If you're anything like me, you'd much rather be spending time outdoors than stuck meal prepping in the kitchen. To be honest, I find meal prepping pretty overwhelming and unenjoyable. But I’ve learned that when I skip it, we end up reaching for unhealthy convenience foods or cycling through the same few boring dinners until we're all sick of them. Deep down, I know that meal prepping is the key to ensuring we’re eating a varied, balanced, and nutritious diet. Easier said than done, right?
Since I love a good challenge, I set out to simplify meal prepping and transform it from a stressful, time-consuming chore into a sustainable and manageable routine for my family. Over time, I’ve discovered some hacks and built routines that have made meal prepping feel more doable. Here's how to meal prep for your family when you don't feel like meal prepping.
Hack #1: Prep ingredients, not meals
The thought of preparing multiple, complete meals in advance used to overwhelm me. It felt so daunting that I’d end up avoiding meal prepping altogether. But here’s the thing: meal prepping isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. Sure, you can plan and prepare elaborate meals for the entire week, but you can also take a simpler route and prepare ingredients.
Prepare a couple proteins, grains, and veggies in advance, so when dinner rolls around, you're not spending hours in the kitchen.This approach is perfect for anyone who likes to decide what to eat based on their mood or cravings that day. For example, I’ll make pulled beef or shredded chicken that can be added to burritos, tacos, soups, or stews—whatever I’m feeling that night. A big batch of rice or quinoa works in sushi bowls, stir-fries, or as a side for nearly any dish. And I always pre-chop veggies for salads or crudité to make sure we’re getting in veggies at every meal.
Hack #2: Befriend a slow cooker
That’s right—befriend your slow cooker! I’ve been using mine for nearly 10 years, and it’s hands-down my favorite kitchen appliance. Why? Because you can toss in a bunch of ingredients, forget about it, and have dinner ready when you need it. It’s totally transformed my meal prepping experience, saving me time in the kitchen while allowing me to cook large batches of meals to enjoy throughout the week or to freeze for later.
And let’s not forget the flavor—slow-cooked dishes like chili, stew, or chicken with vegetables always get a thumbs-up from the whole family. There’s just something magically delicious about the slow cooking process that brings out the best in every ingredient.
Hack #3: Embrace shortcuts
When it comes to meal prep, I’m all about the shortcuts. Prewashed lettuce? Check. Frozen veggies? Double check. Whether you’re a busy professional or a parent juggling a million things, embrace the shortcuts—and feel good about it! Grab a rotisserie chicken, use bottled salad dressings or marinades, or stock up on single-serving yogurts or cottage cheese for easy breakfasts. Plus, these shortcuts means fewer dirty dishes and less cleanup (double win!).
Hack #4: Prepare familiar meals
Meal prepping for your family isn’t the time to channel your inner chef. While it’s important to get creative, sustainability is key when it comes to meal prepping, so stick to what you know. Think scrambled eggs, sheet pan chicken and veggies, or hearty soups. You can switch things up each week by adding different spices or flavorings. Scrambled eggs can go from breakfast burritos to stir-fried rice or cheesy eggs with toast. Sheet pan meals transform with a quick seasoning swap. More importantly, cooking familiar meals also ensures your kids (even the picky ones!) will actually eat them, rather than rejecting something unfamiliar and new.
Hack #5: Think in themes
If you're feeling stuck on what meals to prepare for the week, choose a culinary theme. Whether it’s Mexican, Thai, All-American, or even something like plant-based or vegetarian, having a theme can help narrow down your options, reduce the mental load of menu planning, and make meal planning more exciting. For example, if you choose Mexican, you can plan dishes like tacos, fajitas, or enchiladas. If you’re leaning towards plant-based meals, you can focus on tofu grain bowls, tempeh stir-fries, or homemade veggie burgers.
Hack #6: Cook bookmark recipes
I’m a huge Instagram bookmarker. Whenever I come across something I find interesting, I bookmark it, thinking I’ll have time to try it later. But for some reason, when meal planning time rolls around, I totally forget about all those saved recipes. This is your reminder to actually make those recipes, but also to be more intentional while you’re scrolling through social media. As you scroll, bookmark the recipes that you know you’ll actually make, and make sure the ingredients are ones you can easily find at your local grocery store. This also saves you time flipping through old cookbooks or scrolling (and getting lost!) on the internet.
Simple meal prep menu ideas
I can’t leave you hanging without a few good ideas! Here are some of my go-to recipes we rotate in our meal prep each week. These dishes are easy to make, simple to prepare, and perfect for getting your menu started and sparking your creativity.
Breakfast
Lunch and dinners
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