There is much to love about sheet pan dinners. They are a convenient, easy way to cook a nutritious meal without a big mess!

One pan meals usually include a protein source, chopped vegetables, and optional seasonings that are all combined on the same pan. And not to mention, they are naturally healthy, nutrient-dense meals that come together easily. 

Ready to become a one-pan meal pro? Get inspired with these top meal prep tips and healthiest sheet pan meals.

Sheet Pan Meal Prep Tips

No matter if a beginner or a seasoned cook with sheet pan recipes, these tips will help make sheet pan meal prep easy for everyone. Doing these prep steps can help deliver nutritious meals throughout a busy week.

1. Read the recipe before beginning.

Reading the recipe before beginning will give a heads up on what ingredients, cooking equipment, and time are needed for the recipe. This will help determine if all things needed are on hand for the recipe and if you want to add anything else (see tip #2).

2. Choose what (if anything) to go with a sheet pan meal.

Sheet pan meals can easily be a meal by themself. However, sometimes adding a salad, a cooked whole grain or another side can help balance out the dish.

Decide if anything should be served with the sheet pan meal. If so, can it be prepped ahead of time?

For example, a salad (minus the dressing) can be made beforehand and stored in the refrigerator. Pull out a few minutes before serving with dressing added at this time.

3. Make extra servings for leftovers.

Making a sheet pan dinner with leftovers can be either an easy dinner the following night or a delicious packable lunch throughout the week. Depending on the serving sizes and how many people need to eat, ingredients may need to be adjusted to ensure there are leftovers.

While this may sound like extra work, it will not add that much extra prep time. Rather it is just an intentional step of adjusting ingredients (if necessary) before starting to cook. Plus, the benefit of getting another meal (or two) throughout the week is worth it.

Think ahead tip: In order to have enough ingredients on hand, make a list when grocery shopping in order to get enough ingredients that ensure leftovers.

4. Chop or marinade ingredients ahead of time if possible.

After reading through the recipe and determining if any additional sides are needed, it is time to prep ingredients. This will probably entail at least washing, chopping, and seasoning vegetables for the sheet pan meal.

If possible, wash and chop vegetables ahead of time. For example, on Sunday, wash and chop vegetables for a sheet pan dinner later in the week. Then, during the week, it will cut down on prep time needed before eating the meal.

Cutting up any protein options and adding seasoning or marinade for the sheet pan meal may also be done ahead of time, depending on the recipe. These prep steps can be helpful to make a quick, nutritious, delicious dinner meal a reality during a busy weeknight.

Healthy Sheet Pan Recipes

These healthy sheet pan recipes make planning a nutritious meal easy. They combine a good amount of vegetables, healthy protein, and delicious flavors. Keep one-pan meals interesting by experimenting with different options from Hawaiian, Morrocan, or Middle Eastern-inspired flavors.

Lacking the suggested ingredients? Remember, one-pan meals can also be made on the fly with whatever vegetables and protein source on hand!

1. Sheet Pan Chicken with Rainbow Vegetables

A nutrition show stopper, this sheet pan recipe incorporates a variety of colored vegetables. Not only is it a delicious recipe, but it is also beautiful and colorful!

Option to pair this sheet pan meal with a whole grain like brown rice or quinoa.

2. Sheet Pan Salmon with Citrus Avocado Salsa and Potatoes

The addition of citrus avocado salsa really adds a delicious twist to this one sheet meal. Paired with salmon and potatoes, this is a filling meal that is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids.

3. Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Shrimp Tacos

This shrimp and pineapple taco sheet pan meal can be made in just 30 minutes and is a fun, unique way to incorporate pineapple as the main star. Prep the pineapple ahead of time or opt to buy already cut-up pineapple to save time if desired.

4. Sheet Pan Moroccan Chicken with Sweet Potato & Cauliflower

Awaken the taste buds with the Morrocan-themed spices of cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic powder & cayenne pepper. Along with the chicken, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower, this meal is topped with a feta yogurt sauce, dried cherries, and roasted pistachios.

5. Sheet Pan Chorizo and Egg Bake

This sheet pan meal is a perfect, easy breakfast for dinner option. The combination of eggs, sweet potatoes, beans, and vegetables provides a good source of fiber, antioxidants, and minerals.

Substitute the chorizo for soy or another plant-based breakfast sausage if desired.

6. Sheet PanZa'atar-Roasted Chicken Tenders & Vegetables with Couscous

Savor the delicious flavors of the Middle East any night of the week with this easy, balanced meal. The couscous technically cooks in a separate pot, but it cooks in just a matter of minutes.

7. Sheet Pan Chickpea & Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

This vegan hash recipe offers another breakfast (or any time of day) option for a one-sheet meal. It has a base of bell peppers, onions, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas to be a hearty, yet light meal option.

8. Sheet Pan Chickpea, Potato, and Parsley Bowl

This vegan one-sheet meal is still full of protein and fiber; it will keep you feeling satisfied long after eating. The sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and carrots are roasted in one pan then paired together with a lemon tahini dressing and fresh, chopped parsley.

One-Pan Meals Recap

Sheet pan meals serve as an easy prep and easy clean-up approach to eating a healthy meal. Healthy sheet pan recipes are based on vegetables, lean proteins, and/or legumes. They can be kept basic for seasoning or take on a more exotic flavor profile to spice things up.

Meal prep for sheet pan meals can help save even more time. Simple steps like reading the recipe through first, deciding what (if anything) will go with it, planning for leftovers, and chopping/marinating ingredients ahead of time will make sheet pan meals a go-to for easy, weekly meals.