Meal prep means cooking larger batches in one session so you have food ready for the days ahead. The goal is a workable system, not a perfect one. Even one hour of prep can cover four to five meals and cut grocery spending noticeably across the week.
This section is written for people who cook on real schedules — not for people with unlimited time, a large kitchen, or a sous vide machine. The approach prioritizes protein sources that reheat well, containers that are actually practical, and a cooking order that minimizes time at the stove.
What this section covers
- Containers: what works for reheating, what to avoid, what you do not need to buy
- Planning: how to choose what to prep each week based on time, budget, and what needs to be used up
- Cooking order: how to run multiple items at once so total prep time stays under two hours
- Storage: how long different proteins keep in the fridge, and which ones freeze reliably
- Reheating: how to reheat chicken, rice, and roasted vegetables without ruining the texture
- Cost tracking: a simple per-serving cost method you can do from a grocery receipt
Where to start
If you are new to this site, the Start Here page covers the foundations: best cheap protein sources, how to calculate cost per serving, and what to buy first. Come back here once you have a working grocery list.
Guides are being written and will be added as they are ready.