Batch cooking or meal prep: what is the difference?

The two terms are often used to mean the same thing. They describe slightly different habits, and most people end up using both.

What is batch cooking?

You cook a large amount of one dish, such as chili or curry, and store it. Much of it goes in the freezer. The aim is to cook less often. A typical batch is eight portions from one pot, like big-batch turkey chili.

What is meal prep?

You prepare complete, portioned meals for the next few days. Each container is ready to eat. The aim is to stop deciding what to eat every day. A typical session makes four lunches and four dinners.

What is ingredient prep?

A third approach. You cook parts, such as a grain, a protein and vegetables, and assemble different meals from them through the week. It suits people who get bored of eating the same thing. See ideas for when you are bored.

How do they compare?

• Batch cooking: least effort per meal, least variety in one week, needs freezer space.
• Meal prep: most convenient on the day, limited to four days by fridge life.
• Ingredient prep: most variety, needs a few minutes of assembly each day.

Which should you choose?

• Short on time on weekdays: meal prep.
• Want a stock of dinners for busy weeks: batch cook and freeze.
• Get bored easily: ingredient prep.
• Cooking for one: batch cook, because the extra portions freeze. See meal prep for one person.

Can you combine them?

Yes, and it is the most practical system. Batch cook one freezer dish each week and meal prep lunches for four days. The freezer covers the days the fridge cannot. After a month you have a rotation of frozen dinners and only need to cook lunches.

Which recipes suit batch cooking?

Anything saucy that freezes for three months:

• Coconut chickpea curry
• Lentil bolognese
• Black bean soup
• Baked turkey meatballs

See the freezer category.

Which suit meal prep?

Bowls, boxes and salads eaten within four days, such as garlic chicken and rice bowls and Greek chicken bento boxes.

Does the equipment differ?

Batch cooking needs a large pot and freezer bags. Meal prep needs five or so containers. See the kitchen tools you need.

How long does each take?

A batch of chili is about an hour, mostly unattended. A meal prep session for three recipes is about two hours. The order to cook in is in how to meal prep a week in one afternoon.

Where to go next

New to the freezer? Start with freezer meal prep for beginners.