If you’re busy or detest figuring out what to eat for dinner every night, you probably already know that meal prepping is key for making your week less stressful. But when it comes time to actually do it, it’s easy to sink deeper into the couch and wish someone else could take care of it for you. As helpful as it is, meal prepping is still a chore and time-suck.
You want in on a major meal prep hack successful people are using to make their weekday meals a breeze? They’re letting restaurants do the cooking for them, using family-style meals or catering menus for their core meal prepping foods. One TikTok video shows how a $100 platter of chicken, vegetables and mashed potatoes can be used for meals throughout the week and highlighted Chipotle as a popular go-to for meal prep. Another TikTok video shows how to use food from Outback Steakhouse for a week of meals costing less than $10 per meal.
Letting restaurants do the cooking for you definitely saves time, but are you sacrificing nutritional value and money? We spoke with registered dietitians and budgeting experts about this popular meal prep trend, and they definitely had some thoughts.
The best restaurants to use for meal prepping
Robert Buckman personally uses family-style meals from restaurants to meal prep and has been sharing his tips on TikTok. He’s meal prepped using food from PF Chang’s, Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Cracker Barrel, to name a few.
Buckman told HuffPost that one of his personal favorite restaurants to use for meal prepping is Panera Bread. “My favorite lunch meal prep would be Panera because they have a deal where you can get a full salad, soup and four sandwich halves for roughly $40 and that can easily be split into five lunches,” he shared. As for dinner? Buckman recommends Panda Express because the portion sizes are big and their grilled chicken can be used in a variety of ways. On TikTok, other restaurant favorites for meal prepping include Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden and Bonefish Grill.
When figuring out what to order, Buckman shared that he looks for platters made to serve four or five people. “If the menu says that a dish serves four to five people, then I can get five regularly portioned meals or four bigger portion meals,” Buckman said. He also recommends choosing meals that are only lightly flavored so the ingredients are more versatile and to avoid foods that are breaded, which don’t taste great reheated.
Buckman said using restaurant food to meal prep saves him both time and money. In an average week, he shared, this meal prep hack saves him about two hours of time a day. Instead of cooking all the foods he buys himself, Buckman said, it only takes him three minutes to microwave them or 10 minutes to air fry. He added that it takes him about 10 minutes to pick up the food from the restaurant and 20 minutes to portion out into containers for the week. “They definitely save me money too because usually each meal comes out to roughly $10 a portion, and you can go to a fast-food restaurant and spend $13 for a combo and not a healthy option,” he added.
What budgeting experts think of using restaurant food for meal prep
According to budgeting experts we talked to, using restaurant food to meal prep can be cost effective, but it isn’t always. It depends on what you order and what you would have been buying to eat otherwise.
“When you’re comparing the cost of catering trays to frequent takeout or dining out, you’re almost always getting a better price per meal. The key is buying food that stretches — catering portions are designed for groups, so you get more servings for your money. That said, it’s not always cheaper than cooking at home, but the time it saves can make it worthwhile,” Wise Dollar Mom blogger Claudia Valladares told HuffPost.
Valladares shared that using restaurant food to meal prep can be a good option for busy families, single people who don’t want to cook every night but still want variety or for anyone who tends to overspend on takeout. To be as cost-effective as possible, Harris Financial Coachingowner Annette Harris recommends focusing on proteins, which are often the most time consuming part of a meal to cook. “If you don’t have the opportunity to thaw and cook items like ribs or sirloin, purchasing these items in large quantities can save you both time and money. Proteins are very filling and can last for several meals,” she said.
Harris also recommends choosing platters that allow for easy mixing and matching throughout the week versus choosing foods like lasagna that, while big, don’t allow for much versatility. Valladares recommended this too, saying rice is a great restaurant menu item to go for because it can be used in many different ways.
Is using restaurant food for meal prepping healthy?
Ok, so using restaurant food to meal prep definitely saves time and can save you money. But are you sacrificing nutrition in the process? Not if you’re smart about it.
“When using restaurant catering for meal prep, the key is balance — prioritize lean proteins like grilled chicken, turkey or fish, along with steamed or roasted vegetables and high-fiber starches like brown rice, sweet potatoes or quinoa. These foods are versatile, nutrient-dense and easy to portion for nutritious meals,” said registered dietitian Alyssa Simpson.
Kalyn True, a registered dietitian at Memorial Hermann Health System, also told HuffPost that the key is to focus on lean proteins, whole grains and veggies — just as you would if you were making nutritionally balanced meals from scratch. When picking your proteins, True recommends choosing grilled or roasted chicken, fish or lean cuts of beef. “As for whole grains, I’d look at options like brown rice, quinoa or whole-wheat pasta over refined grains because the whole grains offer more fiber and nutrients. When looking at vegetables, prioritize foods like broccoli, carrots, bell peppers or spinach. Even pre-made salads have great nutrient density to them too,” she added.
It’s also helpful to know what restaurant foods to steer clear of ordering if you want to keep your meals throughout the week healthy. Registered dietitian Stephanie Magillrecommends avoiding foods that are fried, creamy or cheesy. Not only are these types of foods higher in calories and less healthy, they don’t taste as good when reheated either.
To keep food tasting different throughout the week, Simpson told HuffPost that the key is using sauces, seasonings or dressings. “Get creative by repurposing the same base ingredients into different meals. For example, grilled chicken can be used in salads, wraps, tacos or stir-fries, while roasted veggies and quinoa can make a hearty grain bowl or a filling soup,” she said.
Magill echoed this advice. “With a few additions from your fridge or pantry, you can shake up the flavors and options. One night you could have a burrito or wrap stuffed with grilled chicken, rice, veggies, hummus and feta. Another night make a burrito bowl with brown rice, protein, salsa and guac. Then make a plate of tacos the next night,” she said.
It’s also important to store your restaurant foods correctly to avoid foodborne illnesses. “Store food in airtight containers and refrigerate promptly to maintain freshness, and don’t forget to reheat food thoroughly to kill any bacteria,” True said.
As long as you keep all of these tips in mind, incorporating restaurant foods into your meal prepping can save both time and money, without sacrificing the nutritional density of your meal. Whether you’re cooking for one or a whole family, it’s a way to make your week easier. In this case, it really does pay to have someone else do the cooking.