Nutrition
Meal Prep in 90 Minutes: A Week of Balanced Eating
February 20, 2026
A practical, no-fuss guide to batch cooking five days of nutritious meals in under 90 minutes every Sunday.
## Why Meal Prep Changes Everything
When healthy food is already in the fridge, you make better choices without needing willpower. That's the whole idea.
### The 90-Minute Framework
The key is parallelism — running multiple cooking processes at once so nothing waits.
**Minutes 0–10: Setup**
- Preheat oven to 200 °C
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil
- Chop all vegetables at once
**Minutes 10–40: Start the oven and hob**
- Roast a sheet pan of vegetables (courgette, peppers, broccoli, sweet potato) with olive oil and seasoning
- Cook a large batch of grains (brown rice, quinoa, or farro) in the pot
- Marinate protein (chicken thighs, salmon fillets, or chickpeas for plant-based)
**Minutes 40–70: Protein and finishing touches**
- Bake or pan-fry your protein while grains finish
- Hard-boil eggs for quick snacks and salad toppers
- Prepare a large green salad base (store dressing separately)
**Minutes 70–90: Portion and store**
- Divide everything into labelled containers by meal
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days; freeze portions for days 4–5
### A Sample Week
| Day | Lunch | Dinner |
|-----|-------|--------|
| Mon | Grain bowl + roasted veg + tahini | Baked salmon + quinoa + salad |
| Tue | Chicken wrap + greens | Leftovers or soup |
| Wed | Buddha bowl | Stir-fry with prepped veg |
| Thu | Egg salad on sourdough | Sheet-pan chicken + sweet potato |
| Fri | Whatever is left | Treat yourself |
### Essential Kit
Good containers make or break the habit. Glass is best for reheating; compartmentalised boxes keep components fresh longer.
Start simple, one or two recipes, and build complexity as the habit sticks.