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Let’s spend Sunday getting ready for the week ahead! Here’s my new end of the week meal prep plan for those of us juggling real family life. Use as much or as little as you like, but I hope it helps 🧡
If you’ve ever used any of my free meal plans before, you’ll know how handy it is to follow a loose guide when it comes to figuring out what to cook during the week.
This time, I’m offering something a little different with my Sunday Setup Series.
This is just what I’ve done in a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. Do one recipe, or all of them, whatever helps you and your family life!
The FREE printable Sunday Setup 1 shopping list can be found here
My PLAN
⭐️ Breakfasts for the week to save precious time in the morning
⭐️ Snacks that are perfect for either packed lunches or after school
⭐️ A sweet treat that’s also perfect for packed lunches, desserts or elevenses
⭐️ Soup for a lunch or light dinner that can easily be batch cooked for another week too
⭐️ A veg tray to get everything chopped to save time later
⭐️ A fruit salad for breakfast, snack or dessert
Here’s the big one:
⭐️ One base meal that you can turn into 3 different dinners during the week, YESSS! 💪🏻
Sunday Setup tips:
➡️ Double up the portion of soup you make and put the surplus in the freezer for another week
➡️ I use these meal prep glass containers from Amazon to keep food stored in, and this sectioned platter is ideal for all your chopped vegetables
➡️ For freshness, most prepped food will keep fine in the fridge for 3-4 days, otherwise most items can be frozen instead
➡️ Notes on storing, freezing, defrosting and reheating should be in each individual recipe, or in the notes below
➡️ Everything in the FREE shopping list is what you need to prepare for the meals below (this shows the quantity of food I made)
Useful tools for the job…
You can find links to all of the containers, utensils and general paraphernalia that I use to help me with meal prepping in my online shop, but my top favourites are:
Denim Apron
Veggie Chopper of Dreams
Large Veg Tray
Week 1 – Sunday Setup Meal Prep:
Breakfasts
⭐️ Make a batch of Baked Oats for breakfasts throughout the week. I did these in muffin tins so they can be eaten on the go.
⭐️ Enjoy them cold or reheat in the microwave.
⭐️ STORING: These will keep fine in the fridge for the weekday breakfasts, but you can also freeze them, fully covered, too.
⭐️ TIP: The recipe is for 1 ramekin sized serving, which is three muffin sized portions. I increased the recipe to serve 8, which made 24 muffin sized portions
Easy Baked Oats {Healthy Breakfast}
Healthy snacks
⭐️ These Mini Crustless Quiches are healthy, delicious and perfect for lunch boxes, snacks or even breakfast.
⭐️ Enjoy them cold or reheat in the microwave.
⭐️ STORING: These will keep fine in the fridge for the weekday breakfasts, but you can also freeze them, fully covered, too
Mini Crustless Quiche Recipe
Sweet treat
⭐️ This is such an easy Banana Cake recipe!
⭐️ A healthy treat is ideal for so many things during the week – in lunch boxes, a mid-morning treat, and after school snack or just as dessert
⭐️ STORING: These will keep fine in the fridge for the weekdays, but you can also freeze them, fully covered, too
Banana Cake {Foolproof Recipe!}
Soup
⭐️ This Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup is hearty, healthy and satisfying – and is ready in 20 minutes! I made a double batch so I could freeze some for another day.
⭐️ It’s perfect for lunches or a quick, light dinner.
⭐️ STORING: This will keep fine in the fridge 3-4 days. It’s also ideal for freezing so make a double batch for another week!
Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup {Easy 20 Minute Recipe}
Base Meal
⭐️ I made a double batch (so 12 portions = 3 dinners x 4 people) of Slow Cooker Chilli for a variety of different meals in the week if you like…
⭐️ Meal 1: Serve as Chilli Loaded Wedges
⭐️ Meal 2: Serve with Jacket Potatoes
⭐️ Meal 3: Serve as Beef Burritos (follow this recipe)
⭐️ You could use this Chill Con Carne recipe for the hob instead if you prefer
⭐️ STORING: This will keep fine in the fridge for 3-4 days, but you can also freeze it into portions too
Slow Cooker Chilli Con Carne {Easiest EVER Recipe!}
Vegetable tray
⭐️ Chop up any veggies you’d like to use for snacks or in meals during your Sunday Setup and take the faff out of cooking during the week!
Fruit salad
⭐️ Add your favourite fruits to the shopping basket, wash and chop them up into a big bowl and you have easy pickings for throughout the week! They’re ideal for snacking, breakfasts or desserts with yoghurt
Quick reminder, the printable shopping list can be found here
MOre Handy Meal Plans…
Meal Plans
SUNDAY SETUP: Week 2 Meal Prep
Meal Plans
SUNDAY SETUP: Week 3 Meal Prep
Meal Plans
SUNDAY SETUP: Week 4 Meal Prep
Meal Plans
SUNDAY SETUP: Week 5 Meal Prep
This post was originally published on September 5, 2024 and updated later to make improvements.
I have a similar system already in place in our family, but I found some very useful additions to add on you website. Thank you very much for this amazing collection of recipes and tips.
p.s.: I use almost identical containers to your, which allow me to take the food from room temperature to the freezer to the oven. All in one glass dish in different sizes. (from IKEA)
Thank you so much, this is amazing. You may have saved my sanity. This is batch cooking I can manage. THANK YOU!
Oh how I wish you’d been around when my kids were young! Empty nester now but I adapt for the two of us ❤️
What a fabulous idea! Just what we need at this time of year. Can’t wait to give it a go!
This is a fabulous idea and so helpful for busy modern family lives.
Thank you Sarah. Love your recipes and how easy your guidance is.
Brilliant idea, excellently executed, thank you.
Fantastic! I love the idea of a base meal that can be used for 3 more meals!!!
Thankyou! I’m still finding your website and style of cooking so easy to follow snd use!
Looking forward to the next one!!
Hi Sarah!
I’m new to this style of cooking & I love the idea of making life a little easier for those hectic weeks!
Could I just clarify that for Sunday set up week 1, I’m assuming you eat the same breakfast & lunch everyday, the baked oats & the soup?
Also what do we do for the other 2 days of the week as I notice there are only 5 days planned?
Many thanks!
Hi Kirsty, to be honest, this is me just testing to see what works and what doesn’t! So, in this case anyone who wanted baked oats this week ate it and I froze any leftovers as they freeze well. The same with soup (but for lunch). I guess it will evolve and you can make it work for your family. You could obviously make more and freeze for extra dinners but I just did enough for 3 as felt good to allow some scope for choice. 🙂
These recipes are brilliant Sarah! They look so easy to prepare and will save loads of time! Thank you! I shall also knock up a batch of your fabulous courgette and feta fritters to have at lunch time. I absolutely love them and they freeze so well – I’m totally addicted to them! 🤣🤣
Love your meal plans, and this is even better. Thanks for doing this.
If anyone is like me & struggles to find the block of time, I’d recommend spreading out the tasks. I’ll do veg & fruit prep on Thursday as I shop on Wednesday. I’ll do baking on Monday because I always do an easy dinner. And I’ll do the batch cooking on a different night. Same result, but spaced out.