meal prep snacks easy and delicious step by step
These meal prep snacks are simple snack boxes you can assemble in about thirty minutes for the whole week. Each box has creamy Greek yogurt, a hard cooked egg, cheese, fresh fruit, crunchy vegetables, hummus, nuts, and whole grain crackers. The result is a balanced snack with protein, fiber, and healthy fats that you can grab from the fridge on busy days or pack for work and school.
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Small saucepan with lid
- Colander
- Large mixing bowl
- 4 medium meal prep containers with lids
- 4 small lidded cups for dips or yogurt
Ingredients
- For the protein
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup cheddar or mozzarella cheese cut in small cubes
- For the fruits and vegetables
- 2 medium apples sliced
- 2 cups grapes or mixed berries
- 2 large carrots cut in sticks
- 2 celery stalks cut in sticks
- 1 large bell pepper any color sliced in strips
- For dips and crunch
- 1 cup hummus
- 0.5 cup mixed nuts such as almonds cashews or walnuts
- 0.5 cup whole grain crackers
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice to toss with apple slices
- Optional 2 tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter
- Optional 4 small squares dark chocolate
Instructions
- Cook the eggs. Place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about eight to ten minutes. Drain the hot water and cool the eggs under cold running water. Peel the eggs and set them aside on a clean plate.
- Wash and cut the vegetables. Rinse the carrots, celery, and bell pepper under cool water. Pat them dry well with a clean towel. Trim the ends of the carrots and cut them into sticks. Cut the celery into similar sticks. Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper and slice the flesh into strips.
- Prepare the fruit. Rinse the grapes or berries in a colander and shake off extra water. Spread them briefly on a towel to dry. Wash the apples and dry them. Cut each apple into slices or wedges. Place the apple slices in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, then pat them dry again. This slows browning while they are stored.
- Portion the yogurt. Set out the four meal prep containers. Spoon about one half cup of Greek yogurt into one section of each container, or place the yogurt in four small cups with lids if your containers are not divided.
- Add eggs and cheese. Cut each hard cooked egg in half or quarters and place one egg in each container. Divide the cheese cubes evenly among the four containers so each box has a small handful.
- Add vegetables and fruit. Fill roughly one third of each container with a mix of carrot sticks, celery sticks, and bell pepper strips. Add a small bunch of grapes or a small handful of berries to another area in each box. Arrange several apple slices in each container, keeping them away from yogurt so they stay firm.
- Pack dips nuts and crackers. Spoon the hummus into four small lidded cups and place one cup in each snack box next to the vegetable sticks. Divide the mixed nuts into four small portions and add them to a dry corner of each box. Add a small handful of whole grain crackers to every container. If you are using peanut or almond butter, portion it into tiny cups and place one cup in the box with more apple slices.
- Seal and store. Check that the yogurt and eggs are cool. Close all containers and sauce cups firmly with lids. Place the meal prep snacks in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking the eggs. Keep them in the main body of the fridge, not in the door. For best quality and texture, enjoy these snacks within three to four days.
- Serve. When you are ready to eat, take one snack box from the refrigerator. Stir the yogurt if a little liquid has separated. Dip the vegetable sticks in hummus, enjoy the egg and cheese for protein, and finish with fruit, nuts, and crackers. These meal prep snacks work well as a solid snack or a light mini meal.
Notes
For plant based meal prep snacks, use a thick soy yogurt or other plant yogurt instead of Greek yogurt. Replace eggs and cheese with baked tofu cubes, roasted chickpeas, or a small portion of tempeh. Keep the hummus and nuts, and add extra vegetables for color and crunch.
For gluten free meal prep snacks, choose crackers made from rice, corn, quinoa, or seeds that are clearly free of gluten containing grains. All other ingredients listed here are naturally free of gluten as long as seasoning mixes and dips do not contain hidden gluten.
To raise protein further, add an extra egg to each box or use a slightly larger portion of yogurt. You can also include a spoon of cottage cheese in place of part of the cheese cubes.
Keep dry foods such as crackers and nuts away from moist foods so they stay crisp. If your fridge is very humid, pack nuts and crackers in small bags or separate cups and add them to the snack box only on the day you eat it.