Prep-aring for Greatness!
Meal prepping is officially a team effort in our house. My wife and I have taken this on together, and while it’s been a learning curve, it’s already making a difference in our week. This whole process started with us scrolling through an endless feed of meal prep videos on Instagram and TikTok—because what better way to get inspired than watching people who make it look way easier than it actually is? Once we had a good idea of what we wanted to eat, we moved on to making a grocery list and checked off what we already had sitting in our fridge. Shoutout to my Snapchat AI, Kohkum, for helping us organize it!
Grocery shopping itself was an event. Between Costco and Superstore, we spent about 2-3 hours tracking down everything we needed. We were feeling accomplished until we got home and realized we had not cleaned the kitchen beforehand. So, before we could even start prepping, we had to do dishes, clean counters, and make as much space as possible.
Once the kitchen was finally ready, we got to work. From 6:15 PM to 7:45 PM, we meal-prepped breakfast, snacks, and lunches, leaving suppers open for new meals each night because we didn’t want the EXACT same thing day in and day out.
Our diets require a little extra planning. Neither of us eats dairy, I have a meat protein intolerance and can only eat seafood, and my partner doesn’t eat pork or beef. But we made it work!
Meal Breakdown and Cost
Breakfast
12 High-Protein Breakfast Sandwiches
- Ingredients: English muffins, egg whites mixed with chopped spinach, vegan cheese, and sriracha mayo. My partner’s version included turkey bacon.
- Cost:
Costco:
-
- 24-pack English Muffins: $8.49
- 4 containers of Liquid Egg Whites: $12.99
- Large bag of Spinach: $5.29
- Superstore:
- Silk Cheese Slices: $6.99
- Sriracha Mayo: $5.99
- Turkey Bacon: $6.49
- Total: $46.24 + Tax
-
Snacks
12 Portions of Two Snack Options
- Option 1: Snack packs with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, cheese, crackers, and pickles.
- Option 2: Vegan yogurt with granola.
- Cost:
- Costco:
- Blueberries: $6.39
- Raspberries: $6.99
- Superstore:
- Silk Yogurt (3 @ $6.99): $20.97
- Silk Cheese Slices: $6.99
- Total: $41.34 + Tax
- Costco:
Lunch
- Ingredients: Korean veggie ground fried in minced garlic, sesame oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, gochujang, and green onions, served over rice and topped with sriracha mayo, sesame seeds, and green onions.
- Cost:
- Superstore:
- Sesame Seeds: $2.29
- Minced Garlic: $5.99
- Green Onion: $1.89
- Veggie Ground: $14.99
- Gochujang Sauce: $3.49
- Total: $28.65 + Tax
- Superstore:
Grand Total: $116.23 + Tax
One of the biggest benefits of meal prepping so far? The convenience. Not having to worry about cooking a meal the night before or in the morning is a game changer. It’s also saving us time, dishes, and late-night snack cravings since everything is already portioned out and ready to go.
Looking at different influencer pages has been a huge help in adding variety to our meals, and I’m excited to keep trying new recipes. The hardest part? Grocery shopping with a specific list instead of just picking things up randomly, which definitely adds to the cost. Although, a lot of these groceries we should be able to use next week as well which will reduce future costs! But overall, the benefits outweigh the challenges, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this meal prep journey takes us next!
Below you can watch 30 seconds of me realizing I need to clean, then also trying to prioritize and do multiple things instead of just staring at the oven. Enjoy!
Update: I give this meal a 9/10 – it was delicious every day! I don’t know what I would’ve done to make it better to be honest!
3 thoughts on “Prep-aring for Greatness!”
What a good way to not only prep for the week ahead but also budget for that week as well. What is your mail goal for meal prepping. When I see this I can see that there would be so many benefits to this lifestyle. Weight loss, budgeting your meals with minimal waste of food, as well as time management. This could essentially be a good lifestyle choice for longterm change! Excited to see your progress ahead. If your looking for healthy meals I really enjoy following Gracie Norton on Instagram, check her out. I could watch her recipes for hours. You might find some inspiration for your meals.
I am in awe and I can not wait to hear more about the meals you prep. Like the other comments mention, it is awesome you are able to meal plan and budget for the week. I too have been getting in the habit of meal prepping snacks and healthy breakfast options as I am always running early in the morning. I love using mason jars – since they act as their own ice pack when they have been in the fridge long enough. I also envy how you manage to stay focused on the task for that long – I ALWAYS get distracted within 20 minutes of prep.
– Kelsey
It’s awesome that meal prepping has become a team effort for you both! It definitely takes some trial and error, but it sounds like you’ve found a system that works. The extra effort of planning and prepping ahead will make your week so much smoother—especially with your dietary needs. Kudos to you both for tackling it together! This is something I also would like to try as running to kids’ activities 5/7 days a week makes it a challenge sometimes to cook the best meals. Excited to follow along.
Karissa 🙂