Meal Prep Plan
Fiber Fix
For the week your gut (and your doctor) asked for: two big pots, a rich lentil ragu and a crunchy snack - 30+ grams of fiber a day without eating a single sad salad.
The recipes
Hearty Lentil Soup
A big pot of the cheapest, most filling lunch there is. Fourteen grams of fiber per bowl and it tastes better on day three.
Beef & Bean Chili
The big-pot classic: beef for protein, two kinds of beans for fiber, and it only improves as the week goes on.
Lentil Bolognese
A rich, meatless bolognese the family won't interrogate. Lentils carry the fiber; the long simmer carries the flavor.
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
A can of chickpeas becomes a crunchy, salty snack that beats crisps on fiber by a mile. Make a double batch; they vanish.
Shopping list
Protein
Produce
Pantry
Dairy
Cook order
- 1
Oven to 200°C - chickpeas dried, oiled and in first. Shake the tray when you remember.
- 2
Biggest pot: brown the beef for the chili, build it up, set it simmering. That's 40 minutes of hands-off time.
- 3
Second pot: soften the veg for the lentil soup, add lentils and stock, simmer.
- 4
Third pan (last one, promise): the bolognese base - onion, carrot, celery, then lentils and tomatoes.
- 5
Pull the chickpeas when they're golden and toss with spices while hot.
- 6
Taste and season all three pots properly - lentils and beans need more salt than you think.
- 7
Cool, then portion: soup in singles for lunches, chili and bolognese in family tubs, half of each to the freezer.
Your week
| Day | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Hearty Lentil Soup | Beef & Bean Chili |
| Tuesday | Hearty Lentil Soup | Lentil Bolognese |
| Wednesday | Beef & Bean Chili (leftovers) | Family dinner / leftovers |
| Thursday | Hearty Lentil Soup | Lentil Bolognese (leftovers) |
| Friday | Hearty Lentil Soup | Family dinner / takeaway night |
| Saturday | Beef & Bean Chili (freezer stash) | Family dinner |
| Sunday | Family lunch / leftovers | Family dinner (next prep day) |