Meal Prep Sunday: A Realistic 60-Minute Plan

Social media meal prep looks impressive — color-coded containers stacked in a perfect fridge, five different proteins, ten side dishes. But that level of effort is not sustainable for most people. The realistic version of meal prep takes about 60 minutes on a Sunday afternoon and gives you a solid head start on eating well all week. No Pinterest perfection required.

Before you touch a pan, spend ten minutes deciding what you are making. Choose one protein (chicken thighs, ground turkey, or a batch of lentils), one grain or starch (rice, quinoa, or roasted sweet potatoes), and two or three vegetables you enjoy. Pull out your cutting board, sheet pans, and a large pot. Having everything ready before you start cooking saves time and reduces stress.

Set your oven to 400 degrees. Season your protein with olive oil, salt, pepper, and whatever spices you like — paprika, garlic powder, cumin. Spread it on a sheet pan. On a second sheet pan, toss chopped vegetables (broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, sweet potato cubes) with olive oil and seasoning. Both pans go in the oven. While they roast, start your grain on the stovetop. This overlap is the key to the one-hour timeline.

While the oven does the work, wash and chop raw vegetables for snacking (carrots, celery, cucumber). Hard-boil a batch of eggs if you want quick breakfast protein. Make a simple sauce or dressing — even just olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and herbs in a jar. These small extras make weekday meals feel complete instead of boring.

Pull everything out of the oven, let it cool for ten minutes, then divide it into glass containers. I recommend keeping proteins and grains separate from vegetables so you can mix and match throughout the week. Use the last few minutes to wash your pans and wipe down the counters. Done. You now have the building blocks for lunches and dinners for four to five days.

Monday: chicken over rice with roasted broccoli and lemon dressing. Tuesday: grain bowl with veggies, a hard-boiled egg, and hot sauce. Wednesday: leftover chicken in a wrap with raw veggies. The point is flexibility — you are not eating the same sad container five days in a row. You are giving yourself ingredients to assemble quick, satisfying meals without starting from scratch every night.