Eating healthy can be challenging but I have some good news for you! Healthy eating can be easy to plan and it does not have to be complicated or confusing. Plan, prep, thrive: The ultimate 3-step meal prep guide every Indian household needs.(Image by Unsplash)

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Joel Ramdial (Instructor and Program Director of Nutrition in the Department of Allied Health, Kinesiology and Sport Sciences at Southeast Missouri State University) shared a three-step meal prep strategy based on the2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians (DGIs).

He said, “The DGIs are developed by experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research of the National Institute Nutrition to provide simplified nutrition guidance based on current scientific evidence.” According to him, applying the strategy outlined below will help you plan and prepare meals customised to meet your preferences and food group recommendations.

Joel Ramdial categorised meal prepping in two ways:

Meal prepping can refer to preparing entire meals in advance that can be refrigerated or frozen and conveniently eaten on a later date. Meal prepping can also refer to preparing and storing ingredients in advance, so they are available to include in a recipe on a later date.

Meal preparation transforms your week by allowing you to experience a variety of flavours, save time, and make better choices. (Unsplash)

He said, “It may seem like a lot of work at first but meal prepping is efficient and saves time and money over the long run because you can buy ingredients in bulk, avoid purchasing unnecessary ingredients and complete most of the preparation steps at one time, instead of multiple times throughout the week. If you use the strategy outlined below, you get the additional benefit of having healthy, pre-made options ready to go in the week which can help avoid the temptation to choose fast foods, processed foods, or convenience foods.”

Step #1: Plan your meals and snacks using a healthy portion control model.

The DGIs promotes theMy Plate for the Day, which is a simple portion control structure designed to help Indians obtain the recommended amounts of nutrients from the ten food groups, while providing approximately 2000 Kcals. This is a generally healthy amount of Kcals for most people, and a great place to start planning meals and snacks.

You can operationalise the My Plate for the Day recommendations by organizing them into meal prep plan table to help identify recipes and snack options to prepare, and the ingredients you need to prepare them. I have an example below.

Here is a table vegetarians can use or modify to plan meals for one day. You can create plans like this for every day of the week.

Your goal is to include recipes and snacks with food group amounts that add up to the recommended amounts to consume in one day.

Recipe names for meals or snacks ↓ Food groups ↓ [recommended amounts for one day are in the brackets] Cereals (including millets) [250 g] Pulses [85 g] Milk/curd [300 mL] Vegetables (including leafy greens) [400 g] Fruits (avoid juices) [100 g] Nuts & Seeds [35 g] Fats & Oils [27 g] (Include recipe or snack names in this column. Add as many rows as you need) (Include the amount of cereals provided by one serving of the recipe in this column) (… amount of pulses …) (… amount of milk/ curd …) (… amount of vegetables …) (… amount of fruit …) (… amount of nuts & seeds …) (… amount of fats & oils …) Total amounts → (Sum of Cereals) (Sum of Pulses) (Sum of Milk/curd) (Sum of Vegetables) (Sum of Fruits) (Sum of Nuts & Seeds) (Sum of Fats & Oils) Recommended amounts for one day → 250 g 85 g 300 mL 400 g 100 g 35 g 27 g

Note: See Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) for more information on these recommendations and examples of foods in each group :2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians

Here is a table non-vegetarians can use or modify to plan meals for one day.

Recipe names for meals or snacks ↓ Food groups ↓ [recommended amounts for one day are in the brackets] Cereals (including millets) [260 g] Pulses [55 g] Chicken/ meat / fish / eggs [70 g] Milk/curd [300 mL] Vegetables (including leafy greens) [400 g] Fruits (avoid juices) [100 g] Nuts & Seeds [30 g] Fats & Oils [27 g] (Include recipe or snack names in this column. Add as many rows as you need) (Include the amount of cereals provided by one serving of the recipe in this column) (… amount of pulses …) (… amount of chicken/ meat / fish / eggs …) (… amount of milk/ curd …) (… amount of vegetables …) (… amount of fruit …) (… amount of nuts & seeds …) (… amount of fats & oils …) Total amounts → (Sum of Cereals) (Sum of Pulses) (Sum of chicken/ meat/ fish/ eggs) (Sum of Milk/curd) (Sum of Vegetables) (Sum of Fruits) (Sum of Nuts & Seeds) (Sum of Fats & Oils) Recommended amounts for one day → 260 g 55 g 70 g 300 mL 400 g 100 g 30 g 27 g

Once you have planned meals and snacks for each day of the week, add all the ingredients you need into a shopping list.

