Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all had an amazing holiday season and are rested and recharged for getting back into the swing of things for the new year. I’m definitely not ready to go back to the grind of work, but at least I know my fridge is stocked and ready to go with healthy meals to help me get back to feeling like myself after all the holiday indulgence.
Of course, it’s also that time of year when you’re sure to be bombarded with “new year, new you” and fad diet messaging at every turn. And while those “lose weight quick” schemes that you see on SkinnyTok can be tempting, nourishing your body with healthy, well-balanced meals is where it’s at for me. I’ve been meal prepping for 12 years now (can’t believe it’s been that long!!!!) and although the type of meal prep I do may not work for everyone, it’s my favorite healthy habit. So if you’re interested in meal prep, you’ve come to the right place!
This post is dedicated to my favorite meal plans and meal preps of 2025, but before we jump in, I just want to point out a couple of meal prep resources for anyone who is new to my blog! First, WELCOME!! My Meal Prep 101 page includes tips for getting started, how to tailor meal prep to fit your life, as well as container and gear recommendations. I also have 3 eBooks all about meal prep! The 3rd book is also available in hard copy form. In them you’ll find even more meal prep tips, recipes, sample meal plans, grocery lists, and prep day guides. Click on the image below to check out book previews and links to purchase them!
just a note…
While anyone can throw together a bunch of recipes in a PDF and call it a meal plan, I think it’s worth calling out that this is the food that I actually meal prep for myself and eat throughout the week. I take time to consider what recipes work well together for the week, how I can reuse ingredients, and am mindful of keeping things balanced.
You won’t find any fake, “posed,” or AI meal plans here. I work a full time job and take this stuff to work with me, and test out all the recipes (and meal prep containers) with real life experience and my own taste buds.
2025: Year in Review
2025 was another super busy year here at PBF and offline in “real life.” Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to take a hiking trip this year, but I’ve got something in the works for 2026! Here are a few highlights:
New House, New Job, and Moving, oh my! After moving around with the military for the last 16+ years, I finally bought my 1st house in Alexandria, VA to settle down in what will hopefully be my last duty station. It was a stressful process! I went under contract early on with a house that had major foundation issues uncovered during the inspection – luckily I was able to void that contract. After that, I looked at a ton of places that were just okay until I landed on the house that I knew was “the one” – the kitchen and backyard immediately won me over.
The logistics of packing and moving while working a full time job and being on call 24/7 are not something I’d wish on anyone, and as many times as I’ve moved, it never gets less awful. Home ownership has definitely been an adventure, but good, bad, or otherwise – she’s mine!
DC Aircraft Collision Response: In my “day” job, I serve as an active duty Coast Guard officer and was stationed at the unit responsible for coordinating our response to the plane crash. I got the call around 9PM that night and headed to DC where I served as the Operations Section Chief until after 10AM the next morning. Here you can see me providing a brief to our Commandant shortly before my brief to the Secretary of Homeland Security after being awake for well over 24 hours. After getting some much needed sleep, I headed back and continued coordinating the response and recovery for about 2 weeks after that. Luckily we were able to reunite all the families with their loved ones to bring them some closure.
Fave New Recipes this Year
It’s always hard to narrow down my favorites, but here are a few that stood out to me this year! You’ll see in the meal plans below that the Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas have quickly become a meal prep fave.
New to meal prep?
Get Started Here!
Explore my top tips for getting started, links to a ton of free resources and recipes, plus a list of must-have tools & essentials!
The Best PBF Meal Preps of 2025
Without further ado, here we go – let’s dive in to the 10 best meal preps of 2025! Just click on the photos or links to head over to that specific weekly meal plan. I’ve also included a breakdown of the individual meals for each meal plan so you can easily pick out and find the recipe that catches your eye.
Take the Flavor to the Max
3.30.25
Crank up the flavor of your meal prep to keep things exciting and delicious.
Pure Perfection
10.19.25
I mean, how gorgeous is this fall inspired meal plan? She. Is. Cute. (and delicious).
Lean, Mean, & High Protein
1.5.25
A meal plan that’s fitting for the first prep of the year with plenty of lean protein.
All the Classics
7.20.25
PB&J, Lunchables, and 2 of my favorite meal prep recipes? Sure, I’ll call that a classic prep that’s great any time of year.
- PB&J Baked Oatmeal
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas with rice and beans
- Classic Bento Box
- Easy Greek Chicken Salad
Vibrant Vibes
5.18.25
This warm weather meal plan makes the most of seasonal produce and herbs.
Spring is in the Air
3.23.25
Dial up this meal plan when the spring produce starts to show up in farmers markets and grocery stores.
Sweater Weather
11.16.25
When the temps start to drop, this meal plan will keep you cozy and warm like your favorite sweater.
- Dairy Free Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins
- Roasted Pumpkin Curry Soup with Chicken Sausage
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas with rice and beans
- Juicy Air Fryer Chicken with Roasted Butternut Squash & Kale Salad
Eat the Rainbow
8.17.25
This meal plan is full of fresh, bright flavors and colors that are perfect for summer!
Transition to Fall
9.7.25
While you can certainly eat this meal plan any time of year, it gives fall vibes with pumpkin, spaghetti squash, and hearty dinosaur kale 😍
Summer Lovin’
6.8.25
These recipes are great for summer and include a no-heat option that’s ridiculously fast and easy to prep.
- Mixed Berry Oatmeal Muffins
- Pesto Chicken & Bacon Summer Pasta
- Summer Chicken Salad with pretzel crisps and grapes
- Turkey Taco Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing
Dive In For More Meal Prep
Meal Prep Basics
Learn all my favorite techniques and tricks to keep food fresh and tasty, whether you’re freezing it for months, storing it in the refrigerator for the week, or prepping lunch for on the road without a microwave for reheating.
My ultimate guide to picking the perfect meal prep containers for your lifestyle!
Shop for Meal Prep Products
I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and have owned a lot of my equipment and meal prep containers for years. But don’t just trust my experience and recommendations – most of these items are heavily tested and are winners with America’s Test Kitchen too.
Not an Amazon fan? Check out my non-Amazon Storefront to find many of the same products from a variety of retailers.
