Low Carb Meal Prep Recipes & Tips!

Looking for some low carb meal prep ideas? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Transform HQ, we are fans of carb cycling. 
Carb cycling consists of alternating high carb/low fat days with low carb/high fat days, and we love carb cycling for so many reasons! 
Carb cycling can help improve cholesterol, increase fat burning ability, reduce your appetite, and best of all, it can help accelerate weight loss results. 
Today we are going to focus on those low carb days. We've pulled together some top meal prep tips as well as low carb meal prep ideas for your lunch and dinners! 
Are you ready to ? get low, low, low, low??
(ps- At the end of the blog, we're going to show you how to completely transform your body!)

Low Carb Meal Prep Benefits + Tips

Before we jump into meal prep, let’s first discuss the quality of what you eat. One thing is for certain: You can’t outwork poor nutrition, and what you eat is extremely important. 
Why?

Because losing weight IS about burning more calories than you take in. More than that, your diet affects your overall health and well-being, and we want you to transform your life, not just your weight.

When you start meal prepping You take control of your diet, your weight, and your life. This mental shift can be a major motivator on your weight loss journey.
What are some other benefits of meal prepping?

• Controlling the portions.
• Saving money.
• Improving your cooking skills.
• Reducing food waste.

Let’s get to some tips to help you become a meal prepping master. 

6 Low Carb Meal Prep Tips for Transformation

1. Know Your Appetite: Preparing your meals ahead of time takes work, so you want to make sure it’s worth your time. Are you the type of person who can eat the same meal 5 days in a row? Or do you like to switch it up a bit? If you get hooked on a meal, then make that one for the week. If you know that you get tired of eating the same food over and over, then make a couple of options.
2. Plan Your Low Carb Menu: Meal preparation does require some planning. The thought behind meal prep is that you do all your planning, preparing, and thinking at one time, and then you just go through the motions the rest of the week. Pretty sweet, right? Low carb diets consist of protein (meat), fish and eggs, and some non-starchy veggies. (We have some great recipes for you below!). 
3. Grocery Shop: Try and be strategic about your grocery shopping day. Go either the day of or the day before you want to prep all of your meals. This will ensure that your ingredients are fresh, and you don’t have to waste time defrosting meat. Since you’ve already planned your menu, you should have your list ready to go!
4. Have the Right Equipment: This might sound like a silly tip, but we promise you that it can make or break your meal prep success. Is your mini fridge going to fit all of your containers? Do you have meal prep containers? Make sure you have enough containers to last through the timeframe you are planning for. And that takes us to the next step...
5. Clean Your Fridge Out: With meal prepping, you get to prevent future sabotage by eliminating bad choices. You no longer have the excuse that you don’t have anything to eat so you need to grab some fast food. You’ve already prepped, and it’s waiting to be eaten. Cleaning out your fridge allows room for your prepped meals, helps you trash any expired foods, and can help you eliminate tempting items not on your weekly menu!
6. Choose the Best Prep Day for You: Sunday is a popular day for meal prep. Most people start mentally preparing for the start of the week on Sunday, so it’s logical to prep your meals on that day. Also, Saturday is the most popular day to grocery shop, so you will probably be stocked up with everything you need. If Sunday is a crazy day, then find whatever day works the best for you!

Alright, on to the recipes! Let us help you prepare your low carb meal prep menu.

Low Carb Meal Prep Recipes

In a time crunch? We’ve got your back. Have a bit more time and want to whip up some gourmet low carb meal? We've have some low carb meal ideas for you, too! Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been cooking for years, it’s always nice to find new meals that will help you work towards your weight loss goals.
We have over 500 chef-inspired meals in the Transform App, but we did some digging and found some delicious, nutritious, and QUICK recipes for your low carb meals. We've listed them in fun lunch and dinner ideas, but keep in mind that you can really have any of the lunches for dinners, or dinners for lunches, if you'd like! 

Easy Low Carb Meal Prep Lunches

Cucumber Sandwiches

Low Carb Quick Prep
 
Ingredients:
½ cup cucumber, sliced
4 ¼ ounces deli turkey meat
1 ½ string cheese sticks
1 ½ tablespoons hummus
¼ cup avocado, mashed
Directions:

1. Spread hummus on cucumber slices. Sandwich turkey, cheese, and

avocado in between cucumbers. Enjoy!
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition Information: 344 calories; 20g fat; 9g carb; 35g protein
 

Chicken Artichoke Broccoli Salad

Low Carb Quick Prep
Ingredients:
4 ounces shredded rotisserie chicken breast, no skin
1/3 cup artichoke hearts, in juice
⅔ cup broccoli, chopped
12 Pepper Jack cheese cubes (about 1 ½ ounces)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and toss until well coated in olive oil and seasonings.
2. Enjoy immediately or chill for 1 hour prior to eating.

