The Smart Batch & Macro Calculator
Meal prep fails when people guess ingredient quantities. If you under-buy, you run out of food by Wednesday; if you over-buy, produce rots in the crisper drawer.
Use our interactive batch calculator to simulate your exact workweek requirements. Select your prep cycle, daily meal cadence, and dietary objective to get an instant blueprint of container counts, protein metrics, and kitchen time.
The Principles of Meal Prep Mathematics
The 25% Cooked Protein Shrinkage Rule
Raw poultry, beef, and pork lose approximately 20% to 25% of their weight in moisture during cooking. If your target is 4 portions of 4 oz cooked chicken breast (16 oz cooked total), you must purchase 20 to 21 oz of raw chicken at the grocery store.
Grain & Pasta Yield Multipliers
Unlike meat which shrinks, dry grains and noodles expand:
• 1 cup dry brown or jasmine rice = ~3 cups cooked.
• 1 cup dry quinoa = ~3 cups cooked.
• 8 oz dry rotini or farfalle pasta = ~4 cups cooked noodles.
The 2-Recipe Golden Ratio
Never attempt to cook 5 different recipes on Sunday. Prepping 5 unique dishes triples dishes and prep time. Instead, batch two complementary recipes (e.g. 1 hot burrito bowl + 1 cold pasta salad) and alternate days. Palate boredom is avoided with zero extra kitchen chaos.
Condiment Isolation Protocol
Acidic dressings and water-heavy sauces break down vegetable cell walls when stored in direct contact. Packing sauces in 1.5oz silicone cups and drizzling right before eating guarantees day-5 salads taste identical to day-1.