If the words “meal prep” make you picture spending your entire Sunday cooking a week’s worth of meals and lining up perfectly portioned containers across the kitchen counter… we need to talk. 😂

Meal prep does not have to be complicated.

In fact, if you’re new to meal prepping, I think the best way to start is SMALL.

You don’t need seven days of perfectly planned breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks. You just need to do a few things today that make tomorrow a little easier.

And around here, we’re all about making kitchen life easier!

Why Meal Prep Is Worth It

We’ve all been there.

It’s 5:30. Everyone’s hungry. You open the refrigerator, stare inside like dinner is magically going to announce itself, and suddenly the drive-thru sounds like a fabulous idea. 🙋🏻‍♀️

That’s where a little meal prep can save the day.

Having even a few ingredients washed, chopped, or ready to cook can make the difference between “What in the world am I going to make?” and “Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes!”

Meal prep can help you:

• Save time during busy weekdays
• Waste less food
• Make healthier choices
• Save money by eating at home
• Take some of the stress out of the dreaded “What’s for dinner?” question

And my personal favorite: It helps us ditch the drive-thru and get back around the table together. 🩷

Start With Ingredients, Not Full Meals

Here’s one of my favorite tips for beginners: Don’t worry about prepping entire meals. Prep ingredients instead.

Take 30–45 minutes and prepare a few basics you can mix and match throughout the week.

You might:

🥕 Chop vegetables for salads, snacks, stir-fries, and sheet-pan dinners.

🧅 Dice onions and peppers so they’re ready for tacos, eggs, soups, or pasta.

🍗 Cook a batch of chicken that can become wraps, salads, quesadillas, or bowls.

🍓 Wash and prep fruit for breakfasts and grab-and-go snacks.

🥚 Hard-boil eggs for quick breakfasts or an easy protein boost.

One prep session can give you ingredients for several completely different meals.

That’s what I call working smarter, not harder!

The Right Tools Make ALL the Difference

Could you chop everything by hand? Absolutely.

Do you have to?

Oh heck no. 😂

This is where having a few hardworking kitchen tools can make meal prep SO much faster.

Rapid-Prep Mandoline

When you’ve got a pile of veggies staring you down, the Rapid-Prep Mandoline is one of my favorite shortcuts.

It quickly slices, dices, and juliennes vegetables, which makes it perfect for prepping onions, peppers, potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and so much more.

Instead of spending forever chopping vegetables for the week, you can knock out a whole pile in minutes.

Electric Twist & Chop

This little powerhouse is fantastic when you need ingredients finely chopped without doing all the work yourself.

Use the Electric Twist & Chop for onions, peppers, herbs, nuts, salsa ingredients, and more. It’s especially handy when you’re making sauces, dips, salsa, or prepping smaller amounts of ingredients.

Push a button and let it do the work.

My kind of meal prep! 🙌

Food Chopper

Sometimes simple is exactly what you need!

The Food Chopper is one of those kitchen workhorses that’s perfect for everyday prep. It’s great for chopping vegetables, cooked meat, nuts, and other ingredients quickly and easily.

It’s also pretty satisfying after a long day.

Chop, chop, chop… cheaper than therapy. 😂

Try the “Prep Three” Method

If you’re brand-new to meal prep, forget prepping the entire week.

Instead, choose three things to prep.

For example:

1 protein: Chicken
1 veggie: Peppers and onions
1 carb: Rice

Now think about what you can make from those three basics.

Monday could be chicken burrito bowls.

Tuesday could be chicken fajitas.

Wednesday could be chicken and veggie fried rice.

Same basic prep, three different dinners!

Once that starts feeling easy, you can add more.

Make Your Future Self Happy

Another easy trick is to think about the moments when you’re most likely to grab convenience food.

Are mornings crazy? Prep overnight oats, fruit, or breakfast ingredients.

Do afternoons turn into snack attacks? Portion fruit, veggies, cheese, or other grab-and-go options.

Is dinner your biggest struggle? Prep your protein and veggies so half the work is already done.

Meal prep should solve your problem—not become another chore on your to-do list.

Put That Meal Prep to Work!

And because I don’t want to just tell you how helpful a little meal prep can be, I’m including a recipe you can actually try: Pickled Veggie & Pork Sandwiches! 🥕🥒🥪

This recipe is a great way to put the Rapid-Prep Mandoline to work. It makes quick work of prepping those veggies so you can get beautiful, even slices without standing at the cutting board forever.

And THAT is exactly why I love having the right tools in my kitchen.

It’s not about having gadgets just to have gadgets. It’s about having tools that save time, make cooking easier, and help you get a homemade meal on the table without all the fuss.

Give the recipe a try, and don’t be surprised if the Rapid-Prep Mandoline earns a permanent spot in your meal-prep routine. 😉

Remember: Done Is Better Than Perfect

Your refrigerator doesn’t need to look like one of those perfectly organized social media videos.

Mine certainly doesn’t. 😂

If you washed the berries, chopped some veggies, cooked a protein, or simply figured out what you’re making for dinner tomorrow, guess what?

You meal prepped! 🎉

Start with 30 minutes.

Prep a few ingredients.

Use tools that save you time.

And build from there.

Because every little bit of preparation makes it easier to skip that drive-thru, cook something delicious at home, and make a few more memories around the table. 🩷

So tell me—what’s ONE thing you could prep this week to make mealtime a little easier?