The Ultimate Guide to Meal Prep

Note: This chart is a handy reference for how long you can store cooked and raw foods.

1. Hard-boil eggs for salads.

2. Roast a chicken or pork tenderloin. (The oven is the best place to reheat these meats; they're less likely to dry out there than they would be in the microwave.)

3. If you prefer to cook the chicken right before you eat it, take it out of the packaging the night before, pat it dry with paper towels and let it sit in the fridge, uncovered, until you're ready to roast it. Less moisture on the skin means a crispier crust.

4. Take frozen fish out of the freezer and move it to the fridge to thaw (later, you can roast it with a delicious honey-Dijon glaze).

5. Form ground turkey, beef, pork or lamb into patties for burgers. Cover with plastic wrap and cook within one to two days.