Are you tired of settling for lackluster lunches that leave you feeling unsatisfied and sluggish? It’s time to upgrade your midday meal with a delicious and nutritious solution: salad meal prep recipes! Say goodbye to bland salads and hello to vibrant, satisfying salads that not only tantalize your taste buds but also support your health journey and goals.
In this recipe roundup, we dive into the world of salad meal prep, which offers you a treasure trove of recipes, tips, and tricks to make your lunchtime experience both enjoyable and effortless. This list helps you discover the art of crafting salads that are not only visually appealing but also bursting with flavor, packed with nutrients, and ready to grab and go. Salads don’t have to be bland and flavorless. With this list of 21 recipes, you’ll see just how fun (and easy) they can make your week! Grab your favorite veggies, and let’s get right into it.
1. How to Meal Prep Salads
First, let’s start with the basics of how to meal prep a salad. The worst thing that we absolutely don’t want is soggy croutons and toppings, or a super dry bowl of just veggies. With this guide, you’ll learn proper salad meal prep and will be able to apply it to any recipe of your choosing.
2. Jennifer Aniston Salad
This salad meal prep has taken the internet by storm. The Jennifer Aniston Salad is absolutely beautiful but that’s not all. It’s crunchy, gluten-free, high in plant-based protein, and easily makes several portions. It’s the perfect meal prep salad! The quinoa adds a nice texture as well as a great protein boost when paired with the chickpeas. It’ll keep you full for hours.
3. Salad Meal Prep: Chicken Spinach Cauliflower
Chicken Spinach Meal Prep Salad with Cauliflower – Perfect to make ahead for lunch, this meal prep chicken spinach and cauliflower salad is light and delicious! Use leftover chicken from your refrigerator or buy rotisserie chicken at your favorite grocery store. Full of good-for-you nutrients, this meal prep recipe will keep you energized and full.
4. Salmon Couscous Salad with Feta Dressing
A light, yet filling lineup of flaked salmon, couscous, fresh veggies, and herbs, tossed in the most dynamite feta dressing. This salad is a complete meal on its own which makes it the perfect option for salad meal prep. It’ll also make your co-workers jealous with how delicious it looks.
5. Mediterranean Tuna Salad Recipe
We love any recipe that can be done in 10 minutes! Especially a meal prep recipe. Unlike classic tuna salad, this unique tuna salad recipe is completely mayo-free and takes on bold Mediterranean flavors. It’s packed with nutrients and amazing to have as a staple while you’re on a health journey.
6. Salad Meal Prep: Quinoa Chicken Salad
This Greek salad is protein-rich, made with quinoa and chicken, and tossed with a tangy lemon vinaigrette and crunchy vegetables. It tastes even better the next day. This is a must-try for those who want something that’s only going to get better as it sits in the fridge. Even with the chicken in it, it doesn’t need to be re-heated to taste good.
7. Crunchy Vegan Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is the base of this salad, which is loaded with veggies and nuts. The creamy peanut dressing is made with all-natural peanut butter, fresh ginger, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil & olive oil. It’s vegan, crunchy, and gluten-free. But it also pairs really well with chicken, so if you wanted to add more protein, you could.
8. Crunchy Asian Chopped Salad
Crunchy Asain Chopped Salad is going to be your new go-to for salad meal prep. It’s so good, you won’t mind eating it every day. You might even eat it for a few weeks! It’s crunchy which is always a salad win in my book. And the homemade creamy almond dressing keeps things light and refreshing.
9. Sesame Chicken Cabbage Crunch Salad
This gorgeous salad is filled with a rainbow of crunchy veggies, super flavorful grilled sesame chicken, and a go-to sesame ginger dressing. It’s topped with toasted sliced almonds, roasted cashews, sesame seeds, extra cilantro, green onion, and jalapeno slices. By making this salad in advance, you allow all the flavors to meld together which enhances the whole dish.
10. Salad Meal Prep: Taco Salad
Taco salad is my all-time favorite, and this recipe keeps it straightforward and easy. It’s made with the classics: romaine, cabbage, red cabbage, tomatoes, avocados, canned corn, drained pinto beans, shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips, green onions, and a creamy dressing. You could even add on your favorite spicy salsa.
