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Home Recipe Round-Ups

25+ Summer Meal Prep Ideas

By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 7/3/24Updated: 7/3/24

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Whether you’re spending the day on the lake, heading to the pool, or at home relaxing, this list of healthy summer meal prep ideas will keep you out of the kitchen and free you up to relax and have fun! Prep a few of these grab-and-go main dish and snack ideas ahead of time and enjoy them for days.

If you’re traveling, be sure to check out our make ahead meals for vacation.

Meal ideas to prep ahead for the summer months. this …


 
Table of Contents
  • How to Use This List
  • What to Store Your Food In
  • Sample Meal Prep Sessions
  • Pro Tip
  • 25+ Summer Meal Prep Ideas
  • FAQs About Meal Prep

How to Use This List

I’d suggest picking out several recipes you’d like to try from the list below and prepping three recipes at a time. I like to choose three different types of recipes to make ahead at a time–from main dish, to breakfast, to a snack.

All of these main dishes or snacks can be stored for at least 3-5 days, and many of them can be frozen using our instructions, as well. See specific storage suggestions on each recipe.

Once you’ve prepped your recipes, enjoy them all week long or grab them from the freezer weeks later.

freezer containers

What to Store Your Food In

Wondering what containers to store your meals in? We’ve got you covered. While we review freezer containers, many of these options work great for the fridge too.

5 Best Freezer Containers

Sample Meal Prep Sessions

Here are some sample meal prep plans that include recipes I’d personally prep at the same time together. Each of these prep sessions will take about 1 hour. Feel free to double the recipes since you are already going to the trouble.

Summer Meal Prep Menu #1:

  • Quinoa Tabbouleh
  • Baked Ham and Egg Cups (freezer-friendly)
  • Powerball Cookies (freezer-friendly)

Summer Meal Prep Menu #2:

  • My Favorite Cobb Salad
  • Greek Dip
  • Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie Packs (freezer-friendly)

Summer Meal Prep Menu #3:

  • Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade (freezer-friendly)
  • Classic Fruit Salad
  • Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs

Summer Meal Prep Menu #4:

  • On-the-Go Chicken Burritos (freezer-friendly)
  • Taco Layered Dip
  • Overnight Oats

Wouldn’t it be so fun to have all these healthy main dishes and snacks on hand all week? Let’s get prepping!

freezer meal

Pro Tip

Since you’re already dragging out the ingredients and dirtying up the kitchen, go ahead and double the recipes, if you think you’ll eat it all in the coming week. Or, if you’re making one of our freezer-friendly recipes, package the second batch for the freezer using our freezer meal instructions.

25+ Summer Meal Prep Ideas

Life is about to get easier and healthier when you prep a few of these recipes ahead once or twice a week.

quinoa tabbouleh summer meal prep idea.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Quinoa Tabbouleh is one of my favorite light summer meal prep ideas. It’s also gluten-free and filled with good-for-you ingredients. Store in the fridge for quick lunches or dinner. Add shredded rotisserie chicken for more protein.

Quinoa Tabbouleh
chicken pesto pasta in skillet.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Chicken Pesto Pasta is a 30-minute, delicious, nutrient-dense meal that the whole family will love. And since it tastes good warm or cold, it’s a great idea to grab and go in the summer.

Chicken Pesto Pasta
Collage of 7 different marinades with chicken breasts on the left and cooked dishes on the right.

7 BEST Chicken Marinades

These 7 well-tested, easy chicken marinades will transform boneless chicken breasts into several tasty, healthy meals. We’ll show you 4 different methods for cooking your marinated chicken, plus how to make them into freezer meals for later.

7 Chicken Marinades
shaved brussels sprout salad in our summer meal prep ideas list.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

This Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad has the perfect combination of Brussels sprouts, savory bacon, crunchy almonds, and shredded Parmesan. These simple ingredients are tossed in a zesty homemade dressing that will have you craving for more. A crowd-pleaser!

Tip: Store the dressing separately in the fridge and top the salad right before eating.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Greek Dip layered on a platter.

Greek Dip with Pita Chips

This simple yet delicious Greek Dip will have you hovering over the dish and wishing you didn’t have to share. It requires no cooking and is a great recipe to serve groups of people (or just yourself for a healthy lunch!).

Greek Dip
stovetop popcorn in a glass bowl.

Stovetop Popcorn with Coconut Oil

Stovetop Coconut Oil Popcorn is incredibly easy and serves as a healthy, filling snack that all ages love. The coconut oil brings the perfect hint of sweetness that is balanced with a bit of salt. It’s a budget-friendly, tummy-filling, healthy snack that everyone will love!

Stovetop Popcorn
Stack of blueberry avocado muffins.

