I could not seem to find a better way to do this other than an argument against each counter point I could think of. This is a topic I have been debating with friends for a few days, and I needed a place to lay out my thoughts. Maybe you get something from it, or can challenge me further.
Sub-argument against health:
If you are like me and you meal prep 7 of the same meals for lunch and 7 for dinner each with a grain, veggie, and protein. You are already eating healthier than 90% of Americans and likely 80% of the world. (I’m not using real stats obviously)
Some will say that you need variation in meals to be truly healthy. That is correct, but changing the meals every week should provide that variation. The body can’t adapt that fast.
Would it be healthier to prepare a different balance meal for each feeding? Yes.
Sub-argument against boredom:
I can’t really fight you on this one. It’s more opinion based than the others listed. If you are the type that needs to eat something different then you are welcome to. However, if you are meal prepping in the first place then just make more variety.
Sub-argument against laziness:
I already meal prep raw food for my cats, so doing it for my meals is already more work than average. I’m going to default to the same argument in health, in that, if you meal prep its still a better diet than most of the World.
Let’s argue along the premise of laziness, however. Is it more lazy to make all of your meals at once for 2 hours? Or is it more lazy to buy/make a meal in 5-15 minutes each time? I don’t know, you probably don’t either.
Sub-argument against cost
This is a hard one to define, however, here is my thinking. It is cheaper to buy in bulk ingredients for fewer larger dishes, rather than small quantities for multiple little dishes.
Sub-argument against time:
If you are meal prepping in the first place then in time. The entire point is to streamline meals for time saving. Most can be made in a big pot/slow cooker to make it even faster.
If you would like to argue/discuss with me further here are the points for you to copy and paste:
Health- Boredom- Laziness- Cost- Time- (Add more if you wish)
THE END
I’m probably not your desired audience as I meal plan in six week chunks and do more ingredient and freezer prep for family meals than single meals. I don’t mind spending ten minutes in the evening putting it together, but I don’t want to spend much more than that, since I have arthritis in my feet, and especially in the winter, they don’t like me standing on them too much.
I have ADHD and get bored easily, but I am also autistic and so I like to know what’s coming next. Five week meal plan works and lets me vary things within my safe set of meals, and lets me make things that my partners like to eat. I’m not cooking just for me, after all.
Tonight we’re having peanut chicken. My wife LOVES it, I like it well enough, and my husband is okay with it. Tomorrow night is turkey pot pie. I LOVE it, she likes it, he is okay with it. Friday is chicken piccata. He LOVES it, I am okay with it, and my wife likes it. We rarely have anything one of the three of us absolutely can’t stand, and this way it’s a nice mix between things I’m okay with and things I love, and I can be good with this.