Meal Prepping: How to Meal Prep for a Healthy Diet (Beginner’s Guide)

by Sarah Harper MS, RD, LDN | Aug 29, 2025 | Education, How-to, Nutrition

meal prepping for a healthy diet featured image of chicken salad with a thick slice of rye bread

Simplify healthy eating with meal prepping—discover tips, recipes, and strategies to save time, reduce stress, and stay on track with a balanced diet.

Hi, I’m Sarah Harper, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist passionate about cooking, eating, and sharing all things food! At The Addy Bean, you’ll find a variety of flexitarian recipes designed to inspire and empower you to explore the delicious world of plant-based eating. My mission is to make plant-forward meals approachable, enjoyable, and part of your everyday life!

Published: August 29, 2025

Last updated: September 10, 2025

How to Meal Prep for a Healthy Diet (Beginner’s Guide)

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1. How to Meal Prep for a Healthy Diet (Beginner’s Guide)

1.1. Meal Prepping is a Tool, Not a Rule

1.2. Check Out These Articles About Meal Prepping!

1.3. Check Out These Excellent Recipes for Meal Prepping

Meal prepping saves time, money, and helps ensure a balanced, healthier diet.

But, eating a well-balanced diet doesn’t have to mean cooking from scratch every single day. And it doesn’t mean omitting all processed foods.

Meal prepping is a tool you can use to make healthy eating more acheivable for every day life! Meal Prepping makes it easier to enjoy healthy, home-cooked meals without spending hours in the kitchen during the week. Whether you’re looking to save time, reduce food waste, or stick to a budget, having a plan in place helps you stay on track.

Most importantly, meal prepping doesn’t have to mean rigidly planning every bite, and it doesn’t mean eating the same boring meal all week, or cooking for hours every Sunday. There are different ways to approach it, and you can find a method that works for your lifestyle.

Meal Prepping is a Tool, Not a Rule

Meal prepping is a tool to simplify eating well, not a strict rule. As a plant frward dietitian, you know I am not big in the strict rules when it comes to eating healthy and living happy!

Some weeks I plan out the entire week, while others I only plan say Monday and Tuesday’s meals and prep them on Sunday, then the rest of the week I might stick to just easy meals with ingredients I have on hand, i.e. high fiber tortillas, potatoes, tofu, beans, veggies, broths, sauces, chicken, etc.

I might have to do a little planning; usually, the night before, I have an idea of what I’m going to eat the next day, e.g., overnight oats for breakfast, a grain bowl for lunch, and a sheet pan meal with baked fish for dinner. Then I know I need to take the fish out of the freezer so it will be thawed out in the fridge for the next day.

Every week is different and changes based on what I have going on in my life that week. My typical week is usually a little meal planning and prepping followed by lots of quick and easy meals that can be made in under 45min. And the key for those meals is to make sure I have my quick meal staples on hand. Pantry Staples For You To Keep On Hand

You don’t have to prep every meal in advance. Sometimes it’s nice to cook fresh when a meal takes less than 30 minutes. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to meal prep. That’s why I use a hybrid method and adjust my strategy based on my schedule and energy levels.