Calories / day
0kcalon target
Goal: 2,400 kcal
Step 1
Your goals
Four numbers is all it takes. Don’t know your targets yet? A common starting point is body weight in pounds × 14–16 kcal, and 0.7–1 g of protein per pound.
Quick Start
Load a sample plan
Start from a common setup, then edit the goals and preferences below to match yours.
kcal
Your maintenance, deficit, or surplus target — this tool only plans food, it doesn’t judge the goal.
g
0.7–1 g per pound of body weight is a common strength-training range.
Meals per day
Days to prep
Fridge life is 3–4 days for cooked food — we’ll tell you which days to freeze.
Dietary preference
Step 2
Generate your plan
Results update automatically as you type. Saving keeps your goals on this device only. Portions are estimates built from standard nutrition values.
Action Plan
Your 2-hour Sunday prep schedule
≈ 1 h 50 min totalSteps run in parallel — the oven, stove, and your knife work at the same time. Read once before you start, then follow top to bottom.
Shopping List
Your consolidated grocery list
Every ingredient across every meal and day, added together. Weights are as purchased unless noted. Check your pantry for optional staples before buying.
Gear
Meal Prep Essentials
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Gadget Earth may earn from qualifying purchases. Product availability and prices change frequently. We link to broad product categories — always compare specifications and reviews yourself.
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Learn
The meal prep field guide
How to Calculate Macros for Meal Prep
Start with a daily calorie target and a protein target. Divide both by your meals per day to get per-meal targets — 2,400 kcal over 4 meals is 600 kcal each, and 160 g of protein becomes 40 g per meal. Pick base meals close to those numbers and scale portions by the ratio of target to base calories. Protein and carbs both contain 4 kcal per gram and fat contains 9, so a rough reference split is protein first, fat around 25–30% of calories, carbs filling the remainder. Scaling portions this way is the same ratio thinking bakers use — our baker’s percentage calculator shows the identical approach for dough.
The 2-Hour Sunday Meal Prep Strategy
The trick is parallel cooking, not speed. Preheat the oven first, then chop everything before any heat turns on. Sheet pans roast proteins and vegetables with almost no attention, while grains simmer on the stove and quick skillet items cook in the gaps. Cool, portion by day, label the lids, and you are done. Pair your prep day with your training calendar — if you are building a home setup, our home gym layout planner helps you fit the racks in, and cyclists can dial their position with our bike fit calculator so training days and fuel days line up.
Why Weighing Food is More Accurate Than Measuring Cups
A “cup of rice” can vary by 30% depending on how it is scooped and which rice it is; a scale reads the same every time. Nutrition labels and this calculator work in grams, so weighing removes the conversion error entirely. A $15 kitchen scale with 1 g resolution is the single highest-leverage tool in meal prep — the same weigh-don’t-guess discipline we use in our coffee brew ratio tool.
How to Keep Meal Prep Chicken from Drying Out
Chicken breast dries when it is overcooked and when it is reheated twice. Pull it from the oven at 160–162 °F and let carryover heat bring it to 165 °F. Slice after resting, store it with a little sauce or the roasting pan juices, and reheat only the portion you are eating, gently, with a splash of water. Thighs are more forgiving if dryness keeps happening.
Food Safety: How Long Meal Prep Lasts in the Fridge
The standard guidance is 3–4 days for cooked meat, grains, and vegetables stored at 40 °F / 4 °C or below. Cool food within two hours of cooking, use shallow containers so it chills fast, and keep the fridge at or below 40 °F. Anything you will not eat by day 4 goes to the freezer on prep day, not day 5. Rice deserves extra respect: cool it quickly and reheat it until steaming hot throughout.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate how much food I need for the week?
Divide your daily calorie and protein targets by your meals per day to get per-meal targets, choose base meals that fit, scale each portion by the ratio of target to base calories, and multiply every ingredient by the days you are prepping. Consolidate duplicate ingredients into one shopping total — this calculator runs every one of those steps for you.
Can I freeze my meal prep for longer than 4 days?
Yes. Most cooked proteins, rice, and roasted vegetables freeze well for 2–3 months in airtight containers. Cool food completely before freezing and thaw overnight in the fridge. Yogurt bowls, fresh berries, and soft greens do not freeze well, so assemble those fresh.
Do I need to weigh my food raw or cooked?
Either works as long as you stay consistent, because cooking changes water weight. This tool lists meats and tofu raw, and rice and quinoa dry — the same basis most nutrition labels use. If you weigh your rice after cooking, compare it against cooked-weight entries in your tracking app, not dry ones.
What are the best glass containers for meal prep?
Tempered glass containers with snap-locking lids in a 3-cup size are the workhorse. They should be rated for freezer, microwave, and dishwasher. Glass does not stain or warp, reheats evenly, and two sets of 8–10 cover most weekly plans including spares.
How do I hit high protein goals without eating too many calories?
Anchor every meal on a lean, protein-dense food first: chicken breast, turkey, white fish, non-fat Greek yogurt, tofu, or lentils. Protein is only 4 kcal per gram, so 180 g is 720 kcal — very manageable inside a normal day. Fill the rest of the plate with vegetables and measured carbs rather than fatty cuts and sauces.
Can I reheat meal prep in the microwave safely?
Yes. Use microwave-safe glass, vent the lid, stir halfway, and heat until the food is steaming hot throughout (165 °F / 74 °C). Add a splash of water to rice and grains so they steam instead of drying out, and reheat only the portion you plan to eat.
How do I adjust portions if I miss a workout day?
Keep protein the same and trim carbs or fats slightly — roughly 5–10% — or simply eat the planned portions and resume normally the next day. One rest day does not change your progress, and consistency beats daily perfection every time.
What are good vegetarian protein sources for meal prep?
Firm tofu, tempeh, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, edamame, seitan, eggs, and Greek yogurt all hold up beautifully in the fridge. Pair a grain with a legume across the day for a complete amino acid profile, and season generously — plant proteins carry flavor extremely well.
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Want More Advanced Tools?
We’re building optional Pro features for serious preppers. Everything on this page stays free.
Custom recipe importer with your own macros
PDF recipe book generator for the fridge
Macro-friendly snack add-ons & swaps