I stumbled upon meal prep ideas while perusing Pinterest, and thought: Yes, meal prep for seniors would help those having trouble getting meals together. Like me for instance.

Of course it’s for any age group. But it might particularly help people my age.

In Meal Prep For Seniors, this is the graphic I made for this post

This may be just what I need to get meals prepared because I’ve tried so many other things.

I’ve joined frozen delivery meals and didn’t use their services very long (the food was too spicy for me). It’s convenient, but it’s also expensive.

I’ve tried having meals delivered from restaurants. I also tried delivery services like Doordash and Grubhub, but their lack of actually getting the meals to me was disappointing.

I’ve tried cooking and find I can’t stand up long enough to get a proper meal prepared. So that leaves TV dinners, most of which I don’t like all that much, but you have to eat.

Meals have been my biggest hindrance since having ankle surgery. Getting food ready for three meals per day has been somewhat difficult for me. And I’m sure it’s a problem for other seniors.

Meal Prep For Seniors:

As we age, it’s not as easy to get around. For some, like Steve who is 78, who can walk 2-3 miles per day and work out, it is a different scenario.

But I just turned 66 this week and I have trouble just getting to the kitchen. Much less make meals while I’m in there.

Sometimes I eat things like oatmeal with apple sauce mixed in, or peanut butter on toasted muffins, etc. That’s fast and easy. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are fast option.

This post is addressed to those of you who are older and have mobility problems. Or just want to get meal preparation out of the way so you can relax for a few days.

This is where meal prep for seniors comes in.

Ideas for meal prep meals

Yesterday I found a blog called “Peanut Butter & Fitness.”

Erin, the blogger at Peanut Butter & Fitness, says that it’s easy to prepare a healthy meal ahead of time. She cites that it’s important to have a plan before you go to the grocery store.

Well, I have my groceries delivered for obvious reasons. She says to have a plan before you shop or prep.

Washing and cutting veggies, measuring ingredients, and making sauces ahead of time will save you lots of time when you’re putting meals together.

Erin says for those of you who hate the idea of eating leftovers, start out with just a few days of meals instead of a whole week. That makes sense. However, I love leftovers.

Meals should last between 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

Is it safe to meal prep for 5 days?

One important note: as long as you cook meals properly, food will be perfectly safe to eat within seven days. However, by day five, it might not be as tasty. Most meals are good (safe AND tasty) in the fridge for up to four days.

Food with meat should be eaten in 3-4 days.

If you want to meal prep for seven days, that means you’ll need to have two separate meal prep sessions a week. The other option is to make meals that hold up well to freezing.

Erin’s Stocked Refrigerator:

Peanut Butter & Fitness

Erin’s Latest Weekly Meal Plan For Week Of February 12th:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Erin’s recipes for the week of February 12.

Salad Containers:

If you like salad, consider getting a dedicated salad container. It’s the one in the center below.

In Meal Prep For Seniors, these are glass containers on Amazon to buy for these meals
Amazon

As you can see, it keeps your lettuce separate so it isn’t mixed with anything else. Erin says you might put a paper towel under your greens to absorb any excess water.

Then you store what you’re going to have with your salad in the upper part of the container until you’re ready to eat it.

Cheaper Bento Boxes:

I prefer glass containers, but I didn’t want to spend much money. So I ordered a cheaper version for now. These were $9.99.

Plastic meal prep containers I ordered from Amazon
Amazon Bento Boxes

TIP: If you’re looking at these same bento boxes and are looking through the various colors, be aware that the price changes for some of them. So click on the color you like to see what it costs. Some are as high as $19.99.

Okay, let’s say that now you have an appropriate set of containers and move on to meal prepping.

Here’s a simple meal for lunch from Erin’s blog. Sliced cucumbers, boiled eggs, and other fresh veggies. This type of meal would be fast to put together.

