Meal Planning vs. Meal Prepping: Which Is Better and Why?
Meal Planning vs. Meal Prepping: Which Is Better and Why?
When I talk about meal planning, people often assume I mean meal prepping.
They're related, but they aren't the same thing.
Meal planning is deciding what you're going to eat.
Meal prepping is doing some of the work ahead of time.
You can absolutely meal prep without doing much planning, although I don't think that's the most efficient way to do it.
And you can meal plan without meal prepping at all.
FAQ About Meal Planning and Meal Prepping
Is meal planning the same as meal prepping?
No. Meal planning is deciding what you are going to eat, while meal prepping involves preparing some or all of that food ahead of time. You can meal plan without doing any cooking in advance.
Is meal prepping worth it?
It can be, especially if having food prepared saves you time and reduces mealtime stress during a busy week. But if spending hours preparing meals feels like a chore, it may not be the right approach for you.
Can you meal plan without meal prepping?
Absolutely. You can simply decide what meals you'll make, check what ingredients you have, and create a grocery list. You can cook when you're ready to eat.
How many days ahead should you meal plan?
There isn't a set number. Some people like planning a full week, while others prefer planning just a few days ahead. Start with what feels manageable, then adjust from there.
What is the easiest way to start meal planning?
Start by looking at your calendar and identifying the busiest days of the week. Then choose a few simple meals that fit your schedule, check what you already have at home, and make a grocery list for what you need. Keep it flexible.
This is something I think gets unnecessarily complicated because meal planning and meal prepping are often presented as a package deal.
They don't have to be.
So let's talk about the difference and, more importantly, figure out which one might actually be useful for you.
What Is Meal Planning?
Meal planning is deciding ahead of time what you're going to eat.
It might be for a week.
It might be for a few days.
It might be as simple as figuring out dinner tonight and tomorrow.
And no, you don't have to plan every bite of food for an entire week.
For me, meal planning is more about looking at your schedule, your food, and your life and figuring out what makes sense.
Let's say you have soccer practice Tuesday evening.
That's probably not the night to plan a complicated meal that takes an hour to prepare.
Maybe Thursday is your busy day at work, so that's the night you use the slow cooker.
Friday, you're going out to dinner with friends, so there's nothing to plan at home.
Saturday, you have more time and actually enjoy cooking, so maybe that's when you try something new.
That's meal planning.
You're looking ahead and making decisions before you're standing in front of the refrigerator at 6 p.m., wondering what you're going to feed everyone.
Why Meal Planning Can Help
One of the biggest benefits of meal planning is simply reducing the number of decisions you have to make during a busy week.
It can also help with grocery shopping.
If you have a general idea of what you're going to make, you can buy what you need instead of wandering through the grocery store hoping inspiration strikes.
That can save money and reduce food waste.
It can also help with variety.
Without any planning, it's easy to fall into the same few meals over and over because they're the first things that come to mind.
Planning gives you an opportunity to look at the week as a whole and include different foods, flavors, and types of meals.
And here's something I really want to emphasize:
Meal planning does not mean you are locked into the plan.
Plans change.
Life happens.
You get invited to dinner.
You don't feel like making what you planned.
You have unexpected leftovers.
You work late.
You order pizza.
That's fine.
If Tuesday's dinner gets moved to Thursday, you've still planned.
The plan is there to help you, not boss you around.
What Is Meal Prepping?
Meal prepping is different.
Meal prepping means preparing some or all of your food ahead of time so it's ready to use later.
You might cook several meals on Sunday and portion them into containers.
Or you might simply wash and chop vegetables, cook some chicken, make a batch of rice, or prepare a few breakfasts.
And this is where I think the term meal prep sometimes gets a bad reputation.
People picture spending their entire Sunday afternoon cooking 14 identical containers of chicken, broccoli, and rice.
If you enjoy that, go for it.
But that's not the only way to meal prep.
You can prep ingredients instead of complete meals.
You can cook enough dinner to have leftovers for lunch.
You can make a batch of soup and freeze half of it.
You can hard-boil some eggs.
You can wash fruit.
You can portion out snacks.
That's meal prepping too.
Why Meal Prepping Can Help
The biggest benefit of meal prepping is convenience.
You do some of the work ahead of time so there's less work to do later.
If you know Wednesday will be crazy, having dinner ready can be incredibly helpful.
If mornings are hectic, having breakfast ready to grab can make things easier.
If you regularly buy lunch because you don't have anything available, a few prepared options can help.
Meal prepping can also make it easier to use food before it goes bad.
If you bought a large container of vegetables, for example, washing and cutting them when you get home may make it more likely that you'll actually use them.
