What Keith does
Keith used to meal prep. These days he buys food and cooks on the day: high-protein ready meals when he is busy and easy dinners like burgers the rest of the time, with an 80/20 approach to what he eats. None of the brands he buys are NNF partners.
Three ways to plan your food
1. Batch cook once or twice a week
Cook two or three big dishes, portion them into boxes and you have lunches or dinners sorted for a few days. Good if weekdays are chaotic and you like knowing exactly what you are eating.
2. Prep part of it
Cook the slow parts in bulk, like chicken, mince or rice, and put meals together each day. You get variety without cooking from scratch every night.
3. Cook on the day
Shop for two or three days at a time and cook simple meals fresh. It can mean less planning and less waste, and it suits people who get bored eating the same box four days running.
Simple meals that batch well
- Chicken, rice and veg: the classic for a reason. Season the chicken differently across the week. Cooked rice needs to be cooled and in the fridge within one hour.
- Lean mince chilli with beans: makes a big pot, and beans add fibre.
- Overnight oats with yoghurt: make enough for the next three days, following the storage instructions on the ingredients.
- Potatoes: boil a batch; they fill you up for the calories and reheat well.
Want the week planned for you? The 7-day meal plan uses real food from Aldi, Lidl, Tesco or Dunnes, and hungry between meals? covers building meals that keep you full.
Ready meals when you are busy
A ready meal is not cheating. It is a busy-day option. Keith’s most-logged lunch is a Wheyhey Teriyaki Chicken Noodles ready meal: 505 calories and 57g of protein, according to the pack data in his food log. High-protein meals compares the ready meals, burger dinners and snacks from his log. Check the label for calories and protein, and if the portion is small, add a bag of microwave veg or a side salad. The Protein Swap Lab and Calories in Ireland help you compare labels.
What 80/20 means here
It is a rule of thumb, not a formula: most of your meals are built around protein, vegetables and filling carbs, and some are just food you enjoy. It can help stop one takeaway turning into “the diet is ruined”. Weekends and eating out covers the rest.
Keeping prepped food safe
safefood advises:
- Keep your fridge at 5°C or below.
- Get leftovers into the fridge within two hours of cooking. Cooked rice is high-risk: cool it and get it into the fridge within one hour.
- Eat leftovers within three days.
- Reheat leftovers only once.
- If in doubt, throw it out.
If you batch cook for more than three days, freeze some portions.
Heat only what you will eat. Sources: safefood: keeping food safe in your fridge and safefood: food safety at cooking demos, checked 25 September 2026.
Starting out?
The free Day One pack gives you a calorie starting point, a shopping list and a checklist. For the whole method, read how to lose weight in Ireland.
Questions about meal prep
Do I have to meal prep to lose weight?
No. Meal prep is one way to make healthier meals easier, not a requirement. Cooking on the day or using a sensible ready meal can work just as well if it fits your week.
How long can I keep meal-prepped food in the fridge?
safefood advises getting leftovers into the fridge within two hours of cooking, or within one hour for cooked rice, and eating them within three days. Keep the fridge at 5°C or below, and if in doubt, throw it out. Freeze portions you will not eat within three days.
Are ready meals OK when I'm trying to lose weight?
They can be. Check the label for calories and protein, add a bag of veg or a side salad if the portion is small, and treat them as a busy-day option rather than every meal.
What does 80/20 mean for food?
It is a loose rule of thumb: most of your meals are built around protein, vegetables and filling carbs, and some are just food you enjoy. It is a way of thinking, not a precise measurement.