Okay, so you know those “meal prep with me” videos on Instagram that are super aesthetically pleasing with the cute matching glass containers that you don’t need? And the video usually ends with “You can find everything I used in the link in my bio.”
Love it or hate it? I really want to know, because sometimes I’m jealous of how cute everything looks and then other times I can’t help but roll my eyes because it’s not realistic. But I can’t look away…
Anyway, that’s what I think people think when I suggest meal prepping, but that’s not really the vibe here. It’s definitely not how meal prepping goes for me.
What is meal prepping?
Meal prepping is simply setting aside time to prepare any breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, you name it, so you can save time in the future. Breakfasts and lunches are most commonly prepped ahead of time but do whatever works for you and your household. To maximize savings and your success with meal prepping, it’s good to start with a meal plan. If you’re interested, then check out this post on why meal planning is so important for success next.
If you’re constantly eating out for lunch, then meal-prepping lunches would be a great place to start. Or prepping part of dinner, like chopping veggies or making a side salad, can help you save time throughout the week.
If you are trying to eat healthier, then I highly recommend meal-prepping healthy snacks to keep you from reaching for the potato chips. We all know we want something quick when we’re feeling snacky, so there is no time for chopping up veggies.
Weekly meal prepping can be a small ordeal or something you spend all day doing depending on what your time constraints are. Focus on the areas that need the most help, and start there first! The important thing is not to overwhelm yourself when you’re just starting.
How does meal prepping save money?
Meal prepping can save money in many ways! Everything from how you grocery shop to avoiding delivery fees and eating out for lunch.
Maybe you’re even skipping meals because you don’t have anything prepared and then you end up binging on snacks. Or is that just me? 🫣
Planning your meals for the week can prevent food waste. Which, for me, feels like I’m throwing a ten-dollar bill in the trash.
You are more likely to cook at home instead of ordering delivery. I mean… delivery prices? C’mon. Why the hell are there so many fees and hidden charges now?
Weekly meal prepping can empower you to eat healthier too and stick to any goals you have around food. I always like to say that investing in my food choices now, saves me money on doctor bills in the future (or taking sick time at work).
Keep in mind that if you’re eating out a lot or making frequent shopping trips throughout the week and you start meal prepping, your grocery bill could shock you. That doesn’t mean you’re not saving money though! Consider tracking your food expenses before and after meal preparation to see where to improve.
My system for weekly meal prep
Not everyone has to have the same system, or even should. Every household is different and it’s important to figure out what works for you, but to get you started, here’s what I do that works for me.
Equipment
I bet you can guess what I don’t have… cute little matching containers that put a dent in my wallet. Okay, but for real, if that’s you and you can afford it, then you do you! I love it and I’m here for it. I just don’t want people falling into the trap of thinking they don’t have the “right” equipment so they never start.
Just remember to do whatever works for you, but here is what I recommend having on hand for weekly meal prepping:
- Glass jars – Mason jars work great if you have some. I save all the glass jars that come through my kitchen like pickle jars, jam jars, pasta jars, all of them. These are great for overnight oats, berries or nuts, yogurt parfaits, salads, and so much more.
- Divided containers – I bought a ten-pack of similar containers for about $12 at my local grocery store. These are great for packing a lunch that, you guessed it, needs to be separated. My favorite way to use them is by making healthy adult lunchables for snacking on throughout the week.
- Reusable silicone baking cups – These are not necessary, but I like using them in the divided containers or large containers when I need to add a side of sauce or something.
- Large containers – I work from home and don’t pack a lunch usually, so I like to make a big bowl of pasta salad or tuna salad and keep it in a big container. This would also work great if you’re prepping a dinner side to be eaten throughout the week as well.
- Reusable Ziploc bags – Normal Ziploc bags would work fine too, but if you want to be green and save money, I recommend investing in some reusable bags (yay for helping the environment!). These are great for storing a sandwich, prechopped veggies, nuts, M&M’s, berries, and more. Honestly, if I was going to recommend buying anything, it’d be these. They’re great for the freezer too!
- Used plastic containers – If you’re really on a budget and in need of more meal prep containers, then give those old yogurt and sour cream containers a second life. But make sure it’s your lunch you’re packing and not the sour cream 😅.