Cucumbers, boiled eggs and various other veggies to refrigerate to eat later.
Peanut Butter And Fitness

I could take the ingredients to my dining table, and sit down and use my cutting board and knife to slice the cucumbers.

I’ve found other blogs that have meal prep ideas. Some have specialized meal prep ideas for weight loss and inflammation.

Inflammation is one of the challenges many seniors face. Like me with my ankle.

Ideas For Meal Prep:

Here is a 5-pack glass food storage container set with 3 compartments at Amazon. They are leak-proof and can go in both the microwave and dishwasher.

Here’s a 10-Pack set of glass meal prep containers with 2 compartments and lids. They are BPA-free, and can be used in the oven, freezer and dishwasher.

I like this Rubbermaid 5-Piece Brilliance Food Storage Container set for storing food. These have 2 compartments and lids and are dishwasher safe.

If you’re interested in meal prep ideas, the above list should help get you started. And me as well.

If you have already tried meal prep, let me know how it’s going for you and what advice you might have for other seniors.

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I'm Brenda, creator of Cozy Little House. I live with my cat, Ivy, who keeps me laughing. I graduated from journalism school with a degree in professional writing and won awards for feature writing. I practice gratitude and enjoy my solitude. The glass is always half-full.

20 Comments

  2. I have done the breakfast meal prep with overnight oats/seeds/grains in various iterations. I’ve also done a refrigerator “salad bar” with individual containers for the assorted ingredients that I could put together quickly. Both worked well when I did them but I don’t do it consistently. :/ Planning ahead is the key. I tend to over plan, which can lead to food waste, so I’ve learned to scale back on my ambitions. Frozen fruits and veggies have been a big help with that, but of course sometimes only fresh will do.

  3. As Meals on Wheels is a non profit, just give them a donation and then you might feel like you paid for your meals. I did that several years ago when I was immobile for 3 months and called it even. I knew my meals didn’t cost them $100 a month, so I was making a donation, which made me happy. Mine works through our United Way and I just sent them the check with a notation that it was for Meals on Wheels.
    Just an idea.

  4. Does the store where you order your groceries have any meals prepared and ready to go? Not frozen, but just heat and eat? I know my sister has gotten some really good one’s at Kroger which have been delivered but I’m not sure if other places do that. Right now I’m near Publix and they offer meals ready to go and in the summer I’m near Wegmans and they have a similar thing. They seem to be pretty balanced, a protein, starch, and veggie. Maybe a different option?

  5. Hmmm… well not exactly a ringing endorsement. I doubt I’ll try any of those companies.

  6. THANK YOU, Brenda…what a lot to digest here!! (No pun intended). There are days I have a very hard time managing the simplest of meals. Lots of great ideas it appears. While I agree that glass containers are better, as we age, they simply get too heavy to hoist up…or let down safely. Thank you for that idea too… You are an incredible researcher!!

  7. Yes great idea! I have been a meal prepper for a long time, After shopping I spend some time chopping veggies, shredding cheese, making meals etc. In my freezer I try to always have chili and spaghetti sauce w meat that are in individual servings and can thaw overnight. I also freeze bread and just take out what I need (it’s fabulous by the way). I whip up a simple batch of cupcakes or brownies from a mix and freeze for snacks (no icing). I also love frozen veggies that can be steamed in the microwave and frozen ravioli etc. A social media “trend” in recent years was to build salads in Ball jars – starting with the dressing on the bottom and then the veggies, fruit, nuts ahrd boiled eggs, etc and ending w lettuce, spinach or kale on the top (away from the dressing). These jars can last 5 days and literally you just shake one up and pour it in a bowl or eat out of the jar! For me, if I have chopped up cucumbers, peppers, carrots, celery etc all ready to go for the week I am also more inclined to use them and also to snack on them. If you can get into the habit of doing it meal prepping can be delicious and you may eat healthier…and waste less fresh food:) Give it a try and hopefully you will find some winning combinations that you can always keep on hand:) Start slowly with a few things to prepare:-)

  8. I’ve found that I have a tendency to waste food if I don’t have a good plan in place. I, too, order groceries to be delivered but before I place an order I make a meal plan. I used to shop once a week and it just seemed too often then I went to every two weeks but some veggies don’t stay very fresh. Now I’m back to ordering once a week and work hard to stick to my plan. It’s definitely a major challenge in my life. Occasionally I get lazy and eat junk. Ugh!!!

