Has it ever happened to you that night falls and the last thing you want to do is think about what to cook?
It happened to me all the time… until I discovered that with a couple of hours of meal prep on the weekend, you can forget that stress and eat much better during the week.
Why do it?
✨ Less stress: having food ready reduces anxiety and leaves you with more mental energy for other things.
✨ You eat more varied and healthy: planning prevents falling into ultra-processed foods or ordering fast food.
✨ You save money and time: cooking at home in bulk is much cheaper than buying every day.
Simple steps to start with meal prep
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Choose a fixed day: Sunday or Monday work perfectly.
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Make your smart list: check what you have and plan 3–4 recipes with repeated ingredients (e.g., brown rice, chicken, chickpeas, vegetables).
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Start with what takes the longest: while the rice or lentils are cooking, cut and store vegetables or marinate proteins.
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Apply the “bulk prep” method: cook in large quantities—for example: 1 kg of roasted chicken, 2 cups of rice, a pot of lentils—and then assemble different combinations during the week. Preparing meals like rice, chicken, and vegetables for 5 days gets too boring for me; with this method I'm telling you, you can combine other side dishes.
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Divide into practical portions: you don't need to have identical complete meals, but ready bases to mix quickly. Example: One container of sweet potato, one with chicken, and another with rice.
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Store variety: always have at least 1 protein, 1 carbohydrate, and several vegetables ready. This way you can assemble bowls, wraps, or salads in minutes. Pre-washed salads are a hit, and frozen vegetables too.
How long does food last in the fridge (really)?
The general rules say that it's safe for 1–2 days for meats and 3–4 days for prepared dishes… but let's be realistic: I cook on Sunday and keep eating the same thing until Friday, and nothing has ever happened to me 😅. (It's at your own discretion)
In my experience
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Cooked meats and chicken: 5 days in the fridge without a problem.
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Cooked rice, pasta, and grains: 4–6 days easily.
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Cooked or roasted vegetables: 5 days (some, like broccoli, lose flavor earlier; my husband prepares them on the spot; it's not very fun to keep cooked broccoli in your fridge).
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Prepared protein stews: 4–5 days, and if there's a lot left over, into the freezer.
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Freezer: no drama there—2–3 months for all cooked food.
👉 The important thing is that your fridge cools well and that you store the food covered.
The beauty is that there isn't just one way to do it. You can have complete meals ready to heat up or just prep ingredients in bulk and assemble different dishes each day. And if you don't get to cook one weekend, it's okay: the idea is for it to be a habit that makes your life easier, not one that stresses you out more.
Are you up for trying bulk prep this weekend? Let me know :)
