Today, we’re taking the classic pea salad recipe and elevating it to make it high protein and high fiber for a healthy lunch meal prep option. It’s the perfect spring salad for meal prepping and for taking to parties and events. It’s bright, fresh, and extra creamy!
One serving of this meal prep pea salad recipe contains 30g of protein and 7g of fiber. It’ll keep you full all afternoon while nourishing and energizing your body. If you’re looking for more high fiber meal ideas or high protein lunch ideas, this one checks all the boxes (and it’s meal prep friendly!).
Why You’ll Love This Pea Salad Recipe
There are so many reasons you’ll love this elevated pea salad recipe. Here are a few reasons why I love it…
- Protein Packed. With 30g of protein per serving, this easy lunch meal prep recipe is sure to keep you full for hours while providing your body (and muscles) beneficial amino acids necessary for hormone health and longevity.
- High in Fiber. With 7g of fiber per serving, you’re already hitting around 1/3 of the recommend daily intake for fiber. Best of all, the fiber is from whole food sources and contains both soluble and insoluble fibers promoting better overall gut and digestive health.
- Easy to Make. The only two things you need to cook are the chicken and bacon. And, technically, you can buy a rotisserie chicken saving you even more time in the kitchen.
- Extra Nutritious. From the peas and sunflower seeds to the chicken and turkey bacon, this salad provides your body with tons of beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, including zinc (from the sunflower seeds), antioxidants (from the red onion), and protein (from the peas, chicken, and turkey bacon).
Pea Salad Ingredients
To make this elevated pea salad recipe, you only need a handful of ingredients. You may already have some of them!
- Frozen Peas. That’s right! You don’t have to use fresh peas for this high protein lunch recipe idea.
- Shredded Chicken. To bump up the protein content and make this a meal, I’m adding shredded chicken breasts.
- Turkey Bacon (or regular). The traditional pea salad recipe calls for regular bacon (which is absolutely delicious), but I’m making it for meal prep today. So, I’m using turkey bacon for lower calories and higher protein.
- Sunflower Seeds. Another way I elevate this recipe is by adding raw sunflower seeds. This adds more fiber and nutrients plus a nice little crunch.
- Red Onion and Parsley. The fresh parsley and crispy onion add flavor and a boost in antioxidants.
- Cheese. The cheese is optional, but a pleasant addition to round out this salad.
- Homemade Dressing Blend. To make this salad meal prep friendly, I’m using a blend of greek yogurt, avocado mayo, honey, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and pepper for the dressing. This not only helps to increase the protein even more, but it’s also lower in calories than the traditional dressing recipe.
How To Make Pea Salad
You can make this salad in a few simple steps.
- Step 1 – Defrost the Peas. The first thing I do is run cool water over the peas and allow them to defrost while I cook/prep the other ingredients.
- Step 2 – Cook the Meats. Brown the bacon in a skillet. And, if using rotisserie chicken, shred 1 cup of chicken. Otherwise, you’ll want to bake one chicken breasts in the oven then shred it up.
- Step 3 – Make the Dressing. Mix all dressing ingredients together.
- Step 4 – Assemble the Salad. Add all of the ingredients to a mixing or salad bowl, pour the dressing over top, and toss to combine. For maximum flavor, let it marinate in the fridge overnight.
Why This Pea Salad Recipe Is Perfect For Meal Prep
If you’ve been on the search for more high protein lunch ideas and/or high fiber meal ideas that are meal prep friendly, this pea salad checks all the boxes. Here are a few reasons it’s meal prep friendly.
- It’s Hearty. It contains no ingredients that’ll wilt or shrivel after a few days. All of the ingredients will hold up nicely for up to 5 days in the fridge making it perfect for a high protein lunch meal prep idea.
- It’s Nutritious. During busy work weeks, it’s easy to bypass a home cooked meal and opt for take out or fast food during your lunch break. Meal prepping this pea salad recipe ensures you’re equipped for the week and will have a healthy, nutritious lunch daily.
