Buzz
When you're ready to take your fitness seriously, the first step often involves getting your nutrition on track. You need enough protein to support your muscles, fruits and vegetables for overall health, carbs for energy, and a calorie intake that aligns with your activity level and goals—without falling into the traps of undereating or overeating.
Meal prepping—preparing your meals in advance—can be a game-changer. Instead of wasting time figuring out what to eat for lunch, you simply grab a container from the fridge and heat up your pre-made meal. It’s incredibly convenient, and it keeps you focused on your plan. A bodybuilder might get tired of eating the same chicken and broccoli every day, but they also know exactly how much protein they’re consuming without a second thought. (Of course, you'll make something tastier.)
But meal prepping isn’t without its challenges. You might get bored with your meals, or even worse, feel overwhelmed by the task of cooking an entire week’s worth of food in one go. To help you get started without losing your sanity, here are some tips to ease into meal prepping at your own pace.
Find a reliable breakfast you can rely on every day.
Before diving into the preparations, let’s focus on planning. Most of us prefer a consistent breakfast routine, and it’s likely you already have a few go-to options that are easy to prepare even before you're fully awake.
Your initial task is to choose a breakfast that aligns with your macros and is simple to make. We're taking small steps here, so there’s no need to stress about preparing it in advance. Just ensure it’s ready by breakfast time.
For instance, your go-to could be yogurt and fruit. It’s quick: just buy yogurt and fruit, and combine them in the morning. Alternatively, you can prepare something the night before that’s easy to grab on the go. A smoothie in a jar is ideal—just shake it in the morning and it's ready. (Avoid ice, as it melts, but frozen fruit works great.) Another option I like is preparing Bircher muesli in batches—two servings at once, as each requires half an apple. On Sunday night, I prep jars for Monday and Tuesday, then again on Tuesday night for the next pair of days.
Hold on to your takeout containers—they can come in handy later.
When you begin prepping lunches and dinners, you’ll need something to store them in. While charming bento-style Tupperware might look appealing, you might find you don't actually want all those compartments. Or perhaps the containers you buy won't fit the food once you start packing them. Save both time and money by choosing one or two types of takeout containers that you can get plenty of, and keep them after you use them. I prefer the flat rectangular ones and the round one-pint soup containers.
After you determine your preferences, I admit there’s a convenience in purchasing containers. Here's a fresh 50-pack of those rectangular containers to avoid the hassle of eating 50 takeout meals first. And if you enjoy packing lunches in bento-style, you can grab divided containers. (I love eating bento lunches, but coming up with enough items to fill all the compartments is a bit of a chore. It's far easier to prepare a one-pot meal that fills the whole container.)
For more durability, these are made of thicker plastic. I’m too clumsy to trust myself with glass containers, but maybe you're not. These are pricier than the others—around $5 each, compared to the semi-disposable ones which cost about 50 cents—but they’ll last a long time if handled with care.
As you gather your supplies, make sure you grab a Sharpie and some masking tape (or if you prefer, decorative labels). Label every meal, even if it’s just a simple note like "PASTA" or "CHICKEN," so you can easily tell your meals apart. If you're preparing for multiple people, feel free to add their names, too.
Prepare one meal at a time.
Once you’ve gotten into the routine of having your planned breakfast daily, the next step is to choose a second meal. For many of us, that’s lunch. This way, you’ve got your first two meals covered, leaving you with flexibility for dinner. (It’s perfectly fine if you never move beyond this point.)
I also suggest, at least in the beginning, not planning for a full seven days. Since I have a Monday-to-Friday job, I prefer to prep my meals for the workweek and keep weekends more spontaneous. (For me, a weekend menu usually consists of my regular breakfast, a meal cobbled together from leftovers, and maybe a takeout meal or two.)
For your initial attempt at cooking for the week, I recommend choosing a recipe that makes three servings. With two such recipes, you can cover the entire workweek and still have one meal left over. You can even alternate between the two dishes.
A crucial food safety note: Meals prepared on Sunday may not be in their prime by Saturday. I recommend using one of these strategies:
On Sunday, prepare one dish and divide it for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday meals. Then, on Wednesday evening, make another three-serving dish for the rest of the week.
Alternatively, prepare both dishes on Sunday so you can alternate. Freeze three of the meals and thaw them on Tuesday or Wednesday. If the meal is still a bit frozen when you’re ready to eat, just microwave it a little longer.
Test a recipe before fully committing to it.
About to cook your first meal? Wait a second: Did you pick a recipe that you actually enjoy? I'm not asking if it looks good in pictures. The best meal prep recipe is one you've not only tried before but also one that you know reheats well.
This means you can skip recipe websites for now. Pick something familiar; you can experiment later. And if you ever get the urge to prep a month’s worth of food in one go, definitely try making that recipe in a smaller, one-week batch first.
Be lazy.
This is truly my most important advice. When I first started meal prepping, I’d spend the whole Sunday afternoon shopping and cooking. My feet would hurt, and I’d leave other household tasks unfinished. No time or energy was actually saved; it was just shifted to a different place.
I’ve improved since then. One of my go-to meal preps is grabbing two bags of Trader Joe’s chimichurri rice and a pound of ground beef, heating them both up, and mixing them together. The whole process takes just about 15 minutes, and I end up with four lunches for the week, each fitting perfectly into a round soup container. Do I mind that Mr. Joe gets half the credit for my culinary genius? Not in the slightest.
Even when cooking from scratch, it’s not cheating to find ways to make things easier. Opt for frozen veggies, since they’re already chopped. Invest in a rice cooker if rice is a regular part of your meals. If there’s a special homemade sauce or condiment you want, allow yourself that one time-consuming item, and keep the rest of your tasks simple.
For instance, most foods from the animal and vegetable worlds can be thrown on a sheet pan and roasted. I’ll grab some frozen fish and fresh or frozen veggies (which can sometimes be healthier than fresh) and roast them on a tray with the right seasonings. (Olive oil and garlic salt work wonders for broccoli or, frankly, any vegetable.) Chicken tenderloins marinated in mayo are another easy protein that pairs well with anything and can be prepped in bulk. Thanks to the added moisture, they reheat beautifully.
You get the gist: Make an easy meal, prepare only as much as you’ll actually eat, and pack it into the containers you already have. Don’t expect perfection right away; your process will improve as you go.
