What are common meal prep mistakes?

The biggest meal prep mistake is not planning. If you don’t have a plan of what you’ll eat, chances are you’ll become frustrated in the grocery aisles. Another mistake is trying too many new recipes at once. Stick with the basics such as a protein of your choice (chicken, beef, etc.), rice or potatoes, and your favorite sauteed veggies.

I want to meal prep, what can I do to make meal prepping easier?

Here are some ways to make meal prepping easier: use a grocery delivery service to save time and to avoid impulse purchases; prep elements, not just meals; stick to tried-and-true recipes so you don’t need to reinvent the wheel every week; and use leftovers to your advantage! Bonus tip: Write your meal prep schedule and plan down so nothing slips your mind.

4 Stress-Free Meal Planning Tips That Make Eating Healthy Easy

Meal planning makes eating healthier easy, but many people tend to overcomplicate it and make it harder than it needs to be.

Each week, you may find yourself researching healthy recipes, taking extra trips to the grocery store to track down ingredients you have never heard of, and carefully following your favorite influencers’ step-by-step instructions. Even with all that effort, the results are not always consistent. Sometimes the meals turn out well, and other times they are terrible. In the end, even the best intentions can still lead to ordering takeout.

As deflating as a bad meal planning experience can be, studies suggest it’s worth the effort. Meal planning has been linked to healthier diets and weight loss ⁽¹⁾. Plus, with the right plan in place, meal planning can be simple (we promise).

Below, we’ve laid out how to create a meal plan, provided some foolproof meal planning tips, and designed a sample meal plan you can use to help save your brain power and your time.

What Is Meal Planning?

Meal planning is a strategic approach to planning out your meals for a given period (usually a week) in advance. Creating a meal plan gives you a menu of what you plan to eat for the week, which can help you to stay on top of your health goals, save time, and spend less money.

three meals in meal prep containers on kitchen counter

How To Create a Meal Plan

The following steps may be a great approach for getting started:

1. Check your calendar

Identify the days when you anticipate a heavier schedule and designate your less demanding days for meal preparation. Complete most of the cooking on those lighter schedule days, so that your busy days are supported by your precooked meals.

2. Plot out your week

Physically mark down which meals you plan to eat and when, even leftovers. That way you’ll know exactly what you need from the grocery store and how much (saving you potential mid-week trips).

3. Get groceries

Review any recipes you plan to make and jot down what you’re missing. Then, add any other staples you’ll need to the list like milk, cereal, bread, and snacks.

4. Cook when scheduled

Try to adhere to your plan throughout the week. Habits often build momentum—skipping cooking one evening can make it easier to skip the next, while cooking one night can encourage consistency in the days that follow.

4 Meal Planning Tips

Use these tips to meal plan smarter, not harder.

Use grocery delivery or pickup

If you enjoy going to the grocery store, shop in person and focus primarily on the perimeter, where fresh and minimally processed foods are typically located.

If you prefer to save time and shop from home, ordering groceries online can streamline the process by helping you follow a planned list and reduce impulse purchases. Options such as grocery pickup or delivery can further minimize time spent on errands.

Each approach has trade-offs. Shopping in person may lead to distractions and unplanned treats, while shopping online may limit your ability to personally select the freshest items. Finding the right balance between convenience and control can help support consistent, healthy choices.

person cuts broccoli carrots tomatoes for meal

Prep elements not meals

For those who can’t stand eating the same pre-portioned meal day-in and day-out, consider bulk-prepping elements you can mix-and-match depending on your mood.

A pot of rice, shredded chicken, and roasted veggies can quickly become a burrito bowl, Thai chicken curry, lemon chicken soup, or Teriyaki chicken, for example.

This method still requires a bit of planning:

1. Make a big batch of each protein, carbs, and veggies. This combo covers most of your nutritional needs (protein, fiber, and micronutrients) regardless of how you remix it.

2. Consider what else you’ll need to round out your meals. Having the right fresh veggies and herbs, beans, grains, sauce, or stock on-hand can save you a second trip to the store.

Stick to tried-and-true recipes

There’s nothing wrong with new recipes. Sometimes a new recipe can inspire you to eat healthy again. But in the grind of a busy week, committing to too many new recipes (or even one new recipe) can be a dealbreaker for getting dinner on the table.

Use leftovers

A common complaint of meal prepping is that it takes too much time. But meal prepping can be as simple as making a little extra and eating leftovers. This simple trick saves effort and time. However, it does come with some potential risks, especially if you do not follow strict food prep hygiene guidelines that or store meals incorrectly after cooking.

Enchiladas, chili, sheet-pan fajitas, and stir fries are easy, nutrient-dense dinners that reheat great for lunch or dinner the next day. Repurposed meat and veg can also cut food waste and make for quick salads and bowls.

Example Weekly Meal Plan

Here’s an example of a week of healthy lunches and dinners using bulk-prepped protein like roast chicken and crockpot pulled pork, and easy prep foods like stir fries and sheet pan fajitas.

Sunday

Lunch: Eat Out
Dinner: Roast Chicken and Potatoes

Monday

Lunch: Greek-Inspired Bowl (using leftover Roast Chicken and Potatoes)
Dinner: Lemon Chicken Soup (using leftover Roast Chicken)

Tuesday

Lunch: Leftover Lemon Chicken Soup
Dinner: Shrimp and Veggie Stir Fry

Wednesday

Lunch: Leftover Shrimp and Veggie Stir Fry
Dinner: Sheet Pan Fajitas

Thursday

Lunch: Leftover Sheet Pan Fajitas
Dinner: Crockpot Pulled Pork

Friday

Lunch: Burrito Bowl (using leftover Pulled Pork)
Dinner: Eat Out

Saturday

Lunch: Tacos (using leftover Pulled Pork)
Dinner: Turkey Bolognese and Broccoli

The Bottom Line

Eating healthily can feel like an overwhelming chore, but if you create a manageable meal plan that is designed to fit into your schedule you may find yourself eating healthier and feeling less stressed. Keep your meal plan simple and adopt time saving strategies like using grocery delivery, bulk prepping your meal ingredients, utilizing leftovers, and sticking to easy tried-and-true recipes.

Every week you can experiment until you find a process that works perfectly for you!

References

Ducrot, P. Et al. (2017). Meal Planning is Associated With Food Variety, Diet Quality, and Body Weight Status in Large Sample of French Adults. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5288891/

4 Stress-Free Meal Planning Tips That Make Eating Healthy Easy

Stop overcomplicating dinner! Master meal planning with 4 easy tips. Save time, reduce stress, and reach your health goals with our simple weekly guide.

What Is Meal Planning?

How To Create a Meal Plan