Meal Prep for Your Time, Health, & Budget
Attend In-Person
Mini-Course Dates: July 19 & 26 (2 Total Sessions)
Meeting Times: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: UW-Stout Campus with Potential Farmer's Market Visit
Registration: $99
Feeling crunched for time, overwhelmed in the kitchen, or tired of spending too much at the grocery store? This mini course will give you the tools and confidence to plan and prepare meals that fit your lifestyle—without the stress.
Over two sessions, you’ll learn how to build a realistic meal prep routine that supports your budget, time, and health goals. Whether you’re cooking for one or feeding a busy family, you’ll walk away with strategies that make meal planning and prep more manageable—and even enjoyable.
Led by UW-Stout Registered Dietitian Miranda Roberts, this hands-on course offers approachable, practical tips that can help you cook smarter, shop more efficiently, and feel more in control of your weekly meals.
Who Should Attend?
This course is ideal for community members of all cooking skill levels—especially those looking for simple ways to make meal planning easier, healthier, and more budget-friendly.
Key Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
• Create personalized weekly meal plans based on their schedule and preferences
• Identify time-saving tools and techniques for prepping meals ahead
• Build cost-conscious grocery lists using smart shopping strategies
• Store and reheat food safely to reduce waste and save time
• Prepare simple, nourishing meals with confidence
Session Outline
Session 1: Meal Prep Foundations
We’ll cover the “why” and “how” of meal prepping, walk through how to plan balanced, satisfying meals, and share practical tools to make it easier.
Topics Covered:
• What meal prepping actually is (and isn’t)
• Benefits: time, money, nutrition, stress relief
• How to build a weekly plan that works for you
• Tips for variety, flavor, and avoiding food burnout
• Meal prep tools: what’s helpful vs. what’s hype
• Sample prep schedules and time-saving tricks
Interactive Piece:
• Build your own weekly meal plan and prep timeline
• Group discussion of prep hacks
Session 2: Smart Shopping, Storage & Real-Life Prep
We’ll dive into budget-friendly grocery shopping, food storage tips, and batch cooking. This session may include a visit to the local farmers market for hands-on learning.
Topics Covered:
• Budgeting strategies and building a flexible grocery list
• Reading unit prices and getting the most value
• Farmers market tips (if included): how to shop seasonally and stretch your dollar
• Safe food storage: fridge vs. freezer, shelf life, reheating
• Batch cooking basics and smart use of leftovers
Interactive Piece:
• Grocery list challenge or ingredient mix-and-match game
• Optional: Group walk-through of the farmers market
Miranda Roberts is a registered dietitian and passionate educator who works at UW-Stout, where she supports students, athletes, and the campus community with practical, evidence-based nutrition guidance. She has been featured in several nutrition segments for WEAU 13 News, where she shares real-life strategies for healthy eating, meal planning, and fueling performance. Miranda focuses on making food feel approachable, flexible, and enjoyable. When she’s not working, you can find her walking her dog Joy, baking desserts from the Great British Baking Show, or at the gym prepping for her next powerlifting competition.
UW-Stout Continuing Education & Conferences welcomes individuals with disabilities and individualized needs. To request accommodations, please contact us at continuinged@uwstout.edu or 715-232-2793. While we encourage requests at least two weeks in advance, we will make every effort to accommodate those made closer to the program date. All requests are confidential.
The Universities of Wisconsin is an EEO/Affirmative Action employer and complies with Title IX and ADA requirements, offering equal opportunities in employment and programming.
If you need to cancel, you can substitute someone else at no charge, otherwise please see the outlined cancellation fees below. If we cancel the program, you'll receive a full refund. Special cases may be considered.
More than 14 days from start date:
Full refund will be given to registrant.
14 day or less from start date:
An administrative fee of 3% of the registration cost plus $5 will be deducted from your refund.
If you are registered and do not attend the program, you are responsible for the full fee.