Here is another template you can use as a corresponding shopping list.

Note: A place is included to show which recipes and days the ingredients are for. This is to help you stay organised and save time when you get home from the store.

Ingredient Amount needed Recipe Day Cereals (List all cereal ingredients) (List the amount needed for each ingredient) (Indicate the recipe in which the ingredient belongs) (Indicate the day the recipe will be eaten) Pulses Chicken / meat / fish / eggs Milk / curd Vegetables, leafy greens, roots and tubers Fruits Nuts & seeds Fats & oils Spices & herbs

Family Involvement: Engage the whole family in healthy habits. Plan and prepare nutritious meals together and make physical activity a family routine. (Unsplash)

Step #2: Designate a day to shop and prep.

Schedule a recurring day and time in your calendar to go shopping and to prep your meals and snacks.

Block out at least five hours to shop and prep your items. This may seem like a lot of time to invest, but remember: You are investing in yourself, your health, and your family’s health. You can adjust your plans for the next week if this is not the right amount of time to complete these tasks.

Pick a day on which you will feel rested enough to have the energy and willpower to avoid tempting foods and beverages that aren’t on your shopping list.

Pick a time to shop that will allow you to eat or exercise before you go to purchase the ingredients on your shopping list. This will help you get into the right state of mind and prevent you from shopping while hungry.

Plan to prep your items as soon as you return home from the store, so you don’t lose momentum.

Step #3: Prepare your meal prep environment.

Before you go shopping, you’ll need to have the equipment required to prepare your foods, a place to safely prepare your foods, containers in which to store your foods, and a place to safely store your foods.

Obtain any equipment you’ll need such as knives, cutting boards, peelers, etc. Make sure they are clean and ready to use before you go shopping.

Clean your food preparation area so it is free from clutter and potential contaminants.

Clear any old or expired foods and ingredients from your cold and dry food storage areas. Clean these storage spaces so they are ready to safely store your new items.

Now you are ready to shop for ingredients and prep your meals and snacks!

If you feel overwhelmed by beginning the meal prep process, just break it down to the next possible required action. Any progress, no matter how small, is still progress. You don’t have to do it all in one day, just get started and make a little progress each day. Before you know it, you’ll be a meal prep pro.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

This 7-day meal plan is designed with weight loss in mind. It includes 1,600 calories per day, which will help stimulate weight loss in a healthy, sustainable way without you feeling deprived.

According to a 2022 Gallup Poll, 55% of Americans say they’d like to lose weight. And while many people turn to diets to watch the number on the scale go down, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, losing weight isn’t about dieting. It’s about designing a lifestyle that incorporates healthy, sustainable eating patterns, regular physical activity and stress management—which includes getting enough quality sleep.

The CDC also states that people who lose weight gradually are more likely to keep it off. This means that trendy fad diets that promise quick weight loss are not the way to go. And don’t even get us started on “detoxes.”

But eating plenty of foods with fiber and protein is always on trend. And experts say that engaging in regular physical activity is more important than losing weight as far as your health goes (though it certainly may lead to weight loss).

With that said, if weight loss is your goal, we recommend going about it gradually. To promote healthy weight loss, we set this plan at 1,600 calories per day, a level where many people lose weight.

As you follow this meal plan, keep in mind that it is meant to serve as a framework for a nutritious eating plan. It is not a rigid plan that you have to follow exactly. Listen to your body and follow your hunger and fullness cues. If you’re finding it’s not enough food to sustain you and your lifestyle, eat more. You know your body best!

And if you don’t like certain foods or recipes in the plan, the calorie totals are listed next to each meal so you can easily swap things in and out as you desire. It’s easy to search our site for replacements.

Why This Meal Plan Is Great for You

Watch How to Make Quick Ravioli & Vegetable Soup

Day 1

photography / Caitlin bensel, Food Styling / Emily Nabors Hall

Breakfast (306 calories)

1 serving Avocado-Egg Toast

1 clementine

A.M Snack (249 calories)

1 medium apple

3 Tbsp. unsalted dry-roasted almonds

Lunch (378 calories)

1 serving Ravioli & Vegetable Soup

2 diagonal slices baguette (1/4 inch thick), preferably whole-wheat

2 Tbsp. shredded Cheddar cheese

Top baguette slices with 1 Tbsp. cheese each and a pinch of pepper. Toast until cheese is melted.

