How to Meal Prep for the Week: A Simple Guide for Busy Families
Meal prepping can be a simple way to save both time and money. By planning your meals ahead of time, you can shop for only the ingredients you actually need, reduce food waste, and avoid the temptation of grabbing takeout when you're too tired to figure out what's for dinner.
Cooking every breakfast, lunch, and dinner for an entire week in one day might sound overwhelming, but you don't have to do it all at once! Meal prepping can be as simple as chopping a few vegetables, cooking a batch of chicken, or preparing a big pot of soup that you can enjoy throughout the week.
With a little planning, you'll make busy weekdays easier, stretch your grocery budget further, and hopefully hear a lot less of the dreaded "What's for dinner?"
1. Start by Planning Your Meals
Before you head to the grocery store, take a few minutes to decide what you'll eat for the week.
Look at your schedule first. If you have a busy evening filled with activities, choose something quick and easy. If you have more time on another night, that's a good opportunity to make a meal that requires a little more cooking.
You don't need to plan seven completely different dinners. In fact, keeping things simple is one of the best ways to make meal prepping manageable.
Try planning:
- 2–3 breakfast options
- 2–3 lunch options
- 4–5 dinners
- A few easy snacks
Then plan to eat leftovers for lunch or repurpose ingredients in different meals.
For example, a batch of roasted chicken can become:
- Chicken and rice bowls
- Chicken wraps
- Chicken salad
- Chicken quesadillas
- A topping for a big salad
One ingredient can do a lot of work!
2. Check Your Fridge, Freezer, and Pantry
Before making your grocery list, take a quick inventory of what you already have.
You may already have pasta in the pantry, frozen vegetables in the freezer, or ingredients that need to be used up soon. Building your meal plan around what you already have is an easy way to save money and reduce food waste.
Think of it as a "shop your kitchen first" challenge.
3. Make a Grocery List
Once you've planned your meals, write down everything you'll need. Group your list by section of the grocery store, such as:
- Produce
- Meat and protein
- Dairy
- Pantry
- Frozen foods
- Snacks
This makes shopping faster and can help you avoid wandering through the aisles and adding things to your cart that weren't a part of the plan.
It can also help to check your grocery store's weekly flyer before shopping. If chicken is on sale, for example, you might build several meals around it and freeze anything you won't use right away.
4. Choose a Meal Prep Day
Pick one day each week when you have some time to prepare food.
For many people, Sunday works well, but there's no rule that says meal prep has to happen on a particular day.
You could also split your prep into two shorter sessions. For example, prepare your breakfasts and lunches on Sunday, then do a quick dinner prep on Wednesday.
The goal isn't to spend your entire day in the kitchen. It's to make the rest of your week easier.
5. Prep Ingredients Instead of Complete Meals
You don't have to cook seven complete meals in advance. Sometimes, the easiest approach is to prepare individual ingredients that can be mixed and matched throughout the week.
Try:
- Washing and chopping vegetables
- Cooking a batch of rice or quinoa
- Hard-boiling eggs
- Roasting vegetables
- Cooking chicken or ground meat
- Washing fruit
- Making a simple salad dressing
- Portioning snacks into containers
- Preparing overnight oats
Then you can quickly assemble different meals throughout the week. This approach also gives you more flexibility if you suddenly don't feel like eating the meal you planned for Tuesday.
6. Keep Breakfast Simple
Breakfast doesn't need to be complicated. Choose one or two easy options that can be prepared ahead of time.
Some ideas include:
- Overnight oats
- Hard-boiled eggs and toast
- Yogurt and fruit
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Smoothie freezer packs
- Muffins and fruit
- Egg bites
- Peanut butter toast with a banana
If mornings are particularly hectic, preparing breakfast ahead of time can make a huge difference.
7. Prep Easy Lunches
Lunch is a great place to use leftovers.
Instead of making an entirely separate lunch every day, cook extra portions at dinner and pack the leftovers for the next day's lunch.
Other easy lunch ideas include:
- Chicken and rice bowls
- Pasta salad
- Wraps
- Soup
- Chili
- Grain bowls
- Big salads with protein
- Quesadillas
Keep a few easy lunch staples on hand so you're never tempted to buy lunch simply because there's nothing ready to eat.
8. Make Dinner Work Smarter
When planning dinners, think about how you can use ingredients more than once.
For example, roast a large batch of vegetables on Sunday. Serve them as a side dish one night, add them to grain bowls another night, and toss them into wraps later in the week.
You can also cook extra protein and use it in several different ways.
The key is to cook once and eat twice, or even three times!
9. Don't Forget Snacks
Prepping snacks can help prevent those mid-afternoon trips to the pantry to grab something easy and not so healthy.
Try portioning snacks into grab-and-go containers at the beginning of the week. Keep snacks where they're easy to grab when you're heading out the door.
Some easy options include:
- Cut-up fruit
- Grapes
- Yogurt
- Cheese and crackers
- Hummus and vegetables
- Trail mix
- Popcorn
- Granola bars
- Hard-boiled eggs
10. Use the Right Containers
Good food storage containers can make meal prep much easier. Choose containers that are:
- Easy to clean
- Stackable
- Leak-resistant
- Microwave-safe, if needed
- The right size for your meals
Glass containers are great for reheating meals, while lightweight plastic containers can be convenient for lunches and snacks.
You don't need to buy an entire new collection of containers to get started. Use what you already have and add to your collection over time if needed. If you do need containers, I've rounded up some good meal prep container options here.
