A Realistic Meal Prep Week Using Frozen and Precut Staples
Lisa standing beside the meal prep containers
My Meal Prep Process
Apple and Apricot Cardamom Overnight Oats, Spicy Thai Shrimp Fried Rice and High Protein Creamy Potato Soup
Meal prep isn’t about doing everything from scratch. It’s about setting yourself up for the week with simple tools and thoughtful choices that make nourishing meals easier to reach for. This week, I leaned into frozen and precut staples and focused on boosting nutrients, flavor, and protein.
Here's how it came together.
🥣Breakfast: Apple and Apricot Cardamom Overnight Oats
I love overnight oats because they’re endlessly adaptable and easy to prep ahead.
Ingredients:
Rolled oats
Applesauce
Apricot and cardamom jam
Water or milk of choice
I used applesauce I had left over and added a big spoonful of apricot cardamom jam. Since I ran out of milk, I used water, which works just fine. Just make sure your oats are swimming a bit in liquid so they stay creamy after sitting in the fridge.
🥗Lunch: Spicy Thai Shrimp Fried Rice
This one started with frozen Thai fried rice and frozen shrimp, and I built it up with extra veggies and protein to make it more filling and balanced.
Ingredients:
Frozen Thai fried rice mix (I used Trader Joe’s)
Frozen shrimp
Precut stir fry veggie mix
Pre-shredded green cabbage
Baby corn
Cooked white rice
Olive oil
First, I separated the shrimp from the frozen rice mix so I could cook them on their own. I sautéed the precut veggies with a little olive oil, then added the cabbage and baby corn. I also made a little extra rice in my rice cooker to bulk up the meal. Once the veggies were sautéed and the shrimp cooked, I mixed everything together and portioned it into containers.
This was a good reminder that frozen doesn’t mean finished. You can always add color, texture, and protein to make it your own.
🍛Dinner: High Protein Creamy Potato Soup
I used my Instant Pot for this soup, which lets me sauté and pressure cook all in one pot. I love the flexibility of it and how I can walk away while it does the heavy lifting.
Ingredients:
Precut mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery)
Garlic
Ground turkey
Ground chicken
Diced potatoes
Low sodium vegetable stock
Half and half
Frozen peas
Unexpected cheddar cheese
Rosemary
Basil
Cayenne pepper
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
I started by sautéing mirepoix with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then added garlic and diced potatoes, followed by ground meat. Once that cooked down, I added the stock and pressure cooked it until everything was tender. I stirred in half and half and some grated Unexpected Cheddar, then added frozen peas at the end for extra color and fiber. A little more cheese on top made it extra delish!
Shopping List
To make things even easier, here’s a full list of everything I used this week, grouped by grocery store sections so you can shop faster.
Produce
Garlic
Diced potatoes (or whole potatoes to dice yourself)
Precut mirepoix mix (onions, carrots, celery)
Precut stir fry vegetable mix
Shredded green cabbage
Baby corn
Protein
Ground chicken
Ground turkey
Frozen shrimp
Dairy
Half and half
Unexpected Cheddar cheese (or sharp white cheddar)
Milk (or water for your oatmeal)
Frozen
Frozen Thai fried rice (Trader Joe’s or similar)
Frozen peas
Pantry Staples
Olive oil
Rice
Rolled oats
Olive oil
Low sodium vegetable stock
Rosemary
Basil
Cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper
Optional / Specialty
My Final Thoughts
This week’s prep was full of interruptions, shifting plans, and using what I had. In other words, it was real life. And that’s what I hope you take from this. Meal prep doesn’t have to be perfect to be helpful. Using frozen shrimp, precut veggies, or a leftover applesauce pouch is not cutting corners. It’s being resourceful. It’s building a system that works for your brain and your life.
Meal prep has become one of my most important tools for feeling grounded and nourished. It helps me take care of myself and my husband with meals that are easy to grab, full of flavor, and totally satisfying. It’s not about rules or rigidity. It’s about creating rhythms that support you.
If you’re just starting or want to build a better flow, I’d love to help. My e-book breaks it all down in a clear, flexible way. You can grab it here: 👉 Meal Prep Perspective E-Book
Le’t meal prep together, one week at a time!