How meal prep works: the beginner's guide

Meal prep is short for meal preparation. The idea is simple: instead of cooking each meal when you're about to eat it, you prepare several meals at once, split them into portions and keep them in the fridge. During the week, you just open a container and reheat.

Meal prep is very popular with people who train, because it lets you control exactly what you eat: how much protein, carbs and fat, and your total calories. But it also works for anyone with a busy week who wants to stop skipping meals or ordering in by default.

There are three main approaches, depending on how much time you want to put in:

• Home meal prep: you plan, shop and batch-cook, often on Sunday.
• Meal kits: you get pre-measured ingredients and recipes, but you cook every meal.
• Delivered meal prep: you get meals already cooked and portioned, ready to reheat.

We compare all three in detail in our article meal prep, Goodfood, HelloFresh or cooking yourself.

With a service like Protéine Express, the week follows a fixed cycle. You pick your plan and dishes from this week's menu and order by Friday noon. At the cutoff, the menu locks and the kitchen prepares the meals. On Sunday from 9 a.m., your whole week is delivered to your door.

You put the meals in the fridge as soon as they arrive. Then, Monday to Friday, you grab a container, reheat until it's piping hot and eat. No last-minute grocery runs, no dishes, no "what's for dinner?".

The biggest advantage of meal prep is consistency. When your meal is already portioned, you don't go back for "just a bit more" and you don't skip meals because you didn't have time. Your intake becomes predictable, which makes any goal easier to follow.

At Protéine Express, meals come in two portions. The weight loss plan lands around 550 kcal and 40 g of protein per meal; the bulking plan, around 930 kcal and 60 g. Values are calculated from the weight of every ingredient and listed for every dish.

For context, Canada's Food Guide suggests a plate that's half vegetables and fruits, a quarter protein foods and a quarter whole grains. A well-built meal prep meal follows the same logic, with more protein if you train.

Prepared meals keep in the fridge; refrigerate them as soon as they arrive and follow the instructions that come with your order. Keep containers closed and eat them in order, starting with the ones delivered first if you have two weeks' worth.

To reheat, follow the label on the container and make sure the meal is piping hot all the way through before eating. If you can't put your order away right at delivery, you can add ice packs to your order to keep the meals cold for longer.

Meal prep is especially useful if you recognize yourself in one of these situations:

• You train and want consistent protein and calories.
• You want to lose weight without counting every bite.
• You struggle to eat enough to bulk up.
• You're a student, parent or worker short on time during the week.
• You often order takeout because the fridge is empty.

The most common mistake is ordering too little: a few meals don't change a week, and the gaps end up filled with fast food. Cover at least your weekdays (10 meals), ideally the whole week (14 meals), vary the dishes from the menu and put everything in the fridge as soon as it's delivered.

Pick a goal — weight loss, bulking or simply eating better — then order the 14-meal pack to cover your lunches and dinners all week, at the best price per meal. Our guide on how many meals to order per week helps you find the right number.

At Protéine Express there's no required subscription. A meal starts at $11.99, and we deliver on Sunday in Montreal, Laval, Longueuil, Brossard and elsewhere on the South Shore and North Shore.