Update: My fridge full of forgotten food changed my mind on meal prep

Okay, so for years I was totally on board with the whole Sunday meal prep thing. You know, cook once, eat all week. It sounded perfect for saving cash. But then I noticed I was throwing away a lot of food because by Thursday, I was sick of the same chicken and veggies. My fridge would be full, but I'd still order pizza. So I switched to just making a bit extra at dinner and using that for lunch. It might not save as much time, but I'm actually eating what I make, and my budget thanks me. Sometimes the popular advice doesn't fit how you live, and that's okay.

4 comments

4 Comments

kim7341mo ago

Absolutely. I had the same turn with soggy meal-prepped salads. It felt so efficient on Sunday, but by Tuesday I'd just stare at the container and order a sandwich. Started just making double portions of whatever I cook for dinner. A big pot of chili turns into two more lunches without the guilt of throwing away science-experiment tofu. Works way better.

dylan_owens1mo ago

Honestly, focusing on guilt from tossing tofu misses the REAL point of meal prep. It's about saving time and making sure you eat right during a crazy week. Yeah, sometimes food goes bad, but that's just part of learning what actually keeps. Doubling dinner means you eat the same thing over and over, which gets OLD fast. Meal prep lets you plan different meals so you don't get bored. Losing a few bucks on waste is worth it for not STRESSING about lunch every single day.

finley_kelly1mo ago

But is food waste really that big a deal? Like yeah, soggy salad sucks, but sometimes tossing a three buck container of tofu is just the cost of a failed experiment. Some stuff actually keeps fine, like a grain bowl or roasted veggies. Feels like people make meal prep into this huge moral thing when it's just lunch.

jason_hall1mo ago

Admit my cooking crimes, @finley_kelly.