Meal Prep Calculator: How Many Servings to Cook Per Week?

meal prep is simply planning, cooking and splitting up your meals, so that you do not need to work every day from scratch. Instead of preparing fresh meal from basic ingredients each morning, the main idea consists in cooking big amounts in one go. It seems new, but folks do that always.

Truly saving last night’s dinner for the next lunch? Here the essence of meal prep in its most basic form.

Easy Meal Prep for the Week

Many folks follow the usual way: they buy four to seven ready lunches on Sunday and eat them during the whole week. Even so there exists a whole range of methods. At one end, some simply will wash and chop vegetables before.

At the other end, one cooks a complete meal and freezes it. Who prepares quite a lot for four to seven portions in one go, that must visit the kitchen only twice weekly, not daily.

The money savings alone already make the effort worth it. Bulk cooking lowers the cost of eating outside, not only you save on the foods themselves, but also on gas and time to reach restaurants. I noticed, that weekly meal prep cost between twenty-five and fifty dollars and it covers both breakfasts and lunches.

Cheap basics like rice, oats, eggs and chickens help to control the budget, because they work with many different recipes. No food ends in the bucket.

Cook your proteins one or twice weekly is a handy idea. Canned tuna stays good for some days, if one prepares it before. Rotisserie chicken?

Simply slice it, divide and done. Chopped chicken works for many plates during the week. If cooking proteins from scratch does not attract you, marinate birds, fish or tofu for the day to make them ready for the oven or frying pan when you want.

The secret to good meal prep is multitasking. While something bakes or cooks slowly, chop the vegetables, cut fresh fruit or wash and dry the greens. When you already cook a recipe, adding extras means that you have reserves four the next days.

Freeze those extra parts? Even better, if you plan meals for longer periods.

Some great options that freeze well: casseroles with tuna and pasta, burritos filled with beans and rice, frozen burritos, chicken with rice and vegetables, lentil bolognese, fried rice with eggs and beef or bean chili over rice. Lasagna, enchiladas, stuffed peppers and fajita vegetables last surprisingly in the freezer. Roasted sweet potato cubes with cinnamon and olive oil come together easily.

Turkey curry is another reliable choice.

Start small, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. First focus on one type of meal, for instance lunches. Stay with few ingredients and mix them, so that the week does not become boring.

Half fruits and vegetables, a quarter of lean protein and the rest grains or starchy vegetables commonly givegood balance.