My Must-Haves For Meal Prep

Cheap. Quick. Easy. This is what works well for me.

No one likes having all the pro-tips and best practices hidden in anecdotes about fond childhood memories, when all you came for was the chicken salad recipe. If you wanted that, you’d have bought the cookbook. So, I’ll cut right to the chase and give you a quick shopping list.

One quick note before we jump right in, brands don’t matter here. I’ve been doing most of my shopping at Target, since I worked there over the winter months and had a discount. Prices were probably still better at Aldi, but I did what I worked with what I had. This list is good for pretty much any store and any budget, so just take it and go shopping.

~ 24 pack of mozzarella sticks. (I double down and just get two packs.)
~ 3 variety boxes of fruit and grain bars. (Ya know, NutriGrain, or whatever.)
~ 3 variety boxes applesauce pouches. (12–18 count boxes)
~ 2 boxes fruit and nut mix. (Look for those 100 calorie pack things)

This is a pretty typical lunch, or even light dinner for me. It hardly seems like much, but it’s solid, all-around nutrition in pre-portioned packages you can just toss in a lunch box without thinking too much about.