Too Lazy to Meal Prep? Here’s How We Still Eat Well Every Week
I do not meal prep.
Not because it is a bad idea, but because I know myself. I procrastinate when it comes to cooking. If you handed me a pile of containers and said, “Get everything ready for the week,” I would probably start reorganizing the fridge just to avoid it.
But I still care about how I eat. I want to feel good, stay sharp, and not rely on last-minute food decisions that leave me tired or spending more than I planned.
That is why my wife and I found a system that fits real life. We cook large meals a few times a week and let them stretch into the next couple of days. She usually takes the lead, and I help out. I do not hate cooking. I just tend to put it off unless we have a plan. So when we make something, we make enough to save ourselves from cooking again the next day.
This is not a strict meal prep routine. It is just a way to avoid chaos when life gets busy.
And it works.
We are not in the kitchen every night, and we are not stuck eating out just because we are tired. When we do go out, it feels like a treat instead of a fallback. We actually enjoy it more because it is not our default.
There is also something rewarding about being part of the process. Chopping vegetables, adding seasoning, deciding how to use what is in the fridge. Even if I am not leading the charge, I appreciate what we are making together.
Over time, we have noticed a few patterns that make this rhythm easier to maintain. These are not strict rules. They are just real habits that help us eat better without stress.
If you want a more relaxed way to eat well, here are five tips that work for us:
Make meals that last. We usually skip recipes that will not hold up for leftovers. If it tastes great cold or reheats well, it is a winner.
Stick to your go-to recipes. Rotating through five or six reliable meals keeps grocery shopping and cooking simple.
Build meals around protein and carbs. You do not need a perfect plan. Just focus on the basics that give you energy and help you recover.
Only keep ingredients you will use. Stop buying “aspirational” groceries. If you always skip the kale, do not keep buying it.
Treat eating out like a bonus. It becomes more enjoyable when you are not relying on it just to survive a long day.
The goal is not to be perfect. The goal is to make things easier on future you.
When meals are planned with a little intention, everything else feels less chaotic. You save money. You feel more grounded. You do not end up staring into the fridge hoping a meal will appear.
And if you are looking for other low-effort ways to get more organized and feel better overall, check out the free toolkit I put together. It gives you five simple tools to reset your health without pressure, apps, or perfection. You can find it at evolutionofwellness.com, right at the top of the page.
You do not need a new personality to eat better. You just need a few habits that actually work for your life.