Blueberry Avocado Muffins with Lemon Streusel Topping

These healthy blueberry avocado muffins pack some serious nutritional punch but is still a treat! It’s got sneaky ingredients like avocado, Greek yogurt, and whole wheat flour. Add the crumb topping that’s infused with lemon zest for a delicious (yet nutritious) muffin!

Blueberry Avocado Muffins
Chicken meatballs on a pan with honey mustard dipping sauce.

Herbalicious Chicken Meatballs with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Light and packed with flavor, these “chicken bites” as we call them are delicious warm or cold. But…you have to promise you’ll make the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce for dunking, ok?

Prep a double batch, bake them, and store in the fridge or freezer.

Chicken Meatballs
cropped-th-powerball-cookies-7.jpg

Powerball Cookies

These no bake energy bites have been a long-time favorite in my home. Look no further for a healthy, satiating, freezer-friendly snack. Whether at the pool or anywhere else, these don’t last long!

Powerball Cookies
fruit salad in a bowl.

Classic Fruit Salad

We’re taking fruit salad to the next level with the perfect combination of fresh fruit and our simple fruit salad dressing. Make this classic side dish for your next pool outing.

Classic Fruit Salad
Chicken fried rice in a skillet ready to serve.

Easy Chicken Fried Rice

This big-batch recipe for healthy, easy chicken fried rice has been tested dozens of times and is absolutely perfect for a nutritious, make-ahead meal. It’s packed full of lean protein, vegetables, and whole grains. Or try our Egg Fried Rice with Sweet Soy Sauce.

Chicken Fried Rice
layered taco dip

Layered Taco Dip

Layered Taco Dip is the ideal pool party snack or lunch option for summer days. The ingredients are simple and cheap, it’s easy to make ahead of time, and the flavor is amazing! The layers make it look like a complex recipe when, in reality, it takes only a few minutes to throw together!

Layered Taco Dip
ham and cheese egg cups on a white serving platter with sliced green onions on top

Baked Ham and Egg Cups

Talk about easy summer meal prep ideas! Ham and Egg Cups might just blow your mind. They did mine. With only three main ingredients, this high-protein dish could be one of the easiest breakfast, lunch, or dinner recipes ever.

Baked Ham and Egg Cups
Blender hummus with veggie sticks and pita chips.

Blender Hummus with Veggie Sticks

Making homemade hummus in the blender (or food processor) is easier than you think. The hummus ingredients come together quickly leaving you with a healthier and tastier pool snack than you could find at the store.

Simple Blender Hummus
make ahead breakfast sandwiches on a cutting board

Blender Hummus with Veggie Sticks

I love prepping a big freezer bag filled with these for my family any time of year. Warm them up in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.

Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches
smoothie packs side by side.

7 Frozen Smoothie Packs

Learn how to save time and money and eat healthier by prepping frozen smoothie packs ahead of time. Use our 7 different delicious smoothie pack recipes to start filling your freezer today.

7 Smoothie Recipes
protein lunch bowl.

Protein Bowl

This protein bowl is FULL of flavor and perfect to take on your summer outing. You’ll find yourself making it again and again. It lends itself to some creativity, allowing you to use up what you have on hand. It’s gluten free, takes about 3 minutes to make, and is a tasty way to get extra vegetables and protein in your diet.

Protein Bowl
summer meal prep ideas - cobb salad on a white plate with yellow napkin and dressing on the side

Cobb Salad

This is the ultimate summer meal prep idea! With a variety of vegetables, perfectly cooked proteins, and Gorgonzola cheese, this colorful salad is complex in flavor and texture. The savory dressing is to die for, too!

Tip: Prep the ingredients separately and build a salad when you’re ready for it. Store the dressing separately in the fridge and top the salad right before eating.

Cobb Salad
Gluten-free banana muffin with a bite taken out of it.

Gluten-Free Banana Muffins

These are some of the easiest and BEST Gluten Free Banana Muffins I’ve ever had. They are made with all real food ingredients, high protein, high fiber, and absolutely moist and delicious! I love to add in some mini chocolate chips.

Try our Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins too!

Gluten-Free Banana Muffins
chicken burrito cut in half and being dipped in cilantro aioli

On-the-Go Chicken Burritos

These chicken burritos work well to prep ahead and freeze. To warm them up, simple wrap a frozen burrito in a moist paper towel and microwave until warmed through. Or thaw and warm in a pan on the stove top. They are delicious with our Cilantro Lime Aioli!

Chicken Burritos
Banana breakfast cookies stacked on a plate.

Banana Breakfast Cookies

Banana Breakfast Cookies are jam-packed with nutrition and flavor. All ages love them, and they make a great grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Double the recipe so you can stock the freezer with them!

Banana Breakfast Cookies
Mini egg bites in a silicone muffin pan,

Cheddar Chive Egg Bites

Want a high protein, low carb, on-the-go option that will keep you satisfied? Cheddar Chive Egg Bites are the answer!

