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Meal prep can be a great way to save time and money during a busy week and ensure you always have nutritious, healthy meals ready to go. Ground beef is a wonderfully versatile ingredient that can be a real game changer when it comes to streamlining your meal planning. It’s high in protein and adaptable ingredients that can easily complement a wide variety of dietary preferences, needs, and lifestyles.
When prepared and stored correctly, ground beef can be a fantastic budget-friendly option for making delicious meals you can enjoy all week. It’s an excellent foundation for keto, paleo, and low-carb diets and offers a quality protein source with lots of flavor. Let’s look at seven top ground beef meal prep ideas, how to properly prepare and store them, and the best ways to customize meals to fit your lifestyle.
Is Ground Beef Suitable for Various Types of Diets?
Ground beef is highly versatile and easy to incorporate into many different dietary plans. It’s an excellent protein source and rich in essential nutrients like zinc, iron, and B vitamins. The high fat and low carb content make ground beef suitable for keto, high protein, paleo, and low-carb diets.
The type of ground beef and its fat content can also affect its suitability for different diets. For those who need a heart-healthy option, a leaner 90/10 beef is a good choice, while an 80/20 beef is better suited for keto diets that utilize fat as the primary energy source. Higher fat content will also result in more moisture and flavor.
What Makes Ground Beef a Good Choice for Meal Prep?
Ground beef is very effective for meal prep due to its adaptability to different cooking techniques, affordability, and easy preparation. Let’s look at some of the top benefits of incorporating ground beef into your meal prep routine.
Protein-Rich Budget Option
Ground beef can be a more budget-friendly choice than many other meat options. It offers the same protein benefits as steak or poultry but is more affordable and easier to portion out for meal prepping. For those looking to avoid overspending, it’s a great option to maintain muscle, manage weight, and increase overall protein intake.
Versatile Cooking Methods
One of the best things about ground beef is that it can be cooked in many different ways. That allows you to customize the texture and flavor more easily. Ground beef can be baked, slow-cooked, pan-fried, or even air-fried. Beef can be stir-fried for a quick meal, develop a deeper flavor when cooked in a crock pot, and be a hands-off option when baked.
Long Lasting When Frozen
Ground beef freezes well when done correctly and can last in the freezer for up to three months. It can be pre-portioned before freezing to reduce food waste and ensure you always have a high-protein meal. Use airtight glass containers or vacuum-sealed bags to prevent freezer burn and keep the beef fresh.
Easy Quick Meal Base
Ground beef is a great base for many different meals, such as tacos, chili, casseroles, and stir-fries. It cooks quickly and doesn’t require much preparation, making it a convenient choice for those who are short on time and need a nutritious meal without excessive cooking time.
7 Delicious Meal Ideas with Ground Beef
If you are thinking about trying out some ground beef recipes to incorporate into your meal prep, here is our team of foodies’ top seven favorite recipes that use ground beef.
Mexican Taco Rice Bowls
Pairing ground beef with Mexican-style rice, beans, and fresh toppings like salsa, avocado, cheese, and lettuce is a great quick meal option. They are easy to customize and incorporates a nice balance of fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
Low Carb Zucchini Boats
For a low-carb option, zucchini serves as the base for seasoned ground beef, cheese, and seasonal vegetables. The zucchini is halved and hollowed out a bit to hold the beef and veggie mix. This is a great meal prep option for keto and paleo dieters.
Classic Beef Pasta Bake
Ground beef is a versatile ingredient in this comforting casserole dish, perfect for larger-batch cooking and meal prepping. Pasta, ground beef, marinara sauce, and cheese are layered together and baked for a hearty and filling meal. The pasta can also be substituted for whole wheat, a gluten-free version, or even zucchini to suit different dietary needs.
Asian Lettuce Wraps
This Asian-inspired dish is a light and satisfying meal for those looking for a lower-carb option. Ground beef is sauteed with aromatics like ginger, garlic, and sesame oil and topped on crispy lettuce leaves. To add more fiber, you can add carrots, water chestnuts, or other veggies.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Colorful, vitamin-rich bell peppers are stuffed with seasoned ground beef and rice for a high-fiber and high-protein meal that bakes up to perfection. These are easy to portion and store and are a nutrient-dense, well-balanced meal.
Hearty Chili Portions
A good chili can be hard to beat for a heartier meal prep option. Ground beef works perfectly as a base and is complemented with beans, tomatoes, and rich spices. It works well as a bigger batch meal and can easily be frozen. It also reheats well and develops more flavor over time.
