How to Plan for Meal Prep

Learn how to meal prep for the week with this beginner’s guide. Streamline your time in the kitchen to stick with your food goals and save money!

If your days are crammed with chaotic schedules, tight timeframes, and the constant allure of not-so-healthy food options, then brace yourself for a game-changing solution: meal prepping.

What is meal prepping? Simply preparing a meal (or ingredients for a meal) ahead of time.

This beginner-friendly meal prep guide provides a detailed analysis of all things meal prep! Let’s get into it!

WHY MEAL PREP

Meal prepping isn’t just for fitness enthusiasts! There are benefits for everyone. Weekly meal prepping:

• Saves time. Spend less time in the kitchen each day and have more free time for other activities.
• Allows more family time. Have the kids come in and help with meal prep, meaning you spend time with them AND speed up the process.
• Makes healthy eating easier. Planning meals helps you make more conscious choices about ingredients, portion sizes, and dietary preferences.
• Reduces food waste. Making meal prep dishes means using ingredients strategically, minimizing unused produce, and avoiding food waste.
• May save money. Planning meals ahead of time helps avoid impulsive purchases.
• Customizable. Tailor your menu to meet specific nutrition goals or preferences.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEAL PREP IDEAS

Whole Meals

You can prep all of your meals or some, depending on your needs. Prepping whole meals consists of making entire meals and eating them throughout the week. This type of meal prep is perfect for those who don’t mind eating the same food every day or have a few busy days with just enough time to reheat something.

Ingredient Meal Prep

Instead of prepping entire meals, you can prep ingredients to use throughout the week.

This might mean preparing the ingredients so they’re ready to cook the day that you need them, like chopping vegetables or cooking dried beans so they’re ready to include in a recipe.

Or it might mean fully cooking several ingredients that you can mix and match to make full meals throughout the week, like cooking chicken breast, baking sweet potatoes, cooking rice, and steaming veggies.

Batch Cooking and Freezer Cooking

You can also use batch cooking and freezer cooking to your advantage.

Make a double or triple big batch of a meal and put the extras in the freezer to pull out for a quick and easy meal later on.

Whether you freeze whole, fully cooked meals, dump-and-cook dinners, or simply have a freezer stash of ingredients, you’ll make your future dinners easier.

HOW TO MEAL PREP: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE

#1 MAKE A MEAL PREP MEAL PLAN

Before you can get to meal prepping, you need to know what you’re making! That means making a meal plan.

Planning your meals is the first step to ensuring your meal prep experience runs smoothly!

Here’s how to craft a meal plan that works for you:

1. Check the calendar and note any activities that will affect when you have time to cook and eat.
2. Determine what kind of recipes you and your family like and write them down. This can be home-cooked meals you make often, certain kinds of takeout like stir-fries, or any other foods you and your family enjoy.
3. Create a grocery list or create meal prep recipes from foods you already have in your kitchen, and purchase anything you don’t already have. For example, if you have tons of canned goods, try to find recipes that utilize those ingredients so you’re not wasting money.
4. Figure out what you can meal prep ahead of time and schedule a time to make it happen.

For all of my best meal planning tips, read How to Meal Plan and Make It Work.

#2 PURCHASE YOUR INGREDIENTS

Go through each of your meal prep recipe ideas and write down all of the ingredients you need. Cross off what you have in your kitchen already and go shopping for the rest!

If the grocery store is out of the item you need, just get the next best thing or find a substitute. Use this guide for food substitutions to be prepared if ingredients are unavailable while grocery shopping.

#3 GRAB YOUR MEAL PREPPING MATERIALS

Make sure you have everything you need for healthy meal prep. That means figuring out which appliances you’re using, what you need to make the food, and how you’re going to store it.

• Oven. The oven is perfect for roasting vegetables and baking dishes with a lot of juices and sauce.
• Stovetop. The stovetop is perfect for sautéing vegetables and boiling potatoes, rice, and noodles.
• Instant Pot. I love using my Instant Pot for defrosting frozen meat and steaming vegetables!
• Air Fryer. This appliance cooks things much faster than the oven but has limited space, so you can switch off between the two or use the air fryer for all of your meals if you have extra time.
• Crockpot. The crockpot is the perfect tool for cooking low-and-slow meals, like a stew that needs to cook for several hours.
• Cutting boards, mixing bowls, knives, pots and pans. All of the tools you need to cook the food.
• Food storage containers. You can use plastic or glass containers, or resealable bags, depending on your preference.

#4 GET COOKING

Set aside a designated meal prep day or break it down into smaller sessions if that suits your schedule. Then, whip out your trusty crock pot or sheet pan to effortlessly cook larger quantities of food with minimal effort. Consider using tools like the Instant Pot or air fryer to speed up the process.

Make a list of the meal prep meals you’re trying to make so you can use your time and your appliances efficiently. You can bake something in the oven, get something in the Instant Pot, and use the stovetop at the same time if you plan ahead!

