Meal prep planner for the whole week
Choose your batches, and MealPrep HQ lays out every container: what's in it, its macros, which day you eat it, the shopping list and a cooking timeline that runs your oven and stovetop at the same time.
10 of 10 containers planned
Pick your batches
- Sheet-pan chicken, sweet potato & broccoli
- Beef burrito bowls
- One-pot turkey chili
- Baked salmon, quinoa & green beans
- Chickpea & spinach coconut curry with rice
- Protein overnight oats with berries
- Spinach & feta egg muffins
- Teriyaki chicken thigh stir-fry with rice
- Peanut tofu noodle bowls
- Lentil & roast vegetable bowls with feta
- Roast pork tenderloin, potatoes & green beans
Want a target to compare against? Set your macros and they'll show here.
Your week, in eating order
Shortest-lived dishes are placed first. Day 1 is the day after prep.
- BreakfastOvernight oats
- LunchSheet-pan chicken
- BreakfastOvernight oats
- LunchSheet-pan chicken
- BreakfastOvernight oats
- LunchSheet-pan chicken
- BreakfastOvernight oats
- LunchTurkey chili
- BreakfastOvernight oats
- LunchTurkey chiliFreeze on prep day, thaw the night before
1 container should go straight into the freezer.
How the planner works
Every recipe is stored as raw ingredient weights per container, with nutrition from USDA FoodData Central averages. That's why the macros stay honest: 170 g of raw chicken breast is about 38 g of protein whether you roast it to 125 g or 135 g. Change the number of containers and everything downstream updates: the grocery list multiplies the raw weights, and the prep schedule scales the chopping time.
The weekly board uses a simple rule food-service kitchens run on: first expiring, first out. Dishes that keep 3 days (fish) are placed before dishes that keep 5 (lentils), and anything that would pass its fridge life gets flagged for the freezer. Fridge lives follow USDA's 3–4 day guidance for cooked leftovers; see how long meal prep lasts for the full chart.
Getting the numbers right
- Macro calculator: calories and macros per day, then per container.
- Container calculator: weigh the finished pot, split it evenly.
- Raw to cooked weight: convert tracking weights for chicken, rice and more.
- Cost per container: see what a prepped lunch really costs.
Questions people ask
Is this meal prep planner free?
Yes. Every tool on MealPrep HQ is free with no sign-up. Your plan is saved only in your own browser (localStorage), so it is still there next Sunday on the same device.
How many containers should I prep at once?
Most people prep 3 to 4 days of food at a time. USDA food-safety guidance says cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, so for a 5-to-7-day week, prep twice (for example Sunday and Wednesday) or freeze the later containers on prep day.
How do I plan meal prep around my macros?
Work out your daily calories and protein with the macro calculator, divide by the meals you will eat from containers, and pick batches that land near that per-container number. The planner compares your week against your target automatically once you have saved targets.
What order should I eat my prepped meals in?
Shortest-lived first. Fish and anything with a dressing go early in the week; chili, curries and lentils hold up longest. The weekly board below already orders containers this way and flags anything that should go in the freezer.
Can I add my own recipes?
Yes. The AI recipe builder creates batch recipes from the site’s ingredient database to match your macros, and you can save them to your planner. Their nutrition is calculated from USDA-based values, not guessed by the AI.