If you’re looking for high protein meal prep that’s simple, balanced, and built around whole foods, it doesn’t have to be complicated. I keep my approach straightforward by focusing on real ingredients and a repeatable structure that makes high protein meal prep easy to stick to every week.
The nutrition numbers below are approximate and based on the specific brands and portions I personally use. Your numbers may vary depending on brand, portion size, and preparation method.
Whole Food Proteins I Use for High Protein Meal Prep
To start, here are the whole food proteins I rotate through every week.
Chicken Breast (6 oz cooked, skinless)
Calories: ~275
Protein: ~50g
Carbs: 0g
Fat: ~6g
Lean Ground Beef 90/10 (5 oz cooked)
Calories: ~315
Protein: ~34g
Carbs: 0g
Fat: ~20g
Sirloin Steak (4 oz cooked)
Calories: ~230
Protein: ~26g
Carbs: 0g
Fat: ~14g
Wild Caught Salmon (6 oz cooked)
Calories: ~220
Protein: ~37g
Carbs: 0g
Fat: ~8g
Eggs (3 large)
Calories: ~210
Protein: ~18g
Carbs: ~1g
Fat: ~15g
Greek Yogurt With Protein Powder (1 cup yogurt + ½ to 1 scoop)
Calories: ~250–280
Protein: ~40–45g
Carbs: ~8–12g
Fat: ~0–3g
(Depends heavily on brand.)
Whole Food Carbs That Keep Meals Satisfying
Once the protein is set, I choose a simple carb to pair with it.
White Rice (1 cup cooked)
Calories: ~205
Protein: ~4g
Carbs: ~45g
Fat: 0g
Pasta (2 cups cooked)
Calories: ~420
Protein: ~12g
Carbs: ~86g
Fat: ~2g
Potatoes (1 medium cooked, about 150g)
Calories: ~160
Protein: ~4g
Carbs: ~37g
Fat: 0g
Granola (¼ cup)
Calories: ~120–140
Protein: ~3g
Carbs: ~18–22g
Fat: ~4–6g
(Depends heavily on brand. Many are higher calorie than people think.)
Berries (½ cup)
Calories: ~40 to 50
Protein: ~1g
Carbs: ~10 to 12g
Fat: 0g
Vegetables I Use The Most
After that, I add vegetables for volume and balance.
Broccoli (1 cup cooked)
Calories: ~55
Protein: ~4g
Carbs: ~11g
Fat: ~0.5g
Green Beans (1 cup cooked)
Calories: ~44
Protein: ~2g
Carbs: ~10g
Fat: 0g
Spinach (1 cup cooked)
Calories: ~40
Protein: ~5g
Carbs: ~7g
Fat: 0g
Asparagus (1 cup cooked)
Calories: ~40
Protein: ~4 to 5g
Carbs: ~7g
Fat: 0g
Fats I Use For Cooking
Finally, I include a small amount of fat for cooking and flavor.
Olive Oil or Butter (1 teaspoon)
Calories: ~40 to 45
Protein: 0g
Carbs: 0g
Fat: ~4.5g
High Protein Meal Prep Ideas Using Whole Foods
Now that you can see the structure, here’s how I actually combine everything when I meal prep.
After cooking everything in bulk, I portion my meals into glass meal prep containers so they’re ready to grab during the week. I use glass meal prep containers with snap locking lids for storage, and I always remove the lids before reheating to avoid heating plastic.
Every meal below follows the same structure:
Protein + Carbs + Vegetables + Fat
Chicken With Rice and Broccoli
(6 oz chicken, 1 cup rice, 1 cup broccoli, 1 tsp oil)
Calories: ~575
Protein: ~58g
Carbs: ~56g
Fat: ~11g
Ground Beef With Potatoes and Green Beans
Calories: ~515
Protein: ~40g
Carbs: ~46g
Fat: ~20g
Salmon With Rice and Asparagus
Calories: ~505
Protein: ~42g
Carbs: ~52g
Fat: ~13g
Steak With Eggs and Potatoes
Calories: ~600
Protein: ~48g
Carbs: ~37g
Fat: ~34g
Pasta With Chicken and Spinach
Calories: ~775
Protein: ~67g
Carbs: ~93g
Fat: ~12–13g
Yogurt Bowl With Protein Powder, Berries, Granola, and Honey
Calories: ~450–500
Protein: ~40–45g
Carbs: ~55–65g
Fat: ~6–8g
Meal Variants You Can Mix and Match
If I want variety, I don’t change the structure. Instead, I swap within each category.
Protein swaps
- Chicken breast
- Turkey breast
- Pork loin
- Ground turkey (no added fillers)
- Ground chicken
- Wild caught cod
- Wild caught tilapia
- Shrimp
- Lean pork chops
- Egg whites mixed with whole eggs
Carb swaps
- White rice
- Jasmine or basmati rice
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Sweet potatoes
- Roasted baby potatoes
- Russet or Yukon potatoes
- Rolled oats
- Steel cut oats
Vegetable swaps
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Green beans
- Zucchini
- Spinach
- Kale
- Mixed greens (plain, no dressing)
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
Fat swaps
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Grass fed butter
- Freshly grated parmesan
- Block cheese (shred it yourself)
- Raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans)
- Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower)
- Avocado
High protein meal prep does not need to be complicated. Once you understand the structure, you can rotate simple whole foods and build balanced meals without constantly searching for new recipes. Consistency is what makes it sustainable.