You cook once on Sunday and eat the same box four times. So it is worth getting the box right once. The good news: a balanced meal-prep box is a shape, not a recipe. Aim for plenty of vegetables, a starchy food and a protein, and the exact recipe can change every week.
Pick a protein and a starchy base, then slide the amounts (cooked weight, as it goes in the box). The bar shows how the box is split by weight and the numbers show what you get.
The UK Eatwell Guide, the government's picture of a healthy diet, says fruit and vegetables should make up just over a third of the food we eat each day, and so should starchy foods, ideally wholegrain. Protein foods (beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat) are a smaller slice, followed by dairy or alternatives and a little unsaturated oil. A lunch box is one meal, so it does not need to hit every ratio. Think of it as a good default to start from.
Roughly: as much veg as starch, a smaller palm of protein, a little oil.
Try switching from chicken to lentils in the builder. Calories stay in the same range, protein drops from roughly 39 g to roughly 17 g, and fibre roughly doubles, from about 7 g to about 15 g in one box. Most adults eat well under the recommended 30 g of fibre a day, so pulses are a cheap way to close the gap. Eggs and chicken are fine choices too. Mixing them across the week keeps the boxes interesting.
Cooking ahead only works if the food is cooled and stored properly, especially rice. Our guides cover rice and how long prepped food lasts. Add sauces, dressings and crunchy toppings on the day so the box does not go soggy.
The calories above are estimates. Bodies and foods differ by 10% or more, and the numbers are not a target. This guide is not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have or have had an eating disorder, or take medication (especially for diabetes or blood pressure), talk to a doctor or dietitian before changing how you eat.