The biggest reason people eat badly during the week isn’t lack of willpower — it’s lack of preparation. When you’re tired at 7pm and there’s nothing ready to eat, you order a takeaway. Every time. The solution isn’t discipline. It’s removing the decision entirely by having food already prepared.
Ninety minutes on a Sunday. That’s the entire investment. Here’s exactly how to do it.
What You Need Before You Start
- Storage containers — at least 5 meal-sized containers (glass or plastic both work)
- A large baking tray — for roasting vegetables and protein together
- A medium saucepan — for rice or pasta
- A large frying pan or wok — for stir-frying and scrambles
- The shopping list below — done Saturday, so Sunday is just cooking
The 90-Minute Sunday Routine
Start the rice and preheat the oven
Put 2 cups of basmati rice on to cook (takes 18 minutes). Set oven to 200°C. While these are going, chop your vegetables — peppers, sweet potato, broccoli. This parallel cooking is what makes 90 minutes possible.
Roast protein and vegetables together
Place 4–6 chicken breasts on one side of the baking tray, chopped vegetables on the other. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and garlic powder. Into the oven for 25 minutes. Rice should now be done — portion it into containers.
Boil eggs and prep snacks
Boil 8–10 eggs (12 minutes). While they’re going, portion out Greek yoghurt into containers, cut fruit, and make overnight oats for 2 mornings. By the time eggs are done, your chicken and vegetables should be out of the oven.
Portion everything into containers
Slice the chicken. Divide protein + rice + vegetables into 4–5 meal containers for Mon–Thu lunches. Label them. Store eggs and snacks separately. Leftover rice goes in a container for quick stir-fries later in the week.
Clean up and you’re done
10 minutes of cleaning. Your entire week of lunches and snacks is sorted. Dinners this week take under 15 minutes because you already have cooked components ready to go.
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Everything you need for a week of healthy eating — roughly £40–50 for one person. Buy this Saturday so Sunday prep can start immediately.
- Protein: 1kg chicken breasts, 12 eggs, 2 tins tuna, 500g Greek yoghurt
- Carbs: 1kg basmati rice, 500g wholegrain pasta, 4 sweet potatoes, 1 bag rolled oats
- Vegetables: 1 bag frozen broccoli, 3 peppers, 1 bag spinach, 1 bag frozen mixed veg
- Fats: Olive oil, 1 jar peanut butter, 1 bag mixed nuts
- Extras: Garlic powder, soy sauce, 1 bunch bananas, 1 bag frozen berries
Five 5-Ingredient Recipes to Rotate Through
Chicken Rice Bowl
- 1 prepped chicken breast, sliced
- ½ cup cooked rice
- Handful roasted broccoli
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Egg & Spinach Scramble
- 3 eggs
- 2 large handfuls spinach
- ½ red pepper, diced
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Tuna Pasta
- 200g wholegrain pasta
- 2 tins tuna in water
- 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 1 tin sweetcorn
- Lemon juice + pepper
Overnight Oats
- 80g rolled oats
- 200ml milk
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 banana, sliced
- Handful frozen berries
Greek Yoghurt Bowl
- 200g full-fat Greek yoghurt
- Handful frozen berries (thawed)
- 30g granola
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
How to Make It Work Every Week
The first Sunday is the hardest — you’re figuring out the flow. By the third Sunday it takes 70 minutes. By week six it’s automatic.
Three things that make it sustainable:
1. Same shop, same prep, every week
Variety is overrated for weekday lunches. Use the same base ingredients every week and vary the seasoning and sauces. Your brain stops thinking of meal prep as a chore when it’s a routine rather than a creative exercise.
2. Prep on Saturday, cook on Sunday
Buy your food Saturday. Chop and measure everything Saturday evening. Sunday you’re just cooking — not planning or shopping. This cuts 20 minutes off the Sunday routine.
3. Start with three meals, not five
If 90 minutes feels like too much to start, prep just three lunches in your first week. That’s still three fewer decisions and three fewer opportunities to eat badly. Scale up once the habit is established.
The Real Benefit Nobody Talks About
Meal prep isn’t just about saving time or eating healthier. It’s about removing decision fatigue from your day. Every decision you make drains mental energy. By noon, most people have already made dozens of small decisions. Taking lunch off the list means you have more energy for things that actually matter.
People who meal prep consistently don’t just eat better — they report feeling less stressed, more in control, and more productive during the week. The 90 minutes on Sunday returns far more than 90 minutes of mental energy across the following five days.
For the nutrition side of your home workout routine — how much protein you need, what to eat before and after training, and how to pair this meal prep routine with your workouts — read the full healthy eating guide for home workouts.
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