Salads do not have to be boring, and they make great meals for prepping ahead! You’ll be looking forward to lunch every day with these easy, tasty and filling meal prep salads.
From crave-worthy grain salads to crunchy, refreshing salads with watermelon, there are lots of options to choose from!
Tasty Salad Recipes for Meal Prep
Salads are awesome make-ahead meals because you can prep your ingredients once and then eat all week! I’m all about simplifying the routine – anyone else?
If you’re making your salad dressing from scratch (which I highly recommend – it’s much easier than it might sound and it tastes much better than store bought), that can be prepped ahead in a larger quantity, too.
Keep in mind that most salads will get soggy, though, if the dressing is added ahead of time. So I’d just recommend keeping it in a separate container until you’re ready to eat.
And now, onto the list; here are some of my favorite meal prep salads for lunches, so you can enjoy them too!
Harvest Bowls with Sweet Potato
This ultra-flavorful harvest grain salad features roasted chicken, sweet potato, crispy apples, and lots more goodness.
Plus, it’s drizzled in a creamy balsamic vinaigrette that’ll have you dreaming about lunchtime.
Quinoa Taco Salad
Craving a taco, but need something easy and portable?
This quinoa taco salad’s got your back: creamy avocado, black beans, tomato, peppers, and fresh cilantro all tossed with your favorite salsa.
It’s packed lunch perfection – and so versatile and easy to throw together, too!
Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
This zesty salad is part pasta, part greens, with a lot of other deliciousness mixed in – like cucumbers, artichokes, cherry tomatoes, olives, and mozzarella.
Plus, the creamy Italian dressing it gets tossed in is divine!
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
If you haven’t tried a shaved brussels sprouts salad yet, you are missing out!
This salad has all the flavors of fall: apples, dried cranberries, pecans, and more, all nestled in a bed of shredded brussels sprouts.
The whole thing is tossed in a flavorful and creamy lemon mustard dressing, too.
Sesame Shrimp and Watermelon Salad
Looking for a crunchy, refreshing salad packed with flavor?
This shrimp and watermelon salad is both sweet and savory, with a delicious sesame ginger dressing.
Mediterranean Bulgur Salad
This tasty Mediterranean-inspired salad is quick and easy to throw together!
Bulgur is super quick-cooking, and chopping up the rest of the ingredients only takes a couple minutes. All that’s left to do is whisk together the lemon mint vinaigrette, and you’re good to go!
Feel free to toss in some grilled chicken (or use a rotisserie chicken to save time) if you’d like, too.
Green Goddess Bowls
This green goddess salad is bright and crunchy, packed with nutrients, and drizzled with a to-die-for raw honey herb vinaigrette.
Try it – you won’t regret it!
Mason Jar Kale Salad
Say hello to the perfect way to meal prep salad: in a mason jar! It’s so easy to bring with you on the go.
This Tuscan kale salad features purple cabbage, shaved veggies, pepitas, reggiano cheese, and more, with a tasty (and easy!) homemade dressing.
Peach & Corn Salad with Honey Lime Chicken
This salad is basically summer in a bowl.
Grilled chicken marinated in honey and lime juice, grilled peaches and corn, all nestled over a bed of greens. Does it get any better?!
And if it’s fall or winter when you’re making this, try apples or pears instead of the peaches!
Kale & Quinoa Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs
I love how filling grain salads are, and this quinoa salad is no exception! It’s delicious too, with crunchy veggies, feta cheese, and a garlic-dijon vinaigrette.
Plus, it’s great for meal prepping because the kale softens overnight from the dressing but doesn’t get soggy like other greens can when pre-dressed.
If making more than 2 days in advance, I would recommend hard-boiling your eggs versus soft-boiling. (Soft-boiled eggs are best eaten within 2 days.)
Fall Harvest Salad with Watermelon
Watermelon is just as refreshing in the fall as it is in the summer!
Watermelon, combined with baby kale, butternut squash, farro, feta cheese, crispy chickpeas, and chopped pecans, all drizzled in an apple cider dressing, is an ideal fall/winter lunch.
Grilled Steak and Strawberry Salad
This salad combines sweet and savory in the best of ways!
Juicy strawberries, grilled steak, greens, and more all pulled together with a strawberry vinaigrette. It’s like a summery flavor party in your mouth!
Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
If you’re craving a caesar salad but looking for something a little different, try this kale caesar with crispy roasted chickpeas! I love salads with good texture and between the crunchy chickpeas and the pepitas, this salad’s texture game is STRONG.
The salad is vegan, with a creamy caesar dressing that blends together in seconds and contains a couple surprising ingredients that add creaminess and a “cheesy” flavor without dairy!
Avocado Quinoa Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
Tangy orange vinaigrette is the star of this show, but the salad base is delicious as well!
Quinoa, creamy avocado, peppery arugula, white beans, and crumbled feta all make up this unique and tasty grain salad.
It’s especially quick to make if you have leftover cooked quinoa (or another leftover grain)!
I hope these meal prep salads have you excited for lunchtime, no matter the time of year!
Whether you’re at home during the day or on the go, it’s always nice to know you have a delicious lunch ready and waiting for you.
Do you have a favorite meal prep lunch recipe? Feel free to share in the comments!
