How to Meal Prep: The Ultimate Guide to Master Your Week (and Your Diet)

Knowing how to meal prep: the secret weapon of the perpetually organized — or so your social feeds would have you believe. We all have that friend (IRL or online) with their storage containers perfectly stacked and their Sunday afternoons carved out for chopping and boiling.

For the rest of us, meal prepping might feel like an aspirational fantasy that lives on Pinterest — filed away with running marathons and keeping houseplants alive.

If you fall into that latter category, don’t worry — meal prepping isn’t just for #fitmom influencers or people who keep their spice racks alphabetized.

With a little more planning than you do now (even if it’s currently none), you can save yourself time, money, and sanity. Think of meal planning as giving your future self a high-five — and probably giving your health a boost.

This beginner’s guide will walk you through how to meal prep, plus easy meal prep ideas to help get your wheels turning.

Meal prepping is basically adulting in its most efficient form. Feed yourself? Sure, but feeding yourself well without the last-minute refrigerator stare-down at 7 p.m. may feel like another beast to master — because string cheese and a jar of olives may sound very charcuterie, but it’s not a meal.

Maybe it’s batch-cooking a week’s worth of brown rice and lean proteins like chicken breast or chickpea salad, pre-chopping sweet potatoes for quick assembly, or portioning out healthy to-go snacks so you don’t inhale a whole bag of chips. In any case, meal prepping may be your ticket to less chaos in your diet.

Bonus: Meal prepping makes you look and feel put-together — even if the rest of your life is held together by dry shampoo and double Americanos.

If you’re on the fence about whether adopting a weekly meal prep routine is worth cutting into your Sunday binge-watching time, here are some tried-and-true benefits to consider:

• Time-saving. Dedicating an hour or two a week to plan and prepare for the week ahead actually reduces daily cooking time later on, freeing up your schedule. Think about it: You could gain back some evening relaxation time since you won’t be scrambling for last-minute dinner ideas after soccer practice.

• Health benefits. Deciding in advance what you’ll eat throughout the week and when can help you prioritize healthier foods, like high-protein and fiber-rich options. If overeating ever feels like an issue for you, you could pre-portion things into containers for the week.

• Cost-effective. Meal prep helps reduce overall food waste by ensuring what you buy has an intended purpose for a healthy recipe. This also saves you money by decreasing the need to buy takeout fast food (unless you want it) or meal deliveries.

• Stress reduction. We’ve all been there: making the walk back and forth between the fridge, freezer, and pantry, trying to answer the ”what’s for dinner?” dilemma while feeling totally uninspired. This can be especially stressful when your stomach is already growling or you have little kids gripping your legs and asking for food. Meal planning can help keep this stressful dance to a minimum on weeknights.

• Customizable. One of the best parts about meal planning is that there are no rules and regs — you can tailor it to your personal preferences, budget, cravings, and any dietary needs in your household. Plus, if one dish in your meal plan isn’t a hit, you can make a note not to make that one again.

Okay, so now you know how meal prepping can benefit your life and support your health goals (e.g., weight management, more protein, fewer carbs, or more variety).

But how do you make it happen? Here are some step-by-step suggestions for how to meal prep and make it a regular part of your routine.

1. Plan Ahead

Start by mapping out your meals for the week. A helpful way to do this is to look at your calendar. This tells you what you have going on, whether it’s evening business meetings, a dinner out with friends, or out-of-town guests staying with you.

Having a general idea of what you’re going to eat (and potentially feed others) helps save you time and prevents decision fatigue when you already have other things going on.

Focus on variety and creating balanced meals that include plenty of protein, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. Once you’ve decided on your recipes or meal ideas, create a grocery list and start to execute your plan.

2. Start Simple

If you’re new to meal prepping, keep it straightforward — this isn’t a complex science and isn’t supposed to make your life more complicated.

Start by prepping just a couple of meals for the week, like lunch or dinner, and maybe a snack or two. Things like sheet-pan meals, Mason jar salads, pasta salad, overnight oats, burritos, and stews can be easy and nutritious.

You also don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Your meal plan should include foods you already know how to make and enjoy eating. This can help you build a routine and confidence as you add or change things.

3. Invest in Tools

Meal prepping doesn’t require investing in extra things, but having certain tools on hand can help make it more efficient.

Some tools that may be helpful include:

• Reusable containers for storage

• Mason jars

• A sharpened chef’s knife

• A slow cooker or Instant Pot for big batch prep

• A large skillet for stovetop cooking

Meal prepping can be done with a pen and paper, but if you prefer using technology to stay organized, there are plenty of free and low-cost apps and online communities that can help.

