7 Common Meal Prep Mistakes Beginners Make And How to Avoid Them

Meal prep can save time, reduce stress, and take the guesswork out of what to eat. However, many beginners try it once, feel overwhelmed, and never do it again.

If you’ve ever spent hours prepping and cooking only for it not to turn out…that can be a real drag. And you wouldn’t be alone in this. Sometimes things just don’t work out. It’s how we grow. How we learn. Unfortunately, this setback can stop some people dead in their tracks, bringing on a lack of motivation right after you’ve crossed that barrier of laziness. Now you’re faced with the nagging feeling of failure; maybe even carrying some unrealistic expectations after you got started.

So here’s a look at some common meal prep mistakes beginners make and how to avoid them.

1. Trying to Prep Every Meal for the Entire Week

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is trying to prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts all at once.

It sounds productive in theory, but it can be soooooo exhausting and time consuming! One step at a time!

Spending an entire Sunday cooking for seven days will eventually lead to burnout, and that’s before your week even begins! Not to mention, you may get tired of eating the same things over and over, which will put you at a loss.

Start small, maybe cook your meals up until Wednesday so it’s not overly exhausting. Or try cooking just dinner for the week using 2 meats that you can interchange and freeze. Two different meals, one meal prep session! That means you won’t get tired of it halfway through the week. Mix and match your meals!

Meal prep doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Just give something a try. 🙂

2. Making the Same Exact Meal Every Day

When people talk about why meal prep fails, getting bored of the food they prepped is usually at the top of the list. I will say, eating the same thing 5 days in a row can get a little boring.

But that doesn’t mean your meal prep has to fail. It just means you have to shake things up and change some stuff out. You’d be surprised at what swapping rice for a wrap can do. Chipotle does it all the time, you swap out your toppings, or get a burrito instead of a bowl. Why can’t you do the same thing at home? Same ingredients, different meals.

For example, shredded chicken can become:

• tacos
• wraps
• salads
• rice bowls
• pasta dishes

By using just one ingredient, look how many meals you have now! The same ingredients don’t have to be boring! Just morph them into what you need. You don’t have to be bored or stuck!

3. Buying Too Much Food

Now, being a beginner, you may get a little over-enthusiastic and feel like you need to buy or stock up on a lot of food and cooking items. However… that’s a surefire way for your food to spoil or for items to just sit unused and become a waste of money or a paperweight LOL.

What I would suggest: look at the week you have ahead. Any plans to work late, have dinner out, or travel? Next question, what’s already in the fridge? What do you really need to buy?

Try to only prep for the meals you actually need. Having a realistic plan gives you a much better chance at succeeding. Ambition is good, but let’s have a successful week first!

4. Ignoring Food Storage

Even the best meal prep plan can turn into a meal prep fail if the food isn’t stored properly. Food storage is just as important as cooking. Without proper storage, food can spoil before you even get to eat it.

Allowing proper cooling time, using airtight containers, and placing food in the fridge or freezer to preserve it is a surefire way to maintain the integrity of your meals.

If you’d like some detailed info on how to store your meal prep, check out this blog post on How to Store, Heat, and Reheat Meal Prep Safely.

Remember, if you’re regularly throwing away prepared meals, your storage system mayyy need some improvement *insert eyes* .

5. Choosing Complicated Recipes

Meal prep. and I can’t STRESS this enough. DOESN’T need to look like a Pinterest masterpiece!

You are a beginner! Not to mention, you don’t know the camera skills they may have used to get that perfect Pinterest-ready picture! So many beginners start off with a long recipe list trying to recreate an intricate meal. Start with the basics. Boil the water and make some delicious pasta! Complicated recipes carry a stronger chance of failure until you get more comfortable in the kitchen.

Simple meals are usually the most sustainable. Think:

• baked chicken
• roasted vegetables
• rice or potatoes
• overnight oats
• pasta salad
• chili
• soups

The easier the process, the more likely you’ll continue meal prepping long term.

6. Not Using Buffet Style Meal Prep

If you’ve never heard of buffet style meal prep, it may completely change the way you approach meal preparation.

Instead of assembling complete meals ahead of time, you prepare individual ingredients and combine them throughout the week.

For example, you might prepare:

• grilled chicken
• ground turkey
• rice
• roasted vegetables
• salad ingredients
• sauces

Then you create different meals as needed. This method adds flexibility and variety while still saving time.

For many beginners, buffet style meal prep is easier to maintain than preparing identical containers for the entire week. Check out our post on How to Start Meal Prepping For Beginners.

7. Expecting Perfection

Perhaps the biggest mistake of all is believing meal prep has to be perfect.

Some weeks you’ll prep five meals. Some weeks you’ll prep only breakfast. Other weeks you’ll simply wash vegetables and call it a win. That’s okay.

Successful meal prep isn’t about perfection. It’s about making your week a little easier than it would have been.

The people who stick with meal prep long term aren’t necessarily the most organized. They’re the ones who stay flexible and adjust their routine when needed. Life happens! You just have to adjust.

Final Thoughts

If meal prep hasn’t worked for you in the past, don’t just assume you’re bad at it and stop. Try again. Maybe you just needed a little guidance along the way. Most meal prep mistakes beginners make can be fixed with a few small adjustments. Start simple, avoid overcomplicating things, and focus on building a routine that fits your lifestyle.

Remember, meal prep doesn’t have to mean eating the same meal every day. Whether you choose traditional meal prep or buffet-style meal prep, the goal is simply to make eating easier, less stressful, and more manageable throughout the week.

The best meal prep plan is the one you’ll actually stick with!