Wouldn’t a no-prep recipe sound good right about now?

Let’s admit it, we’ve all had them… There are specific days of the week when you just don’t have the time or energy to cook a healthy meal from scratch. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to order unhealthy takeout or overprocessed foods.

There are plenty of healthy no-prep recipes out there that can be made in no time. From simple salads to hearty meals, we found many great recipes that require no or very little cooking.

The best part? They can all be on your dinner table in 30 minutes or less. So the next time you’re feeling sluggish, or you’re short on time, try one of these 7 healthy no-prep recipes. You’ll surely thank us for them!

No-Prep Recipe: Apple Salad With Chicken And Cherries

Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 8 cups of fresh mixed greens lettuce
• 1 thinly sliced or chopped large apple
• 1 thinly sliced or chopped large pear
• 2.5 cups of shredded seasoned rotisserie chicken
• .5 cup of dried tart cherries or cranberries
• .5 cup of candied pecans
• .5 cup of crumbled goat, feta or gorgonzola cheese

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• .25 cup apple cider vinegar
• .25 tsp of: ground cinnamon, sea salt, ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. FOR SALAD: Place the greens, apples, and pears in a large bow. Slice or chop the chicken, add it in, and finally, add the dried tart cherries as well.
2. FOR DRESSING: Combine all the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake well. Taste it and adjust to your own personal preferences.
3. FINISHING THE SALAD: Toss the salad with 80% of the dressing and then add in the coarsely chopped pecans. Top it with your desired crumbled cheese. Pour the rest of the sauce on top of your salad and sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt. Serve immediately.
4. FOR STORAGE: Leftovers for this no-prep recipe tend to get soggy, so only add the dressing, nuts, and cheese to what you want to eat right away. You can store the salad, cheese, nuts, and dressing separately for some delicious leftovers or meal prep for the week. Just add in freshly sliced apples or pears and assemble it right before eating.

No-Prep Recipe: 5-Ingredient Black Bean Soup

Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2-4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cans of black beans, liquid included
• About 2.5 cups of good-quality salsa, store-bought or homemade
• 1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro, plus some extra for garnishing
• 2 tsp. of ground cumin
• 1 clove of minced garlic

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Stir all of your ingredients together in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Once this begins to happen, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and continue simmering for at least 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
2. Serve your soup warm and topped with some additional fresh cilantro if desired.

No-Prep Recipe: Smoked Salmon And Peas With Creamy Gnocchi

Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2

INGREDIENTS

• 8oz of gnocchi
• 1 cup of frozen or fresh peas
• 4 tbsp of chopped chives
• 1/3 cup of white wine
• 5oz of soft and spreadable goat cheese
• 4oz of sliced or roughly chopped smoked salmon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the gnocchi in boiling, salted water until they begin to float, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drain them and put them to the side
2. Heat up the wine and peas and bring them to a simmer in a covered skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add in the goat cheese and chives, and gently heat until the goat cheese has begun to melt. Add in the salmon and stir gently for a few minutes.
4. Add in the gnocchi and heat through if needed. Serve on your favorite dish.

No-Prep Recipe: Zucchini Noodles With Beans, Feta, And Lemon

Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium to large spiralized zucchinis, to a spaghetti-like size
• 1 cup of halved grape tomatoes
• 1 can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans,
• .5 cup of crumbled feta
• .5 cup of minced fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of minced fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• .5 teaspoon salt
• .5 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put your zucchini noodles in a large bowl. Add the grape tomatoes, parsley, beans, feta, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine them.
2. Taste it and add more salt or red pepper flakes, depending on your taste. Serve immediately or store it in a covered container in the fridge.

No-Prep Recipe: Spicy Chickpea Wraps With Spinach And Avocado

Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 3.5 cups of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2–3 tbsp of Sriracha sauce
• 2–3 tbsp of vegan mayo or tahini
• 1–2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 cup of lightly packed chopped cilantro
• a few large tortillas
• spinach
• 1/2 of an avocado per wrap
• salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place your chickpeas in a blender and mix until they’re mostly broken down. Or you can mash them up in a bowl using a fork or potato masher. It should look chunky but start to hold together.
2. Combine the chickpea blend into a mixing bowl with everything except the avocado and spinach. Mix them well. It should look like an egg or tuna salad when finished. Adjust the amount of sriracha, mayo, and lemon to your desired taste and consistency.
3. To create the wraps, place a scoop of the chickpea mixture into each wrap, and then top it with spinach and avocado. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Then, just roll them up and enjoy this easy breezy no-prep recipe!

No-Prep Recipe: Easy Chicken Gyros

Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces of shredded rotisserie chicken
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 6 warmed pita
• 9 halved grape tomatoes
• .5 of an English cucumber, seeded and cut into small sticks
• .5 cup of thinly sliced red onion
• .75 cups of store-bought or homemade tzatziki sauce
• .25 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• 2 teaspoons of chopped dill or mint, fresh

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Give the shredded chicken a toss while also adding your lemon juice.
2. Divide the chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, and onion evenly among the pita.
3. Top each pita with the tzatziki sauce and feta, and garnish with some chopped dill or mint.

No-Prep Recipe: Sheet Pan Turkey Sausage And Vegetables

Time: 1hr And 5min (Prep: 5min, Cook: 1hr)
Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

• one 13oz Butterball Everyday Smoked Turkey Dinner Sausage (sliced into .5in rounds)
• 12 trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts
• 1 large peeled and diced sweet potato
• 1 medium/large zucchini, peeled and chopped into half-moons
• 1.5 cups of broccoli florets
• 3 to 4 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of dried onion flakes
• 1 tbsp of dried parsley
• 1 tbsp of dried oregano
• 1 to 2 tsp of dried rosemary
• 1 tsp of kosher salt
• .5 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: freshly grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil, and add the sausage, sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, and broccoli. Evenly drizzle it with some olive oil.
2. On top, sprinkle it with the oregano, onion flakes, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and begin to evenly toss with your hands to coat and distribute all the seasonings.
3. Afterward, scatter the vegetables in a flat layer. It’s okay if your baking sheet is crowded because the vegetables begin shrinking as they cook.
4. Bake for roughly 45 to 60 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and have as much color as desired. Halfway through baking, toss the vegetables to ensure even cooking. Start checking to see if they’re ready at 40 minutes since all ovens and veggies vary.
5. Optional: Sprinkle with some Parmesan and serve while hot

Final Thoughts

When those hectic kinds of days begin to get you down, there’s nothing wrong with an occasional takeout meal. But like many other quick fixes, getting takeout on repeat isn’t a perfect solution.

So instead, fill your pantry and fridge with the building blocks of some of your favorite no-prep recipes. Do it for your wallet, health… and your stress levels!

Please let us know in the comments if you’ve tried any of these no-prep recipes and what you thought of them!

And if you’re looking for some more nutritious meals other than these no-prep recipes, we’ve got you covered! Check out this one: 9 Slow Cooker Recipes for Effortless Meals