Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (2024)

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These Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes are easy, delicious and quick! Not to mention that each breakfast, lunch and dinner recipe includes 21 Day Fix container counts!

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that I updated this post with some Q & A's about meal prepping, a How-To guide on how I use my Instant Pot for meal prep, and a few other fun tid-bits! I hope it's even MORE helpful than before!

Hey guys, happy New Year's Eve Eve! I don't know about you, but as much as I love this time of year (and all of that delish holiday grub), almost nothing feels better than getting back to my workouts and just detoxing from it all.

So in the spirit of getting back to bidness, I put together this HUGE, amazing, outstanding, saves-you-time AND calories list of healthy Instant Pot meal prep recipes. Did I oversell it? I'm gonna say no. 🙂

I've included a bunch of great basics, like brown rice and sweet potatoes, but then also some of the tastiest lunch and dinner meal prep ideas on the planet, like Teriyaki Chicken and Pulled Pork with Mustard BBQ Sauce. So print out some meal planning sheets, make a plan and get cooking!

Oh, and btw, every single recipe in this list has 21 Day Fix container counts listed (because I know you're serious about this whole New Year, New You situation). This is your year, my friends, get after it!

P.S. - If you want to see more great recipes from me, sign up here for my weekly emails and never miss a delicious post!

Meal Prep Q&A:

What's meal prep?

Meal prep is exactly what it sounds like, prepping your meals ahead! Now this doesn't mean you have to fully cook everything you plan on eating for the week (though you absolutely can!), it can even just mean chopping up all of the veggies you're going to use in your meals for the week.

Personally, I like to fully cook 1 breakfast and 1 lunch for the week, then I cut up any veggies for snacks, salads and dinners, and make any dressings I might want for the week (my fave dressings this crazy-good Caesar and this completely addicting Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette).

Why is meal prep important?

It's such a crazy time saver!! It's so nice to have a ton of the work of cooking done ahead, you'll be amazed at how much time it really does save you throughout the week.

It can also save you money! Having your meals prepped in advance gives you a lot less excuses for going out to dinner on the reg. I can't even tell you how much money we save by going out less (mostly because it would be embarrassing).

Can meal prep help with weight loss?

Absolutely! For one, like I mentioned above, it can save you from going out to eat and that alone is HUGE.

But if you pair meal-prepping with portion control (like the 21 Day Fix plan, Weight Watchers or even counting calories if you're so inclined) it can be a game-changer. It's a super helpful tool to keep you away from the grub you know in your heart you should be avoiding (I'm looking at you, Cheetos!).

How long does it take to meal prep for an entire week?

Meal prepping the way I do (1 fully cooked breakfast, 1 fully cooked lunch and chopped veggies for the week) usually takes me under an hour!

Btw, if you're interested in prepping and freezing all of your dinners for the week (and then cooking them in your Instant Pot each night) - here's a great Instant Pot Freezer Bootcamp from my friend, Nancylynn, that's meant to take only 2 hours (yes, for ALL of your dinners)!

Can these healthy Instant Pot meal prep recipes be frozen?

Absolutely! Every single recipe on this list freezes well!

Can Instant Pot meal prep last a week?

When you cook meals ahead, you can count on them to last 4-5 days (so not a whole week). However, I always just freeze what won't last and pull those out for the last 2 or 3 days of the week.

As far as other prepped items, I can usually get a full week out of prepped veggies, creamy dressings and hard-boiled eggs. Prepped vinaigrettes last forevah!

Where to buy meal prep containers?

I always get mine from Amazon, though if I had a big-box store near me, I'd probably check there. Here is a list of my faves:

Now, on to the crazy-delicious healthy Instant Pot meal prep recipes! (that's a mouthful!)

Instant Pot Meal Prep Basics:

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (7)

1. Spaghetti Squash - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

2. Quinoa - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

3. How Long to Steam Vegetables in the Instant Pot - My Crazy Good Life

4. Homemade Applesauce - Carrie Elle

5. Whole Rotisserie Chicken - A Pinch of Healthy

6. Sweet Potatoes - Pressure Cook Recipes

7. Instant Pot Yogurt - My Crazy Good Life

8. Brown Rice - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

9. Hard Boiled Eggs - My Crazy Good Life

10. Freezer Meal Bootcamp - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

11. How To Prep Chicken for the 21 Day Fix

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Meal Prep Breakfast Recipes:

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (8)

1. Coconut & Lime Instant Pot Breakfast Quinoa - Carrie Elle

2. Instant Pot Quiche - Carrie Elle

3. Instant Pot Oatmeal Jars - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

4. Healthy Starbucks Egg Bites - My Crazy Good Life

5. Instant Pot Buttered Coconut Steel Cut Oats - Carrie Elle

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Meal Prep Lunch and Dinner Recipes:

