Plan Overview
5 days, $48/week, Asian-inspired bowls. Beef and broccoli anchors Monday–Thursday lunches. Teriyaki variation covers Friday and Thursday dinner. The sauce rotation is the key to variety — same protein, different jar.
Shopping List (~$48)
| Item | Cost (2026) | Provides |
|---|---|---|
| Flank steak, 2 lbs | $14–$18 | 5 lunch + 3 dinner portions |
| Ground beef 90/10, 1 lb | $5.49–$6.99 | 2 dinner variations |
| Broccoli florets, 2 × 12oz bags | $4.36 | All week vegetable |
| Brown rice, 5lb (amortised) | $0.80/week | All week grain base |
| Soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil (amortised) | $1.20/week | Sauce base all week |
| Beef broth, small carton | $1.89 | Sauce |
| Cornstarch (amortised) | $0.15/week | Sauce thickener |
| Gochujang, small jar | $3.49 | Korean variation sauce |
| Eggs, 12-count | $3.49 | Breakfast + snacks |
| Greek yogurt, 32oz | $4.48 | Breakfasts |
| Edamame, frozen 12oz | $2.28 | Protein addition |
| Garlic, ginger, oil, honey (amortised) | $0.80/week | Seasoning |
| TOTAL | ~$42–$48 | 5 days all meals |
Sunday Prep Timeline (85 Minutes)
- 0:00 — Marinate flank steak. Brown rice on stovetop (40 min unattended).
- 0:05 — Make 3 sauce jars: Classic soy-oyster (Mon–Wed), Korean gochujang (Thu), teriyaki (Fri).
- 0:15 — Blanch broccoli: 2 min boil, ice bath, dry thoroughly.
- 0:25 — Sear flank steak to 160°F (71°C) in batches. Rest 3 min.
- 0:40 — Rice done. Spread everything to cool 20 min.
- 0:45 — Make overnight oat jars (5 breakfasts).
- 1:00 — Portion: 5 beef containers (beef + rice) + 5 broccoli side containers. Sauce jars separate.
- 1:25 — Done.
Daily Meal Plan
Monday–Wednesday — Classic Beef and Broccoli
Breakfast: Overnight oats — 320 cal, 35g protein
Lunch: Flank steak + brown rice + broccoli + classic soy-oyster sauce (reheated in skillet 3 min) — 440 cal, 30g protein
Dinner: Same container, gochujang sauce variation — 440 cal, 30g protein
Snack: 2 hard-boiled eggs + edamame — 200 cal, 20g protein
Daily total: ~1,400 cal, 115g protein
Thursday–Friday — Teriyaki Variation
Same flank steak, teriyaki sauce jar. Add edamame to containers for protein variety.
Storage Reference (USDA FoodKeeper)
| Component | Fridge Life | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cooked flank steak | 4 days | Store dry — no sauce contact during storage |
| Cooked brown rice | 4–6 days | Cool within 2 hrs — Bacillus cereus risk in warm rice |
| Blanched broccoli | 4–5 days | Store dry — wet broccoli gets slimy by day 2 |
| Cornstarch sauce jars | 5 days | Shake before using — minor settling normal |
Budget Adjustments
If $48 is above your weekly grocery budget, three substitutions bring it to $35: replace flank steak with ground beef 90/10 ($5.99/lb vs $8/lb, saves $6 on 2 lbs), reduce to 1.5 lbs beef total (covers 4 portions instead of 5 — use eggs for Friday dinner), and skip the gochujang jar (use extra soy + chili flakes for the Korean variation). The core flavour system stays intact at significantly lower cost.
Broccoli cost note: fresh broccoli florets pre-cut ($2.18 for 12oz) versus a whole broccoli head ($1.49–$1.99 for 2 lbs) — buying whole and cutting yourself saves $1–$1.50 and produces more usable florets per dollar. For a high-volume prep like this, whole broccoli is always the better purchase.
The Sauce Rotation in Detail
Three jars made Sunday cover all 5 days: Classic soy-oyster (3 tbsp soy + 2 tbsp oyster sauce + 1 tbsp sesame oil + 1 tbsp honey + 2 tsp cornstarch + ½ cup broth) for Mon–Wed. Korean gochujang (2 tbsp gochujang + 1 tbsp soy + 1 tbsp sesame oil + 1 tsp honey + ½ cup broth + 1 tsp cornstarch) for Thursday. Teriyaki (3 tbsp soy + 2 tbsp honey + 1 tbsp mirin or rice vinegar + 1 tsp cornstarch + ¼ cup water) for Friday. Total sauce prep time: 10 minutes. These three profiles make the same protein feel like three genuinely different meals.