Meal Prep for Beginners: How to Prep a Week of Food in 2 Hours

Meal prep is one of the highest-return investments of time you can make. Two hours on a Sunday produces five days of lunches and eliminates weeknight decision fatigue. Here is how to start. The best appliance for efficient meal prep is an Instant Pot — see our Instant Pot buying guide for all options.

The Beginner Meal Prep Method

Do not try to prep complete finished meals to begin with — prep components. Cook a large batch of grains, roast a tray of mixed vegetables, and cook a protein. These components combine into different meals throughout the week — a grain bowl one day, a wrap the next, a salad the day after. Far less repetitive than eating the same complete meal five days running.

Equipment That Makes Meal Prep Efficient

A large sheet pan for roasting vegetables. An Instant Pot or rice cooker for hands-off grain cooking. A sharp chef's knife and large cutting board. A set of uniform stackable containers. A food processor dramatically reduces prep time for large volumes of chopping. View on Amazon →

The 2-Hour Sunday Plan

0:00-0:15: Start rice or grains. Preheat oven to 200°C. 0:15-0:45: Chop all vegetables, season and spread on sheet pans, start roasting. 0:45-1:15: While vegetables roast, prep protein. 1:15-1:45: Make one sauce or dressing. Wash and dry salad greens. Portion into containers. 1:45-2:00: Label and refrigerate. Clean kitchen.

What Keeps and What Does Not

Cooked grains keep for 5 days refrigerated. Roasted vegetables keep for 4-5 days. Cooked chicken keeps for 4 days. Hard-boiled eggs keep for 7 days in the shell. Washed leafy greens keep for 3-4 days if completely dry before storing.

Containers That Matter

Invest in a set of uniform glass containers with airtight lids. OXO Good Grips and Pyrex both make excellent sets. For quick meal ideas to cook with your prepped ingredients, see our 15 quick pasta recipes and healthy breakfast recipes.