Monday — Bowl Assembly
Layer rice, sliced protein, roasted vegetables, and sauce. Add fresh greens if available. Active prep: 8 minutes.
Base Prep Plus Three Branch Meals
Complete the left column once. Assemble from the right column on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Sunday Base Prep (90 minutes)
- Season and roast 1.2 kg chicken thighs or firm tofu blocks
- Cook 4 cups dry rice or 500 g pasta in salted water
- Roast one tray of mixed vegetables (capsicum, zucchini, onion)
- Prepare one neutral sauce: olive oil, garlic, lemon, herbs
- Portion protein, starch, and vegetables into labelled containers
- Refrigerate sauce separately for fresh assembly each day
Wednesday — Wrap or Salad Plate
Chop base components smaller. Combine with lettuce or wrap. Drizzle sauce at serving. Active prep: 10 minutes.
Friday — Stir-Through Finish
Pan-warm remaining protein and vegetables. Toss with pasta or rice and sauce. Active prep: 12 minutes.
Label containers by weekday to reduce decision time on busy nights.
Why Branch Instead of Repeat
Repeating the same plate three times increases food fatigue. Branching uses the same cooked components with different formats — bowl, salad, stir-through — so variety stays high without extra cooking time.
Pair With 10-Min RecipesAdjust Portions to Your Household
Scale protein and starch quantities based on how many people you feed. The branch logic stays the same regardless of batch size.
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