Meal Planning for People Who Hate Meal Planning
Lately, I’ve had a lot of coaching conversations about a topic that brings up… feelings.
Big ones.
Meal planning and prep.
Even mentioning it can spark reactions like:
“I hate doing that.”
“I plan everything out and by Tuesday I want none of it.”
“I don’t want future-me making food decisions for current-me.”
Honestly? Fair.
But here’s the other side of not having any kind of plan: more grazing, more convenience foods, more “I’ll just figure it out later,” and then suddenly it’s 8pm and you’re eating crackers and vibes.
So today I want to share the meal planning & prep hack that will never make a Pinterest board or a TikTok montage.
No matching containers.
No color-coded calendars.
No committing to Thursday’s dinner when it’s only Sunday and you don’t even know who you’ll be emotionally by then.
A quick confession
I am heavily influenced by how I feel. Good thing? Bad thing? You get to decide - but this is me and I’ve learned to deal with it.
I don’t know what I’ll feel like wearing tomorrow.
I don’t know what music genre I’ll be in the mood for.
And I definitely don’t know what I’ll want to eat three days from now.
On top of that:
I took on most of the cooking for my family starting in third grade
I raised three sons who are foodies
I’m not a fan of leftovers beyond the second round
And if anyone asks me “What’s for dinner?” one more time… 😅
I have been deeply burnt out on cooking.
And yet - I still want to eat nourishing food.
So instead of waiting to feel motivated, I’ve learned to work with myself instead of against myself.
My rule: meal planning has to be flexible and helpful
So I simplified the two parts of meals I struggle with most:
Protein
Vegetables
That’s it. That’s the system.
The Prep (Very Low Drama Edition)
Protein prep
Once or twice a week, I’ll do some version of this:
Cook a bag of thawed chicken (grill, air fryer, or oven - dealer’s choice)
Brown half a batfch of ground meat, then rinse and drain
With the other half:
Make patties, meatballs, or meatloaf
or freeze it for later Future Me (she’s very grateful)
No recipes. No theme nights. Just options.
Veggie tray
I also make a big veggie tray - nothing fancy.
Whatever I’ll actually eat:
Pre-cut veggies
Washed greens
Anything that makes vegetables the easy choice
Bases
Quick and easy to have as a base carb for meals:
Cook a cup or two of rice (Brown, Jasmine - you decide).
Cube and roast a sweet potato or two.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
Here’s a snapshot from a recent week - not as a template, but as proof this works without planning every meal in advance.
Monday Dinner
I felt like tacos.
Reheated half the browned meat with taco seasoning + water.
Served with taco shells, cheese, Greek yogurt, salsa, onion, lettuce, and tomato (aka: house staples).
Tuesday
Lunch: taco salad using leftover taco ingredients + half a bagged salad kit.
Dinner: chicken stir-fry using veggies from the tray and pre-cooked chicken.
Didn’t have stir-fry sauce or all the ingredients to make it so I used jarred curry sauce instead. No rules were harmed.
Wednesday
Lunch: leftover curry.
Dinner: grilled hamburger patties (pulled from the freezer) with buns and veggies from the tray.
Thursday
Lunch: the other half of the salad kit + diced chicken.
Dinner: salmon filets with leftover rice, butter, cilantro, and steamed broccoli from the veggie tray.
Friday
Pizza night - decision already made.
Lunch: sliced chicken, veggies, hummus, and fruit = Adult Lunchable energy.
Nothing was planned more than a day ahead.
I adjusted based on what I had.
I froze what I didn’t need.
I “shopped” my freezer before going to the store.
I like to think of mealtime as my personal episode of Chopped—but with fewer judges and more grace.
My Non-Negotiables: Staples That Save Me
I always keep some version of these on hand:
Jarred, low-sugar pasta sauces
Salsa - always. And usually 2-3 varieties.
Asian or curry sauces (though lately I’ve been making my own)
Bagged salad kits
Shredded cabbage
Spice blends
Shredded or chopped veggies
Greek yogurt
Fresh fruit
These aren’t shortcuts. They’re supports.
Need Ideas? Start Here
With pre-cooked chicken:
Add BBQ sauce → sandwiches
Make chicken salad
Slice with onions & peppers + tortillas → fajitas
Toss with Alfredo or pesto → serve over zoodles (zucchini noodles) or pasta
With ground meat:
Add to pasta sauce
Make Salisbury steak with patties
Meatballs (freeze half!)
Egg Roll in a Bowl with shredded cabbage
Make sheet-pan Kefta
Portion control is easier. Decision fatigue is lower. Everyone wins.
The Bigger Point (Because I’m a Coach, After All)
My meal prep isn’t revolutionary.
But I did stop trying to do it the way I thought I “should.”
And once I did that, I started noticing other places in my life where I’d been forcing structure that didn’t actually support me.
That’s the real shift.
Your Turn
What’s your relationship with meal prep?
Love it? Tell me your favorites.
Hate it but know it would help? Where could you loosen the rules?
What’s one small thing you could prep today to make next week easier?
No perfection required. Just support.
