refrigerate overnight. Add the milk, blend, and heat up in the microwave or on the stove-top in the morning.
Butternut Squash & Chorizo Hash
Butternut squash and greens cooked down with smoky chorizo and topped with a runny egg, one bite and you’ll understand why this is a favorite.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the butternut squash and chorizo hash. Allow to cool down before refrigerating in an airtight container. Prior to serving, reheat the hash while you prepare the fried eggs.
Almond Flour Biscuits
With a simple dough that’s made quickly in the food processor or blender and baked into light and delicious biscuits, they taste and feel like the real deal.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the dough and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To bake, scoop the refrigerated dough in ¼-cup increments and ‘drop’ them onto a sheet pan. Bake as directed and enjoy.
Blender Bread
This paleo bread is perfect for morning toast with peanut butter and jam or to build an epic sandwich for lunch. The batter is easy to whip up in the blender and bake ahead.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the bread and bake as directed. Allow it to cool down before wrapping with plastic wrap and refrigerating for up to 5 days.
Blueberry Spinach Smoothie
Made with blueberries, spinach, protein powder, and nut butter this smoothie is a delicious and easy way to fill up for the morning and get your greens. Even the kids love this one!
how to prep ahead:
Add all the ingredients to a blender in the order listed, minus the ice. Cover with lid and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, add the ice, blend, and serve.
Paleo Lunch Meal Prep Recipes
Each of these paleo lunches is high in protein, nutritionally balanced, and makes a perfect midday meal to keep you satiated all afternoon. Of course, they can be prepped ahead and lunch containers and easily transported to the office or school.
BLT Lettuce Wraps
Crispy bacon, tomato, and homemade Ranch inside a lettuce cup is the perfect hand-held food you can make part of your lunch prep!
how to prep ahead:
Assemble the bacon and tomato in 2 large lettuce leaves. Pack into lunch containers and fill leak-proof mini containers with the ranch dressing.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Smoky buffalo chicken, creamy avocado, and tangy blue cheese over crisp lettuce. Don’t forget to drizzle with Homemade Ranch!
*The cheese is optional and can be omitted.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the chicken and allow it cool completely. Divide the lettuce into lunch containers, top with chicken, eggs, cheese. Pack the dressing into sauce containers. Add the avocado before eating or packing in lunch bags.
Low Carb Burrito Bowls
Tangy salsa chicken slow-cooked and topped over a bed of cauliflower rice with guacamole, black olives, and sour cream.
*The sour cream is optional.
how to prep ahead:
Assemble the burrito bowls into meal prep containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Make sure to hold the guacamole. Add that before serving or pack into a mini sauce container to send with the burrito bowl in a lunch bag.
Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Mandarin oranges, cabbage slaw, carrots, and almonds tossed in an Asian vinaigrette is the perfect balance of tangy, savory, sweet, and crunchy! Save time and use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, just shred the meat and add 2 cups to the salad.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the Asian chicken salad and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To assemble, scoop the chicken salad into each lettuce cup and serve or pack into lunch containers.
Eggroll in a Bowl
A take-out inspired recipe you can fully make ahead and enjoy later. It tastes just like an eggroll without the greasy shell and won’t leave you feeling sluggish. Serve it over steamed cauliflower rice and with a dash of Sriracha for the full experience.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the entire recipe and refrigerate in meal prep containers or one large container for up to 3 days. Reheat prior to serving.
Spinach & Bacon Mini Quiches
A lunch option that can be entirely prepped ahead and packs a satiating 14 grams of protein per serving. Plus, the kids love them!
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the mini quiches. Allow to cool down before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To pack for lunch, reheat 4 to 6 mini quiches in the microwave and pack into a lunch container or thermos.
Paleo Dinner Meal Prep Recipes
These paleo dinner recipes prove that healthy meals don’t have to look that different from the foods your family already enjoys. With a few ingredients swaps and creativity, you’ll be pleased with how good healthy can taste.
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats
Homemade meat sauce stuffed into baked spaghetti squash makes a light option for dinner that tastes indulgent. This one is a favorite with the kids.
how to prep ahead:
Bake the spaghetti squash and prepare the meat sauce. Refrigerate in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days. Prior to serving, assemble the recipe according to directions and bake.
Cauliflower Shrimp Fried Rice
Thanks to cauliflower rice, you can enjoy all the flavors of shrimp fried rice in a grain-free option. Make it with coconut aminos for a solid paleo dinner your family will adore.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the cauliflower rice, if making your own, and chop the veggies. Refrigerate in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days.
