Food · Advice & Questions · Oct 16

Meal prep saves me a lunch decision, but I dread the fourth identical box. What should I change?

Food

By Wednesday I was standing beside the microwave holding another box of lentils and roasted vegetables, trying to convince myself I wanted it. My colleague was unwrapping a sandwich. "You made four of those?" she asked. I'd been very pleased with the idea on Sunday.

The problem isn't that I hate the meal. I enjoyed the first serving. It's that my attempt to avoid choosing lunch has made lunch something I endure. Twice now I've bought a sandwich while my prepared box sat untouched, which defeats the reason I cooked ahead.

My sister says I need more discipline. She likes knowing exactly what she'll eat. I want that convenience too, but I also want some choice at noon. Should I prepare fewer complete meals, make components I can combine differently, or plan one bought lunch instead of pretending I'll want the same thing all week? I don't need a perfect system; I need one that survives Wednesday.

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4 community replies

@AlixB

The bought sandwich is useful information about your plan. You liked the dish once and disliked the repetition; those are different problems. Make fewer portions of that particular lunch next time. A smaller plan you actually use may suit you better than four boxes whose main achievement is looking organised on Sunday.

@JulesAfterDark

Would changing the format be enough, or would you still taste the same lentils every day? Components help only if assembling them differently feels like a real choice to you. Before doing another large cook, sketch two lunches you would willingly eat. Otherwise you may have given yourself five containers to wash instead of one.

@MorganSays

Your sister's preference is a good reason for her to repeat meals. It doesn't establish that your sandwich purchase is a character defect. The useful question is whether you can get lunch ready with an amount of repetition you enjoy, not whether you can learn to feel exactly as she does.

@TheoInTransit

Put the bought lunch in the plan and decide which day gets it. Then prepare around that decision instead of treating every takeaway as an emergency. You could make Wednesday your break from the boxes and see whether the other lunches become more appealing.

Meal prep saves me a lunch decision, but I dread the fourth identical box. What should I change?

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