But meal prepping has drawbacks too.
Meal Prepping Isn't for Everyone
Let's be honest.
Some people do not want to spend two or three hours on Sunday cooking food for the week.
And that's okay.
If meal prepping feels like another job you have to do every weekend, you may not stick with it.
Food quality is another issue.
Not everything tastes better after sitting in the refrigerator for four days.
Some foods hold up quite well.
Others don't.
And food safety an important consideration.
Cooked leftovers are generally best used within about three to four days when properly refrigerated, so if you're preparing food for later in the week, freezing some portions may make more sense than keeping everything in the refrigerator.
Meal prepping also doesn't have to mean preparing five identical meals.
You can prep components and assemble different meals throughout the week.
For example, cooked chicken might become tacos one night, a salad another night, and a grain bowl later in the week.
Same basic ingredient.
Different meal.
So Which One Is Better?
This is where I'm going to give you the answer you may not want:
Neither one is better.
It depends on what you need.
If your biggest problem is standing in the kitchen every evening wondering what you're going to make, meal planning may be the thing that helps most.
If your biggest problem is that you don't have time to cook during the week, meal prepping may be more useful.
If you hate spending your Sunday cooking, don't meal prep your entire week.
If you love cooking and enjoy having everything ready to go, meal prepping might be exactly what you need.
And you can combine the two.
In fact, that's often what makes the most sense.
You Can Meal Plan Without Meal Prepping
This is the point I really want people to remember.
Meal planning doesn't mean you have to spend your weekend cooking.
You can sit down for 15 minutes and figure out:
Monday: tacos
Tuesday: leftover tacos and fruit
Wednesday: slow cooker chicken
Thursday: pasta and vegetables
Friday: dinner out
Then make your grocery list.
That's meal planning.
Nothing has been prepped.
And that's okay.
You've still made the week easier because you've made some decisions ahead of time.
You Can Also Prep Without Planning an Entire Week
Maybe you don't want a weekly menu.
That's fine too.
You could spend 30 minutes washing produce and cooking a protein.
Or make a batch of soup.
Or portion out some snacks.
Then you can use those foods however you want throughout the week.
That's meal prepping without creating a rigid seven-day meal plan.
My Favorite Approach: Plan, Then Prep What Makes Sense
Personally, I think the sweet spot for many people is a combination.
Start with the plan.
Look at your schedule.
Figure out which meals need to be quick, which nights you have time to cook, when you're eating out, and what food you already have.
Then ask:
What would make this week easier?
Maybe the answer is nothing.
Maybe you have time to cook each night.
Maybe you only need to chop some vegetables.
Maybe you need three dinners completely prepared.
Maybe you should make a double batch of something and freeze half.
The answer can change from week to week.
And that's okay.
A Few Ways to Make Meal Planning Less Complicated
You don't need a complicated system.
Try these:
Look at your calendar first.
Your schedule should influence your meals, not the other way around.
Start with what you already have.
Check your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry before making your grocery list.
Plan fewer meals.
You don't necessarily need seven completely different dinners. Leftovers count.
Use repeat ingredients.
Buy ingredients that can be used in more than one meal.
Plan for eating out.
Restaurant meals don't mean your meal plan failed. Put them into the plan.
Build in flexibility.
Leave room to change your mind.
Prep only what helps.
If chopping vegetables saves you time later, do it. If spending three hours making individual containers makes you miserable, skip it.
And Don't Forget About Leftovers
I am a big fan of leftovers, or what I like to call extra portions.
Not because you have to eat the exact same meal three nights in a row.
But because leftovers can be one of the easiest forms of meal prep.
Make extra chicken tonight.
Now tomorrow's lunch is partially handled.
Make a larger batch of soup.
Freeze half.
Cook extra rice.
Use it later in the week.
This is meal planning and meal prepping without making either one into a major project.
The Bottom Line
Meal planning and meal prepping are two different things.
Meal planning is deciding what you're going to eat.
Meal prepping is doing some of the work ahead of time.
You can do one without the other.
You can do both.
Or you can do neither.
The goal isn't to become someone who spends every Sunday afternoon preparing a week's worth of identical meals.
The goal is to make eating well a little easier.
Look at your schedule.
Think about what you already have.
Decide what meals make sense.
Prepare what will actually save you time.
And leave some room for life to happen.
Because that's the part I think gets missed when meal planning and meal prepping become overly complicated.
Your meal plan should work for your life. Your life shouldn't have to work around your meal plan.
Real World Nutrition Refreshed. As nutrition science and perspectives evolve, older blog posts are occasionally updated and republished. This post was originally written in August 2023 and has been refreshed and expanded here.
