Meal Prep Container Plan

Who this is for

Which box holds what, and when it gets eaten. After a prep session each container gets a line: what is in it, who it is for, the day and meal, whether it went in the fridge or the freezer, its use-by and how to reheat it. A tick as each one is eaten shows what is left.

People who cook a week of lunches or dinners in one go, households sharing the prep between several people, and anyone who has found an unlabelled box at the back of the fridge.

What this helps you track

• What is in each numbered container
• Who each portion is for and which day and meal it is meant for
• What went in the fridge and what went in the freezer
• The use-by date you gave each one and how to reheat it
• What has been eaten and what is still waiting

How to use it

1. Write the prep date, the week it covers, how many people you are feeding and how many containers you have.
2. Number your containers, or use their sizes, before you start portioning.
3. As each one is filled, give it a line: contents, who it is for, the day and meal, and fridge or freezer.
4. Write the use-by date you are working to and the reheating method, so anyone in the house can use it.
5. Work through the prep checklist, including the washing-up, and tick each container as it is eaten through the week.
6. Keep the sheet on the fridge door; the browser version saves in your own browser.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How long can prepared meals be kept?

The sheet does not say, because it depends on the food and how it was cooked and stored. Follow the food safety guidance where you live and the dates on the ingredients, and write the date you settle on in the use-by column.

Why number the containers?

So the sheet and the fridge match. A number on the lid in marker, or on a piece of tape, takes seconds and saves opening every box to find Wednesday's lunch.

What goes in the reheat column?

Whatever the person eating it needs to know: microwave, oven, hob, eat cold, or defrost first. It matters most when someone other than the cook is eating it.

Can I plan the cooking on this too?

This sheet starts once the food is cooked. The batch cooking planner covers the recipes, quantities and shopping for the prep session itself.