11. Edamame Peanut Crunch Salad (Vegan!)
This vegan edamame salad starts with edamame and then is mixed with kale, cabbage, carrots, quinoa, and a creamy, tangy, subtly sweet peanut dressing. It’s topped with crunchy roasted cashews, chopped cilantro, and scallions for flavor. With all of this flavor, it’s a definite winner for delicious salad meal prep.
12. Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad
If you’re going to eat Brussels sprouts, roasting them is the way to go. It brings out the natural sugars in Brussels, giving it an amazing caramelized flavor. This salad recipe takes advantage of that flavor by pairing it with hearty fall flavors such as cranberries, spinach, goat cheese, and quinoa. It’s a very filling lunch!
13. Roasted Sweet Potato and Feta Salad
Another fall-inspired salad meal prep option is this roasted sweet potato and feta salad. Not only do these ingredients taste amazing, they are highly nutritious. The sweet potatoes and avocado keep it creamy and decadent. The red onion wedges bring a bit of caramelized flavor to the salad. Almond bits give it a nutty crunch. And the honey lemon vinaigrette keeps it light and refreshing.
14. Salad Meal Prep: Healthy Green Goddess Salad
This green goddess salad is made with Bibb or butter lettuce, English cucumber, edamame, salty pistachios, and a green goddess dressing. It’s bright and green, but tasty in every way. The edamame adds protein, but if you want to top this salad with chicken or salmon, that works too.
15. Vegan Apple Walnut Salad
Another vegan and gluten-free salad meal prep option that can be done in 10 minutes. Imagine just taking 10 minutes to prep your lunches for the week. Amazing, right?! This simple salad pairs apples and walnuts together with a homemade Dijon vinaigrette. Absolutely delicious and nutritious. It’s fantastic in the spring or fall.
16. Salad Meal Prep: Rainbow Bean Salad
Rainbow Bean Salad is a refreshing summer side dish recipe and can be easily transported into salad meal prep. It is made with three varieties of beans and a light dressing. So all you need to do is add a bit of grilled chicken and some crunchy romaine, and you’ve got a fully balanced meal for the week ahead.
17. Cherry Pistachio Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is common to put in a salad, but the addition of fresh cherries and pistachios takes this salad to a new level. This quinoa salad is full of flavor, easy to make, and healthy. It’s made with whole-food plant-based ingredients and contains plenty of protein, fiber, and other essential vitamins.
18. Salad Meal Prep: Kale Detox Salad with Pesto
This stunning salad meal prep recipe gives you an amazing boost of nutrients that your body can use any time of year. Roasted vegetables give this salad a hearty feel, while fresh kale keeps it from being too heavy. Kale holds up nicely though throughout the week, so it’s perfect for prepping ahead of time.
19. Fruity Basalmic Tofu Summer Salad
With a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, this salad beats all from a nutrition standpoint. You can keep it vegan by using tofu or tempeh as your protein source, or pair the base of the recipe with grilled chicken or salmon. Either way, it’s hearty and delicious and will keep your menu from being bland.
20. Salad Meal Prep: Southwest Salad
With simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, you can make this Southwest Salad quickly and easily. All of the family will enjoy this recipe, even the pickiest eaters. The meal is simple and impressive and only takes 10 minutes to prepare. You can keep it simple and make it more hearty by adding pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.
21. Apple Cranberry Bacon Kale Salad
Apples, cranberries, and bacon are a match made in Autumn heaven. These flavors pair perfectly to create a warm, hearty, comforting fall meal. You’ll look forward to your salad meal prep when you have recipes like this one prepared. You might even find yourself keeping it on the weekly rotation throughout any season – it’s that good!
Whether you’re a seasoned meal prepper or a newbie looking to kickstart a healthier eating routine, you’ll find something on this list of salad meal prep recipes to inspire your weekly lunches.
21 Fast Salad Meal Prep Ideas
Ingredients
- 2 cups penne *weighed dry *
- 1.5 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 cups fresh broccoli
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 1/3 cup 0% plain greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup fat free sour cream
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- Dash of salt & pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package, you can also use a rotini or macaroni noodle if you prefer. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Cut the broccoli, dice the celery and red onion. Add the veggies, shredded chicken and sliced almonds to the cooled pasta.
- In a small bowl mix the yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard. Add in the seasoning, salt/pepper and stir well.
- Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the pasta. Chill in the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes 8- 1 cup servings
