Meal Prep Tell All: What, when, how?

We've all been there - staring at the fridge wishing it would tell us what's for dinner. And, while meal prepping can be incredibly helpful, what we all realize is that meal prepping actually starts with the meal plan. We start with looking out to the week and getting a step ahead with a plan- that may range from home cooked meals, to simple favorites or a meal delivery membership. And, then comes the prepping. Read on to see when we fit it in, how we keep it simple and a few favorite routines, recipes and go-to meals.

Rebecca, Woman's Leadership Coach from @PleasantlyAggressive

It all starts with meal planning! Whether it’s weekly or monthly, it helps me stay organized and reduces my trips to the grocery store. When I was working full-time in an office 40-50 hours per week, I didn’t have the time to be at the grocery store every other day, nor did I desire to think and stress about what I was going to make.

The usual schedule:

Friday - Clean out the fridge. Plan meals for next week. Write ideas on a calendar

Saturday - Take recipes and put ingredients in the cart for grocery pickup.

Sunday - Do grocery pickup. Before putting away all the groceries, I leave out anything that needs prepping. Examples: wash and chop veggies, wash fruit, shred rotisserie chicken, pre-cook rice or chicken if needed.

Sundays are usually the day I make a bigger, or fancier meal (code for time-consuming). Usually this is what we’ll have for leftovers or lunch later in the week.

This is not rocket science, but sometimes the simplest systems work the best.

Last Sunday’s meal was my favorite meatloaf. Depending on how hungry your family is, they might finish it off, but usually there are plenty of leftovers. Here is the recipe!

Ashley, Millennial Mom Nutrition Coach from @AshleyBreaksTheCycle

It’s the plan. That’s it. That’s the secret.

You can have a fridge full of ingredients and absolutely no idea what to do with them and by Friday they’re wilted and you’re ordering pizza anyway. Sound familiar?

Before you worry about what to cook or how to prep it, you need to know what you’re actually making that week. Pick 3-5 meals your family likes and rotate them. As the seasons change, adjust to maybe crockpot in the fall and winter, grill in the warmer months. It doesn’t have to be exciting. It just has to exist before 5pm on a Tuesday when someone has practice at 6.

For me personally, I hate to cook but I love to be prepared and eat. So I keep it simple. I roast a big tray of veggies at the start of the week — zucchini, squash, peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, onion — throw some Amylu chicken sausages in the air fryer, and my lunches are handled. Dinner during the school year sometimes gets made at 2 or 3pm just so it exists by the time we walk back in the door starving.

Spice packets are not cheating. Hidden Valley Ranch on crockpot chicken is a forever staple in this house. Fed is better than not fed, always!!!

Ali, Book Aficionado from @The BookClubCart

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Kim, Interior Designer from @Reverie.and.Root & Founder of Spilling Goodness

Looking at the week ahead, seeing how many evenings require a flexible dinner and thinking through leveraging leftovers for bonus meals or lunches all drive our meal prepping. In our home, my husband is our main chef. He can putter in the kitchen on a Sunday and net a delicious dinner and a bunch of bonus items.

One trick he does weekly is making a bonus batch of protein - usually pulled pork or shredded chicken in the crock pot. This can turn into an early or late dinner around a practice or a variety of lunch options. For instance, this week shredded chicken will become a chicken salad, a chicken taco and a buffalo chicken slider. Its the easiest trick! (1.5-2 pounds of chicken, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/2 white onion in the crock pot for 8ish hours, shread 5-6 hours in.)

He'll also make bonus veggies and potatoes on the regular. I'm gluten free and he usually makes a batch of sweet potatoes on Sunday that I eat all week in place of pasta or toast. I also like to prep a snack for the week - a banana bread or granola bar. Other than that, we rely on easy options and a pretty repetitive menu.

Jen, Bespoke Travel Planner from @GlobalOnDemandTravel

Meal prep? I’m going to be completely honest: I don’t really meal prep.

I use Feast and Fettle, which has been a lifesaver. Having meals handled means one less thing to think about during a busy week, and at this stage of life, I’m all about finding ways to make things easier without sacrificing good food.

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Meal Prep Tell All: What, when, how, (if!)