Cook on Sunday, just reheat during the week
Meal prep for the week
On Sunday, October 25, you cook a soup and two main dishes and have lunch or dinner for the whole work week for 2 people. Monday to Wednesday from the fridge, Thursday and Friday from the freezer. We choose main dishes that freeze and reheat well. A new plan every week.
Sunday, October 25: what to cook
SoupTurkish red lentil and bulgur soupCook 6 servings – the recipe makes 4 servings, the shopping list has ingredients for 6 servings. All of it goes into the fridge for Monday to Wednesday.
Main dish AChicken breasts in orange-ginger peanut sauceCook 6 servings – the recipe makes 4 servings, the shopping list has ingredients for 6 servings. 4 servings into the fridge, freeze 2 right away for Friday.
Main dish BZucchini and meat patties with semolinaCook 4 servings – the recipe makes exactly 4 servings. 2 servings into the fridge, freeze 2 right away for Thursday.
Cook step by step: first the dish that needs the longest braising, the soup in the meantime. Let the cooked food cool quickly in shallow containers and put it in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours.
What to eat when
Monday to Friday October 26 – 30, 2026 – 2 servings a day.
Monday Oct 26 · from the fridge
Tuesday Oct 27 · from the fridge
Wednesday Oct 28 · from the fridge – the soup and dish A for the last day
Thursday Oct 29 · from the freezer – move it to the fridge on Wednesday evening
Friday Oct 30 · from the freezer – move it to the fridge on Thursday evening
Shopping list for Sunday cooking
Ingredients for 6 servings of soup, 6 servings of dish A and 4 servings of dish B (for 2 people from Monday to Friday), recalculated from the servings in the recipes. For 4 people buy double. If an ingredient comes in several units, “about” is the total based on the average weight of a piece or a spoonful.
Meat, fish and cold cuts
Vegetables, fruit and herbs
Dairy and eggs
Pasta, rice, bread and legumes
Cans, sauces and other
Spices and pantry staples
Tick off what you already have at home. Send yourself the rest as a shopping list.
How to store and reheat cooked food
- Into the cold within 2 hours: put cooked food into the fridge or freezer within 2 hours at the latest (within 1 hour on a hot day above 32 °C / 90 °F). Divide a large pot into shallow covered containers, it cools down faster.
- 3–4 days in the fridge: that is why the soup and dish A are eaten by Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday get the servings from the freezer.
- In the freezer food stays safe for a long time, but soups and stews taste best within 2–3 months. Write the name and the date on the container.
- Thaw in the fridge (the evening before), not on the counter.
- Reheat thoroughly to 74 °C (165 °F) throughout – bring soups and sauces to a boil. Reheat only the serving you are going to eat.
Based on the advice of the US food safety agency USDA FSIS and the storage chart at FoodSafety.gov. More ideas: the weekly menu and school snacks.