Sunday Meal Prep for Families: Making Weeknights Easier, Not Perfect
I’m Marcus Santos, and three years ago my family got food poisoning from a meal delivery service. My 2 year old son spent a night in the ER. That’s when I decided: I needed to control what we eat.
So I dusted off what my dad taught me when he ran Santos Catering in California and started batch cooking every Sunday. Six months later, I got ServSafe certified to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.
Now I work at Milwaukee Public Museum & Aquarium during the week and meal prep for my family every Sunday. My wife Rachel (she’s an accountant) doesn’t scramble for dinner during tax season, my kids actually eat their lunches, and we save around $150 monthly based on our grocery receipts.
This blog shares family meal prep recipes that work with picky eaters, tight schedules, and real kitchens. High protein meals, quick dinners, breakfast prep, and Filipino-American favorites, all tested to reheat well and survive Jake’s green stuff inspection.
What I’m Meal Prepping This Fall
Fall in Milwaukee means soup season and I’m all in. Last Sunday Emma requested extra garlic in everything. This weekend I’m doing a slow cooker batch that starts Sunday morning and is done by lunch makes enough for the whole week.
Emma’s in her ‘only wants the same thing’ phase, which currently means the same meal every single day for weeks straight. Jake’s still inspecting everything for green stuff, but he’s starting to accept more vegetables if they’re roasted enough and covered in, you guessed it, cheese.
About My Food Safety Background
I take food safety seriously because I learned the hard way.
My credentials: B.S. in Biology from UW-Milwaukee (2013), ServSafe Food Handler certified (2022, renewed annually), and trained by Santos Catering, my dad’s licensed catering operation he ran from 1998 to 2003.
All my recipes follow USDA and FDA guidelines: safe internal temperatures (165°F for chicken, 145°F for pork), proper cooling protocols, and 3-4 day maximum storage times for refrigerated food. I use an instant read thermometer, label everything with dates, and when in doubt, I toss it.
Important Disclaimers:
I’m not a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or medical professional. This blog shares meal prep techniques and food safety practices based on USDA/FDA guidelines, not medical nutrition advice. If you have dietary restrictions from a health condition, please consult a registered dietitian.
Allergen Information: My recipes may contain common allergens (eggs, dairy, soy, nuts, wheat, shellfish). Always check ingredient labels if you have food allergies. I’m not trained in allergen free cooking. For medical advice about food allergies, consult an allergist.
Results Vary: What works for my family may not work for yours. Every family and every kid is different. Storage times assume proper refrigeration at 40°F or below. Trust your judgment about food safety.
Featured Recipes
Recipe of the Week
Fried Rice Meal Prep
This fried rice meal prep makes Sunday prep simple and delivers grab and go lunches all week stores 5 days, reheats perfectly, no soggy rice.
What You’ll Find on This Blog
Family friendly meal prep recipes designed for real kitchens and picky eaters. New recipes published weekly.
Recipe Types:
- High protein bowls and one pan meals that scale for families
- Slow cooker batch cooking (start it Sunday morning, done by lunch)
- Breakfast meal prep that travels well in lunch boxes
- Picky eater adaptations (Jake approved cheese methods)
- Filipino-American fusion favorites from Santos Catering
- Make ahead dinners that reheat well Wednesday night
Plus meal prep guides: Container recommendations, proper storage times, cooling protocols, grocery shopping strategies, and troubleshooting tips from three years of Sunday prep sessions.
Everything tested on Emma (selective about textures) and Jake (refuses anything green). If they won’t eat it reheated on day three, it doesn’t get published.
Fresh from the Kitchen
Turkey Meatball Meal Prep
Prep lean turkey meatballs Sunday, grab protein packed lunches all week. Glass containers, proper cooling, 5 day fridge life guaranteed.
What Makes This Different from Other Meal Prep Blogs
Most meal prep blogs show perfect Instagram photos and recipes that take six hours. Here’s what you get instead:
Real picky eater solutions. Jake refuses anything green unless it’s covered in cheese. Emma goes through phases where she demands the same meal for weeks. Every recipe includes adaptations for selective eaters because I live this every Sunday.
Food safety built in. After our 2022 incident, I don’t mess around. Every recipe includes storage times, cooling instructions, and temperature guidelines. No guessing.
Recipes that actually reheat well. Not everything survives three days in the fridge. I only share what my family actually eats on Wednesday night, not just what looks good Sunday afternoon.
Filipino-American plus Midwest fusion. My dad’s catering recipes adapted for families. Comfort food that scales for Sunday batch cooking.
Common Questions About Family Meal Prep
- Does meal prep actually save money?
We went from $400/month on delivery service plus emergency takeout to about $250 on groceries. That’s around $150 saved monthly based on our grocery receipts. But honestly, the bigger win is that Rachel doesn’t stress about dinner during tax season when she’s working 60-hour weeks. - Will my picky eater eat meal prepped food?
My solution: deconstructed bowls where kids control what touches what. Jake gets his components in separate containers with a side of shredded cheese. Emma can pick out what she doesn’t want that week. A few parents from their school have mentioned this method helped with their kids too. - How do I know it’s safe to eat days later?
Every recipe follows USDA storage guidelines, I link directly to FoodSafety.gov so you can verify. Everything gets labeled with prep date and toss by date. Three to four days maximum in the fridge, period. Not worth the risk after what happened in 2022. - What containers do you use?
Glass with snap lids. Started with cheap plastic from a dollar store, Jake’s backpack leaked sauce everywhere and the school called about the smell. Glass is microwave safe, doesn’t stain, and is officially ferret proof as of last month when Noodle finally stopped trying to drag them off the counter. - How long does Sunday meal prep take?
Usually 2-3 hours depending on what I’m making. I start around 10am, Emma helps (or “helps”), Jake negotiates about vegetables, and I’m done by 1pm. First time takes longer because you’re figuring out the rhythm.
New Here? Start With These
Read my full story : The complete 2022 food poisoning incident and how I learned food safety from my dad’s catering business
Contact me : Questions about recipes, food storage, or dealing with picky eaters
Follow along: I post meal prep updates on Pinterest @nextweekmeals, usually Sunday afternoons when the kids are occupied
