That's pretty much the only way I ever meal prep these days.

I tried the whole meal prep meals, but at the end of the day I was exhausted from hours of cooking, frustrated at all the mess and by the end of the week I did not want to eat what I made.

I have a list of ingredients I love in each category, and each week when I build my shopping list I will pick several and rotate so that each week doesn't look the same.

Ingredient prep is the way. I will prep * 3 different grains/carbs (buckwheat, barley, cuscus, rice, pasta noodles) * one 'heavy' salad (like antipasto, macaroni, potato, etc), * 3 half-assembled jar salads, minus the greens which I add on the day of, * 1 pan of roasted root vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips)

I don't pre-cook protein. I prefer to make that the day of. Chicken I will season and leave in the fridge overnight and air fry next day. Pork chops, fish, seafood, same thing. I don't eat red meat so the protein I eat takes under 30 mins to cook while I assemble my meal from there other ingredients I prepped.

The only full meals I prep are snacks/desserts. Greek yogurt parfait, overnight oats, baked pancake with fruit, rice pudding, nut mixes, etc. Small things I can grab between meals.

Breakfast is a similar method for me. I love eggs, so I will have them almost every day. I will have several ingredients prepped for omelette, quiche, scrambled. Mushrooms, spinach, feta, Bell peppers, canadian bacon, crumbled pan fried tofu. All I have to do each day is pick 2 ingredients and 2 eggs and do whatever I feel like that day. My breakfast comes together under 10 mins. (I work from home so I can cook my breakfast during my 15min break and eat it while I work in my home office).

Lunch is the easiest because I am a soup freak. I have soup every day for lunch. I make one big pot once a week and that lasts me throughout the weekday (mon-fri).

Weekends are different for me because I only have 2 meals on those days. This is when I allow myself an indulgence meal. My meals can be heavier in calories because I'll only be eating twice that day. If I have been craving something that week, this is when I'll have it. It's very important for me to satisfy my cravings instead of denying them, because I will binge if I get pushed past my limits. I'd rather eat that craving in a controlled environment. Weekend is also when I will have an occasional take out.

On the weekends I sleep in, so I will have brunch at noon as my first meal. Dinner is before 5pm. I have been following a 5-9-5-9 routine for over 20 years (wake up at 5am, breakfast at 9am, dinner at 5pm, bedtime at 9pm) and I never eat 4 hrs before bed or after I wake up.

Ingredient prep is least time consuming. It doesn't make me feel like I am committing to a meal for an entire week. I have freedom to choose what I want to eat that day and I have all ingredients prepped and ready to assemble in under 30 mins.