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Why: Streamline meal preparation and maximize food usage by effectively utilizing the prep and leftovers features in your meal plans. This not only saves time but also helps your members enjoy delicious meals without waste.
Navigate: App Station > Content Library > Meal Plans > [Meal Plan] > Grid tab
Quick Start
In the meal plan editor, navigate to the Grid tab.
Click the "+" icon in the Advance Prep area or in any day's grid cell.
Choose between Prep Session or Cook-Ahead Meal using the toggle.
Add tasks or select recipes as needed, then save your changes.
For leftovers, add Leftover sessions on the appropriate days referencing the source meal.
Overview
Meal plans in your app have two dedicated areas for preparation work: the Advance Prep area located above the grid and the Prep Row within the grid. Both features help you organize food preparation for your members efficiently. Any meal recipe can serve as a source for leftovers without requiring any special toggle.
The Prep Row
Each day in the meal plan grid features a special Prep Row at the top. In this row, you can add two types of items:
Prep Sessions: These are task-based checklists where you can provide instructions for members to follow and check off as they complete tasks.
Cook-Ahead Meals: These are recipes that are cooked in advance but not consumed at that meal. All servings from these meals become available as leftovers.
When adding an item to the Prep Row, simply use the toggle to choose between Prep Session and Cook-Ahead Meal.
Advance Prep
The Advance Prep area appears above the main grid and is designed for prep work done before the meal plan week starts. You can set a date range (for example, 2-4 days before the start of the meal plan). Both prep sessions and cook-ahead meals can be added in this section.
Prep Sessions (Tasks)
Creating a Prep Session is straightforward:
Name the session (e.g., "Sunday Prep" or "Day 1 Morning").
Add manual tasks by typing instructions and clicking Add.
Optionally, import tasks from recipe prep-ahead instructions.
You can reorder tasks using the up/down arrows.
Members will see these tasks as a checklist and can check off completed items.
Leftovers
The leftovers workflow is simple and effective:
Any meal recipe can automatically serve as a leftover source.
Optionally, use the Make Extra feature to specify additional servings beyond what is eaten at the meal.
On the days when the food will be eaten again, add Leftover sessions that reference the source meal and specify how many servings to consume.
For meals in the Prep Row, all servings are automatically available as leftovers.
Nutrition Behavior
Understanding how nutrition is calculated is crucial:
Meals in the Prep Row show 0 nutrition because nothing is consumed during the prep session. Nutrition appears on the days when the leftovers are actually eaten.
Meals in the Advance Prep area also show 0 nutrition.
Shopping lists will include ingredients from both Prep Row and Advance Prep meals because these ingredients need to be purchased.
When using Make Extra on a regular meal, the nutrition for the source meal only reflects the servings eaten during that meal.
Tips
Clearly name your prep sessions (e.g., "Sunday Prep" or "Morning Prep").
Use the Prep Row for same-week cook-ahead meals and the Advance Prep area for work done before the meal plan starts.
For more information on related features, check out these articles: