Your first week of meal prep. Keep it simple.

Start with the meals that cause friction

Think about where your week falls apart: the office lunch you never pack, the late dinner after training, or the breakfast you skip. Solve one of those first. You do not need seven identical containers or a complete food overhaul.

Pick two recipes with overlapping ingredients and different flavours. Lemon chicken and a lentil dal let you reuse greens and pantry staples without eating the same meal every day. Cook a modest batch while you learn how much you actually want.

Shop from portions, not inspiration

Choose how many lunches or dinners you need before buying food. Use the prep planner to scale recipes and combine ingredients. Look in your cupboard first; spices, oil and unopened dry grains may already be covered.

• Choose two recipes and set the servings you will eat.
• Check the combined shopping list against what you own.
• Keep a simple backup meal available for a changed schedule.

Cook in a useful order

Start long-running jobs such as roasting and cooking rice, then use that time to wash vegetables and prepare a sauce. Keep raw poultry and its utensils away from ready-to-eat foods. A thermometer gives you a reliable cooking check.

Divide finished food into shallow containers and refrigerate or freeze promptly. Label with the preparation date. Keep the next two or three days of portions in the fridge and freeze the rest while still fresh.

Review the week, then adjust one thing

Notice what you ate happily, what you avoided and what ran out. A plan that looked perfect on Sunday may not fit a Thursday evening. Change the portion size, recipe or cooking day before adding more complexity.