This post is about do you need to meal prep to lose weight?

Are you just learning to meal prep for weight loss, looking for some new meal prep ideas or maybe even thinking of throwing in the towel with your meal prepping?! If so, make sure to read this post. I’ll share why I no longer do a large weekly meal prep and also review some great tips on how you can stay on track WITHOUT weekly meal prep!

For YEARS, I thought the only way to stay on track with healthy meals was to cook for the entire week on Sunday! And this is simply not true.

Sunday meal prep took up a big part of my weekend. Read any article, blog post, or book on losing weight and chances are you are going to hear that Sunday meal prep is a key ingredient in being successful with eating healthy. {pssst - this is NOT true!}

However, one day I just realized I didn’t want to spend my Sundays in the kitchen. I LOVE to cook, but Sunday meal prep often left me feeling burnt out and uninspired in the kitchen. If I made other plans, I felt guilty NOT prepping and felt like I couldn't stay on track.

I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be this way! If the idea of meal prep has held you back from trying to eat healthier or if you want to break free from your current Sunday meal prep routine, keep reading!

First let’s talk about why we think we do need a plan when it comes to healthy eating.

It is estimated that the average person makes 200 food decisions each day. Just think of all the food options available to the average American from the time you wake up until bedtime!

Let’s face it - to eat healthy, you basically have to say NO to the vast majority of food choices in your day.

Wouldn’t it be nice if out of those 200 food choices each day we were choosing things like an apple vs an orange or a salad vs. a hearty vegetable soup? But sadly, NO. We are constantly bombarded with sugary, salty, fatty, oversized food choices at every eating opportunity.

It has gotten to the point where choosing to eat healthy is often automatically associated with “being on a diet”! Ugh - I think it’s terrible that healthy choices are NOT considered the norm. To be honest - I feel this concept of perfect meal prep has contributed to this perception.

Eating healthy does NOT have to be complicated!

Benefits of Meal Planning/prepping

Unfortunately in our society, healthy choices are not as readily available as other foods. When you are eating a diet full of fresh produce, lean proteins, whole grains, and light on the sugar, salt, and fat - you are going against the grain and do NEED to be prepared!

This is why meal prep is almost always associated with being successful with your nutrition program. So let’s talk about some of the benefits of meal planning and prepping.

One huge benefit of meal planning/prepping is it decreases decision fatigue - you don’t have to decide on a minute by minute basis WHAT to eat, because it is already decided for you.

You set aside one day to cook everything you need for the week and in theory you won’t have to make ANY food choices once the meal prep is done. This is incredibly appealing and one huge reason I did weekly meal prep for years.

the downside of meal prep

Sunday meal prep is touted as THE solution for busy people who want to eat healthy.

It was about 10 years ago that I first started on my weight loss journey. During most of this time, I was usually following a meal plan that required counting calories, macros, or measuring/weighing my food according to a specific diet.

Did it work? Absolutely, BUT it ONLY worked as long as I was following the plan and prepping accordingly.

When you’re following a super strict diet plan with lots of rules, it’s REALLY HARD to stick to your plan outside of your meal prep. In theory, it feels less stressful to do a big meal prep and not have to think about your meals the rest of the week. However, it is MORE stressful if we are on the go and worrying about being perfect!

This often creates an all in or all out mentality.

Here’s the thing - I had allowed myself to get sucked into a level of perfectionism where losing weight and staying on track was DEPENDENT on how well I prepared for the week.

I was measuring all macros and limiting certain things like salad dressing, oils, cheese, avocado, hummus where I could only have them once per day in very specific amounts. This meant I basically had to plan an entire day of eating from start to finish - stressful and confusing!

Additionally, if we are following an eating plan and not eating the same foods as the rest of the family, it may feel best to prep our own food ahead of time and just cook for the rest of the family each night - while sticking to our own prepped meals. Having done this myself, I can say it's a LOT of work!

Many health and wellness people will say things like “its not about having time, its about making time” to justify the need for these complicated and time-intensive meal prepping sessions. However, I’m guessing you truly do have a very busy schedule - so why not take a more balanced approach?

Yes, you CAN stay on track and nourish your body without feeling like you have to block off an entire day for cooking. Instead, let’s create a more flexible approach with room for last minute plans, eating out, and enjoying LIFE!

