Meal prep isn't a trend — it's the reason people actually stick to a diet or a protein target. When the food is already in the fridge, you don't order delivery at 9pm. Here's the complete guide: base recipes, how long everything keeps, the mistakes that ruin it — and the gear you genuinely need.
👨🍳 The recipes
1. Chicken Base for the Week (4 servings)
Cook once, eat for four days. The foundation of any meal prep.
Ingredients:- 800 g chicken breast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Paprika, granulated garlic, cumin
- Salt, pepper
- Lemon
- Cut the breast into evenly sized cubes.
- Season and marinate 20 minutes.
- Bake 20-25 minutes at 200°C (or use a grill pan).
- Cool completely before storing — critical.
- Divide into 4 containers.
2. Rice and Quinoa for the Week
The carb that keeps best. One pot covers the whole week.
Ingredients:- 200 g brown rice
- 100 g quinoa
- Salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Rinse the quinoa well — this removes bitterness.
- Cook rice at a 1:2 ratio, quinoa at 1:2.
- Fluff gently with a fork.
- Cool and divide into containers.
3. Oven-Roasted Vegetables
One tray, all your vegetables for the week. Fibre and volume for almost no calories.
Ingredients:- 2 courgettes
- 1 aubergine
- 2 peppers
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, pepper, oregano
- Cut everything into similar-sized cubes.
- Toss with oil and seasoning on one tray.
- Roast 25-30 minutes at 200°C, stirring halfway.
- Cool and divide.
4. Hard-Boiled Eggs for the Week
The cheapest, most available protein snack there is. Keeps a week in the fridge.
Ingredients:- 6 eggs
- Water
- 1 tsp salt
- Put the eggs into cold salted water.
- Bring to a boil and cook 9 minutes.
- Transfer straight into iced water — makes peeling easy.
- Dry and store in the fridge in their shells.
5. High-Protein Yoghurt-Garlic Sauce
What turns boring meal prep into something you'll actually eat. Protein-rich instead of mayo.
Ingredients:- 250 g Greek yoghurt (5%)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chopped dill
- Salt, pepper
- Mix everything in a bowl.
- Adjust the seasoning.
- Store in an airtight container — keeps 5 days.
6. Egg Muffins for the Week
Breakfast ready in advance. Reheat 30 seconds and go.
Ingredients:- 8 eggs
- 100 g feta cheese
- A handful of spinach
- 1/2 red pepper
- Salt, pepper
- Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper.
- Chop the spinach and pepper, stir into the eggs.
- Pour into a greased muffin tin, crumble feta on top.
- Bake 18-20 minutes at 180°C.
- Cool completely and refrigerate.
6 pieces of gear that make meal prep possible
1. Stainless steel containers — set of 5 (top pick)
Stainless doesn't absorb odours, stain from tomato sauce or crack. They last years. 6,942 orders and 4.9★ — the highest-value buy for meal prep.
2. Compartment bento boxes — set of 3
Separate compartments: protein, carbs and veg without the sauce soaking everything. 2,520 orders and 4.9★.
3. Digital kitchen scale
Meal prep without a scale means uneven portions, which means your calorie target falls apart. 18,476 orders and 4.9★.
4. Leakproof steel containers — set of 3
Fully sealed — you can pack sauce without worrying about your bag. 630 orders and 4.9★. A good complement to the larger set.
5. 3-Layer shaker bottle
For topping up protein on days the prep runs out. 4,043 orders and 4.9★.
6. Sports water bottle — 800 ml
Part of the routine — water is what most people miss. 13,560 orders and 4.9★.
🧮 Set the target before you start cooking
Our protein and calorie calculators give you exact numbers by weight and goal — which turns meal prep into something precise instead of guesswork. Free, no signup.
Open the Protein CalculatorHow long everything keeps in the fridge
- Cooked chicken/turkey — 3-4 days
- Cooked beef — 3-4 days
- Fish — 2-3 days only (spoils fastest)
- Rice/quinoa — 4-5 days
- Roasted vegetables — 4-5 days
- Hard-boiled eggs — a week, in the shell
- Yoghurt-based sauces — 5 days
The 4 mistakes that ruin meal prep
- Packing while warm — condensation means moisture means bacteria. Always cool completely first. This is mistake number one.
- Cooking 5 different meals — boring, takes 4 hours, and you won't do it again. 3 bases plus different sauces gives real variety in 90 minutes.
- Overcooking vegetables — they keep softening when reheated. Pull them out al dente.
- No sauces — the same chicken four days running means quitting by day 3. Sauce is what keeps you going.
The running order — 90 minutes
- 0-10: Oven on, chop vegetables and protein.
- 10-15: Vegetables into the oven, rice/quinoa onto the hob.
- 15-25: Marinate and prep the protein, into the oven.
- 25-45: While everything cooks — make sauces and boil eggs.
- 45-60: Everything out, cool completely.
- 60-90: Divide into containers, label the date, into the fridge.
🛠️ Free tools we built
❓ Frequently asked questions
How long does prepped food last in the fridge?
Chicken and beef 3-4 days, fish 2-3, rice and quinoa 4-5, roasted vegetables 4-5, hard-boiled eggs a week. The rule: prep for 4 days and freeze the rest. Always cool completely before storing.
How do you meal prep without getting bored?
Make 3 bases (protein, carb, vegetables) and 2-3 different sauces, then recombine them differently each day. The same chicken with yoghurt sauce, tahini or chilli feels like 3 different meals.
What containers are best for meal prep?
Stainless steel is best — it doesn't absorb odours, stain or crack. Compartment bento boxes stop sauce soaking everything. Glass is heavy but excellent for the microwave.
Does meal prep help with weight loss?
It's probably the single technique with the biggest impact on consistency. When food is ready in the fridge you don't order delivery at 9pm. Portions are also measured in advance, so your calorie target is precise rather than guessed.