- It’s Macro-Friendly. All of the macros for this healthy lunch meal prep are within a healthy macro range for healthy eating and even for weight loss.
Storage Tips and Substitution Ideas
- Fridge Storage: This pea salad recipe will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer Storage: I do not recommend freezing this recipe. It doesn’t freeze well.
- Pea Substitution: If you’re not a fan of peas but want a similar salad recipe, try my broccoli salad recipe.
- Cheese Substitution: Feta cheese works well with this recipe. You can also use a vegan cheese to keep it dairy free.
- Greek Yogurt Substitution: Any plain, unflavored yogurt works for the dressing. You can also use sour cream instead of yogurt.
Best Meal Prep Containers for Salads
- Glass Meal Prep Containers – I like these for when I want to add sides to my salads.
- Stackable Glass Meal Prep Containers – These are perfect for stacking and saving space in the fridge. They’re also freezer friendly.
More High Protein Lunch Ideas
If you’re on the search for high protein lunch ideas or high fiber meal ideas, here are a few of my favorites that are great for meal prepping. All of these recipes are gluten free.
Pea Salad Recipe (high protein lunch idea)
This pea salad recipe is perfect for meal prepping, parties, and events. It's high protein and high fiber. It's also gluten free!
Video
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 1/2 C. Plain Greek Yogurt (or dairy free yogurt)
- 1/2 C. Avocado Mayonnaise
- 1.5 Tbsp Raw Honey
- 1.5 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2-1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
For the Salad:
- 32 oz Frozen Peas, defrosted (about 4 cups)
- 8 slices Uncured Turkey Bacon, cooked and crumbled (or regular bacon)
- 1 C. Chicken Breast, shredded (see notes)
- 1/2 C. Raw Sunflower Seeds
- 1/2 C. Red Onion, chopped
- 1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or feta cheese)
- 1/4 C. Fresh Parsley, finely diced
Instructions
- Defrost the Peas: Add frozen peas to a strainer and run cool water over them making sure to break them up so they don't stick together. Allow them to defrost and drain while you prep the other ingredients.
- Make the Dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk until fully combined. Set aside.
- Cook the Meats: Add bacon to a skillet over medium heat and cook until fully browned. Once done, place them onto a paper towel to drain any excess grease. Then, crumble them into bite size pieces. For the chicken, I like to use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from my local market to speed things up. However, you can also bake one chicken breast (season to your liking) and shred it up once done.
- Assemble the Salad: Once everything is ready, add all salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over top and mix until everything is coated with the dressing. Let marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight for best flavor.
- Add to Meal Prep Containers: If you're having this pea salad for your weekly lunch meal prep, roughly divide it into 5 equal parts and transfer to your meal prep containers.
Notes
- For the Chicken: To speed things up, try using a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store and shred it up yourself. Sometimes they sell it already pre-shredded. Or, bake one chicken breast. Season to your liking. Then, shred it up before adding it to the salad.
- Dairy Free Option: If you want to make this pea salad recipe dairy free, swap out the greek yogurt with dairy free yogurt and either eliminate the cheese or use vegan cheese.
- Meal Prep Containers: I like using these glass meal prep containers when I want to add “sides” to my main meal, such as fresh vegetables. I like using these stackable glass containers when I’m only consuming the salad.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 555kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 30gFat: 37gFiber: 7gSugar: 6g
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to tag me on Instagram!@KaylaJChandler or #FeelinFabWithKayla
You have absolutely done it again! 🙌 Every time I’m running out of meal prep ideas, I know I can count on your recipes to deliver something amazing. This pea salad is ridiculously simple and SO delicious!!
I swapped in your ranch dressing recipe (because I can never say no to fresh dill 😍), and wow—it took it to another level. Truly incredible!
If no one has told you lately, you are amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with all of us. May God bless you and your beautiful family 💛🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
Aww tysm! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and I’ll definitely have to try it with ranch – genius!!
This is so tasty! I’m a huge fan of peas and everything is this recipe mixes so well together. I love it!
So glad you enjoyed it!