1. 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

2. Healthy Instant Pot Baked Ziti - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

3. Instant Pot Roasted Bell Pepper Soup - Carrie Elle

4. White Chicken Chili - My Crazy Good Life

5. Broccoli Cheese Soup

6. Instant Pot Jambalaya - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (10)

7. Instant Pot Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Bowls - Carrie Elle

8. 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff

9. Healthy Drunken Noodles - My Crazy Good Life

10. Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

11. Instant Pot Shredded Mexican Chicken - Carrie Elle

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (11)

12. Chicken Marsala - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

13. Instant Pot Spaghetti - My Crazy Good Life

14. Easy Instant Pot Beef Stew

15. Asian Pork Tenderloin - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

16. Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken

17. Instant Pot Turkey Chili - Carrie Elle

18. Healthy Shepherd's Pie - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

19. Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta - My Crazy Good Life

20. Sausage and Lentil Soup - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

21. Instant Pot Orange Chicken - My Crazy Good Life

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (13)

22. Instant Pot Chicken with Bruschetta Topping - Carrie Elle

23. Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup

24. Chicken Gyro Bowls with Homemade Tzatziki - My Crazy Good Life

25. Chipotle Pumpkin Turkey Chili

26. Beef and Broccoli - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (14)

27. 21 Day Fix Southwestern Pulled Pork Tenderloin

28. Instant Pot Taco Soup - Carrie Elle

29. Instant Pot Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash Fra Diavolo

30. Teriyaki Meatballs - My Crazy Good Life

31. Healthy Pulled Pork with Mustard BBQ Sauce

32. Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

33. Instant Pot Split Pea Soup - Carrie Elle

34. Instant Pot Caprese Chicken - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

35. How to Make Healthy Instant Pot Turkey Taco Meat (From Frozen!)

36. Beef Fajita Bowl Recipe - My Crazy Good Life

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (16)

37. Instant Pot Maple BBQ Chicken - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

38. Instant Pot BBQ Sloppy Joes

39. Pumpkin Pasta with Spicy Sausage - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

40. Instant Pot Spanish Rice with Chicken - My Crazy Good Life

41. Healthy Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta

42. Bacon and Beer Cheese Soup

43.Chili Cheese Burrito Spaghetti Squash Bowls (Instant Pot)

Some non-Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes to Work on While Your Instant Pot is Cooking!

  • Cranberry-Apple Pie Overnight Oats {21 Day Fix}
  • Healthy, Make-Ahead Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole
  • 21 Day Fix Make-Ahead Southwestern Breakfast Casserole
  • Whole Wheat Pancakes with Hawaiian Coconut Syrup {21 Day Fix}
  • Waldorf Chicken Salad Pita Pocket
  • Roasted Vegetable Chicken Chili with Avocado
  • 21 Day Fix French Onion Soup
  • 21 Day Fix Broccoli Mac and Cheese
  • Cilantro-Lime Flank Steak Sheet Pan Dinner with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Don’t have an Instant Pot yet?Click here to check it out on Amazon!(affiliate link)

Need a little extra help? Check out my How-To below!

If you make any of these Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes be sure to snap a pic and tag me@thefoodieandthefixor use #thefoodieandthefix on Instagramso I can check it out! I love watching your stories! It makes me ridiculously happy to see what you guys are making 🙂

Don't forget to save these Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes to Pinterest! ↓↓

How to Meal Prep with Your Instant Pot:

📖 Recipe

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (19)

How To Meal Prep With Your Instant Pot

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

How to use your Instant Pot to save time meal prepping!

Materials

  • Ingredients for all of the recipes that you'll be prepping

Instructions

  1. Meal Planning:
  2. - Choose your dinners for the week. You can fully prep these ahead if you like, the dinners on this list are all perfect for that, or you can just prep the ingredients for your dinners (that's what I do), it's up to you!
  3. - Choose a carb from the basics list that you can use throughout the week, something that takes no prep time to get into the IP (like brown rice, quinoa or sweet potatoes) so that you can get right to your other prepping while that's going.
  4. - Choose 1 breakfast and 1-2 lunches to make for the week, choosing one that is a non-IP recipe that you can have cooking while your IP is going. (check out the section of non-IP recipes that are perfect for this in this post)!
  5. Prepping:
  6. - First, cook the carb that you chose from the basics list in your Instant Pot.
  7. - While that's going, prep your next Instant Pot recipe, then you can immediately start cooking that in the IP after your carb is done cooking.
  8. - After you've finished prepping that Instant Pot recipe, you can prep and cook your non-IP recipe.
  9. - While those things are going, you can prep the ingredients for your dinners and cut up veggies for snacks and/or salads and you're done and prepped for the whole week!

Notes

If you also wanted to make your dinners ahead, you may want to freeze a few that you'll eat towards the end of the week (and maybe beyond depending on how much you make)! All of the recipes on this list are great for freezing!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep Recipes - The Foodie and The Fix (2024)

FAQs

Are instant pots good for meal prep? ›

Instant Pot and other electric multi-cookers can make meal prepping and batch cooking faster and easier. If you're motivated to cook healthy whole foods for yourself and your family, this tool can really help support your efforts.

