How to do Flexible Meal Planning and Prep {no stress, no cooking all Sunday!}
Flexible meal planning and prep is the best way to prep if you don’t have all day to meal prep, the desire to plan 7 days ahead, or you never stick to your meal plans before. This is my no stress, no (or very limited) cooking Sunday meal planning ways!
I have been meal planning and prepping almost every single week for six years. I have tried all different kinds of methods and have found that I keep coming back to this one style of meal planning and prep – the flexible method!
The flexible method is great for:
- People that get overwhelmed by meal planning or feel to confined when they have a plan.
- You have tried meal planning and end up wasting food because your mind and taste buds change for what you want.
- Those of us that have one a limited amount of time (30 min to 1 hour) a week to dedicate to prep and planning.
- Meal prep lovers that don’t like to eat the same repetitive meals all week.
Why flexible meal planning and prep is my go to:
- It find it difficult to plan a full 7 days of meals at once.
- I have found I have reduced food waste – using the same base ingredients in multiple DIFFERENT meals a week.
- I have 1-2 hours max to spend on planning and prep each week.
- I don’t eat reheated cooked meals all week – and you don’t have to!
What exactly is flexible meal planning and prep:
Flexible meal planning and prep is most easily explained as a “loose” meal plan. With flexible meal prepping involving mostly ingredient prep – not full meals!
The biggest thing I have learned about adopting this habit is that it is not “all or nothing”. You don’t need a million perfectly portioned containers to be a meal plan and prep pro.
When you meal plan and prep this way, you have a plan for most days – allowing flexibility for leftovers or a change in your schedule that prevent you from cooking what was on the plan.
Essential pro tips for flexible meal planning
1. Don’t pull your whole week of proteins out of the freezer right away.
The number one way I have reduced food waste is by getting a secondary freezer and NOT taking out all of the proteins out on Sunday.
Pull out only 2-3 days max from your freezer. Doing this means that if things change, you don’t have too much thawed, and you can keep your end of the week selections in the freezer and not the trash!
2. Stock that freezer with individual freezer meals.
This is the number one strategy to flexible meal planning. When I stock my freezer with a variety of single serve meals, I can choose one based on what I am in the mood for that day – and I can bulk prep and not eat the same meal all week!
My meal plans often say “freezer cubes” for lunches. I freeze anything I can in these Souper Cube (affiliate link) trays.
Here you can find all of the easy ways I use my Souper Cubes for single serving freezer lunches.
3. Learn to get creative with ingredients!
With flexible meal planning you are prepping mostly just your ingredients and if you change your mind with what you want – that is ok, now you use that ingredient for something else.
An example is rice. I often prep rice on Sunday for a meal. Even if I change my mind on the meal, I can always use it in something else – or freeze it!
4. Prep your fresh veggies to last!
Typically, produce stores the best left the way you purchase it. But, we all know, that if your produce is prepped and ready to go, you are more likely to use it. So, we do sacrifice the produce life span by prepping it, but there are ways to prep your produce ingredients to last longer! Get my free printable guide here.
Step by Step | Flexible Meal Planning and Prep
Step 1. WRITE DOWN A PLAN
I use a simple pen and paper method, and use my free meal planning template. This template has been working great for me for years.
You can even laminate it and use a fine time dry erase marker and just wipe it off each week.
This set up allows you to make a plan, your grocery list, and even a checklist of what you want to get done in your limited prep time!
**** you do not have to fill in every single day**** In fact, I never do. I do 4 days of planning as a max.
Sometimes, I will even just pick the proteins that we will use this week. Then depending on what we are feeling, I will decide the day before or day of what exactly we will have.
Step 2. DON’T PLAN BREAKFAST AND LUNCHES IF YOU DON’T WANT TO!
If planning every single meal of the week is overwhelming (I agree!) and you don’t have to. Just plan most of your week – or the meal times that are most difficult for you.
I love freezer meals, and freeze them in individual portions so that I can just grab a single meal for lunch and simply reheat.
Also, plan for leftovers when you are already cooking for fuss free lunches.
Step 3. WASH PREP AND STORE YOUR FRESH INGREDIENTS – don’t cook full meals.
No need to cook anything to be prepared for the week. This lets you see exactly what you have on hand each week and it is ready to go – making meals come together so much faster!
Here are all of my favorite meal prep containers!
Step 4. COOK ONLY BULK INGREDIENTS OR THINGS THAT TAKE LONG DURING THE WEEKNIGHTS.
This allows flexibility in that you can change what you decide to make if you wish – you just have to choose something else with that main ingredients.
For example, rice. I will cook rice once on Sunday and use it in multiple meals through out the week and change my plans and use it in a recipe I didn’t plan on for the week.
Having the base cooked ingredients that you use most often, reduces dinner time cook time, and then you also have less cooking dishes during the week!
Step 5. PULL OUT YOUR PROTEINS FROM THE FREEZER – BUT ONLY FOR 2 -3 DAYS
First of all, I do this for food safety, but this allow allows for flexibility to change the plan and leave half of your proteins in the freezer and if your plans change, they just stay in the freezer and not wasted!
Instead of feeling restricted that you need to use everything you planned, this allows you decide to go out later in the week or use up leftovers instead!
Printable Version Here
Flexible Meal Planning and Prep | Step by Step
Flexible meal planning isn't complicated! In fact, you are probably over thinking meal planning. Not anymore!
Use this printer friendly how to guide to get going with flexible meal planning today!
Instructions
1. Write down a plan
I use a simple pen and paper method, and use my free meal planning template. This template has been working great for me for years.
You can even laminate it and use a fine time dry erase marker and just wipe it off each week.
This set up allows you to make a plan, your grocery list, and even a checklist of what you want to get done in your limited prep time!
**** you do not have to fill in every single day**** In fact, I never do. I do 4 days of planning as a max.
2. Don't plan breakfast and lunches if you don't want to!
I love freezer meals, and freeze them in individual portions so that I can just grab a single meal for lunch and simply reheat.
Also, plan for leftovers when you are already cooking for fuss free lunches.
3. Wash prep and store your fresh ingredients
No need to cook anything to be prepared for the week. This lets you see exactly what you have on hand each week and it is ready to go - making meals come together so much faster!
4. Cook only bulk ingredients or things that take long during the weeknights.
This allows flexibility in that you can change what you decide to make if you wish - you just have to choose something else with that main ingredients.
For example, rice. I will cook rice once on Sunday and use it in multiple meals through out the week and change my plans and use it in a recipe I didn't plan on for the week.
Having the base cooked ingredients that you use most often, reduces dinner time cook time, and then you also have less cooking dishes during the week!
5. Pull out your proteins from the freezer - but only for 2 -3 days
First of all, I do this for food safety, but this allow allows for flexibility to change the plan and leave half of your proteins in the freezer and if your plans change, they just stay in the freezer and not wasted!
Instead of feeling restricted that you need to use everything you planned, this allows you decide to go out later in the week or use up leftovers instead!
6. You are done and ready for the week!
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Did I miss anything that you use for flexible meal planning! Let me know in the comments!