11. Label Your Meals
If you're preparing several meals at once, it can be helpful to label containers with the meal and date. This makes it easier to see what's available and helps ensure that older food gets eaten first. A simple piece of masking tape and a Sharpie works perfectly.
12. Don't Prep More Than You'll Eat
One of the biggest meal prep mistakes is preparing too much food.
If your family doesn't enjoy eating the same meal several days in a row, don't make five servings of the same dinner. Instead, prepare smaller batches or freeze extra portions for another week.
Meal prepping should help reduce food waste not create more of it.
13. Freeze What You Won't Eat
If you know you won't eat something before it goes bad, freeze it! Soups, chili, cooked meat, casseroles, pasta sauce, muffins, and many other foods freeze well.
Freezing leftovers can give you a collection of easy homemade "ready meals" for those nights when cooking is the last thing you want to do.
Just remember to label everything with the name and date so you know what you're pulling out of the freezer.
Simple Weekly Meal Prep Schedule
Here's an example of how you could organize your meal prep day:
Sunday
Breakfast
- Prepare overnight oats
- Hard-boil eggs
- Wash and portion fruit
Lunch
- Cook chicken
- Prepare rice
- Chop vegetables
- Make a simple dressing
Dinner
- Make a large batch of chili
- Portion leftovers for lunches or freeze extras
Snacks
- Portion crackers and cheese
- Wash fruit
- Prepare vegetables and hummus
This might take a little time upfront, but you'll have several meal components ready to go for the week.
Sample Weekly Meal Plan
Here's a simple meal plan designed to minimize cooking and maximize leftovers.
Monday
Breakfast: Overnight oats with berries
Lunch: Chicken and rice bowl with roasted vegetables
Dinner: Turkey chili with cornbread
Snack: Apple with peanut butter
Tuesday
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and toast
Lunch: Leftover turkey chili
Dinner: Sheet-pan chicken, potatoes, and vegetables
Snack: Yogurt and berries
Wednesday
Breakfast: Overnight oats with banana
Lunch: Chicken and vegetable wrap
Dinner: Spaghetti with meat sauce and a side salad
Snack: Cheese and crackers
Thursday
Breakfast: Eggs and toast with fruit
Lunch: Leftover spaghetti and salad
Dinner: Chicken quesadillas with vegetables and salsa
Snack: Hummus and carrots
Friday
Breakfast: Yogurt, granola, and fruit
Lunch: Chicken and rice bowl
Dinner: Homemade pizza using naan or flatbread
Snack: Popcorn
Saturday
Breakfast: Pancakes with fruit
Lunch: Leftovers or sandwiches
Dinner: Easy burgers with oven fries and salad
Snack: Fruit and yogurt
Sunday
Breakfast: Eggs, toast, and fruit
Lunch: Leftover burgers or wraps
Dinner: Slow-cooker soup or chili
Snack: Popcorn or fresh fruit
Don't feel like you need to follow this meal plan exactly. Swap meals based on what your family likes, what's on sale, and what you already have at home. This is just to give you ideas of what you could do.
Sample Meal Prep Grocery List
Use this as a starting point and adjust it based on your family's preferences and what you already have in your pantry.
Produce
☐ Bananas
☐ Apples
☐ Berries
☐ Grapes
☐ Potatoes
☐ Carrots
☐ Bell peppers
☐ Broccoli
☐ Lettuce or salad greens
☐ Cucumbers
☐ Onions
☐ Garlic
☐ Avocados
Meat & Protein
☐ Chicken breasts or thighs
☐ Ground turkey or ground beef
☐ Eggs
☐ Hummus
☐ Peanut butter
Dairy
☐ Milk
☐ Yogurt
☐ Shredded cheese
☐ Cheese slices or cheese sticks
Pantry
☐ Oats
☐ Rice
☐ Pasta
☐ Pasta sauce
☐ Canned beans
☐ Canned tomatoes
☐ Chicken or vegetable broth
☐ Tortillas or wraps
☐ Bread
☐ Crackers
☐ Granola
☐ Popcorn
☐ Salsa
☐ Olive oil
☐ Salad dressing
☐ Your favourite seasonings and spices
Frozen
☐ Frozen berries
☐ Frozen mixed vegetables
☐ Frozen fruit for smoothies
☐ Frozen pizza or naan, if desired
A Simple Meal Prep Routine to Try
If the thought of spending hours cooking every Sunday makes you want to skip meal prep altogether, start small. Try this simple routine:
1. Pick your meals.
Choose a few breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the week.
2. Check what you already have.
Shop your fridge, freezer, and pantry before making your grocery list.
3. Make your grocery list.
Only buy what you need for the meals you've planned.
4. Prep a few basics.
Cook one protein, one grain, and a tray of vegetables.
5. Prepare a few breakfasts and snacks.
Make overnight oats, wash fruit, or portion grab-and-go snacks.
6. Use leftovers strategically.
Plan to turn dinner leftovers into the next day's lunch.
7. Freeze extras.
If you won't eat something in time, freeze it for a future meal.
Remember, meal prepping doesn't have to mean spending your entire Sunday cooking. Even 30 minutes of preparation can make your week easier.
The goal isn't to create a picture-perfect fridge filled with identical meal prep containers. It's simply to make your future self's life a little easier.
Because sometimes the best meal prep win is opening the fridge at 5 p.m. and realizing that dinner is already halfway done. That is the best feeling!