 
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition information:  396 calories, 22g fat, 11g carbs, 40g protein
 

Stuffed Avocado

Low Carb Quick Prep
Ingredients:

¾ medium avocado 

3 ounces shredded chicken (meal prepped)

1 tablespoon nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Salt-free seasoning blend to taste

Black ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Slice avocado in half and remove pit. Set aside correct portion size.
2. Mix shredded chicken, yogurt, mustard, and seasonings together. Stuff mixture into the avocado. Eat with a spoon.

Makes 1 serving 

Nutritional information: 363 cals; 20g fat; 10g carb; 34g protein

Almond Lemon Chicken Bowl

Low Carb Quick Prep
 
Ingredients:
2 2/3 ounces grilled shredded chicken breasts (meal prepped)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Lemon pepper seasoning, to taste
1 ½ tablespoons sliced almonds
1 ¼ cups fresh green beans
1/3 medium avocado, sliced
Directions
1. Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray, and combine green beans, lemon juice, seasonings, and minced garlic. Sautee until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine sautéed green beans, chicken breast, and almonds. Toss until well combined. Top with sliced avocado and enjoy!
Makes 1 serving
Nutritional information: 336 cals; 16g fat; 12g carb; 33g protein

Best Low Carb Meal Prep Dinner Options

Quick Low Carb Dinner Options

Shrimp and Chicken Stir-Fry

Low Carb Quick Prep
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon coconut aminos
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup sugar snap pea pods, chopped
1/3 cup broccoli, chopped
¼ cup mushrooms, sliced
7 medium cocktail shrimp (meal prepped)
1 ¾ ounces chicken breast, cubed (meal prepped)
1 tablespoon green onions, sliced
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Directions:

1. Heat the coconut aminos, coconut oil, and garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots once the oil is melted. Sauté for 5 minutes.

2. Add the remaining veggies, shrimp, and cubed chicken. Sauté an additional 8-10 minutes until shrimp and chicken are heated through. Garnish with green onions and black pepper and enjoy!

 
Makes 1 serving
Nutrition information: 343 cals; 18g fat; 11g carb; 36g protein

The Ultimate Turkey Unwich

Low Carb Quick Prep
Ingredients:

2 Butter lettuce cups

4 ounces nitrate-free deli turkey 

4 slices bacon (meal prepped)

1 large tomato slice

6 cucumber slices

¼ cup sprouts

3 pickle slices

¼ medium avocado, sliced

Ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Diections:

1. Place one lettuce cup on your plate. Layer deli turkey, bacon, veggies, avocado, and mustard in lettuce. Top with second lettuce cup.  

Makes 1 serving  

Nutrition Information: 361 calories; 20g fat; 6g carb; 35g protein 

Gourmet Low Carb Dinner Options

Veggie-Chini Alfredo

Vegetarian Low Carb Gourmet
Ingredients:
2 wedges Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese, cubed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
⅔ cup cooked spaghetti squash
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
4 ounces seitan (meal prepped)
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Directions:

1. Place a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat up oil and add in minced garlic, salt, and garlic powder.
2. Add in cubed cheese wedge and stir until melted. Thin out with almond milk. Add in Parmesan cheese and stir over low heat until melted.
3. Add seitan to the sauce. Pour over squash and top with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Makes 1 serving
Nutrition information: 393 calories, 21g fat, 10g carbs, 39g protein
 

Citrus Mahi-Mahi Slaw

Low Carb Gourmet
Ingredients:

7 ounces wild caught mahi-mahi

¾ cup plain cabbage slaw

2 asparagus spears, chopped

¼ cup sweet bell peppers

1/3  of a small avocado, sliced

2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons fresh salsa

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Cilantro, to taste

Lime juice, to taste

Salt-free garlic and herb seasoning, to taste

Directions:

1. Drizzle olive oil in frying pan and pan-fry the mahi-mahi 5 minutes on each side or until it flakes.
2. Layer the slaw, mahi-mahi, and veggies. Top with the yogurt, salsa, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with garlic and herb seasoning.

Makes 1 serving 

Nutritional information: 410 cals; 22g fat; 13g carb; 40g protein 

Low Carb Meals for Weight Loss

You might notice that after low carb days, you drop a few lbs! That’s your body making adjustments and flushing out water. Makes the low carb days totally worth it!
Now that you’ve gotten the down LOW (ha) on low carb meals, are you pumped to meal prep? 
Let’s quickly recap what we spoke about. 
Low carb days can bring enhanced metabolic health (ideal levels of blood sugar, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference), better insulin sensitivity, and increased fat burning ability. 
These are all crucial things for your overall health and weight loss.
We’ve shown you that low carb meal prep can be easy with 30-minute meals! And we made sure to share some of our favorite, easy, low carb lunch and dinner recipes!
Now the rest is up to you! Sometimes you’ve got to go low (carb) to get high (results).
The Transform App provides a complete transformation experience, with over 500 delicious recipes–including low carb and high carb, quick-prep meals–customized workouts based on your personal preferences and goals.