Description
A flexible, real-life meal prep & planning guide that helps you prepare ingredients and organize your week without stress. This step-by-step method focuses on batching and rotation to save time, reduce food waste, and simplify cooking.
Ingredients
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken (or choice of protein)
2 cups cooked grains (rice, quinoa, couscous)
4 cups chopped vegetables (bell peppers, broccoli, carrots)
Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder
Optional: sauces or dressings for variety
Instructions
1. Choose 3–4 meals for the week and write them down.
2. Create a shopping list from those recipes using shared ingredients.
3. Set aside 1 hour for prepping: cook proteins, grains, and veggies.
4. Portion prepped ingredients into containers.
5. Store in the fridge and reheat or mix for lunches and dinners.
6. Use weekly themes like tacos, sheet pan meals, or stir-fries.
7. Keep a visible plan on your fridge or planner.
8. Include one flexible “DIY” meal night for picky eaters or changes.
Notes
This guide is designed for flexibility. You can scale portions up or down.
Mix proteins, grains, and veggies for quick bowls, salads, or wraps.
Use the 3-2-1 method: 3 proteins, 2 veggies, 1 grain per week.
Store cooked items up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze for later.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Meal Prep
- Method: Batch Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 container
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: meal prep & planning guide, beginner meal prep, batch cooking, weekly prep