4. Set a Meal-Prep Day

Rather than trying to fit it in whenever you can, dedicate a specific recurring day and time to meal prepping.

Many people prefer a Sunday afternoon or Monday evening, for instance. While you’re working in the kitchen, put on your favorite music or podcast, make a pot of tea, and get it done.

Block it off on your calendar like it’s a date with yourself — because it is. Prepping all your meals for the week in one session can help prevent it from becoming disorganized or overwhelming.

5. Store Properly

Make sure you have appropriate storage procedures and airtight meal-prep containers so all your hard work doesn’t go to waste. Store sauces and dressings separately so they don’t make bread soggy or greens wilted.

Food safety is essential. Label glass containers or bags with dates and contents so you always know what you have on hand and whether it’s still good.

If you make enough, you can freeze some extras, like a bag of cooked quinoa, a casserole, or homemade veggie burger patties, to reheat on a different week.

6. Remember: Variety Is Key

Most people get tired of eating the same meals multiple days in a row. The act of meal prepping is associated with healthier choices and better overall health outcomes.

Add variety to your menu by rotating meal-prep recipes or buying ingredients that can be used in multiple ways.

For example, roasted tofu cubes can be used to top a salad one day, in a veggie wrap or stir-fry another day, or served on their own with pizza sauce to dip.

Make it a habit to incorporate fresh fruits and veggies into every meal to boost your nutrition and prevent boredom.

7. Prep Snacks Too

Snack attacks can set in at inconvenient times and get the best of you. To prevent empty calorie choices you may regret later, have healthy options on hand that are easy to grab tomorrow or the next day.

Some ideas:

• Fresh veggies, like cucumber slices, sugar snap peas, baby carrots, and bell peppers

• Hummus cups

• Hard-boiled eggs with the shells peeled off

• Chia seed pudding

• Yogurt with berries and granola

• Pre-made smoothies in jars

• Apple slices with nut butter

• Trail mix with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and dark chocolate pieces

• Whole grain crackers

• Dehydrated veggie snacks, like lentil snaps

You can chop veggies ahead of time, portion out snacks, or assemble nutrition-packed bites to easily grab or bring with you when heading out.

There’s no single best way to approach how to meal plan. What’s most important is finding a strategy that works well for your lifestyle and goals and feels like it’s helpful for your week.

That being said, here are some tips to consider that may make meal prepping more successful if you’re new to the practice:

• Start small. Trying to make enormous changes to your lifestyle habits overnight usually doesn’t go well (for any of us), especially once the initial motivational steam runs out. So, start small. For instance, plan two or three meals for the week and gradually increase from there as you build confidence and it becomes more routine.

• Keep it flexible. You don’t have to have it all figured out from the beginning, so don’t put that pressure on yourself. Meal prep habits should be flexible as you determine what works well and what doesn’t. Plus, everyone’s schedule might differ from week to week, so allow room for spontaneity or changes.

• Repurpose your leftovers. Transform your extras from the week into new meals, such as using roasted vegetables you had as a side dish on top of a Mediterranean bowl or in a bento wrap.

• Stay organized. Meal prep can get messy, and that’s okay. As much as possible, try to maintain a clean and organized kitchen workspace to prevent clutter that can slow your process or reduce efficiency when prepping make-ahead meals.

• Involve others. If you’re meal prepping for others in your household, kids, significant others, or roommates can (and should) help. Everyone can have a job, whether it’s planning, grocery shopping, or doing tasks in the kitchen. Or perhaps you can rotate the weeks you’re in charge of planning and prep.

Meal prepping is about finding a system that works for you and using it to your advantage.

Here are the key points to remember about how to meal prep as you get started:

• Plan ahead. Choose balanced, versatile meals for the week and make a detailed shopping list to avoid stress and overspending. Look at your whole week in advance so you can see what you have going on after work and on the weekends and whether you have additional mouths to feed than usual.

• Start simple. Ease in by preparing just a couple of meals or snacks at first and building your confidence from there. Once you get some practice in, planning recipes, heading to the grocery store, and meal prepping each week can become a regular habit without overthinking it.

• Stay organized. Invest in the right tools, dedicate a prep day, and store your meals properly to keep everything fresh and accessible. Having an organized plan in place can help prevent overwhelm that can derail your intentions.

Ready to ditch the dinnertime chaos and take more control of your week? Challenge yourself to start small — prep just one or two meals this next week and see how much easier life becomes.

If you want more personalized help with meal prep and new recipes for healthy meals for the week, consider consulting a registered dietitian. They can help you outline your goals and a plan to meet them while optimizing nutrition.

For those who need assistance with weight loss or weight management, we can help. Get started with our free weight loss questionnaire to see if treatment is right for you.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.