WHICH TYPE OF “FOOD-PREPPER” ARE YOU?
If you’ve ever scrolled social media on a Sunday afternoon, you’ve likely seen at least one photo of beautifully stacked containers filled with chicken, rice, and broccoli — each perfectly portioned, labeled, and color-coded.
And maybe you’ve thought, “Good for them... but that’s not me.”
I wholeheartedly believe that food prep doesn’t have to look one specific way. There’s no single “right” system — only the one that works for you.
As long as you are doing some sort of cooking/assembling at home, you are preparing (or prepping) food. And we all likely fall somewhere on the spectrum between “I’ll just figure it out” and “I have an Excel spreadsheet for my grocery list.” The key is finding the balance that supports your goals and fits into your real life.
Below are five types of food preppers (cleverly named by ChatGPT after I described the types to her!) — see where you land, and if there’s changes you’re looking to make, maybe where you’d like to move toward next.
1 | THE IMPROV CHEF
Cost: High
Time: Low
Stress: High
Goal Alignment: Low
This food prepper doesn’t teccchhhnically meal prep — but somehow, dinner still happens. Their fridge might look like a random assortment of ingredients, but they’re resourceful and can pull a meal together with whatever’s around. This might also look like cooking a different recipe, from scratch, every evening, and sometimes for lunch, too – no leftovers here!
STRENGTHS:
Flexible and intuitive: great at adjusting based on what’s available or appealing that day.
Creative in the kitchen: loves experimenting with flavors and textures.
CHALLENGES:
Lacks structure: can struggle with consistent balance or protein intake.
Prone to decision fatigue: daily food choices can feel exhausting.
If this is you and you’re looking for change: try prepping just one component (like a protein or veggie) to make weeknight improvisation easier.
2 | THE STRATEGIC STOCKER
Cost: Medium
Time: Medium
Stress: Low
Goal Alignment: High
They may not have prepped meals, but they’re always ready. Their fridge and pantry are stocked with convenience staples — rotisserie chicken, microwave rice, pre-washed greens, and frozen veggies — ready to assemble into quick, balanced meals.
STRENGTHS:
Ready for anything: can throw together a macro-balanced meal in minutes.
Efficient: avoids food waste and saves time by using staples creatively.
CHALLENGES:
Monotony risk: tends to repeat the same foods for simplicity’s sake.
Requires awareness: needs to rotate stock to prevent burnout or expired items.
If this is you and you’re looking for a change: explore new sauces and seasonings, or throw a seasonal piece of produce in with your staples.
3 | THE BATCH-PREPPING MINIMALIST
Cost: Low
Time: Medium
Stress: Low
Goal Alignment: High
This person preps the essentials — a few proteins, grains, and veggies — to mix and match throughout the week. It’s structured enough to support consistency, but flexible enough to keep meals interesting.
STRENGTHS:
Balanced and sustainable: combines structure with creativity.
Supports goals: easy to adjust portion sizes and macros.
CHALLENGES:
Requires a system: needs some forethought in grocery shopping.
Time blocking: still needs intentional planning to stay consistent.
If this is you and you’re looking for a change: use theme nights (like “taco Tuesday” or “stir-fry Friday”) to keep it fun and simplify decision-making.
4 | THE FULL-PLATED PREPPER
Cost: Low
Time: High
Stress: Medium
Goal Alignment: High
Sundays hate to see this person coming. The kitchen becomes a prep zone — meals portioned, labeled, and neatly stacked. They love the peace of mind that comes from knowing exactly what’s ready for the week ahead.
STRENGTHS:
Extremely organized: minimal weekday decisions required.
Builds strong habits: ideal for consistent progress.
CHALLENGES:
Can feel repetitive: same meals can get boring over time.
All-or-nothing trap: if prep doesn’t happen or plans change, the whole plan can collapse.
If this is you and you’re looking for a change: rotate recipes every few weeks or batch-freeze a few new dishes to add variety without extra work.
5 | THE OVER-PREPPER
Cost: Low
Time: High
Stress: High
Goal Alignment: Medium
This person’s intentions are gold — but they often take prep too far. They might label, weigh, and track everything meticulously, but when life throws a curveball, it can lead to frustration or burnout.
STRENGTHS:
Detail-oriented: excels at consistency and tracking.
Driven: highly motivated to hit goals.
CHALLENGES:
Perfectionism: can lead to rigidity and stress.
Unsustainable: effort often outweighs long-term payoff.
If this is you and you’re looking for a change: ease up on control by introducing a “no-prep” meal or off-plan night to build flexibility and reduce stress.
And because I do happen to love a good spreadsheet:
All joking and tongue-in-cheek-ness aside, no matter where you fall, there’s no wrong approach — just the one that best serves your goals and your season of life. The best prep routine balances three things: nourishment, practicality, and joy.
Some good questions to ask yourself:
Does my current approach feel sustainable?
Does it align with my goals and energy?
Does it leave room for real life to happen?
Because the goal isn’t to prep perfectly — it’s to prep purposefully.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Does this blog post resonate with you? At Front Porch Nutrition, I coach real people through real-life nutrition — thinking through what your wants, needs, and goals are, and working together to make changes that last not just in the moment, but for the long haul. Get started with 1:1 nutrition coaching today!
