How To Meal Prep For The Week

Last Updated on March 1, 2020

Hi guys! I want to share my process and tips for meal planning and preparation because I honestly think this is one of the most important things that can help you save money and time, as well as stay healthy.

I probably sound like an over-obsessive life planner, but it really does make life so much easier during the week. If you work 9-5 like me and you get home starving and the last thing you want to do is make food, I think you’ll realize what a difference meal prepping makes!

I usually go grocery shopping on a Saturday and prepare everything on Sunday. Before I go shopping, I’ll search on Pinterest or food blogs for 2 or 3 recipes that I want to make. The goal is to make enough food for 9 weekday meals: 5 lunches + 4 dinners. Sometimes I’ll try to stretch it to 10 meals, but I don’t tend to make anything for Friday dinner because I like to keep that meal open (for whatever my heart desires!). I find one recipe that’ll be good for lunch like a salad and another one for dinner because I’ll make 3 batches of each, so that’s 6/9 meals. I then try to use the ingredients I already have to make 3 more meals.

Most of the meal prep posts I’ve seen include are pretty plain with just salads, chicken breast & veggies, so I wanted to do something with more variety. For this particular week, I decided to make Orzo with Kale & Butternut Squash, Kale Salad with Apple & Pecans, and Quinoa Tabbouleh.

Step One

Cook Quinoa & Orzo according to instructions on package

Step Two

Gather ingredients for first meal (kale, butternut squash, orzo, half an onion)

Step Three

Sprinkle spices on butternut squash and bake @ 400 degrees for about 30 minutes

Step Four

Gather up salad ingredients

Put salad together in containers (kale, cranberries, pecans) and pour balsamic vinegar into spill-proof jars. Each salad gets and apple and half an avocado, which I cut up when I’m ready to eat.

Step Five

Prepare quinoa tabbouleh (quinoa, half a red bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, and mint)

Tupperware party!

Step Six

Once the butternut squash is cooked, add it to a medium pan with the orzo, kale, and half an onion. Drizzle balsamic on top and cook until all is heated through.

And there you have 9 meals prepared and ready to be eaten whenever you need feeding! The process takes about 2 hours, but it’s worth it. Obviously, there is no right or wrong way to do this, and it’s going to change every week. The important thing is to pick out those recipes and make a list before you go grocery shopping.

I really hope this post is helpful and that you aren’t feeling overwhelmed! Let me know your favorite weekly meals!