Meal Prep for the Week: A Simple Routine
Meal prep works best when you cook a few components rather than whole identical boxes of food. That keeps meals from getting boring by Wednesday.
Pick one protein, one carb and two vegetables
Cook a batch of chicken or turkey, a pot of rice or potatoes, and two vegetables that store well. Mix them with different sauces across the week and the meals stay varied.
Do the slow things first
Start the oven or the rice cooker, then chop vegetables while it runs. Keep the order the same each week so the routine becomes automatic.
Store it properly
Let food cool for about 20 minutes, then move it into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. Cooked meals keep for about three to four days in the fridge, so freeze anything you won't eat by then.
Plan the meals first
Choose the seven days of meals before you shop, so the prep list matches what you'll eat. Our high-protein meal plan is built around prep-friendly meals, and the recipe planner lets you lay out the week.