One session on Sunday, worked out from five real family dinners: the rice cooks while you chop, the glaze goes in a jar, and the fish for later in the week goes in the freezer. Every step says how long it keeps.
Sunday, before the week starts
One session for 5 dinners, worked out from the recipes. It gives back about 39 min on weeknights, and Tuesday’s dinner is on the table in 10 min.
36 minutes of your time
6 containers, labelled with the day.
bell peppers, onion
Use by Monday
onion
Use by Thursday
Use by Wednesday
Use by Thursday
Freezer
Bottom shelf, use by Monday
Raw meat and fish keep 1 to 2 days
These wouldn’t keep from Sunday, so they’re done halfway through the week.
Monday
Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas
21 min35 min
Chopping done, chicken breast cut.
On the night: cut the lime into wedges.
Tuesday
Turkey and Black Bean Taco Bowls
10 min25 min
Greens washed, rice cooked.
Wednesday
Honey Garlic Salmon with Broccoli
21 min25 min
Glaze made, rice cooked, chopping done.
On the night: cut the salmon fillets into 4 pieces.
Thursday
Cheesy Beef and Spinach Pasta
27 min30 min
Chopping done.
Friday
Shrimp Fried Rice
17 min20 min
Rice cooked, chopping done.
In a sealed container in a fridge at 40°F or colder. These are the numbers the plan above uses: the USDA’s FoodKeeper guidance, rounded down, because a Thursday dinner shouldn’t depend on optimism.
| Prepped | Keeps |
|---|---|
| Cut onions and bell peppers | About 5 days |
| Cut carrots and celery | About 5 days |
| Broccoli and cauliflower florets, trimmed green beans | 4 days |
| Washed and dried lettuce or kale | 4 days |
| Cooked rice and quinoa | 4 days, or freeze it |
| Sauces, glazes and dressings | 5 days (3 with yogurt or cucumber) |
| Minced garlic, grated ginger, cut zucchini | 3 days |
| Sliced mushrooms and cucumber | 2 days |
| Raw chicken, ground meat, fish and shrimp | 1 to 2 days from the store, then freeze |
| Raw steaks, chops and roasts | 3 to 5 days |
Cut on the night instead: potatoes, avocado, apples, tomatoes and fresh herbs.
This plan is worked out from the recipes, not written by hand, so it works for any week. With Plus, a new plan for your family arrives every Saturday and the Sunday prep comes with it: the knife work merged across nights, the grains cooked once, the freezer and thaw reminders, and every plate sized to the person eating it.
The free meal planner plans five dinners that share ingredients, with one grocery list.
Cut onions and peppers keep about 5 days, most other cut vegetables 3 to 4, cooked rice 4, and homemade sauces 3 to 5. Raw chicken, ground meat and fish only keep 1 to 2 days from the store, so for later in the week they go in the freezer and thaw in the fridge the night before. This plan follows the USDA’s FoodKeeper guidance, rounded down.
For the next day or two, yes: keep it in a sealed container on the bottom shelf, away from anything you’ll eat raw. Cut the vegetables first and the meat last, so one board does it all, then wash the board and knife in hot, soapy water. For later nights, freeze the chicken in its package and move it to the fridge the night before.
Yes. Spread it on a tray so it cools quickly, then refrigerate it within two hours. It keeps 4 days; freeze any you’ll eat after that. Reheat it until it’s steaming. Cold rice is also what makes fried rice crisp instead of mushy.
Potatoes, avocado, apples and cut tomatoes brown or go mealy, and fresh herbs wilt, so they’re cut on the night. So is fish you froze, once it’s thawed. Everything else in this plan is fine to do on Sunday.
No. Cooking the rice once and cutting the vegetables for the first two nights is most of the time saved. The rest is a bonus.
Yes. Plus plans your family’s dinners every Saturday and works out the Sunday prep from those recipes, with every plate sized to the person eating it. The free meal planner plans the week and the grocery list.
Storage times follow the USDA FoodKeeper and assume you shop the day before or the day of the prep. When food looks or smells off, throw it out. Updated October 19, 2026.