Hopefully, that gave you some ideas on what you can use to get started with weekly meal prepping! No container is the “right” container for meal prep. If you can, use what you already have in the beginning before purchasing anything.
Planning
This is the most important step when it comes to saving money. When we talk about meal prepping it’s kind of implied that meal planning is the step before. The planning is how we can achieve success prepping.
Currently, I use Notion to plan my meals, but I’ve also printed out meal plans, used the notes app on my phone, and tried Google Sheets for a while too. Determine what works for you and keep changing it until you find a method you like.
Step 1: Before planning any meals, take note of what you have going on throughout the week. How much or how little time do you have to meal prep or cook dinner that week? What will your mornings and lunches look like? If you have a busy week, keep meals as simple and easy as possible. Then, figure out which day you’re going to meal prep.
Step 2: I start the planning process by taking inventory of what I have in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. Prioritize the ingredients that will go bad quicker, like produce. If I know I need to use some broccoli, I will plan my first meal around that ingredient, and so on.
Step 3: Then I move on to coupons and any weekly sales at my grocery store. If there’s a deal on chicken thighs, then that’s what we’re having for dinner one night. I also check out any cash-back items on apps like Ibotta or Swagbucks for more savings opportunities.
Step 4: After the inventory and coupons are done, I fill in the rest of the blanks. When I’m planning out dinner, I like to have one or two quick (20 minutes or less) or no cooking options. As we all know, shit comes up throughout the week we don’t expect, and it’s nice to be prepared.
If I really want to save money that week, then I will include a soup or ramen night. This started while we were living in our van, but it kinda stuck for a different reason. Soup is cheap and if I can plan a $4 dinner one night and not have to cook, it’s a win.
Step 5: Make the grocery list. I usually add things to my grocery list as I’m planning the meals, but this always results in me forgetting something, so I like to double-check everything before heading to the store.
This is a great time to check that you have enough of the ingredients you’re planning to use too. No one wants an extra trip to the store for one silly ingredient!
Remember, it’s important to start small. I recommend picking one meal to prep at the beginning until you get the hang of it. With time, you’ll get a method down that works for you and can continue building on your weekly meal prepping.
Shopping
My least favorite part. I’m not a fan of grocery shopping, at all, but I also don’t like doing grocery pickup either (I have to pick my produce). For my sister, that’s pretty much all she does and it works for her!
This part of the system is pretty straightforward. Go shopping for what you need! I used to be a one grocery store kinda gal, but lately, I’ve been breaking up my shopping list by store to save more money.
Grocery pick-up is great for saving time and I think most stores offer it for free. If it’s worth it to you, you could even opt for getting your groceries delivered.
I use Notion for my grocery list. I plan my meals, make the list on my laptop, and then use the app while shopping. It’s easy to organize and I can check things off as I throw it into my cart.
If you’re into saving money on groceries then you might want to read this post on 10 ways to save on groceries next.
Prepping
Finally, the fun part! I love to cook, I always have. If you want to stay consistent with weekly meal prepping then I recommend doing what you can to make it more enjoyable. Listen to music, podcasts, or your favorite YouTuber (Bailey Sarian or Swoop are some of my favorites right now, what are yours??).
I recommend starting small here. Don’t start by planning on an 8-hour day of cooking… Unless that’s your thing, then join the club! It’s important to remain consistent, so please don’t overwhelm yourself.
My system starts with the thing that’s going to take the most time and ends with the thing that I care the least about making. That way, if I run out of time, it’s not a huge deal. But remember to do what will work best for you.
If you’re stuck and don’t know where to start or what to prep then here are some things to keep in mind before you start prepping.
- If you have to use the oven for multiple things and it needs to be at different temps, make sure to plan accordingly.
- Keep in mind what the week ahead looks like. If there’s a specific day you know you don’t have time to deal with cooking on, then prep around that.
- If something takes a while in the oven, consider making that first. While your bread is baking, you can prep your adult lunchables.
- If there’s something small you can prep at a different time while you’re cooking dinner or making your coffee then just do that. I prep my overnight oats while I’m cooking dinner so that it frees up time on my actual meal prep day.
- Don’t feel like you have to prep one meal at a time. If I’m chopping vegetables for pot pie and I also know I’m adding veggies to my snack packs then I’ll just chop everything all at once.
