NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Eat Well / Recipes

The busy person's easy guide to meal prep

How to meal prep for a week. Photo / Unsplash

By Laura Bedwell and Nikki Crerar

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

When life gets busy, getting dinner on the table can feel like the last thing you want to do. We'd be lying if we said we haven't fallen victim to last-minute takeaways or a bowl of cereal for dinner - but with a little meal planning and preparation you can have an easy and delicious meal, no matter what life throws at you.

Meal prep makes cooking faster, easier, and more efficient. It doesn't have to mean living off the same dish for days in a row. Instead, it's all about being smart in the kitchen and prepping as much as you can in advance.

It may seem daunting at first, but think of it as asking that dreaded question "What's for dinner?" only once, instead of every night.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Start small and work yourself up to the number of meals per week that suits you. For us, four is the sweet spot, we know we're having four healthy home-cooked meals, and it still gives us room to eat out with friends or have a night in with our favourite takeaways in hand.

Then, once you have a plan for the week and have done the shopping, commit to spend an hour in the kitchen on a Sunday meal-prepping.

Start by making a condiment or two – something that can be used across a variety of meals - such as pickled onions, a basic vinaigrette, a creamy yoghurt tahini or some hummus, and toast some nuts and seeds. These condiments are also key to transforming a basic dish into something special.

Next, roast a variety of seasonal vegetables, cook grains and pre-chop any veges for your planned meals.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When you come home late from work and can easily throw together some cooked quinoa, roasted vegetables, topped with hummus and crunchy roasted almonds, you'll be feeling pretty happy with yourself.

Meal-planning tips

● Avoid food wastage by shopping your fridge and pantry first.

● Include a new recipe each week, to build up a repertoire of meals you love.

● Choose recipes that use common ingredients. So if you're using cabbage, try to find another recipe that uses the remainder.

Related recipes

Coconut lemongrass curry with roasted vegetables and pickled onions

Coconut lemongrass curry with roasted vegetables and pickled onions

Middle Eastern-inspired spiced rice with halloumi and a yoghurt tahini sauce

Middle Eastern-inspired spiced rice with halloumi and a yoghurt tahini sauce

● Try different cuisines so that similar ingredients won't feel as though they're on repeat. Using cabbage in an Asian style slaw will feel very different to braising it in a spicy tomato sauce.

● Write a list. Then head to the shops or market for everything you need and nothing you don't.

Coconut lemongrass curry with roasted vegetables and pickled onions

Roasted vegetables in curries are such a game-changer. Not only does it make for a quick and easy dish but they add a delicious depth of flavour to the curry, and hold themselves really well without turning to mush. You can use any roasted veges you'd like - cauliflower, sweet potato and pumpkin work really well.

Ingredients

Pickled onions
1 red onion, finely sliced
½ cup water
½ cup vinegar (red wine, apple cider or white wine)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Roasted vegetables
2 red capsicums, sliced
2 eggplants, cut into wedges
1 zucchini, sliced into rounds
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Coconut lemongrass curry
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 brown onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp ginger, grated
1 Tbsp lemongrass powder or 2 sticks of fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
1 tsp cardamom seeds
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp turmeric
400ml coconut cream
¾ cup of chicken or vegetable stock
Pre-roasted vegetables
400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fish sauce

Garnish
Roasted cashews
Fresh lime
Coriander
Cooked rice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan bake.

2. Pickled onions: Prepare the pickled onions. Add the sliced red onions to a glass jar. In a small saucepan add the water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat. Pour the boiling vinegar mixture over the onions and let sit for at least an hour.

3. Roasted vegetables: Place the eggplant, capsicum and zucchini on large baking trays, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 30-35 minutes until cooked through and starting to go crispy.

4. Heat coconut oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for a few minutes until the onions have softened.

5. Add all spices, and a little more oil if needed, and cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

6. Turn up the heat and add the coconut cream and stock. Bring to the boil before reducing to a gentle simmer.

7. Add the chickpeas and allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes or so until the liquid has reduced slightly.

8. Add the roasted vegetables to the chickpeas and simmer for 3-5 minutes.

9. Remove from the heat and stir through the rice wine vinegar and fish sauce. Serve with rice and garnish with fresh coriander, pickled onions and cashews.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Want to be smart in the kitchen? Double the rice and veg, and use leftover pickled onions in this quick and easy Middle Eastern-inspired rice with yoghurt tahini sauce.

Laura Bedwell and Nikki Crerar run Assortment, a weekly menu planning service. Catch them on Instagram @assortment___ or head to assortmentfoods.com for more.

Middle Eastern-inspired spiced rice with halloumi and yoghurt tahini sauce, from Assortment. Photo / Supplied
Middle Eastern-inspired spiced rice with halloumi and yoghurt tahini sauce, from Assortment. Photo / Supplied
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest Recipes

Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease
Food News

Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease

Soba to spaghetti: Why chilled noodles are the perfect summer meal
Food News

Soba to spaghetti: Why chilled noodles are the perfect summer meal

Cold brew, hot summer: How to make the perfect iced coffee at home
Food News

Cold brew, hot summer: How to make the perfect iced coffee at home

Camping meals for a Kiwi summer
Food News

Camping meals for a Kiwi summer

The best produce to eat in January and February
Food News

The best produce to eat in January and February

Take it outside: How to eat alfresco without any fuss
Food News

Take it outside: How to eat alfresco without any fuss

Latest Food News

Why your shopping habits reveal more than you think
Food News

Why your shopping habits reveal more than you think

Premium
Why your child is a picky eater - and what parents can do about it
Food News

Why your child is a picky eater - and what parents can do about it

Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease
Food News

Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease

Is kimchi ice cream the cool new food trend?
Food News

Is kimchi ice cream the cool new food trend?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Recipes

Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease
Food News

Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease

Master the art of slow cooking with essential methods, tips and flavour secrets

16 May 12:00 AM
Soba to spaghetti: Why chilled noodles are the perfect summer meal
Food News

Soba to spaghetti: Why chilled noodles are the perfect summer meal

19 Jan 10:44 PM
Cold brew, hot summer: How to make the perfect iced coffee at home
Food News

Cold brew, hot summer: How to make the perfect iced coffee at home

17 Jan 05:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP