Get 35 meal prep ideas for weight loss, including my shrimp fajita bowls! If you don’t like salad, this bowl packed with protein and veggies makes an excellent healthy lunch alternative. Swapping the brown rice for cauliflower rice will turn this low-calorie meal into a low-carb option as well. If you want to lose weight, meal prepping is one approach that can help you with your goals.
As much as I enjoy salads, sometimes I like to mix up my lunches with entrees like easy shrimp fajita bowls. Healthy shrimp recipes for weight loss can keep my healthful way of eating from getting boring. This makes it easier to stick with it.
Are there certain healthy foods that you like, and your family members do not? If you have older kids who are in school, use your lunches as an opportunity to fit these foods in.
It is great to try and expand the palate to enjoy a wider variety of foods if the diet is limited. However, IMHO, there is no reason to torment family members with a few foods they dislike. For example, since my kiddo dislikes tempeh, I’ll typically either have it for lunch or while he is away.
If you haven’t been eating shrimp because your family hates it, why not give this meal prep a try? You’ll have a fridge full of lunches that are ready to go on busy weekdays. Keep all of the tasty and easy shrimp meals under 500 calories to yourself. Haha
Jump to:
- 💡 Meal Prep for Weight Loss Tips
- ❓ Vegetarian Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss
- 🍳 Breakfast Meal Prep Recipes for Weight Loss
- 👩🏻🍳 Healthy Lunch Ideas for Weight Loss
- 🍤 High Protein Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss
- 💰 Healthy Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss on a Budget
- 🥘 Shrimp Meal Prep for Weight Loss Ingredients
- 🔪 How to Meal Prep for Weight Loss
- ️🌡️ Weight Loss Meal Prep Containers
- 📋 How many calories in weight loss shrimp meal prep?
- 🍅 7-Day Meal Prep for Weight Loss
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 🧑🏿🍳 Other Easy Recipes
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
- Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss (Healthy Shrimp Recipe)
- 💬 Comments
💡 Meal Prep for Weight Loss Tips
I thought I’d do a little Q&A today on the topic of whether you must do certain things to lose weight. If you’ve been following my site for a while, you can probably guess the answers!
Do I need to eat salads to lose weight?
I happen to love a good salad for lunch. However, if you dislike salads, you do not need to force yourself to eat them. Let me repeat: you do not have to eat salad to meet your health goal of losing weight.
There are lots of foods that can meet your essential micronutrient needs while you create a calorie deficit. These easy shrimp fajita bowls are packed with protein and veggies; no salad necessary.
Do I need to track calories to lose weight?
I found calorie tracking (using MyFitnessPal) to be very helpful in my 70-pound weight loss. Now, at over nine years into my maintenance, I still log food to help keep me accountable. That does not mean that this is what everyone else who has a weight loss goal should do.
Since a calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss, it can be helpful to know the general calorie content of foods. I could eat endless amounts of healthy nuts, cheese, and olive oil. Knowing that small amounts of these foods are high in calories helps me to portion them appropriately.
How might intuitive eating fit into all of this?
The overabundance of hyper-palatable ultra-processed foods in today’s society can make it challenging to maintain a healthy weight while eating intuitively. If you want to lose weight without tracking, shifting to a diet of more whole and minimally processed foods may prove helpful. That said, we all start our journey at different points, and there is no one right way.
I found consuming small snacks each day during my weight loss to be a transition step that kept me from feeling deprived. In truth, sometimes these were ultra-processed, less healthful options. I’ve since moved away from the regular use of these products, but I did find them helpful earlier on.
Many people are repetitive eaters, consuming the same small repertoire of meals each week. Reformulating your regular meals to provide satiety at calories that keep you at a healthy weight may make tracking unnecessary. One method that people use to accomplish this is with a low-carb diet.
(P.S. I am not a repetitive eater, often trying new recipes. I think that this particular trait may make keeping a food diary more helpful for me than it may be for others.)
Do I need to give up foods that are high in carbs to lose weight?
Though I did eat very limited portions of certain high-carb foods during my weight loss, I never gave them up completely. I ate plenty of fresh fruit (and still do), but kept my intake of grains (especially flours) and added sugars relatively low. Again, this does not mean that this is what everyone else should do.
Many people find low-carb diets to be the approach that is most helpful to them to regain their health. For persons with type 2 diabetes, low-carb may help them lose weight and gain better glycemic control. (An effective way for some to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.)
Because low-carb strategies are so helpful for some people, I offer lots of recipes that fit this way of eating. If there is an easy way to make a posted recipe lower in carbs, I will also share that information. For example, this easy shrimp fajita recipe can easily be made low-carb by using riced cauliflower instead of brown rice.
❓ Vegetarian Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss
What are some easy vegetarian meal prep recipes for weight loss? Here are some low calorie vegetarian foods that can be made ahead of time:
🍳 Breakfast Meal Prep Recipes for Weight Loss
There are many great ideas for breakfast meal prep for weight loss. Make a frittata, overnight oats, or a baked oatmeal dish. You could even prep everything you need for a smoothie, so all you have to do is blend in the morning.
👩🏻🍳 Healthy Lunch Ideas for Weight Loss
These lunch meal prep ideas for weight loss can be used for dinner as well. Salads, casseroles, soups, bowls, and lettuce wraps are some of the many lunches that can help you lose weight.
🍤 High Protein Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss
If you’re looking for meal prep ideas for weight loss and muscle gain, you’ve come to the right place. Recipes packed with lean proteins, such as chicken, white fish, and shell fish, will help you with your goals. Lean pork and beef, such as the flank steak below, are also a good fit for low calorie, high protein diets.
Are you looking specifically for weight loss shrimp recipes? This air fryer frozen shrimp can be used for a variety of healthy shrimp meals for weight loss. It’s also great as-is for shrimp cocktail.
💰 Healthy Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss on a Budget
Need meal prep recipes for weight loss on a budget? I’ve got you! Heart healthy staples like chicken breast, oatmeal, eggs, frozen vegetables, and yogurt can help you keep grocery costs down.
I’ve got one more easy meal prep for weight loss, a meal prep with shrimp, in the recipe card below. What follows are some details on that recipe.
🥘 Shrimp Meal Prep for Weight Loss Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need for the shrimp weight loss recipe:
- Raw peeled and deveined shrimp (tail on medium shrimp)
- Brown rice, dry
- Cooking oil
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Black pepper
- Sliced bell peppers
- Sliced onion
- Chopped jalapeno
- Chopped avocado
- Fresh lime juice
- Sour cream
Find specific quantities of ingredients in the recipe card at the end of the post!
Though this looks like a long shopping list, this gluten free recipe actually comes together fairly quickly.
You need a good knife, a pot for the rice, and a skillet for this recipe. You’ll also need some meal prep containers. Learn my top picks for the best meal prep containers below!
🔪 How to Meal Prep for Weight Loss
There are four basic steps in making any meal prep recipe for lunch:
- Decide on the menu
- Write out the ingredients list
- Grocery shopping
- Meal prepping (typically within 1-2 days of shopping)
Since we have the ingredients, we’re ready to begin prepping! Here are the steps:
- Cook the brown rice according to the directions on the package. While the rice cooks, prepare the rest of the meal.
- Slice the bell peppers and onion. Chop the jalapeno (discard the seeds if you don’t like spicy heat).
- Chop the avocado and sprinkle it with lime juice to prevent browning.
- Mix the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, and black pepper together.
- Heat the oil in a skillet or pan. Add the shrimp and spice mixture.
- Cook over medium heat until the shrimp are cooked through, stirring often. This will take 5-10 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan.
- Add the bell peppers, onion, and jalapeno to the pan you cooked the shrimp in. Add ¼ cup water to the pan (if it is dry) to help steam the veggies and to pick up some of the seasonings. Stir often until cooked (takes about 10 minutes).
- When the peppers and onions have finished cooking, stir the shrimp in to fully distribute the seasonings.
- Distribute the rice and the shrimp mixture evenly between four food containers. Keep the avocado and sour cream separate until serving time.
- Put the lids on the containers and refrigerate. Meal prep complete!
To serve: As an alternative to microwaving, I let this dish sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before eating. (Just keep the cover on the container while it sits!) Add the avocado and sour cream, and enjoy.
️🌡️ Weight Loss Meal Prep Containers
Most meal preps can be kept in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Some meal preps may also be frozen if you won’t consume them within this timeframe. For meals that need reheating, microwave safe food storage containers are your best bet.
I use Pyrex 3-cup glass containers for the shrimp, peppers, and rice. When the lid is removed, this container is microwave safe. I use the Pyrex 2-cup glass containers for the avocado; they make great meal prep bowls.
Here are a few more of the best containers for meal prep (IMHO):
📋 How many calories in weight loss shrimp meal prep?
One serving of this shrimp weight loss meal prep recipe has 437 calories, 43.9 grams net carbs, and 23 grams protein. This meal prep is low calorie and weight watchers friendly.
🍅 7-Day Meal Prep for Weight Loss
You can meal prep for 7 days, but remember that most leftovers should not stay in the fridge for more than 3-4 days. This means you’ll either need to store some of the food in the freezer, or meal prep twice per week.
Here’s a sample weekly meal prep menu to try. I would add water and milk or a calcium-fortified milk alternative to this plan as beverages.
Sunday
Breakfast: Baked Oats with Egg White
Lunch: Shrimp Meal Prep for Weight Loss (recipe below)
Dinner: Fat Flush Soup
Monday
Breakfast: Baked Oats with Egg White
Lunch: Shrimp Meal Prep for Weight Loss
Dinner: Fat Flush Soup
Tuesday
Breakfast: Baked Oats with Egg White
Lunch: Shrimp Meal Prep for Weight Loss
Dinner: Fat Flush Soup
Wednesday
Breakfast: Baked Oats with Egg White
Lunch: Shrimp Meal Prep for Weight Loss
Dinner: Fat Flush Soup
Thursday
Breakfast: Crustless Keto Mini Quiche with Fruit
Lunch: Meal Prep Salads for Weight Loss
Dinner: Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
Friday
Breakfast: Crustless Keto Mini Quiche with Fruit
Lunch: Meal Prep Salads for Weight Loss
Dinner: Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
Saturday
Breakfast: Crustless Keto Mini Quiche with Fruit
Lunch: Meal Prep Salads for Weight Loss
Dinner: Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
You can modify this weight loss menu for males, females, or couples by adding snacks (or omitting them). The general guideline is men shouldn’t go below 1500-1800 calories per day for weight loss. Women shouldn’t go below 1200-1500 calories per day.
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). As mentioned above, you can make this a low-carb entrée by swapping out the brown rice for cauliflower rice. This will make the meal lower in calories as well. Using non-fat plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream is another way to bring the calories down.
Fajitas are typically served with tortillas. Consider this option if you need a meal to meet higher energy needs.
FAQs
Meal prepping can take the stress out of what to eat and help prevent mindlessly hitting the fast food drive-thru. If you prep low calorie filling meals, meal prepping can be supportive of your weight loss goals.
Remember that regardless of what you eat, you need to maintain a calorie deficit to lose weight. It would be hard to overeat plain shrimp or prawns, because they are so low fat and low calorie. It’s easy to find healthy shrimp recipes for shrimp meals under 300 calories (or 500 calories, depending on your needs).
Meal replacements can be helpful for weight loss with some people, particularly if they dislike cooking and meal planning. One issue with meal replacement bars and shakes is that they tend to offer small volume relative to their calories. Volume eaters may not find them satisfying enough.
🧑🏿🍳 Other Easy Recipes
Here are a few more easy recipes you may enjoy:
- Kodiak Cake Waffles
- Frozen Pot Pie in Air Fryer
- Trader Joe's Fish Nuggets
- Air Fryer Pot Stickers
- Best Frozen Foods for Air Fryer
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Meal Prep Ideas for Weight Loss (Healthy Shrimp Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 lb. raw tail-on peeled shrimp, thawed (454 grams medium shrimp)
- 1 cup brown rice, dry
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 4 medium bell peppers (one of each color: red, orange, yellow, green)
- 1 large onion
- 1 medium jalapeno
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium avocado
- 1 medium lime, juiced
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the brown rice according to the directions on the package. While the rice cooks, prepare the rest of the meal.
- Slice the bell peppers and onion. Chop the jalapeno (discard the seeds if you don’t like spicy heat).
- Chop the avocado and sprinkle it with lime juice to prevent browning.
- Mix the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, and black pepper together.
- Heat the oil in a skillet or pan. Add the shrimp and spice mixture.
- Cook over medium heat until the shrimp are cooked through, stirring often. This will take 5-10 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan.
- Add the bell peppers, onion, and jalapeno to the pan you cooked the shrimp in. Add ¼ cup water to the pan (if it is dry) to help steam the veggies and to pick up some of the seasonings. Stir often until cooked (takes about 10 minutes).
- When the peppers and onions have finished cooking, stir the shrimp in to fully distribute the seasonings.
- Distribute the rice and the shrimp mixture evenly between four food containers. Keep the avocado and sour cream separate until serving time.
- Put the lids on the containers and refrigerate. Meal prep complete!
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