Smart, simple ways to add more seafood to your weekly routine.

Let’s face it—dinner time rolls around fast, and having something ready (or close to ready) makes all the difference. If you’re already a fan of meal prepping, or you’re just trying to eat better without starting from scratch every night, seafood might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But it should be.

High-quality seafood, like Marine Harvest’s steelhead trout and tilapia, is quick to cook, full of protein, and surprisingly easy to prep in advance once you know how to handle it. You don’t need to batch cook trays of food or freeze whole meals—you just need a few smart strategies that fit the way you actually eat.

Here’s how to build a weekly routine that includes more seafood—without the stress.

Why Seafood Makes Sense for Meal Prep

Most people think of chicken, ground meat, or beans when they think “meal prep.” But seafood has some serious advantages:

• It cooks quickly—often in under 10 minutes
• It’s rich in protein and omega-3s
• It tastes good cold or reheated
• It works in salads, bowls, tacos, and sandwiches
• It freezes well, especially when portioned ahead of time

Whether you’re prepping lunch for the week or planning a few simple dinners, seafood can be a low-lift, high-reward addition.

Choosing the Right Portions

If you're not cooking for a crowd, pre-portioned fillets make life easier. Marine Harvest seafood comes in conveniently sized pieces (usually 4–6 oz), which is a good standard for one person.

How much should you prep?

• Lunch-sized portions: 4 oz per serving
• Dinner portions: 5–6 oz per serving
• Family of four: 1.25–1.5 lbs total

You can prep several fillets at once and store them separately, or cook a larger batch and flake the fish into meals throughout the week.

Smart Storage Basics

Keeping seafood fresh isn’t hard—you just need to handle it properly. Here's how to store both raw and cooked fish without compromising flavor or safety.

If it’s raw:

• Keep it in the coldest part of the fridge (usually the back, lowest shelf)
• Use within 1–2 days of purchase
• Or freeze immediately if you don’t plan to use it right away
• Wrap tightly in freezer-safe bags or containers, removing as much air as possible

If it’s cooked:

• Cool completely before refrigerating
• Store in an airtight container
• Use within 3 days
• To freeze, portion and label each container with date and type (e.g., “Cooked Tilapia – May 5”)

Pro tip: Freeze individual cooked fillets on a tray, then transfer them to a freezer bag so they don’t stick together.

Prep Once, Eat Twice (or More)

You don’t have to cook every component of a meal in advance to feel “prepped.” Sometimes it’s about having one versatile protein ready to go.

Try one of these easy batch options: all the recipes can be found on Marine Harvest Seafood.

1. Steelhead Trout Papillote

Bake multiple portions in parchment with vegetables, lemon, and olive oil. Store each packet in the fridge—reheat in the oven or microwave in under 2 minutes. 

2. Garlic Herb Butter Tilapia

Air-fry a few portions with garlic herb butter. Store whole or flake for use in grain bowls, tacos, or lettuce wraps.

3. Cheesy Steelhead Trout Casserole

Make a big pan of this creamy noodle bake and portion it into lunch containers. It reheats beautifully and keeps for 3–4 days.

4. Brown Sugar Roasted Steelhead Trout

Perfect for topping salads or folding into warm grain bowls. Bake a couple of portions at once and keep them in the fridge to build easy meals. 

What to Prep Ahead (Even If You’re Not Cooking Yet)

If you’re not ready to cook but want to set yourself up for the week, prepping ingredients still helps. Here’s what you can do ahead of time:

• Portion raw fillets into zip bags (by number of servings) and freeze
• Chop aromatics—onions, garlic, ginger—and store in small containers
• Pre-slice citrus, herbs, or garnish toppings like green onions or peppers
• Make a batch of sauce or slaw (like mango salsa or chipotle mayo)
• Pre-cook grains like rice, couscous, or farro—they hold up great in the fridge

Even just doing one or two of those will save you time when dinner rolls around.

Building a Weekly Rotation

Meal prep doesn’t have to mean eating the same thing five days in a row. If you start with a base of seafood, you can change the format and flavor so it doesn’t get boring.

Example 3-day rotation with steelhead trout:

• Day 1 dinner: Pan-seared trout with roasted veggies
• Day 2 lunch: Flaked trout over couscous with herbs and a lemon vinaigrette
• Day 3 dinner: Brown sugar trout in tacos with slaw and yogurt sauce

With tilapia:

• Day 1 dinner: Polenta-crusted tilapia tacos
• Day 2 lunch: Flaked tilapia on top of a spinach salad with avocado and lime
• Day 3 dinner: Warm bowl with rice, garlicky tilapia, and roasted peppers

You’re using the same protein, but each meal feels different.

What Freezes Well (and What Doesn’t)

Best frozen:

• Raw fillets, portioned
• Cooked plain fish (not breaded or heavily sauced)
• Fully cooked dishes like casseroles or baked fish

Less ideal frozen:

• Slaws or salads with mayo
• Sauces with citrus or dairy
• Breaded fish—better fresh, as the crust can soften in the freezer

If you're freezing cooked fish, wrap it tightly and reheat gently (low oven or microwave on 50% power) to keep it from drying out.

Final Thoughts

Meal prepping with seafood doesn’t have to be complicated. With high-quality, pre-portioned fillets from Marine Harvest and a few solid storage habits, you can build quick, healthy meals that don’t taste like leftovers.

Start small—maybe with one or two fillets and a grain bowl. As you get more comfortable, try batch cooking a casserole or pre-freezing a few portions for next week.

You’ll save time, reduce food waste, and probably eat better, too. Because sometimes, the best way to take the stress out of dinner… is to start with a great piece of fish.