This Week’s Plan That Kept Me Out of T he Kitchen After 6 PM |

This Week’s Plan That Kept Me Out of the Kitchen After 6 PM

I go to the gym on Mondays and Wednesdays, and I sometimes make Friday evenings social, going out for dinner or meeting friends. For that reason, I would rather not spend my weeknights cooking.

That’s why I’ve built a weekly plan that keeps me out of the kitchen after 6 PM. Not a rigid one, I tweak the plan based on how my week will look. Sometimes I start my prep on Friday evening, sometimes on Saturday morning. Occasionally I swap recipes if I’m short on time.

And yes, even with a plan, there are weeks when I still order lunch or dinner because my calendar changes, and that’s okay. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s freedom.

This week worked especially well, so let me show you exactly how it looked.

Saturday Morning: How I Started My Weekly Meal Prep

I don’t always start in the same place. Some weeks, I get groceries on Friday evening if I know Saturday will be busy. Other weeks, I go Saturday morning. Either way, it begins with the same routine: I check the fridge before shopping. Seeing what’s left helps me avoid wasting food and keeps my grocery list focused.

When I come back with the groceries, I don’t dive straight into cooking. First, I make myself something small, usually a boiled egg sandwich. It’s quick, filling, and gives me enough energy to power through a cooking block.

That first cooking session sets me up for the weekend. I cook both Saturday and Sunday lunches and dinners so I don’t have to think about food for the rest of the weekend. It feels like a reset button for the week ahead.

Sunday Meal Prep for Monday and Tuesday

Sunday mornings start the same way: I repeat the boiled egg sandwich for breakfast. I like routines that don’t require much thought.

Then I get into the kitchen for some light cooking. The focus isn’t on Sunday’s meal; it’s on setting up Monday and Tuesday.

I made a big pot of chicken soup with chicken pieces and vegetables. That covers two lunches in one shot. At the same time, I marinated some pork tenderloin so it’s ready for the oven on Monday morning.

By the end of Sunday, I knew that my first two workdays were already halfway solved.

Monday: Gym Day and No-Cook Dinner Plan

Because Monday is a gym day, I front-load my cooking while working from home. I’m not following a plan to lose weight or gain muscle. I just want meals that keep me energized without making my evenings stressful.

Here’s how I set things up:

Breakfast: I made a fresh veggie wrap.
Lunch: I ate the chicken soup I cooked on Sunday.
Dinner prep (morning): I cooked the marinated pork tenderloin and a tray of veggies in the oven. Once cooked, they go straight into the fridge.

After work and the gym, I didn’t cook. I just mixed up a fresh salad to go with the pork and roasted veggies. It takes 10 minutes, and dinner is done.

That’s the whole point of the system: evenings are for eating, not cooking.

Tuesday: Building on Monday’s Meal Prep

Tuesday felt easier because most of the work was already done, but I still made some things fresh.

Breakfast: another veggie wrap, made fresh in the morning.
Lunch: the last serving of chicken soup. Soups like this really shine because they save me from thinking about lunch on busy mornings.
Dinner: I relied on the pork tenderloin and roasted veggies I cooked Monday morning, adding a crisp salad for freshness.

Tuesday is a reminder that planning ahead doesn’t mean everything is old leftovers, it just means the base is ready, and I only add finishing touches. By the time I sit down to eat, I’ve kept my evening wide open.

Wednesday: Wednesday Midweek Meal Prep Reset

Wednesday is my second gym day, and this time I spread the cooking between the morning and my lunch break. Again, my meals aren’t tailored to fitness goals, they’re just balanced enough to fuel me through the day.

Breakfast: I bake a zucchini pancake roll in the oven. It’s enough for two people for two days, and I pair it with Greek yogurt for balance.
Lunch: In the morning, I boiled the vegetables, then during my lunch break I blended them into a pea cream soup. This timing makes it manageable without breaking my workday rhythm.
Dinner prep: I boiled quinoa in the morning so it’s ready to turn into a quinoa salad with feta and veggies later. It’s light but filling, perfect after the gym.

That evening, I didn’t touch the stove. I just combined the quinoa, feta, and fresh vegetables, and dinner is served.

Thursday: Easy Meals from Wednesday’s Prep

Thursday is one of my favorite days in this plan because it requires no effort at all.

Breakfast: zucchini pancake roll + Greek yogurt.
Lunch: pea cream soup.
Dinner: quinoa salad with feta and veggies.

Everything was prepped on Wednesday, so the kitchen stays quiet in the evening.

Friday: A Flexible Meal Plan Day

This Friday was a flexible day. It’s always different, depending on my plans. Sometimes I go out after work, which means no cooking at all. Other times, I stay in and make something simple but fun.

Here’s what this week looked like:

Breakfast: avocado toast with tomatoes and feta cheese. It’s one of my go-to favorites.
Lunch: carbonara pasta, cooked during my lunch break. It’s quick enough that I can make it, eat it, and clean up within an hour.
Dinner: homemade pizza. It feels like a small reward for making it through the week.

And if I had gone out? I would’ve happily skipped cooking altogether.

Saturday: Grocery Shopping and Reset for the Week

By Saturday morning (or sometimes Friday evening if I plan ahead), I’m back at the store. But before I leave, I always look in the fridge. What’s still there? What can I reuse? This small step prevents waste and helps me shop smarter.

A big part of keeping evenings free was batch cooking earlier in the week, which I cover in How to Batch Cook for 2–3 Days.

Why This Flexible Weekly Meal Plan Works

The beauty of this plan is that it’s not rigid. It works because it’s adaptable.

I can start groceries on Friday or Saturday.
I anchor the week with two main cooking sessions – one on the weekend, one midweek.
I shift the workload to mornings, when I have more energy.
I build meals that repeat without feeling boring (wraps, soups, roasts, pancake rolls, salads).
I plan around my gym days so I’m never scrambling for food after a workout.
Sometimes I leave Fridays open, or other days depending on my calendar.

And most importantly, I give myself permission to be flexible. If my calendar changes, I might still order something for lunch or dinner—and that doesn’t mean the plan failed. It just means the plan worked the way it was supposed to: it supported my week instead of controlling it.

The result? This week, I didn’t cook dinner after 6 PM a single time. My evenings were completely free.

If you’re new to planning altogether, Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide to Weekly Meal Planning will help this example make more sense.

Key Takeaways If You Want to Try This

Anchor the week with two cooking sessions. Weekend + midweek are enough.
Prep in the morning, not at night.
Repeat smartly – soups, wraps, roasted meats, and salads stretch easily.
Plan around your lifestyle, whether it’s gym days, long commutes, or social evenings.
Stay flexible. Sometimes you’ll order food, and that’s perfectly fine.
Check your fridge before shopping to waste less.

This week didn’t happen by accident, it’s built on the same structure I explain in The 5-Step Meal Planning System

Final Thoughts

Meal planning doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to be strict. What matters is having a rhythm that makes your week lighter. For me, it means moving cooking earlier in the day, setting up repeatable meals, and leaving space for flexibility.

And the payoff is huge: five straight evenings where the kitchen stayed quiet after 6 PM. That’s time I can spend at the gym, catching up with friends, or just enjoying a calm evening.

This week’s plan kept me out of the kitchen when it mattered most, and it reminded me that meal planning isn’t about discipline. It’s about freedom.