It’s Sunday, which means it’s grocery shopping and meal prep day! I create simple, realistic meals for the week that don’t compromise on flavor or nutrition because like so many of you, I want to eat well without spending tons of time in the kitchen every day. I thought it would be fun to take you along on a week’s journey from restocking the fridge to prepping the basics to cooking dinner each night to demonstrate what a week of meals looks like for me. I may have picked the busiest week of the month to film… it really put my prep and planning to the test! Watch the video now 💖
✨ Go leave a comment on the video with what you’re prepping or cooking this week and I’ll choose two people to get a free year of the eat goood newsletter!!
I stand by the idea that meal prep does not mean eating the same thing all week or having boring meals. Prepping components ahead and choosing meals that work well with your daily or weekly schedule all make the process easier and enjoyable, plus freezing prepped meals allows you to switch things up while getting ahead.
My week of meals typically skews high-protein and veggie-forward, and I have links to everything I made below if you’d like to try some yourself. If you’re looking for the full October meal prep plan, head here. If you’re looking for a weeknight dinner plan with a grocery list, unlock two of them here.
The weekly formula I follow is simple: inventory → shop → prep → cook.
Inventory: Take note of what you have leftover from the week, freezer stock, or unused pantry items (there’s always some beans or coconut milk hiding in the back of my cabinet). Use these staples to build out your next meals for the week.
Shop: Make a list based on the meals you want to make for the week and what you have on hand from taking inventory (reduce waste and save $$!). Always shop with a list, but feel free to be flexible—if ground turkey is on sale, take advantage of that and swap it in or pick up an extra package or two for the freezer.
Prep: This week I spent a quick 45 minutes in the kitchen doing component prep and making breakfast for the next 4 days. If you’re not sure what to make this week, component prep is great for versatility! If a full plan works better, you’re probably someone who benefits from my prep day plans and calendars to follow.
Cook: I cooked dinner each night this week, but my lunch was made and ready—this is my typical routine. I cook for a household of 2 so the freezer is my best friend. Instead of forcing ourselves to eat the same meal 4 days in a row, I pop leftovers in the freezer to build up the stock for busy weeks. See it in action!
I prepped four components and one full breakfast this week. All in I spent 45-ish minutes in the kitchen on Sunday afternoon and it made such a difference when it came to assembling meals, especially breakfast—all I had to do was grab the next jar out of the fridge! The recipe for each component is either written out or linked!
Apple Pie Overnight Oats — My hyper-fixation fall breakfast right now…these are so delicious and worth the 10 minutes of cooking the apples!! Featured in week 1 of the October meal prep plan.
Bone Broth Rice — Bring 2 cups of bone broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the broth is absorbed and rice is fluffy, 15 to 20 minutes.
Maple Barbecue Sauce — In a small bowl or jar, combine 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Add 1/4 cup coconut aminos, 1/4 cup tomato paste, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp maple syrup, and 2 tbsp oil. Whisk rapidly until smooth. Used for my high-protein bbq chicken flatbread!
Shredded Chicken — Add 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 cup low-sodium broth to the bowl of a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Once fully cooked, use two forks to shred. Sheet pan method: omit the broth and cook for about 25 minutes on 400F.
Pickled Onions — Thinly slice 1 red onion and pack into a 16-ounce heatproof glass jar. In a saucepan, combine 3/4 cup water, 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp maple syrup, and 2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, carefully pour over the onions. Push down any uncovered onions. Let it sit uncovered until room temperature. Seal with a lid once they reach room temperature.
My weekly meal plan is built around dinners for the week. I typically choose five meals for the week and then fill in the gaps with pantry staples and meal prep as needed. Everything I made for lunch and dinner is linked below!
High Protein Barbecue Chicken Flatbread was on the menu for lunch all week! This was one of my personal favorite recipes from September and so many of you guys made it and sent pics in the chat!! It’s seriously so good. You can top with the pickled onions for a little kick and burst of color.
Gochujang Salmon Bowls were made on Substack Live with the amazing Carla Lalli Music and oh my gosh you need to make these!! I devoured this afterwards and I’m already thinking about when I’ll make it next.
High Protein Broccoli Cheddar Soup was dinner on Monday night. This recipe is creamy, delicious, and perfect for a rainy or chilly night. We use cottage cheese (of course) to get the protein boost, but you can swap for coconut milk if preferred.
One Skillet Buffalo Chicken and Rice is one of those recipes that I created years ago and kind of forgot about, but it’s so good. It brings all the delicious flavors of buffalo chicken dip and makes it into an actual meal.
One Pot Orzo with Rosemary Chicken Meatballs was Wednesday’s dinner!! I clearly love a one pot situation, especially for a midweek meal. This one is part of my preorder bonus bundle! Honestly worth unlocking just for this recipe…
Baked Chicken Enchilada Skillet is one dinner I’m begging you to make, it’s so easy to prep and full of flavor. I used my prepped shredded chicken here, you can always swap for a rotisserie chicken if you want to skip the cooking.
Favorites from this week’s video:
cotton fisherman crew sweater — this sweater is the best value ($40!) I wore the heather brown color and I’m highly considering getting another one… I sized up on this one for an oversized look.
wide leg jeans — I’m usually an Abercromie jeans girlie through and through, but these wide leg jeans were so comfy I wore them multiple times last week! Super stretchy but they still look elevated, and an amazing price.
half zip sweater — I love an oversized fit, so perfect for a cozy meal prep afternoon or hitting the grocery store (it’s always freezing in there).
cropped cardigan — I’m so into dark brown right now! Since it’s freezing in the morning but feels like late summer by the afternoon, this sweater is ideal!
cotton cashmere ribbed tank — tbh I wasn’t sure about this one when I ordered it, but I ended up wearing it for my segment on NBC and love it. The color and texture is perfect for early fall and matches with these linen pants.
📹 Substack LIVE! I’m going live again with carla lalli music this Wednesday at 12pm EST for another recipe swap! We’re making my spicy edamame peanut noodles—come ready to chat or do a little mid week meal prep with us!
That’s all for today, I hope you all have a lovely week, and be sure to stay tuned over on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to see what I have for y’all this upcoming week!
Hi Jenn- I've been following you for years and have so many of your recipes on repeat! I've also been getting your newsletter for a while, however, the last few times I've had trouble with the links. When I click on a link in your email and it takes me to your website, all that comes up is the ad for your upcoming cook book. I briefly see the recipe below, but can't get past the ad. Is that supposed to be happening?
Oh wow I love this, thanks for the Inspo girlie 🫶🏽