Taco Stuffed Lettuce Cups
Everything you love about a taco inside a lettuce cup! These are a definite winner with the family and take less than 20 minutes from stove to table.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the taco meat and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Remove the outer leaves from a head of lettuce and refrigerate them in a paper towel-lined container to keep them fresh. Before serving, reheat the taco meat on the stove-top or in the microwave while assembling the toppings.
Paleo Chili
An all-star chili made with no beans only ground meat and veggies in a rich tomato sauce with chili spices. Seriously, this will be one of the best chili recipes you’ll ever make.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the chili from start to finish. Allow to cool down to room temperature before refrigerating in the pot or a large airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove-top or microwave.
Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Zesty lime and cilantro chicken cooked to tender perfection and topped with an avocado salsa that tastes like guacamole. This one’s a keeper!
how to prep ahead:
Marinate the chicken overnight. While you cook the chicken, prepare the avocado salsa.
Bell Pepper Nachos
All of our favorite nacho ingredients in a tasty, baked bell pepper ‘chip’. These are a serious hit with all ages and a fun way to break up the usual family dinner. *If needed, you can make the kids regular nachos with baked tortilla chips with no extra effort.
how to prep ahead:
Slice the bell peppers and cook the taco meat. Refrigerate in separate containers for up to 4 days.
Italian Turkey Burgers
A juicy turkey burger with the flavors of Italian sausage. The spinach is optional, and you can swap it for finely shredded peeled zucchini or finely chopped mushrooms.
how to prep ahead:
Prepare the meat mixture and shape into patties. Refrigerate for up to 2 days in an airtight container or plate covered with plastic wrap.
Pork Carnitas Lettuce Cups
Slow-cooked pork with smoky flavors topped with fresh pico de gallo and a dash of lime in crispy lettuce cups- it’s an epic paleo option for taco night.
how to prep ahead:
Add the pork roast ingredients to the slow cooker and refrigerate overnight, covered with plastic wrap. Remove the outer leaves from a head of lettuce and refrigerate them in a paper towel-lined container. Set the roast to cook in the morning. When dinner rolls around, set out the toppings and assemble the lettuce cups.
Paleo Meal Prep for the Month
If you are just getting started with paleo, getting the entire family on board can feel quite impossible. Most parents will try to cook two meals, one for them and another for the kids- but this combined with planning meal and meal prep can quickly lead to burnout.
In order for the entire family to eat better, it’s important to make changes that are realistic to your season of life and sustainable. Having a solid plan is the first step, and that’s where the Family Kickstart has proven to help hundreds of families start eating and enjoying fresh meals together.
The recipes shared above share the same flavors and concepts of foods our kids’ love but are made without refined grains, sugars, and processed ingredients. It’s just fresh ingredients put together in a way that everyone can enjoy. That’s half the battle.
The other half is planning the meals and prepping the ingredients, so you don’t spend all day in the kitchen. I’ll admit, you won’t always need a plan to do this, but it’s the perfect way to get started and accustomed.
I’ll use myself as an example. When I first went Paleo and grain-free, it took me a while to learn what recipes fit my family’s taste, figure out what could be made ahead, and prepare the meals properly.
Now, after a few years and much experience creating meal plans, I spend a fraction of the time prepping ingredients and entire recipes on the weekend. It’s truly helped me shift how our family eats and the same knowledge I share with you in the Kickstart Program Guide and meal plan.
It’s 4 weeks of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners compiled with a prep guide and a done-for-you shopping list for each week. This way you don’t have to figure out what to make, the ingredients you need, or how to execute the meals. Instead, you have a plan for the week that will help you get started and train yourself to make it a lifestyle.
Can I welcome you to join me on the journey to enjoy healthier meals with your family, night after night? Check out everything the Family Kickstart has to offer, here.
Paleo Meal Prep Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 med onions finely chopped
- 1 pound ground beef chicken, or pork (or finely chopped chicken).
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 16 ounce bag coleslaw mix
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 16 ounce bag cauliflower rice or 4 cups riced cauliflower
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the sesame oil.
- Add the onion and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the meat, black pepper, garlic powder, salt, and Sriracha, cook until the meat is cooked through.
- Add the coleslaw mix, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Sauté until the cabbage is tender.
- Before serving, prepare the cauliflower rice according to package instructions or if using your own, steam in the microwave or stove-top.
- Serve over the Egg Roll mixture over the cauliflower.
Cam
I’ve been looking for some easy paleo meal prep ideas- these look incredible! I can’t wait to try a few.
Laura Fuentes
I am glad you found these paleo meal prep ideas helpful!
Kimberly
I love all these paleo meal prep recipes! Thanks for sharing!!