After you’re done, give yourself a pat on the back! You’ve saved money and probably made better food choices while doing it! Whoo! 🥳
The very last step is reflection. If weekly meal prepping is something you want to remain consistent with, then it’s important to take stock of what went well and what didn’t. What can you do next week to make it go smoother?
I’ve meal-prepped lunches that I didn’t even end up eating because it wasn’t appealing during the week. I’ve meal-prepped things that, well, shouldn’t even be meal-prepped. I’m talking about pinwheels. The tortillas get soggy. But my point is, mistakes will be made and that’s just fine!
Learn as you go, and tweak as necessary.
Meals perfect for prepping
I can’t write this blog post without including my favorite things to meal prep. That would just be silly, and the cook in me just couldn’t do it.
Without further ado, here are some ideas to get you started on your meal-prepping journey:
- Breakfast burritos/sandwiches – I think I make breakfast burritos more than I prep anything else. They are perfect for prepping ahead and throwing in the freezer.
- Adult lunchables – These are great if you’re trying to eat healthier snacks. I like to add veggies and hummus, cheese and salami (crackers will get soggy in the fridge, so keep them separate), and berries, just to give you a few ideas.
- Roasted vegetable quinoa bowls – Quinoa is a great source of plant-based protein and of course, you can’t go wrong with vegetables. This makes a light and healthy lunch.
- Tuna salad – Or chicken salad. I store it in a single container and it’s easy to throw a sandwich together for lunch.
- Salad jars – I assume at this point we’ve all seen the mason jar salads and they are great for meal prepping. When it’s time to eat, pour the salad into a bowl and you’re good to go.
- Chicken pot pie – If I have the time, I love making a chicken or turkey pot pie and then throwing it in the freezer (baked or unbaked). It’s a great night when I don’t feel like cooking and I know I got that bad boy in the freezer.
- Stuffed mushrooms (just the filling) – Okay, this might be kind of a random one, which is why I wanted to include it. We make these to go with dinner, but the filling can take a while, which is why I like to prep it ahead for quicker dinners.
This list doesn’t even scratch the surface. There are sooo many more options like overnight oats, chicken and rice bowls, pasta salad, soup, egg bites, and burrito bowls, I could go on forever.
Experiment until you find something you like or lots of things you like. The sky is the limit. Let me know down below, what your favorite thing to meal prep is!
Tips for meal prepping
While weekly meal prepping is always beneficial, I’ve picked up a few tips from my experience that I think you’ll find helpful.
- Don’t put crackers or nuts in the fridge. I’ve done this with the adult lunchables and it gets soggy pretty quickly. I usually save some room in the container and add the crackers or nuts the morning of.
- This is a little random, but M&Ms also get “soggy” in the fridge. I feel it’s not exactly soggy, but I added them to adult lunchables once and the outside coloring started coming off, and it was just wrong. Tasted weird too.
- There are a lot of meal prepping recipes out there that will take up a lot of time. Just keep that in mind when choosing what to make. Try to keep the recipes simple to start with.
- Okay, let’s talk about pinwheels. For some reason, I see them on a lot of meal-prepping recipe lists, but the tortillas get soggy within a day or two. If you know a trick or something, please let me know, but I’ve officially given up.
- For the clean freaks, do your meal prepping before you clean the kitchen. This might seem obvious, but I always make the mistake of thinking “Oh it’ll be fine. I won’t make that much of a mess.” I’m always wrong.
- Have fun with it! I think this is so important for consistency. If you can pair meal prepping with an activity you enjoy, like listening to music or watching a movie, then do it!
Final thoughts
This is probably one of my favorite topics. I think it’s safe to call myself a meal-prepping expert at this point. It’s something I look forward to every week and has helped me consistently eat healthy throughout the week. If you have any questions or need some encouragement please don’t hesitate to reach out!
I hope you found this post helpful and I’m so excited for you to start your meal prepping journey!
Remember, don’t be too hard on yourself. It might take time to implement weekly meal prepping into your schedule regularly. It is a time-consuming process, so be prepared for that. Start small, and slowly increase as you start figuring out your system.
As always, I am rooting for you and talk to you again soon! –Annie