Why I stopped meal prepping on Sundays:

Preparing for the rest of the week on Sunday, meant I was eating 5 day old leftovers on Friday (yuck)
Any change of plans often meant food was wasted
Eating the same thing every day got boring
I was either all in or all out, often based on how successful I was at meal prep
The plans I was following had very specific rules and foods that were and were not allowed. Not much wiggle room. I no longer eat this way!
Even though I got faster at it, meal prep often took up a big chunk of time on my Sundays

If you are sick and tired of spending hours meal prepping on the weekends - there IS a better way.

Even without a time-consuming Sunday meal prep, you CAN:

Stay on track and enjoy nutritious foods for every meal
Prepare certain foods/snacks/meals as needed 1-2 days ahead of time
Have the flexibility to change your meal plans/go out to eat
Save time and money
LOSE WEIGHT easily!

A Better Way

Thankfully I found a better way (you can learn more on my podcast). And what I love most is that I have finally broken free from the all in or all out mentality associated with a big Sunday meal prep.

I do know that some people thrive by doing a huge meal prep on Sundays. If you have an extremely difficult schedule or are participating in a body building competition then maybe a big Sunday meal prep IS the best system for you. Its up to you to decide what really works for YOU.

However, in my opinion - your habits MUST be flexible and sustainable.

I'm guessing we probably have many things in common, but the truth is MY exact meal plan may not work for you. If you really want to get serious about eating healthy and making your home a supportive environment for your nutrition goals, then you MUST have a growth mindset and be prepared to try new things. Ultimately, its about failing forward until you find what works!

Before we move on to learning a new way of preparing for the week, first we need to talk about mindset. So often, we want everything done for us - however, when WE take responsibility for our goals it is much easier to create systems that truly work for our unique lifestyle.

While you absolutely do NOT need to meal PREP for the week, you do still need a PLAN.

How to meal plan

First you need to look at your calendar and make a note of what type of meal would be best each day/meal. Having on-the-go breakfast options, using leftovers for lunch, and dinner is usually the meal we need to plan most. For dinners I usually label each day with a slow cooker/instant pot, quick n easy, make-ahead, or no rules.
Once you know what type of meals you need, then it is time to look in your fridge/pantry/freezer and see what items you need to use up before they expire. *side note - this is a great opportunity to toss any expired items/donate items you won’t use and clean your fridge or organize your pantry.
After making your list of items to use - choose recipes and supplement your grocery list with any ingredients needed. Also make sure to include any snacks. *TIP: when planning your meals, make sure to use your more perishable produce early in the week and have more shelf-stable/frozen produce available for later in the week. For example, use things like mixed greens, asparagus, and cucumbers first. Things like spaghetti squash and frozen green beans can be used later in the week or even weeks later!
Set aside time to grocery shop or order your groceries online. Stick to your list!
Once you have your groceries do a mini-prep. Wash and chop any fresh produce, as needed. You will be more likely to eat fruits and veggies when you can grab and go. Maybe make some hard boiled eggs or portion out some yogurt/fruit cups. You may want to create meal kits which makes getting dinner on the table even easier! A meal kit is just placing each meal ingredients together in a bin or box in your fridge, so you can make sure you have everything you need. This can be done the night ahead of time. When its time to cook, just grab the bin and go!

Final Meal Prep Tips

Stick with foods/meals you enjoy and don’t mind eating as leftovers
Cook a larger dinner on Sunday like chili, soup or a big salad that can then be used for lunch the next couple of days
Keep grab-and-go staples on hand like bagged salads, hard boiled eggs, cheese sticks, grape tomatoes, baby carrots, apples, bananas
Stock your freezer and pantry with intention and make sure you have ingredients for complete meals on hand
Know what restaurants work for your eating plan and if you go to a new restaurant make sure to check the menu prior to arrival to choose your meal
Prep a few simple items if needed, overnight oats, hard boiled eggs, burgers, and roasted veggies take no time at all and are versatile ingredients for any meal
Remember your meal plan CAN include drive-thru, takeout, eating out and social events
Use your perishable ingredients early in the week, use your more shelf stable or frozen ingredients later in the week.
Use a macro-based eating plan that allows all foods and empowers you to feel good about your choices in any situation
Remember sustainable habits are not always picture perfect and its up to you to use solutions that work for YOUR daily life!

For more routines and systems for success check out these blog posts:

I hope this post has helped you realize that you do not need to be a meal prep pro to eat healthy, stay on track and lose weight! When you create a system for success and find what works for your busy lifestyle, THAT is when the magic happens!