How I Prep a Full Week of Food in One Afternoon (Real Life, No Stress)

When life feels full, the last thing I want to do is think about food every single day. That’s why I regularly set aside one afternoon to prep as much as I can — not perfectly, not fancy, just enough to make the week easier.

This prep included:

• bread
• pizza dough
• yogurt cups
• overnight oats
• hard-boiled eggs
• veggies, salads, and snacks

Nothing complicated. Just smart sequencing and a few tools that make everything smoother.

Why I Prep Like This (And Why It Works)

I don’t prep because I love spending hours in the kitchen.
I prep because:

• it reduces daily decision fatigue
• it makes feeding my kids easier
• it saves money
• it keeps us eating real food

Doing everything at once means the kitchen mess happens once, not every day.

Step 1: Start with Bread & Pizza Dough

I always start with bread and pizza dough because they need time to rise. Once those are mixed, they can sit while I move on to everything else.

I prep both together because they use the same ingredients, which saves time and mental energy.

Pizza

• mix 1 1/3 cup warm water with 1 tbsp sugar and 2 1/4 tsp yeast until foamy
• mix in 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp oil knead until smooth
• rise for 1 hour then bake at 475 for 15 minutes (until done) or freeze for later

Bread

• mix 1 cup warm water with 2 1/4 tsp yeast, and 2 tbsp sugar until foamy
• mix in 3 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp oil and knead until smooth
• rise for 1 hour, roll dough into a loaf shape, place in bread pan, rise for another 30 minutes
• bake 375 for about 25 minutes
• slice and keep in bag on counter or freeze for later

Step 2: Cookie Dough & Freezer Prep

Once doughs are rising, I move on to cookie dough. I freeze dough balls for easy baking during the week.

• cream together 2 sticks of butter and 1 cup each brown and white sugar
• beat in 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla until fluffy (yes fluffy!)
• mix in 3 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt
• then mix in 2 cups of chocolate chips (I use 1 cup regular & 1 cup mini)
• make dough balls and bake 375 for 8-10 minutes OR place on cookie sheet and freeze transferring them to a zip top bag for later. Bake from frozen starting in a cold oven and bake at 350 for 15 minutes

Step 3: Freeze Pizza Dough for Easy Meals

I divide the pizza dough into portions, oil the bag, and freeze it. These are lifesavers on busy nights or for quick lunches. Just pull it out the morning of or put it in the fridge the night before. 😉

Step 4: Bake the Bread

Once the dough has risen, I bake the bread while continuing with other prep. Brush with butter after baking, slice, and bag. Nothing fancy — just getting it done.

Step 5: Hard-Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

This is my favorite way to make hard-boiled eggs. I can do a ton at once, and the shells peel so easily — even my kids can do it.

1 cup of water, manual for 3 minutes, natural release for 4.

Step 6: Overnight Oat Cups

Next up: overnight oats. These are easy grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks. One part milk to one part old fashion oats, add in your toppings. We used blueberries and cinnamon here.

Step 7: Homemade Yogurt Cups (Cheaper + Better)

Instead of buying expensive vanilla yogurt, I buy plain whole-milk yogurt and sweeten it myself. It’s cheaper and customizable.

I add sugar and vanilla, and frozen berries then top with:

• almonds
• hemp hearts
• chia seeds

Each cup has great protein and fiber and actually keeps us full.

Step 8: Veggy and Salad Cups

I don’t know about you, but when veggies are washed and cut, it’s just easier to enjoy them. And when a salad is washed and chopped, it’s just easier to grab a plate.

Some veggies I like to prep:

• cucumbers
• bell peppers
• celery
• tomatoes
• carrots
• lettuce
• salad cups

I love to use these deli cups for my veggy and salad prep because they keep the veggies fresh, large enough for a lunch salad portion, and I can stack them! Pro tip, keep a paper towel in with the veggies to collect the extra moisture to keep everything crisp.

The End Result (4½ Hours Later)

By the end of the afternoon, I had:

• 2 loaves of bread
• 4 pizzas worth of dough
• cookie dough ready to bake
• yogurt cups
• overnight oats
• 20 hard-boiled eggs
• veggies and salads

Not perfection — progress.

Watch the Full Food Prep Day on YouTube

If you want to see how this looks in real life, you can watch the full video here:

If You’re Feeling Overwhelmed by Food Right Now

You don’t need to prep everything.
You don’t need a perfect system.

Just prep one or two things that make your week easier.

That’s enough.

Shop the Kitchen Tools I Use for Food Prep

• 6 quart instant pot
• deli containers (multiple sizes available, I prefer the assorted pack)
• glass pyrex bowls with lids
• XL baking sheets
• bread pans
• pyrex glass measuring cups

Find my household essentials here.