Mediterranean Beef Bowls
For those on a Mediterranean diet, these beef bowls are seasoned with Mediterranean spices and served over fluffy quinoa or couscous. For a balanced and healthy meal, top them with fresh veggies like cucumber, tomatoes, and olives and some tzatziki sauce or hummus.
How to Properly Store Ground Beef Meals After Preparation
There are a few best practices to consider when meal prepping with ground beef to ensure it is properly stored after cooking. Following these tips can help reduce the risk of food spoilage or foodborne illness and ensure you always have a fresh, ready-to-eat meal on hand.
Cool Quickly Before Storing
Ground beef should be cooled quickly once it has been cooked to prevent and slow the growth of bacteria. Using shallow containers or ice baths can help cool the beef more quickly and evenly and maintain the freshness longer.
Use Airtight Glass Containers
When storing ground beef, try to opt for glass storage containers. Glass will keep your meals fresher for longer than plastic. An airtight closure is best to help prevent contamination, freezer burn, and odor absorption.
Label With Preparation Date
Labeling your meals with the date they were made is a great practice to get in the habit of. It can make it easy to quickly sort and rotate them so you always have a fresh meal ready. It can also help prevent food spoilage or waste by throwing out old food.
Maintain Proper Temperature
Temperature is a really important consideration when storing meals. Above certain temperatures, bacteria and mold can thrive and quickly spoil ground beef. Store your meals below 40°F in the fridge or 0°F in the freezer to maximize freshness and shelf life.
Which Meal Delivery Services Offer Ground Beef Meals?
Meal delivery services can be a great option for making meal prep even easier. They can take the guesswork out of meal planning, grocery shopping, and lengthy cooking times while also being easy to customize to dietary restrictions. Several top choices for meal kits and delivery services offer some great recipes featuring ground beef. Here are the top three we recommend from experience:
HelloFresh
HelloFresh is a top-rated meal kit service known for its easy-to-follow recipes and crowd-pleasing flavors. This year, they have some newer menu options that make it easy to customize portion sizes, and protein choices make meal prep even easier. You can choose from easy recipes, one-pot meals, and microwaveable options.
Some of the top ground beef recipes we have tried are England’s Minced Beef Cottage Pie with Peas, Mexican Street Corn & Ground Beef Pasta, and Mexi-Cali Rice Stuffed Poblanos. They also have a nice selection of market items to add on, like extra proteins, snacks, and desserts.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron is another fan favorite. Its chef-designed recipes feature more gourmet options, farm-fresh ingredients, and high-quality ground beef. You can customize the portion sizes for meal prep and select from meal kits, prepared and ready meals, and wellness kits that feature multiple meals and servings.
They have a large rotating weekly menu with some great ground beef options, such as 15-Minute Beef & Curry Spiced Rice with Cilantro Sour Cream, Smoky Cheddar Cheeseburgers with Strawberry Jalapeno Glazed Onions, and Mexican Beef & Rice Bowls with Fresh Tomato Salsa.
Home Chef
Home Chef is an excellent meal kit service that aims to simplify cooking and meal planning. It caters to different dietary preferences and features kid-friendly recipes that are straightforward to follow with just a few simple steps. You can also customize some of the proteins or double portion sizes for meal prepping.
You can get their antibiotic-free ground beef in the pantry market, and they also use it in their recipes. The menu offers a great selection of beef entrees, such as Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Jasmine Rice, Ground Beef Sloppy Joe-Gie with Cheddar and Pickles, and the Enchilada Beef Bowl with Mexican Rice and Red Peppers.
What’s the Best Beef Type for Meal Prep?
Depending on your lifestyle and dietary preferences, you may want to be more selective in which type of beef you choose. The lean-to-fat ratio of ground beef can be selected to fit the kind of meal you want to prepare or your dietary needs. A higher fat ratio like an 80/20 ground beef is perfect for juicy burgers, flavorful meals, and for those that need a higher fat content like those on a keto-friendly diet.
A leaner ground beef like 85/15 is a great middle-ground for flavor and less fat, while a 90/10 ratio is perfect for those prioritizing a lower fat intake. There are also many options for sourcing ground beef with additional nutritional benefits. Grass-fed and organic beef is usually the better option, free of antibiotics and added hormones.
Bottom Line
Ground beef can be a great versatile option for meal prepping and planning to suit various dietary preferences, cuisines, and preparation methods. It’s affordable, easy to portion, and, when done properly, easy to store and freeze. Whether using beef in one of the recipes we provided here or enjoying the convenience of a meal kit delivery service, ground beef is a high-protein, low-carb option to always have balanced and nutritious meals ready to be enjoyed all week.
