A Simple Sunday Meal-Prep Routine for Meatless Weeks

Meal prep doesn’t have to mean eating the same container of chicken and rice five days in a row. A little Sunday preparation, focused on building blocks instead of full meals, makes weeknight cooking faster and keeps things interesting. Here’s a routine that takes about an hour.

1. Cook a big pot of grains

Rice, quinoa or farro will happily serve as the base for bowls, salads and stuffed vegetables all week.

2. Prepare a legume

Simmer a pot of dried lentils or beans, or open a couple of cans and season them. They’re ready to go into salads, soups, tacos and wraps.

3. Roast a tray (or two) of vegetables

Toss whatever looks good, such as sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers or zucchini, with oil and salt, and roast until tender and browned. They’re the heart of dishes like our Roasted Vegetable Buddha Bowl.

4. Make one sauce or dressing

A jar of lemon-tahini dressing, a simple vinaigrette or a quick peanut sauce turns plain ingredients into a meal. Store it in the fridge and shake before using.

5. Set up breakfast

Mix up a few jars of Overnight Oats with Berries so breakfast is ready when you are.

Storing it all safely

Let cooked food cool, then store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator, and plan to eat most prepped items within about three to four days. Anything you won’t get to by then can be frozen in portions. Reheat leftovers until they’re steaming hot.

With those building blocks in the fridge, dinner can be as simple as combining a grain, a legume, roasted vegetables and a sauce. Or you can turn them into something cozy like our Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.

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