Once you’ve prepared a week’s worth of meals, you need to know how to keep them tasting fresh and flavorful all week. All meals reheat easily and most can be frozen without compromising flavor or texture.
Meals can be either refrigerated or frozen, depending on when you plan to eat them. Do not freeze fresh vegetables or toppings, such as leafy greens or raw tomato, as they will not thaw and reheat well.
Meat and poultry dishes: Refrigerate for up to four days, then freeze. Separate meat from any fresh ingredients before freezing. (Fresh toppings can be refrigerated separately for up to six days.)
Seafood dishes: Refrigerate for up to four days. Cooked fish does not thaw and reheat well, so freezing is not recommended.
Vegetarian dishes: Refrigerate for up to six days, then freeze. Remove any fresh toppings before freezing.
Keep meals refrigerated until ready to eat. Remove frozen meals from the freezer the day before you plan to eat them, and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before eating.
Many meals taste great when eaten cold, but if you want to reheat your meals, there are a few methods to choose from depending on your available resources.
Stovetop: Reheating on the stovetop is the best way to heat foods evenly and preserve texture. Most meals can be heated in a covered sauté pan for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat. You may need to add a splash of oil or water to keep the food from becoming too dry.
Oven: To reheat a meal in the oven, transfer to an oven-safe dish and heat at 350°F (177°C) for 10 minutes, or until it reaches your desired temperature.
Microwave: You can microwave meals for 1 to 2 minutes, but it can result in uneven cooking and compromised texture. Microwaving plastic containers is not recommended.
Be aware that fish and egg dishes can easily become rubbery when reheated, so use a lower heat and take care not to heat for too long.