Riven Sloane never planned to become someone who prepped her meals for the week. “It always felt a little too organized,” she admits. “I liked the spontaneity of cooking in the moment.”
But as work got busier and her workouts more intense, she realized something had to change. She needed food that matched her pace—and supported her goals. “I was hungry all the time,” she laughs, “but living off toast and coffee wasn’t cutting it anymore.”
That’s when she got serious about protein—and planning. Riven didn’t want rigid meal plans or chicken-and-broccoli monotony. She wanted food that felt nourishing and satisfying but still aligned with her clean eating values.
So she started carving out two hours on Sundays to get ahead. She’d cook a batch of lentils or quinoa, roast seasonal vegetables, and prep protein-forward options like marinated tofu, beans, or seared tempeh. “It wasn’t about locking in a strict menu,” she says. “It was about having good building blocks ready to go.”
Dinner became a breeze—ten-minute stir-fries, hearty grain bowls, warm salads tossed with chickpeas and tahini. No decision fatigue, no temptation to order takeout.
More than anything, meal prepping gave Riven her evenings back. “I could actually enjoy dinner,” she says. “Not just make it through it.”
