Meal Prep for Lazy People: Easy Ingredients & Time-Savers

Oct 29 2025
When we say “Meal Prep for Lazy People,” we say it with zero judgment… because we are those lazy people. Whether you’re tired or burned out or just don’t love day-to-day cooking, these are the healthy meal hacks to keep you well fed with minimal effort.



4 Things to Remember When Grocery Shopping…

1. Know yourself. Despite your best intentions, a kitchen stocked with whole produce, raw meat, and dry pantry goods can be a one-way ticket to DoorDash.

2. Make it low effort. Uncut produce that goes bad in your crisper is a bad idea. Precut veggies are time-saving winners, and frozen foods last until you need them.

3. Make it fast. Ingredients that require little to no actual cooking—just reheating—are ideal. Into the microwave (or maybe the air fryer)!

4. Make it yummy. Just because you don’t have the energy for gourmet creations doesn’t mean you don’t deserve flavor! Stock up on multipurpose sauces & seasonings.



Top Mix 'n Match Foods for Easy Meals

There are many great options—here are our top time-saving picks!



Frozen Precooked Protein

Look for grilled chicken strips, cocktail shrimp, meatless burger patties, chicken nuggets… even egg patties for easy breakfasts.



Frozen Riced Cauliflower

Simple frozen cauliflower rice is essential—a low-carb swap that’s ready in a flash! Seasoned blends and other frozen veggies are great too.



Bagged Salads

There are SO many varieties of salads that come with pouches of dressing & toppings. Perfect as a speedy side—or top with protein to make it a meal. Keep a few in your fridge!



Seasoned Tuna Pouches

We’re longtime fans of StarKist Tuna Creations. Available in so many flavors, plus chicken and salmon varieties. The ultimate shelf-stable protein.



Precooked Protein Entrées

Those saucy meaty dishes from companies like Kevin’s Natural Foods, Del Real Foods, and many more are what we’re talking about. There are even private-label versions from store brands like Trader Joe’s and ALDI.



Canned Soups & Chilis

Not only can they be eaten on their own, they’re useful as makeshift sauces. We love using Amy’s Chunky Tomato Bisque as a sauce for chicken and noodle dishes.



Street-Taco-Sized Tortillas

Anything can be a taco, so having these little low-carb tortillas on hand means endless possibilities. And since they’re small, it’s easy to scale down for a snack or scale up for a meal!



Dips, Dressings, and Sauces

This is how you prevent boredom. Don’t limit these to just one occasion! Try your favorite veggie dip as a sauce for basics, your go-to salad dressing on hot food, and salsa on your salad. (And don’t miss next Wednesday’s email: Best Condiments for Flavor Boosts!)



Effort-Saving Food Prep Tools

Get all your chopping & slicing done with ease. Plus, we love cheat-sheet magnets that save us from having to look up cooking info…

Hungry for More?

Level up to make ‘n freeze meals and batch-cooking for the week… Here’s our top must-have info:

Chew on this:

It’s National Oatmeal Day, October 29th. This apple-cinnamon instant oatmeal has added protein AND no added sugar! Stock up now…

You could probably name 5 people off the top of your head who could use these meal-prep tips for lazy people—share them now!

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*The WW Points® values for these products and/or recipes were calculated by Hungry Girl and are not an endorsement or approval of the product, recipe or its manufacturer or developer by WW International, Inc., the owner of the Points® trademark. For those on the Diabetic Plan, values may vary.

Questions on the WW Points® values listed? Click here.

Hungry Girl provides general information about food and lifestyle. This information and any linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. Click here for more information.