Nutrition · 1 min read · Updated
Meal prep 101: a week of food in two hours
Cook a few proteins, a couple of carbs and a pile of veggies once, then mix and match all week. Here's the simple system.
The best diet is the one that's already cooked when you're hungry. A couple of hours on the weekend saves you from drive-thru dinners all week.
The system
- Plan: pick the week's meals on Plan My Eats. The Grocery list adds everything up.
- Shop once, with the list. Buy the proteins you'll need for the whole week.
- Cook in batches: two proteins (say chicken thighs and lean ground beef), two carbs (rice and potatoes), and a sheet pan of roasted veggies.
- Pack it: portion into containers so grab-and-go is the default.
Keep it fresh
Cooked food keeps about 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Freeze the second half of the week's portions, or do a quick second prep midweek. Change up sauces and spices so day five doesn't taste like day one.
Lifting days and rest days
If you eat more carbs on lifting days, prep the rice and potatoes for those days and lean on veggies, eggs and a bit more fat for rest days. Label containers so you grab the right one.
Budget tips
Buy family packs and freeze them, lean on eggs, beans, rice, oats and frozen veggies, and cook once to eat three times.