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Scale any recipe for batch cooking. Enter your ingredients once — get quantities for any number of servings.
Click a template to load a common meal prep recipe.
Meal prepping — cooking multiple portions of food in advance — is one of the most effective strategies for consistently hitting nutrition targets. Research on dietary adherence shows that the biggest barrier to healthy eating isn't knowledge but convenience: when healthy food isn't readily available, people default to whatever is easiest, which is often fast food or calorie-dense snacks.
By spending 1–2 hours preparing food for the week ahead, you remove the daily decision fatigue around meals. Every time you open the fridge and find a portioned container ready to eat, that's one less opportunity for an impulsive, off-plan choice. Studies consistently show that people who meal prep eat more vegetables, consume fewer calories and have more consistent macronutrient intake than those who cook meal-by-meal.
Meal prepping also saves money. Buying ingredients in bulk and cooking at home is significantly cheaper than eating out or ordering delivery for every meal. A week's worth of prepped chicken and rice bowls costs a fraction of five restaurant lunches.
If you've never meal prepped before, start simple. You don't need to prepare every meal for the entire week on day one. A practical progression for beginners:
Proper storage ensures your prepped meals stay safe and palatable throughout the week:
Most people can prep 5–7 days of lunches in 60–90 minutes once they've done it a few times. A full week of lunches and dinners (two recipes) typically takes 2–2.5 hours. The time investment decreases as you become more efficient and develop a routine — experienced meal preppers often complete a full week in under an hour.
This is the most common concern, and there are practical solutions. First, prep 2–3 different recipes per week and alternate them. Second, keep sauces and toppings separate — the same base (chicken + rice) tastes completely different with sriracha versus tzatziki versus teriyaki. Third, rotate recipes weekly so you never eat the same thing for more than one week at a time.
Meal prep is one of the best tools for weight loss. Pre-portioned meals with known calorie counts eliminate guesswork and reduce the likelihood of overeating. Use our Calorie Calculator to find your target, then portion each container accordingly. Knowing exactly what you'll eat removes the temptation of unplanned meals.
Yes, provided it was stored at or below 4°C within 2 hours of cooking and kept in an airtight container. Government food safety guidelines in most countries confirm that properly stored cooked chicken is safe for 3–4 days. If you're prepping for 5+ days, freeze the meals for the last 1–2 days and defrost overnight in the fridge before eating.
Glass containers with snap-lock lids are the gold standard — they're microwave-safe, don't absorb odours, and last for years. If glass is too heavy or expensive, BPA-free plastic containers work well. Look for containers with separate compartments if you want to keep proteins, carbs and vegetables from mixing. Avoid using containers that don't seal properly, as air exposure accelerates spoilage.
That's exactly what this calculator does — enter your original ingredient quantities and number of servings, then set the target number you want to cook for. The tool multiplies every quantity by the appropriate factor. For most recipes, scaling works linearly (double the servings = double the ingredients). The main exception is seasoning and spices, which often need less than a proportional increase at larger scales.
Build your shopping list before meal prepping.
Decide what to prep by building a personalised meal plan first.
Know your calorie target to portion meals correctly.
Check nutrition info for any ingredient before prepping.