How to Prep Meals Without Hours in the Kitchen

Meal prep doesn’t have to mean hours in the kitchen! Here’s how a few small tasks done now can take the stress out of weeknight dinners.

Even with a meal plan, dinner can still feel hard.

I find myself getting overwhelmed at times. Like, what do you mean I have to chop all the vegetables and THEN cook them too?

Maybe that’s just the ADHD in me.

But what I realized over time is that a little prep can go a long way. Chopping up a few vegetables ahead of time can mean the difference between a delicious dinner and “Nope, I’m not doing that. Let’s eat out”.

Most people think that meal prep means spending hours in the kitchen, but that’s not what I’m about here.

In fact, I call this “Prep what you can”. Whether it’s dicing a few onions to keep in the fridge, or making a baked oatmeal for breakfast for the week, this meal prep can change the trajectory of your week!

Why Dinner Still Feels Hard Even With a Plan

Here’s the thing: Dinner still has to be ready, no matter what.

Depending on your lifestyle, you’re probably tired, hungry, and rushed when you get home. And you just want to get dinner cooked and done with.

But now there are all these steps you have to do. Chopping the vegetables, cooking the meat, then putting all of it in the oven… it can be a lot at once.

A little bit of meal prep can remove pressure from your busiest moments!

What “Prep What You Can” Actually Means

You’ve probably seen those pretty Instagram reels where the person preps an entire week’s worth of meals in nice, uniform glass dishes.

Yeah, that’s not me. I have zero time and patience for that. Or the money to spend on matching food containers.

“Prep what you can” is NOT:

• Cooking every meal in advance
• Spending your whole Sunday in the kitchen

But it IS:

• Doing the small tasks ahead of time
• Making weeknights easier
• Reducing friction when it comes to cooking

Your future self will thank you!

When to Do Your Prep

Now this is all up to you. You know what your schedule looks like and what you have time and energy for.

But here are a few ideas:

• 10-15 minutes of prep, before putting all your groceries away
• The next morning
• Split it up across a couple of days
• Sunday afternoon

It doesn’t have to be all at once, either! I’ve been known to make a breakfast casserole on Sunday, and make muffins on Monday because I don’t have the energy to make both at once.

Simple Things You Can Prep Ahead

When I get stuck in the planning phase, these are things I’ll look at and see if any of them make sense for this week:

Ingredients

• Chop vegetables
• Wash and prep fruit
• Shred cheese
• Marinate meat

Proteins

• Cook chicken breasts
• Brown ground beef/turkey

Meal Starters

• Assemble casseroles
• Portion out ingredients
• Pre-mix sauces

Easy Wins

• Bag up snacks
• Prep lunch items
• Make a breakfast

What a “Light Prep” Week Looks Like

So what would happen if you did a little bit of meal prep?

• Monday: Veggies are already chopped
• Tuesday: Slow cooker ingredients were prepped the night before
• Wednesday: Protein already cooked
• Thursday: Rice already cooked
• Friday: Onions already chopped

A little bit of prep has a HUGE payoff! Imagine having these ingredients already prepped when it comes time to cook dinner. It’ll take off a lot of stress!

Common Meal Prep Mistakes to Avoid

Trying to prep everything at once

I’ve done two-hour prep sessions before. It’s doable, but honestly I’m wiped at the end of it. Know what your energy levels are!

Choosing complicated recipes

I get overwhelmed looking at a recipe with like 10 ingredients. I stick with the simple stuff!

Not storing food properly

Meals and ingredients should be sealed tight in the fridge. Whether it’s a food storage container or a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, they need to be sealed so that they stay fresh longer.

Overestimating your time and energy

I do this a lot, especially if I plan this out the day before. Look at your schedule and figure out what’s going on that day, then decide how much prep you actually want to do.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don’t have time to meal prep?

This is when I implement what’s called “time pockets”.

For example, let’s say you’re baking a casserole. That takes, what, 30 or 40 minutes, right?

What could you be doing during those 40 minutes? I like to race myself to see how much I can get done before the casserole’s done.

Maybe all you can do is chop that head of cauliflower. But that simple step can save you stress when you have to use it for dinner tomorrow.

How long does meal prep actually take?

Honestly, I can get the basic stuff done in 30 minutes.

If I’m baking a breakfast, it could take longer. But not all of that is hands-on time.

But even 5 minutes here and there can help! Dice up an onion for tomorrow. Wash your grapes and put them in an airtight container.

What’s the best way to store prepped ingredients?

I store most of my meal prepped items in airtight containers in the fridge. Typically I use the Rubbermaid brand because their containers are pretty sturdy.

I also have these black meal prep containers with one compartment, that are perfect for storing baked oatmeal and prepped breakfast sandwiches!

What if I prep something and end up not using it?

No worries, this happens a lot to me!

If it’s a fruit or vegetable and it’s clearly rotted, just throw it out. Yeah, it sucks, but it happens.

If it’s cooked meat and it’s only been a few days in the fridge, you can freeze it in a quart or gallon-sized freezer bag. Just label the bag with the date and what’s in it.

Same goes for other cooked food like baked oatmeal or breakfast sandwiches! Most food can be frozen, as long as it’s only been a few days and it hasn’t visibly gone bad.

How Meal Prep Fits Into My Weekly System

Meal prep is one of the cornerstones of my week and is one of the most important when it comes to actually eating what I bought.

This is step 6 of my No-Stress Dinner System, and it fits in neatly with all the other steps.

• I’ve already planned my meals on my Planning Day (Step 1)
• I already checked my schedule for my busiest days (Step 2)
• I used meal themes to make planning easier (Step 3)
• I planned out just 5 dinners (Step 4)
• I made my grocery list and shopped for ingredients (Step 5)
• I have my backup meals (Step 7)

Having meal prep on Step 6 brings all of it together. I already planned and shopped for my food. Now I have to prep it so we’ll actually use it! And that’s exactly why this step exists.

Free Meal Prep Planner

Want something you can print out to help you in your meal prep sessions? Download this FREE Meal Prep Planner!

Here’s how it works:

• Check off how much time you have available
• Pick up to 3 things you’re going to prep
• Use the optional Guided Prep categories if you’ve run out of ideas
• Use the Notes section for any notes to yourself

This takes the guesswork out of meal prep and helps you get meals on the table faster!