Are Instant Pot meals healthy? ›

While it might not be the best option out there for nutrient retention, you should never feel bad about making a home-cooked meal in your Instant Pot, as there is no "perfect" preparation method for food.

Is there anything you should not put in the Instant Pot? ›

Here are the foods that experts recommend cooking using trusty traditional methods instead of your bright-and-shiny Instant Pot:
  1. Fried Foods. The Instant Pot is a master at moist-heat cooking, which is precisely why fried foods fall flat. ...
  2. Steak. ...
  3. Burgers. ...
  4. Stir-Fry. ...
  5. Cream-Based Sauces. ...
  6. Noodles. ...
  7. Seafood. ...
  8. Cookies.
Apr 8, 2020

What foods are not recommended for meal prepping? ›

Foods with high moisture content, such as salad greens, tomatoes, or watermelon, are not recommended as they tend to become mushy when frozen and thawed.

Are Instapots better than crockpots? ›

If you are interested primarily in slow cooking, you should buy a dedicated slow cooker. They're more reliable with a range of slow-cooker recipes than an Instant Pot. We found Instant Pot multicookers specifically could not successfully slow-cook dense, high-volume recipes such as beef stew or pot roast.

Are Instant Pots safe for your health? ›

Cooking in an “instant pot” or pressure cooker is a great method for preparing your food on many levels — including the nutritional level, according to registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD. “Instant pot recipes are absolutely healthy as long as what you put in the recipe is healthy,” she says.

What is the disadvantage of Instant Pot? ›

Not good for cooking everything: Just like no one method is great for cooking everything, the Instant Pot isn't build to do it all. If you are not a fan of like stews and saucy things then pressure cooking might not be for you.

What are the disadvantages of a pressure cooker? ›

Electric pressure cookers typically operate at lower pressures than high quality stove-top pressure cookers. They, therefore, take longer to cook the food and cost more to operate as they use more energy, which of course you have to pay for every month or two when you get your utility bill.

What should never be cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

Foods containing dairy, like milk, cream, or yogurt, should not be pressure-cooked. The high heat and pressure can cause dairy products to curdle or separate, ruining the texture, taste and flavour of the dish. Cooking fried foods is a strict no no, when it comes to pressure cookers.

Why shouldn't potatoes be cooked in a pressure cooker? ›

Mostly we boil potatoes in a pressure cooker, but like rice, potatoes also contain a lot of starch. This is the reason why boiling or cooking in this pressure cooker is not considered good for health. If you still plan to use cooker for the same, add a lot of water and wash them thoroughly post cooking.

Why don t chefs use Instant Pot? ›

They are most commonly used in industrial settings to quickly prepare meat or stocks. However, in most scenarios, Elite Chefs avoid using pressure cookers because they provide less control over the final dish. Chefs often prefer slow cooking techniques that accentuate and pull out the flavors of the food.

What is the healthiest meal prep? ›

Healthy Meal Prep Ideas for Breakfast
  • Vegan Grain Bowl.
  • Sheet-Pan Sausage & Peppers.
  • Italian Wedding Soup.
  • Sloppy Joe Casserole.
  • Air-Fryer Salmon Cakes.
  • Cauliflower Rice Bowls with Grilled Asparagus & Chicken Sausage.
  • Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs.
  • Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole.
Apr 29, 2024

What are 3 keys to successful meal prepping? ›

Follow these three steps and you'll be planning and prepping nutritious and delicious meals that fit your preferences and lifestyle!
  • Step 1: Make a Menu. First, think about your approach to meal planning — do you: ...
  • Step 2: Stock Your Pantry and Freezer with the Five Food Groups. ...
  • Step 3: Keep a Running Grocery List.
Jul 18, 2019

What is the riskiest step in food prep? ›

Cooling is usually the riskiest step in food preparation. It involves a two-step process: 135˚F - 70˚F in 2 hours and then 70˚F - 41˚F in 4 hours.

How long do Instant Pots usually last? ›

The average lifespan of an Instant Pot ranges from 2-5 years, but it can last longer depending on how often it's used and how well-maintained it is. So it's safe to say Instant Pots aren't commonly being replaced, and may even be a one-time purchase.

What's the big deal about Instant Pots? ›

The Instant Pot hits food with a one-two punch of high pressure and heat. The result: Things that usually take all day to cook are done in hours. We're talking about tough cuts of meat like pork ribs, beef brisket and pork shoulder. The same goes for soups and stews, plus beans and grains.

Can you use instant rice for meal prep? ›

Now you've tried these ideas, try mixing and matching your own favorite ingredients with Minute® Rice Cups and invent your own recipes. Note: If you like to meal prep, batch cook enough servings of our Instant Rice and use it to make quick meals throughout the week.

Are meal prep containers worth it? ›

Meal prep containers are more than just a way to store your food; they're a vital part of the organization process when preparing meals in advance. While meal prep containers seem like a simple addition to your kitchen, there are some things to consider to make sure you're getting a good set.

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