Plan Overview
5 days, $42/week. 40 turkey meatballs batch-cooked Sunday. Half refrigerated (Mon–Wed), half frozen (Thu–Fri from frozen batch). Five different sauce jars provide five completely different meals from the same protein. This is the most variety-per-Sunday-hour ratio of any meal prep system.
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| Item | Cost (2026) | Provides |
|---|---|---|
| Ground turkey 93/7, 2 lbs | $6.98–$9.98 | 40 meatballs — entire week |
| Eggs, 12-count | $3.49 | Meatball binder + breakfasts |
| Spaghetti, 1 lb | $1.29 | Monday dinner base |
| Egg noodles, 12oz | $2.19 | Tuesday dinner base |
| Brown rice, 5lb (amortised) | $0.80/week | Wednesday + weekend base |
| Couscous, 10oz | $2.49 | Thursday dinner base |
| Canned crushed tomatoes, 28oz | $1.79 | Italian marinara sauce |
| Sour cream, 8oz | $1.99 | Swedish cream sauce |
| Gochujang paste, small tub | $3.49 | Korean glaze (lasts 6+ weeks) |
| Tahini, small jar | $3.99 | Middle Eastern sauce (lasts 8+ weeks) |
| Greek yogurt 0%, 32oz | $4.48 | Greek sauce + breakfasts |
| Breadcrumbs (amortised) | $0.40/week | Meatball binder |
| Garlic, herbs, olive oil (amortised) | $0.60/week | Seasoning |
| Rolled oats, 42oz (amortised) | $0.95/week | Breakfasts |
| TOTAL | ~$38–$42 | 5 days all meals |
Sunday Prep Timeline (85 Minutes)
- 0:00 — Oven to 400°F (200°C). Mix meatball binder (breadcrumbs + eggs + seasoning). Rest 5 min.
- 0:08 — Add turkey, mix 20 seconds. Scoop all 40 onto sheet pans. Roll. Into oven — timer 20 min.
- 0:10 — Brown rice on stovetop (40 min unattended).
- 0:15 — Make 5 overnight oat jars (5 breakfasts in 10 min).
- 0:28 — Meatballs out at 165°F (74°C). Spread to cool.
- 0:30 — Make all 5 sauce jars: marinara (simmer 15 min), Swedish (whisk cold 3 min), Korean (whisk cold 3 min), tahini (whisk cold 3 min), Greek yogurt (whisk cold 3 min).
- 0:50 — Rice done. Everything cool. Portion 20 meatballs into 4 fridge containers. Arrange remaining 20 on tray, into freezer.
- 1:05 — Transfer frozen meatballs to bag once solid. Label everything.
- 1:25 — Done.
Daily Meal Plan
Monday — Italian (Fridge batch)
Breakfast: Overnight oats — 320 cal, 35g protein
Dinner: 5 meatballs + marinara sauce + spaghetti (2oz dry) — 520 cal, 32g protein
Tuesday — Swedish (Fridge batch)
Dinner: 5 meatballs + Swedish cream sauce + egg noodles — 550 cal, 30g protein
Wednesday — Korean (Fridge batch)
Dinner: 5 meatballs + gochujang glaze + brown rice — 480 cal, 30g protein
Thursday — Middle Eastern (Frozen batch, thawed overnight)
Dinner: 5 meatballs + tahini sauce + couscous + cucumber — 490 cal, 30g protein
Friday — Greek (Frozen batch)
Dinner: 5 meatballs + lemon yogurt sauce + orzo + spinach — 450 cal, 32g protein
Storage Reference (USDA FoodKeeper)
| Component | Fridge | Freezer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked turkey meatballs | 3–4 days | 3–4 months | 165°F verified. Cool before storing. |
| Marinara sauce (homemade) | 5 days | 6 months | Separate jar from meatballs |
| Swedish cream sauce | 3 days | Not recommended | Sour cream separates when frozen |
| Korean/Tahini/Greek sauces | 5–7 days | 1 month | Stable — no dairy in Korean/tahini |
| Cooked brown rice | 4–6 days | 6 months | Cool within 2 hrs — Bacillus cereus risk |