Thursday: Choose recipes for next week’s meal prep plan
When I start losing steam at work, I like to turn my brain off and just think about what I want to make for the next week. I ask:
- What am I in the mood for?
- What is my partner and/or kids in the mood for?
- What might be hanging out in my freezer, fridge or pantry that I have to use up?
These questions usually help me choose what to make outside of my normal recipe development and help me make a solid meal prep plan. Then it’s so much easier to hit Pinterest or Google or other favorite sites with a specific type of meal in mind. I usually search for normal recipes and then think about adapting them for meal prep.
Time Spent: 20-30 minutes
Friday: Take inventory and make a list
Having a general list in mind helps me when I go to look through my pantry.
On Friday I like to clean out the fridge and deal with whatever is left over. Some weeks aren’t perfect and we do end up tossing a meal or two that didn’t get eaten from the previous week’s meal prep plan. Most of the time I’m just dealing with forgotten lime wedges and some wilty cilantro.
Once that’s finished, I can clearly see what’s in my fridge, pantry and freezer. I can check my inventory against the ingredients of the recipes I chose for the week to see what I actually have to buy. This is KEY if you want to shop for the right amount, no more or no less. It also helps you spend less money.
I always make my list in a Google sheet that’s synced to my phone so I don’t have to worry about leaving the house without it! You could also make a list on your notes app if you want, or maybe you have another system that would work.
Time Spent: 15 minutes
Saturday: Grocery shop
I used to grocery shop and cook on the same day, but it got to be too exhausting. Groceries won’t go bad in a day, so it’s totally safe to shop the day before meal prepping.
It’s best to do grocery shopping earlier in the day, when it’s not as crowded, if you can swing it. It’s also, of course, best to shop when you aren’t hungry; this means you won’t be cranky and you’ll be less likely to buy things you don’t immediately need.
Time Spent: About 45 minutes, including getting to and from the store
As a side note, If you’re a WWL Program Member, then you can save this 45-60 minute trip by using our shoppable recipes and meal plans.
Sunday: Meal Prep!
Meal plan? Check. Groceries? Check. On Sundays, we meal prep.
I usually get it done within 3 hours including clean up. During that time, I watch TV, movies, listen to audiobooks or podcasts or just listen to music. My meal prep ritual also includes drinking a Health Ade kombucha (my favorite flavor is blood orange ginger). Make it work for you so that the time is well spent and doesn’t feel like drudgery.
Keep in mind that I’m usually making breakfast, lunch, dinners, and organizing snacks. We have a ton of 30 minute, or less, recipes in the WWL program and I’ve done breakfast and lunch meal preps in under 60 minutes.
If you’d like to download one of my meal planning templates, check out THIS POST.
Monday-Thursday: Eat And Repeat
I know the process of doing one thing task daily from Thursday-Sunday SEEMS like a lot of work, but it’s really only 4.5 hours of work to avoid doing dishes and dealing with food during the busy workweek when I have less time on my hands.
Some people would rather spend 100% of their weekend relaxing, but I would rather sacrifice a few hours of my weekend to add more relaxation time back into my workweek.
About the food on my weekly meal prep plan
- Meals last for 4-5 days in the fridge
- Some meals are freezer friendly
- All meals are reheated in the microwave
- I use a mix of plastic and glass meal prep containers
- I focus on main meals every week (lunches and dinners are interchangeable to me) and sometimes I do breakfast, sometimes I just don’t want to
- Every meal is based on the protein + veggies + carb formula and I use lots of different flavor profiles to keep them interesting
- I rarely repeat meals!!
- Calories and macros are not a factor for me or my partner so I don’t count
Sometimes I cook again on Thursday night to get us through Saturday (mostly for lunches and some dinners) but some weeks it doesn’t need to happen.
I like focusing on prepping for 4 days instead of 6 or 7, because there’s more flexibility! Sometimes things happen at the last minute and I don’t need to cook every night of the week.
Let me know how your meal planning / prepping process looks compared to mine. I’d love to hear what you’re doing differently, what works for you, and what you try that I’ve suggested, and how that goes for you.
