A lot of people think meal planning and prep needs to be this big, labor-intensive ordeal. But the truth is that it can be very simple. In fact, most weeks I meal plan and prep in less than one hour, and today I'm going to show you exactly how I do it!

Meal Plan

The first thing I do is log in to That Clean Life to create my meal plan.

When choosing meals to add to my plan for the week, I keep it simple by choosing two breakfasts, two lunches, two snacks, and two dinners. I also try to choose meals and snacks that can be prepped ahead of time.

This is what my meal plan looked like this week:

This is why I chose these meals:

• The Za'atar Flattened Chicken can be prepped on a Sunday, enjoyed on Monday and then be made into leftovers for Tuesday's Kale Salad lunch.

Click here to add this Za'atar Flattened Chicken with Green Tahini Sauce to your That Clean Life meal plan.

• The Creamy Pasta with Kale, can be made in less than 15 minutes when you prep the sauce in advance, making it great for busy weeknights.
• The Pressure Cooker Chocolate Steel Cut Oats can be made in the Instant Pot while the chicken cooks in the oven.

Click here to add these Pressure Cooker Chocolate Steel Cut Oats to your That Clean Life meal plan.

• The Fruit-On-The Bottom Chia Pudding is a perfect five-minute breakfast to make the night before.
• The Meal Prep Veggie Bowls are a great lunch that can be made ahead and divided into containers for lunches throughout the week.

Click here to add these Meal Prep Veggie Bowls to your That Clean Life meal plan.

• The Figs and Yogurt with Flax can also be made in five minutes and can be made ahead, or thrown together at snack time.
• The Double Chocolate Mint Energy Balls are an easy snack to prep ahead of time and they help satisfy my chocolate craving in the mid-afternoon.

Click here to add these Double Chocolate Mint Energy Balls to your That Clean Life meal plan.

Based on what I add to my meal plan, That Clean Life automatically generates and itemizes my grocery list, which makes shopping a breeze:

Meal Prep

Once my meal planning is done, it is time to do some prep. Here are the steps I followed to prep this meal plan in less than one hour:

Step 1: Preheat the oven and cook the Za'atar Flattened Chicken. At the same time, put your veggies for the Meal Prep Veggie Bowls on a pan and place them in the oven with the chicken on the second rack. Remember to set two timers as you will need to take the veggies out before the chicken. Move onto Step #2 while everything cooks.

Step 2: Soak the cashews for the Creamy Pasta with Kale.

Step 3: Start the Pressure Cooker Chocolate Steel Cut Oats in your Instant Pot. Move onto Step #4 while they cook.

Step 4: Hard boil the eggs for the Meal Prep Veggie Bowls.

Step 5: Make the Double Chocolate Mint Energy Balls. Divide into containers and place them in the fridge.

Step 6: Add the soaked cashews to your blender and make the sauce for the Creamy Pasta with Kale. Transfer it to a jar and store it in the fridge.

Step 7: Remove the chicken and veggies from the oven. Remove the oats from the Instant Pot. Divide everything into containers, let cool and store in the fridge.

Optional: You can prep the Fruit-On-The Bottom Chia Pudding and the Figs and Yogurt with Flax now, or the night before.

And that's it! You’ve just successfully planned and prepared nutritious meals and snacks that are going to make your week a lot easier. By keeping your meals simple and using leftovers, you can prep your meals in less than an hour and have delicious meals all set for the entire work-week. Enjoy!

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More Meal Planning Inspiration:

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