There’s a very specific kind of burnout that hits at 6:30 in the evening. You’re home, starving, and somehow too tired to boil water. You open the fridge. There’s rice, but no ulam. Eggs, but no energy. Chips suddenly start looking like dinner.

Honestly? You’ve been here before.

Meal prepping sounds like something productive people do. People who own glass containers, buy kale on purpose, and casually say things like “I’ll just reheat leftovers.” You, on the other hand, may or may not have cried over a defrosting chicken breast.

But here’s the good news: meal prep doesn’t have to be intense to be useful. If you’re overwhelmed, underfed, and emotionally maxed out, this guide is for you.

Step 1: Lower the bar

You’re trying to feed yourself without spiraling. So forget color-coded meal calendars and aspirational Pinterest boards. Think survival, but with flavor. You only need three reliable meals you can rotate without thinking.

Examples:

• Garlic rice + scrambled egg + canned tuna
  
• Pasta + frozen sauce + grated cheese
  
• Tofu + stir-fried veggies + whatever carb you batch-cooked earlier
  

Keep the ingredients basic. You can remix later.

Step 2: Batch-cook carbs like your life depends on it

Rice, pasta, boiled potatoes, sweet potatoes; whatever you eat regularly, make more than you need. Store them in containers. Or ziplocks. Or bowls with another bowl acting as a lid (we’ve all been there).

Having pre-cooked carbs ready turns “I’m hungry” into “I’m eating in five minutes.” Emotional stability starts with a warm bowl of something.

Step 3: Freeze sauces. Seriously.

Sauces = flavor = motivation to eat something real.

Make a quick garlic oil, tomato-based pasta sauce, adobo-style soy mix, or peanut butter satay-ish thing. Pour them into ice cube trays or small containers, freeze, and you’ll have instant upgrades ready to go.

It’s the secret to making the same base ingredients feel different all week.

Step 4: Assemble, don’t cook

Instead of thinking of meals as recipes, think of them as Lego blocks. You’re combining Block A (carb) + Block B (protein or veg) + Block C (sauce or topping). That’s it.

Some quick combinations:

• Rice + egg + leftover pancit canton (don’t judge)
  
• Pasta + frozen tomato sauce + canned mushrooms
  
• Bread + peanut butter + sliced banana = emotional support meal
  

If it takes more than 15 minutes? Order egg waffles and try again tomorrow. No shame.

Step 5: Snacks are valid

If the full meal plan falls apart (and sometimes it will), a well-built snack box can save you. Yogurt, crackers, boiled eggs, fruit, instant oatmeal; anything better than chips.

Step 6: Rest counts, too

There’s no prize for pushing through exhaustion to cook a five-step meal. Resting is part of the prep. Eat what you can, when you can. If all you managed today was rice and salt, that’s still a win.

Food doesn’t have to be impressive. It just has to get you through the next few hours. If you made it to the end of this article without opening GrabFood; you’re already doing great.