P.M. Snack (169 calories)

4 Tbsp. hummus

1 cup sliced cucumber

2 medium carrots

Dinner (504 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,606 calories

Day 2

Breakfast (306 calories)

1 serving Avocado-Egg Toast

1 clementine

A.M. Snack (164 calories)

7 dried apricots

8 walnut halves

Lunch (413 calories)

1 serving Ravioli & Vegetable Soup

2 diagonal slices baguette (1/4 inch thick), preferably whole-wheat

2 Tbsp. shredded Cheddar cheese

Top each baguette slice with 1 Tbsp. cheese and a pinch of pepper. Toast until cheese is melted.

1 clementine

P.M. Snack (169 calories)

4 Tbsp. hummus

1 cup sliced cucumber

2 medium carrots

Dinner (424 calories)

1 serving Delicata Squash & Tofu Curry

1/2 cup brown rice

Evening Snack (133 calories)

2 Medjool dates

Daily Totals: 1,609 calories

Meal Prep Tip: If you haven’t already, make Maple-Nut Granola for tomorrow. You can also buy granola—just aim for a granola that has around 130 calories (or less) and less than 6 grams of sugar per 1/4 cup.

Day 3

Breakfast (402 calories)

1 serving Maple-Nut Granola

1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup blueberries

A.M. Snack (166 calories)

4 Tbsp. hummus

1 cup sliced cucumbers

2 medium carrots

Lunch (420 calories)

1 serving Apple & Cheddar Pita Pockets

2 clementines

P.M. Snack (184 calories)

1/2 medium apple, sliced

1 Tbsp. peanut butter

2 Tbsp. Maple-Nut Granola

Dip apple slices into peanut butter then into granola.

Dinner (415 calories)

1 serving Pressure-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

1/2 cup brown rice

Daily Totals: 1,587 calories

Day 4

Breakfast (372 calories)

1 serving Maple-Nut Granola

3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup blueberries

A.M. Snack (200 calories)

1 medium apple

1 Tbsp. peanut butter

Lunch (400 calories)

1 serving Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad

P.M. Snack (151 calories)

7 dried apricots

7 walnut halves

Dinner (464 calories)

Daily Totals: 1,587 calories

Meal Prep Tip: Make Avocado-Yogurt Dip for tomorrow. You can substitute store-bought hummus for the dip, if desired.

Day 5

Breakfast (369 calories)

1 cup all-bran cereal

3/4 cup skim milk

1/2 cup blueberries

2 Tbsp. unsalted dry-roasted almonds

A.M. Snack (167 calories)

1 cup sliced cucumber

2 medium carrots

4 Tbsp. Avocado-Yogurt Dip

Lunch (400 calories)

1 serving Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad

P.M. Snack (164 calories)

7 dried apricots

8 walnut halves

Dinner (559 calories)

1 serving Chicken Parmesan & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Daily Totals: 1,659 calories

Day 6

Breakfast (369 calories)

1 cup all-bran cereal

3/4 cup skim milk

1/2 cup blueberries

2 Tbsp. unsalted dry-roasted almonds

A.M. Snack (151 calories)

4 Tbsp. Avocado-Yogurt Dip

2 medium carrots

Lunch (399 calories)

1 serving Pressure-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala (leftover from Day 3)

2 cups spinach

Reheat the chicken on top of the spinach in the microwave.

1 Medjool date

P.M. Snack (184 calories)

1 medium banana

6 walnut halves

Dinner (507 calories)

1 serving Korean Beef Stir-Fry

1/2 cup cooked buckwheat soba noodles (about 1 ounce dry noodles)

Daily Totals: 1,610 calories

Meal Prep Tip: Cook a chicken breast for tomorrow’s lunch or substitute precooked chicken or sliced chicken or turkey breast from the grocery store. When choosing deli items, go for low-sodium, preservative-free options.

Day 7

Breakfast (362 calories)

1 cup all-bran cereal

3/4 cup skim milk

1/2 cup blueberries

2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts

A.M. Snack (151 calories)

4 Tbsp. Avocado-Yogurt Dip

2 medium carrots

Lunch (400 calories)

1 serving Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad

P.M. Snack (142 calories)

1 hard-boiled egg

2 diagonal slices baguette (1/4 inch thick), preferably whole-wheat

1 tsp. hot sauce (if desired)

Toast baguette slices and top with sliced egg and hot sauce.