  9. This is kind of off topic but it is about meals. Last night my husband made the French Onion Pasta Bake recipe you shared a bit ago. The recipe proportions were a bit challenging – first because they changed when I printed it out and while it said it was for 6 sevings, the amounts it called for were ridiculous – I went back to the original blog post and wrote down the ingredients for 2 servings which still seemed like it would be a lot and it was (I’d say it was 6 servings) But it was absolutely delicious! – kind of like a fancy macaroni and cheese.
    I have always eaten the same easy to prepare things for breakfast and lunch so it is really only dinner that can be challenging to think of or make.

  10. Yes. Meals are a big issue.
    We have to eat every day.
    My younger sister helps a lot.
    I can only do so much.
    Last week I decided to fix a grilled cheese sandwich with sliced pear. 🍐
    The first gcs all year!!
    Was so craving it.
    Very filling with a small bowl if soup.
    The other day I had a Lean Cuisine chicken & broccoli 🥦 entre for dinner.
    Was a bit garlicky & spicy.
    Last night we had grilled salmon & fried potatoes.
    There must be some planning ahead starting with grocery shopping.
    Hope everyone has a nice dinner! 😊

  11. How many days can you meal prep ahead of time, before the food goes bad? Would it be like normal leftovers? About 4 days, +/-? When my kids were little, I’d make pb&j and lunch meat and cheese sandwiches on Sunday night for the week and freeze them. (No condiments on the meat and cheese ones. Just meat cheese and bread.) Then I’d take them out in the morning and put them in their lunch boxes. They’d stay cold, but be thawed out by lunchtime. Or I’ve made extra spaghetti or chili or whatever, and froze individual portions. It’s always nice to make a few extra meals, as long as you’re cooking anyway, to save you from having to cook every day.

    1. I’m sorry. I forgot to add that information to the post. I just added it. Meals with meat should be eaten in 3-4 days. It’s about the same as for any meal or leftovers.

  12. Have you tried mobile meals? That’s a good solution for many seniors. They may not have food you want to eat, but the sides and dessert might be tasty.

    1. Do you mean like Grubhub or Door Dash? They are not diligent about getting your food to you. They might just set it by the gate and leave and you have no idea your food is out there. Or do you mean Meals On Wheels?

      1. I didn’t say that very well. Yes, I mean Meals on Wheels… Do they service your area? I think there’s a requirement that you can’t drive, but in reality, you can’t drive very often…

        1. Yes, they service my area. But I’d feel bad taking a meal when I can afford to pay for it and many others cannot. I used to deliver for Meals On Wheels.

          1. My mom received Meals on Wheels when she was in independent living. She got them 2-3 days a week. When I signed her up, they told me how much mom could pay per meal. It was a small amount and was 10+ years ago, so I won’t take a guess at the figure. I think you should give them a call and talk to them. Give it a try. And if it doesn’t work out, you can always cancel.

      2. I wonder how those companies stay in business if they just drop off food and run. You’d think if they don’t let people know it’s here, people would complain and not use them. I’ve personally not used them, but I’d expect them to hand it to me personally, like the pizza companies do. Maybe it’s one of those contactless delivery things, but still, they should somehow let you know. Ring the doorbell, or knock loudly maybe?!

        1. No, it’s that they’re just too lazy to look for the apartment number. I have my apt. # on both my front and back door. I stopped using them because they’re so bad. I think most pizza companies now use them too.

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