You can also meal prep multiple times per week as it fits into your schedule. Cook rice for dinner tonight AND cook extra for the freezer. Mix up a pan of Baked Ziti and freeze two additional pans for future meals. Turn leftovers from tonight’s Whole Roasted Chicken into tomorrow’s Chicken Caesar Wraps (and mix up the dressing tonight while the chicken cooks, too!).

#5 DIVIDE AND STORE

Opt for glass or airtight meal prep containers that keep your food prep fresh and flavorful for the next day.

• Divide up your food into individual portions in meal prep containers.
• Store larger servings in food storage containers if you plan for a family meal.
• Or separate by ingredient into appropriately sized containers or baggies.
• Do not forget to label EVERYTHING! (Trust me, I know!)

Pro tip: Leave room for a sprinkle of extra flavor or a drizzle of salad dressing to jazz up your meals when it’s time to dig in.

THE BEST FOOD PREP IDEAS

You have lots of options when it comes to meal prepping.

Consider your food goals: are you trying to cook more from scratch? Cut back on eating at restaurants? Lose weight?

Answering these questions will help you plan your meals for the whole week to keep yourself on track with your goals!

Here are some food prep ideas for making delicious meals throughout the week:

1. Frozen vegetables – Frozen vegetables are super convenient and cost less than fresh vegetables! After cooking them, you can barely taste the difference anyway, so why not save a little extra money?
2. Starchy vegetables – Potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, acorn squash, and carrots.
3. Whole grains – Brown rice, quinoa, farro, and barley.
4. Protein – Chicken breast, ground beef, steak, and salmon.
5. Fresh Fruit – Apples, grapes, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, and pears.
6. Nuts and seeds – Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds, pecans, and cashews.

Having these food items ready to go makes it easy to mix and match simple, healthy meals.

THE WORST FOODS FOR MEAL PREP

On the other hand, some foods just don’t work well for meal prepping.

• Eggs. Reheated eggs are usually dry and rubbery, so it’s best to prep these as you need them.
• Seafood. Seafood doesn’t last very long in the fridge. However, you can prep seafood and freeze it to ensure it stays fresher longer.
• Bread. If you’re making toast or making sandwiches, it’s best to save that step for right before your meal so your bread doesn’t get soggy or stale. You can freeze bread using this Ultimate Guide to Freezing Baked Goods.
• Leafy greens. Ingredients like kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, and arugula won’t taste great reheated, and get soggy when mixed with dressings and sauces. Instead, add these ingredients after heating your meal (or assemble with other cold salad ingredients just before eating) to ensure maximum taste.

MEALS TO MEAL PREP FOR EACH MEAL

Need some meal prep recipe ideas? Try these meals to meal prep for every part of the day!

• Breakfast Meal Prep. If you don’t have much time to eat breakfast in the morning, you can prep something like Overnight Oats or Frozen Smoothie Packets to make your mornings a breeze. This freezer-cooking breakfast prep plan is perfect!
• Lunch Meal Prep. Easy lunch prep recipes like Wraps, Homemade Lunchables, and sandwiches are a great way to save time and energy! Mason Jar Salads are another great option for healthy food prepping.
• Dinner Meal Prep. Pizza Bagels and Slow-Cooker Chicken Tacos are easy dinner options. For family meals, Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff or these Dump Dinner Meals are perfect for serving a larger number of people!
• Snacks Meal Prep. Snacks like Yogurt Parfaits, Trail Mix, Energy Balls, and Granola Bars are perfect for meal prepping grab-and-go snacks!

Here’s a One-Week Chicken Meal Prep Plan!

COMMON MEAL PREPPING MISTAKES TO AVOID

Don’t make complicated meals.

Keep your meal prep recipes simple. Nothing is worse than crafting an extravagant meal with too many steps and ingredients. The whole point of meal prep is to make life easier! Start with all-in-one meal prep meals like soups or chili.

Don’t make unbalanced meals.

Making balanced meals ensures you get the correct amount of nutrients you need each meal. Plus, you’ll feel much fuller and more satisfied eating balanced meals! A balanced meal consists of protein, carbs, and healthy fats.

Try Blackened Salmon with Brown Rice, Pan-Roasted Broccoli, and avocado.

Don’t meal prep dishes you don’t like.

Making meals you don’t like will only lead to throwing away food or dreading mealtimes. Instead, make healthy meal prep foods you actually enjoy so you’ll be more likely to stick with your prep!

Don’t make too little food.

One of the worst things you can do during meal prepping is not making enough food. So, try to divide out your ingredients before cooking to ensure you have exactly what you or your family needs throughout the week!

MEAL PREP MEALS FAQS

MORE MEAL PREP RECIPE IDEAS AND TIPS

• 7 Chicken Meal Prep Recipes to Cook Once and Eat All Week
• One Hour Breakfast Prep Meal Plan
• 5 School Lunches in 1 Hour Meal Plan
• The Ultimate Guide to Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets
• Meaty Spaghetti Sauce Recipe