Dinner (494 calories)

1 serving Wild Mushroom Pizza with Arugula & Pecorino

Evening Snack (50 calories)

1 Tbsp. chocolate chips, preferably dark chocolate

Daily Totals: 1,599 calories

How to Meal-Prep Your Week of Meals

Make the Ravioli & Vegetable Soup to have on Days 1 and 2. Prepare the Maple-Nut Granola to have for breakfast on Days 3 and 4. Make the Avocado-Yogurt Dip to have handy for Days 5 through 7. Put Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad together for lunch on Days 4, 5 and 7.

Key Takeaways

Because I’m not a morning person, I wanted an easy meal-prep-friendly breakfast, and decided to try our Blueberry-Coconut-Walnut Baked Oatmeal.

The baked oats have 10 grams of fiber per serving, which offers health benefits like reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease.

After making a batch for the week, I found that they had a perfect balance of texture, and I’m excited to try out more of our baked oats recipes.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not a morning person. At all. I cherish sleep so much that breakfast often gets put on the back burner, which isn’t ideal since a balanced breakfast is important for supporting stable energy levels throughout the day. Recently, one of my goals has been to prioritize eating a balanced breakfast, so I decided to look for make-ahead options that would help fuel my mornings and wouldn’t force me out of bed any earlier than necessary. Our recipe for Blueberry-Coconut-Walnut Baked Oatmeal seemed like it would be a great starting point.

The first thing that drew me to this recipe was the amount of fiber. Each serving is high in fiber, with 10 grams per square. If you didn’t know, consuming an adequate amount of fiber has a ton of health benefits, like lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Because my family has a history of both conditions, I figured this recipe would be a good chance to try something new and start paying attention to my fiber intake.

Because these baked oats are a great meal-prep option, I opted to make them on Sunday night. That way I’d have a tasty breakfast ready to go after I inevitably would hit snooze too many times the next morning. I also baked them in the oven section of my air fryer, since my regular oven is sadly broken. Luckily, I had no issues using this method, so if you don’t want to power up the oven, give the air fryer a try!

After preheating my air fryer, I got to work prepping the dates. Although I’ve had dates before, this was my first time using this method to prepare them, and I was pleasantly surprised. The recipe required soaking them for about 20 minutes to soften them. While the dates soaked, I made the blueberry filling by simmering frozen berries, water and vanilla in a saucepan until the sauce thickened.

By this point, the dates were softened, so I blended them in the food processor. They turned into a rich paste that added a subtle caramel-like flavor to the final dish. I set aside some of the date paste for the topping, then added coconut milk, banana, an egg, coconut extract and vanilla extract to the food processor with what remained. Next, I combined my oats, walnuts, coconut, baking powder and salt in a bowl, and stirred in the date-banana mixture. Finally, I folded in the last cup of blueberries, being careful not to crush them.

Assembling the dish was super simple. I just added half of the oat mixture to my baking dish, spooned on a layer of the berry filling, and topped it off with the rest of the oats. I sprinkled the top with coconut and the remaining nuts and date paste, and then I popped it in my air fryer.

Thirty minutes later, my apartment smelled absolutely divine. I let the oats cool for about 10 minutes, and couldn’t resist testing a slice before bed. One thing that I loved about this recipe was the contrasting textures. After baking, the blueberry filling turned into a gooey jam that paired perfectly with the slightly crisped oatmeal layer on top.

The dish also got better over time, as the flavors melded together overnight and were even more pronounced when I reheated it the next day. I loved starting my morning with a meal that was ready to eat in minutes and also gave me a boost of fiber. This dish was simply delicious, and I’ve added some of our other baked oat recipes to my menu to test out soon, like our High-Protein Peanut Butter Baked Oats.

What’s not to love about meal prep? It’s budget-friendly, helps you stick to your diet, and saves you loads of time during the week. In this meal-prep meal plan, we walk you through four super-simple base recipes that come together to create delicious Mediterranean-style lunches for the work week. And the best part yet-all of the prep work can be done in under an hour. We already mapped out the prep plan for you (shopping list included!), and came up with some simple recipe ideas to create for the week (scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the ideas).

Meal-Prep Recipes

Make these ahead on Sunday:

Shopping List

Download the shopping list here! We added a few extra shopping list items, like canned chickpeas and hummus, which we use in the meal ideas at the bottom of the page. Depending on how many people you are meal prepping for, you may need to adjust the recipes to account for more or fewer servings. If you end up making more than you need, use the leftovers for dinner this week.

