A 5-day meal prep covers Monday to Friday from one cooking session of about two hours. This plan makes 5 lunches and 5 dinners from two recipes. Six portions go in the fridge for Monday to Wednesday and four go in the freezer for Thursday and Friday.
The freezer step is what makes five days work. The USDA's guidance on leftovers is 3 to 4 days in the fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below. Food cooked on Sunday reaches that limit on Wednesday.
The plan
| Day | Lunch | Dinner | Stored in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Chicken and rice bowl | Bean chili | Fridge |
| Tuesday | Chicken and rice bowl | Bean chili | Fridge |
| Wednesday | Chicken and rice bowl | Bean chili | Fridge |
| Thursday | Chicken and rice bowl | Bean chili | Freezer, thawed Wednesday night |
| Friday | Chicken and rice bowl | Bean chili | Freezer, thawed Wednesday night |
The rows repeat on purpose. Two recipes are easy to cook side by side in a first prep week. The section on sauces below shows how to make each day taste different.
Shopping list (18 items)
| Section | Items |
|---|---|
| Meat | 1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 750g lean beef or turkey mince |
| Produce | 2 heads broccoli, 3 bell peppers, 2 zucchini, 3 onions, 1 head garlic, 2 limes |
| Pantry | 370g (2 cups) long-grain rice, 2 cans kidney beans, 2 cans chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, soy sauce |
| Dairy | Plain yogurt (500g tub) |
You also need 10 containers with lids, two oven trays, a large pot for the chili and a medium pot for the rice.
The two-hour timeline
| Time | What you do |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Rinse the rice and start it cooking with 3 cups of water. |
| 0:05 | Toss the chicken with oil, salt, paprika and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Spread it on tray one. |
| 0:10 | Chop the broccoli, peppers and zucchini. Toss with oil and salt on tray two. Put both trays in the oven. |
| 0:20 | Chili: soften 3 chopped onions in the large pot, add the mince and brown it for 8 minutes. |
| 0:30 | Add 4 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin and 2 tbsp tomato paste. Stir for a minute, then add the tomatoes and drained beans. Simmer with the lid ajar. |
| 0:40 | Take the chicken out when the thickest piece reads 74°C (165°F). Take the vegetables out when the edges brown. Spread the rice on a tray to cool. |
| 0:45 | While the chili simmers, mix the sauces (see below) and wash the trays. |
| 1:10 | Chili off the heat. Slice the chicken. |
| 1:15 | Fill 5 containers with rice, vegetables and chicken. Fill 5 with chili. |
| 1:30 | Label the lids with the day. Three of each go in the fridge and two of each go in the freezer once they stop steaming. |
| 1:45 | Wash the pots. Done. |
Get everything into the fridge or freezer within two hours of it finishing cooking. Shallow containers cool faster than deep ones.
Three sauces so Wednesday tastes different from Monday
- Soy and lime: 3 tbsp soy sauce, juice of 1 lime, 1 grated garlic clove.
- Yogurt and cumin: 150g plain yogurt, half a teaspoon of cumin, a pinch of salt, juice of half a lime.
- Smoky tomato: 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp water.
Store the sauces in small jars and add them after reheating. The yogurt sauce also goes on the chili in place of sour cream.
Reheating from the fridge and the freezer
- From the fridge: microwave with the lid loose for 2 to 3 minutes, stir, and heat until it is steaming throughout.
- From the freezer: move Thursday's and Friday's containers to the fridge on Wednesday night. They reheat like the fridge portions.
- Forgot to thaw: chili reheats from frozen in a pot over low heat with a splash of water in about 15 minutes.
The USDA's reheating temperature for leftovers is 165°F (74°C).
Changing the plan next week
Keep the structure and swap the parts. One tray protein, one pot dish, one grain and two trays' worth of vegetables fit the same timeline.
| Part | This week | Swaps |
|---|---|---|
| Tray protein | Chicken thighs | Salmon fillets (12 to 15 minutes), extra-firm tofu, pork tenderloin |
| Pot dish | Bean chili | Lentil curry, chicken and chickpea stew, bolognese |
| Grain | Rice | Quinoa, couscous, roasted potatoes |
| Vegetables | Broccoli, peppers, zucchini | Carrots, cauliflower, green beans, sweet potato |
If this is your first time, meal prep for beginners covers containers and equipment. For lunch ideas beyond bowls, see healthy meal prep for work.
Sources
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety, for the 3 to 4 day fridge limit, the two-hour rule and the 165°F reheating temperature.
FAQ
Can you meal prep for 5 days?
Yes, if you freeze the last two days. The USDA says cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Food cooked on Sunday is fine through Wednesday, so put the Thursday and Friday portions in the freezer and thaw them in the fridge on Wednesday night.
How long does a 5-day meal prep take?
About two hours for 10 meals when the oven and the stove work at the same time. The rice and chili cook unattended while the chicken and vegetables roast, so your hands-on time is closer to 50 minutes.
What foods are best for 5-day meal prep?
Foods that reheat without drying out or going soft: chicken thighs, mince, beans, lentils, rice, quinoa, roasted root vegetables, peppers and broccoli. Stews, chilis and curries often taste better on day three.
What should I not meal prep for five days?
Dressed salads, sliced avocado, fried or breaded food, cooked pasta stored in sauce, and soft-boiled eggs. They wilt, brown or turn soggy within a day or two. Keep dressings and crunchy toppings in a separate container and add them when you eat.
Is it safe to reheat rice from meal prep?
Yes, if you cool it quickly and keep it cold. Spread cooked rice on a tray so it cools fast, refrigerate it within two hours of cooking, and reheat it until it is steaming hot all the way through, which is 165°F or 74°C. Throw away cooked rice that has sat at room temperature for longer than that.
How do I stop getting bored of the same meal?
Keep the base the same and change the sauce. The chicken and rice bowl takes soy and lime on Monday, yogurt and cumin on Tuesday, and smoky tomato on Wednesday. The three sauces take ten minutes to make.