my most asked meal prep questions answered

budgeting and planing tips, plus my January faves!

Happy Sunday! If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed by the idea of meal prep wondering what to make, how much to spend, or even where to begin, you’re not alone. Meal prep can feel like a puzzle, especially when you’re juggling busy schedules, taste preferences, dietary restrictions, and limited time. That’s why today’s newsletter is dedicated to answering your top meal prep questions. We’re diving into the essentials: how to budget for prep, how long prepped meals actually last, the best foods to prep for maximum freshness, and how to figure out what works best for your routine and budget.

I’ve broken down several of the most frequently asked questions I get about meal prep and included practical tips and meal ideas to get you started. Whether you’re a prep pro or just starting out, there’s something here for everyone & if you want even more, check out today’s video. This is a jam-packed newsletter so grab your coffee (or meal prep snack of choice), and let’s get into it!

table talk

this week’s newsletter is all about answering your questions—if you have a meal prep question I didn’t get to, leave it below in the comments!!

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Knowing what to prep starts with keeping it simple—don’t overcomplicate the process for yourself. If you’re unsure where to begin, start small: pick your favorite meal of the day and focus on prepping that for the week. Think of it as your “home base”—the meal you can count on no matter how hectic your schedule gets.

I also often hear that overwhelm with finding recipes is a roadblock to meal prep. If this is you, my advice is to just choose 1 or 2 recipes that use simple ingredients or components to keep your prep time low and manageable. This approach not only makes the habit easier to start but also sets you up for long-term success with a routine you can stick to. Plus, this approach allows you to build your meal prep recipe archive overtime making future weeks even easier to plan and prep!

✨ All the Sunday meal preps on my site include 3 meals (one breakfast, 2 lunches/dinners) and use simple, flavorful, ingredients. If you’re looking to try one out, this one is perfect to start with.

The best answer is the ones that you actually want to eat! buuut, there are definitely some foods that hold up better for meal prep than others, let’s get into it 👇

Ingredient prep: Ingredient prep is one of my favorite strategies for efficient, low waste meal prep. Ingredient prep means you’re using your meal prep time to make components—protein, hearty/starchier veggies, salads, sides, etc.—that you’ll use to assemble a variety of meals (lunches or dinners). Some of my favorite components are salads with kale or cabbage (these greens are super hearty, and hold up well for 3 to 4 days in the fridge) and proteins like shredded chicken, mini meatballs, and crisp chicken thighs. For a carb source, orzo/rice cooked in bone broth or roasted sweet potatoes are my go-tos.

✨ Last month’s ingredient prep was a fan favorite!

Breakfast prep: Obviously we can’t forget breakfast. The best prep ahead breakfast is chia pudding or overnight oats—there’s so many flavor and topping combos, I promise you’ll never get bored of it. No reheating needed for these and they’ll stay fresh up to 5 days refrigerated in a sealed container.

Soup: Soups are the best way to stock up your freezer. If you have a trip or a busy week/month coming up, freeze a batch of 1-2 soups and you won’t have to think about chopping a vegetable after work for a week! Souper cubes are the absolute best way to store your soup portions in the freezer.

✨ Chicken pot pie and three bean chili are my picks for winter time.

My go-to reference for storage guidelines is the FDA, which states most foods are good for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container or 3-4 months in the freezer. To get the full breakdown, here’s the chart I reference for all my recipes. Not everything will make it a full week so use that freezer stash!

✨ These are my ride-or-die meal prep storage essentials.

For my household of 2, I aim for $500 a month on groceries, which works to be about $120 a week. Some weeks are more and some are less depending on meals and special ingredients. My most shopped stores are Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, Aldi, Thrive Market, and Costco (for bulk items). If you’re looking for ways to sustain a lower grocery budget, here’s a few quick tips:

• go in with a plan: know what meals you’re making this week and build your list around them

• shop your pantry & freezer so you know what you have on hand ready to use

• stock up on frozen veggies: they’re just as nutritious & won’t go bad if you don’t use them in a week!

✨ Need a little more support with budget meals? try out one of my past Grocery Series—all of these come in around $50-$65 for 5 dinners depending on where you live & what store you shop (I used Trader Joe’s since their pricing is most consistent nation-wide).

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what I’m prepping

1. chicken sausage and kale soup—it’s the last week in our January meal plan and I’ll be cozying up with this hearty soup.

2. strawberries & cream chia pudding—my current hyper fixation breakfast 🍓

what I’m loving

January favorites: At the end of every month I round up & share my list of favorite things food, fashion, and lifestyle related! Take a peek and grab the links to everything here.

what I’m recommending

1. vanilla bean paste — This just adds an instant upgrade to whatever you put it in, I love to add to my coffees for a little special something. Got mine from Trader Joe’s!

2. knife sharpening — I was long overdue for a knife sharpening and just got them done last week… absolutely life changing, if you’re local to Boston, I went here.

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🍓 stock your freezer with these muffins & you won’t have to think about breakfast

🛒 grab my top 3 tips for new meal preppers

🍋 prep these six components, make 12 servings of meals for the week

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🚨 Want a free month of the eat goood newsletter?

If you make one of my recipes this week, leave a rating and review on my website & you’ll be entered to get a free month of the paid newsletter! All you have to do is leave your rating & review, then comment on this post letting me know you reviewed—it can be any recipe on the site! There will be 3 winners every month 💕

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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!

Much love,

Jenn