Why Mediterranean?

The Mediterranean diet has long been recognized as one of the healthiest and most delicious ways to eat. It’s an uncomplicated and easy-to-follow way of eating-simply include plenty of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats (like olive oil and the healthy fat you get from salmon), whole grains (like quinoa), beans and legumes, lean protein and calcium-rich dairy items.

Let’s Get Started!

Work backward and start with the recipe that takes the longest to prepare. While things are cooking, you can prep the other menu items. Start by preheating the oven to 450°F for the Sheet Pan Roasted Root Vegetables.

Step 1: Prepare the Best Poached Chicken

https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/44/2018/09/27225615/3759340.jpg.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes

This simple poached chicken recipe has crazy-good flavor. The secret is using bone-in breasts and adding white wine and herbs to the poaching liquid. Don’t eat meat? Skip this step and move onto Step 2. We included vegan and vegetarian lunch ideas at the bottom of the page.

Super-Fast Meal Prep: Pick up pre-cooked chicken breast or a rotisserie chicken at your grocery deli.

Step 2: Prepare the Sheet Pan Roasted Root Vegetables

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Sue Mitchell

Prep time: 10 Minutes | Cook time: 30-40 minutes

While the chicken is simmering, start to prep your veggies. This simple recipe is the perfect example of the Mediterranean diet. Fresh ingredients, plus olive oil and a little salt and pepper are all you need to make a mouthwatering heap of nutritious, tender and colorful root vegetables. This recipe makes enough for lunch this week, plus leftovers for dinner. Don’t need that much veg? This recipe is easy to cut in half.

Super Fast Meal Prep: Pick up pre-chopped vegetables from the produce section of your grocery store.

Step 3: Prepare the Basic Quinoa

Prep time: 5 Minutes | Cook time: 15-20 minutes

While the veggies are roasting, prepare your quinoa. This foolproof recipe for perfectly cooked quinoa is fast and easy! This high-protein, fiber-rich grain will help give your meal more satisfying staying power.

Super-Fast Meal Prep: Buy pre-cooked rice from the grocery store for even faster meal prep.

Step 4: Prepare the Herb Vinaigrette

Jen Causey

Prep time: 10 Minutes

While the quinoa is cooking, make your dressing. This fresh herb vinaigrette dressing recipe calls to use whatever herbs you have on hand, so it’s versatile and excitingly new each time you make it. If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, skip the chicken broth and use veggie broth or water instead.

Super-Fast Meal Prep: Save yourself from washing a dish by making your vinaigrettes and dressings right in a mason jar. Just add the ingredients and shake to combine.

Step 5: Assemble Your Lunches!

You can either build all five of your lunches now and place in separate food storage containers or store the four base recipes separately and build your lunches as you need them. For the salad recipes, wait till the night before to add the greens so you don’t end up with wilted salad.

Chicken, Quinoa & Veggie Bowl

1/2 cup quinoa + 3/4 cup chicken + 1 cup roasted veggies + 1-2 Tbsp. vinaigrette

(342 calories, 19 g protein, 5 g fiber)

Roasted Veggie & Quinoa Salad

2 cups mixed greens + 1 cup roasted veggies + 1/2 cup quinoa + 1 Tbsp. crumbled feta + 1 Tbsp. sunflower seeds + 1-2 Tbsp. vinaigrette

(355 calories, 10 g protein, 9 g fiber)

Roasted Veggie & Hummus Pita Pocket

1 whole-wheat pita + 4 Tbsp. hummus + 1/2 cup roasted veggies + 1/2 cup mixed greens + 1 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese

(357 calories, 14 g protein, 10 g fiber)

Cut the pita in half and spread hummus inside both pita pockets. Roughly chop the veggies and add both the veggies and mixed greens to each pita half

Loaded Chicken-Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup quinoa + 3/4 cup chicken + 1 cup roasted veggies + 1/4 avocado, sliced + 1 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese + 1 Tbsp. sunflower seeds + 1-2 Tbsp. vinaigrette

(499 calories, 23 g protein, 10 g fiber)

Vegetarian Chickpea & Veggie Grain Bowl

Add 1 cup quinoa + 1 cup mixed greens + 1 cup roasted veggies + 1/4 cup chickpeas + 1 Tbsp. crumbled feta

(303 calories, 10 g protein, 9 g fiber)

Watch: How to Make Perfect Quinoa Every Time