Cheddar Chive Egg Bites
Overhead shot of 7 overnight oats recipes in mason jars.

Overnight Oats

We can’t enough of Overnight Oats in our homes! In addition to our 7 Smoothie Pack Recipes, they are one of the easiest ways to consume whole grains, fruits, and good-for-you proteins every single day.

  • Almond Joy
  • Blueberry Muffin
  • Peach Pie
  • Peanut Butter and Jelly
  • Peanut Butter Cup
  • Raspberry Lemon
  • Strawberry Shortcake

Let us know which one is your favorite!

7 Overnight Oats Recipes
Southwest Chicken Salad - summer meal prep idea

Southwest Chicken Salad

Marinated chicken, colorful Tex-Mex toppings, and a creamy Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette top a bed of crispy lettuce for this mouthwatering Southwest Chicken Salad. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and packed with all the good things your body craves.

Tip: Prep the ingredients separately and build a salad when you’re ready for it. Store the dressing separately in the fridge and top the salad right before eating.

Southwest Chicken Salad
avocado bacon pasta - summer meal prep ideas

Avocado Pasta with Basil and Bacon

This Avocado Pasta with Basil and Bacon is a simple recipe with big flavor that can be eaten cold or hot. The combination of the avocado, bacon, and fresh basil will have you coming back for more and more!

Avocado Pasta
hard boiled eggs cut in half on a wooden cutting board.

Hard Boiled Eggs

These easy-to-peel Instant Pot hard boiled eggs just might change your life. It is the only way I make hard boiled eggs now. Highly portable and a good source of protein makes them a great pool snack!

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
English muffin pizzas.

English Muffin Pizzas

Healthier than frozen pizza, these customizable, individual “pizzas” go straight from the freezer to the oven or air fryer. Kids loves these.

English Muffin Pizzas
Chicken Penne with Asparagus and Peppers in a skillet with fresh basil and feta on top ready to be served.

Chicken Penne Pasta with Asparagus and Peppers

Chicken Penne Pasta is a simple, healthy, and incredibly delicious pasta dinner that stretches a long way. Use up whatever veggies you have in the fridge. Done in 30 minutes and delicious whether hot or cold!

Chicken Penne Pasta
Breakfast burritos in a marbled serving dish with the ends cut off so you can see the eggs, bacon, and more inside.

Easy Breakfast Burritos

With hash browns (or try our Roasted Vegetable Hash instead), cheese, protein of choice (bacon, sausage, or ham), and eggs, everyone is sure to love these! You can add in sautéed veggies or spinach for more nutrition if you’d like.

Tip: Freeze these separately in foil so you can take out one or however many you like. Warm in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.

Freezer Breakfast Burritos
taco meat in a tortilla with toppings.

Taco Meat

Taco Meat is one of the most versatile items to meal prep in the summer. It can be used to whip up Baked Nachos, Ground Beef Quesadillas, Taco Bar, or a Burrito Bowl. We have this in the fridge often!

Taco Meat

FAQs About Meal Prep

How long do freezer meals last in the freezer?

If the freezer meal has been frozen solid the whole time, the USDA says it is actually SAFE to eat indefinitely. BUT, for best taste and texture, there are two things to know:

1) Package the food very tightly where air can’t reach it easily and place in a very cold spot in the deep freeze. Keep reading for tips about how to store freezer meals.

2) If it’s packaged correctly, then it’s optimal to eat it within 3 months. That being said, I’ve personally used many freezer meals that were in my deep freeze for 6-12 months. So don’t toss it out…give it a try!

What’s the best way to store frozen meals?

There are several different ways to safely and effectively store meals in your freezer. Some work better than others depending on the type of food you are freezing or even the space you have in your freezer.

The best way to store and save a freezer meal is in any method that will prevent air from getting to the food. It really depends on the recipe!

What the best way to thaw frozen meals?

We’ve learned all the tricks when it comes to safely thawing your freezer meals. Here are the 3 primary ways:

1. The best and safest way to thaw a freezer meal is to put it in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Thawing time will depend on the size of the meal but plan on roughly 5 hours per pound.

2. Another safe thawing option is to place the food in a leak-proof plastic bag and immerse it in cold water, changing the water out every 30 minutes. This still takes a bit of time–anywhere from 3-5 hours depending on how big your meal is, but it’s quicker than the refrigerator option.

3. A third option is to microwave-defrost food in a microwave-safe dish. Defrost your food using your microwave’s instructions. The reason this is the third option (our least favorite) is because this method (especially chicken) can tend to dry out food a bit. Regardless, sometimes you just need to quickly thaw something, so the microwave it is!

With these summer meal prep ideas in hand, you’ll save time, enjoy some delicious food, and eat a little healthier all summer long.

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Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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