Meal prep explained — what it is and how it helps

Meal prep (short for meal preparation) means planning and preparing some or all of your meals in advance, rather than deciding and cooking from scratch each time you're hungry. It ranges from simply chopping veg ahead to cooking and portioning a whole week of meals — and it's a favourite strategy for eating well on a busy schedule.

The main styles

• Batch cooking: making large quantities of meals and freezing portions for later
• Ingredient prep: part-preparing components (chopping, cooking grains, marinating) to speed up cooking
• Full meal assembly: portioning complete, ready-to-go meals into containers, often for lunches

Many people combine these depending on the week.

Why people do it

• Saves time: cook once, eat several times; faster weeknights
• Saves money: fewer takeaways and impulse buys, less food wasted
• Eat better: planned meals tend to be healthier and more balanced than last-minute choices
• Less stress: no daily 'what's for dinner?' scramble

Doing it well

It starts with a plan and a shopping list, and works best when you start small and build the habit. Store food safely — cool quickly, seal, label and date, and reheat thoroughly. Our free meal prep planner and meal planner get you started, and our meal prep guide has the full how-to.