Choose three building blocks
Start with one cooked dal or bean, one grain or dough base, and washed vegetables. For example, cook masoor dal, make rice or prepare atta, and chop cabbage, carrots and beans. Add curd, eggs or tofu if those suit your household.
A realistic 60-minute session
- First 10 minutes: wash hands, rinse produce and start the dal or pressure cooker.
- Next 20 minutes: cook rice or prepare dough; chop vegetables while the pot cooks.
- Next 20 minutes: cook one vegetable sabzi or roast a tray of vegetables; portion the dal.
- Last 10 minutes: cool food promptly in suitable containers, label it and clean the workspace.
Mix and match through the week
Dal, rice and sabzi make one lunch. The dal can become a soup with extra vegetables. Chopped vegetables go into poha, upma, an omelette or a stir-fry. Cooked chana can become curry one day and chaat another.
Keep food safe
WHO’s five food-safety keys include cleanliness, separating raw and cooked foods, thorough cooking, safe temperatures and safe water. Refrigerate cooked and perishable food promptly, and reheat until thoroughly hot. If you are unsure how long food has been stored or whether it stayed cold, do not rely on smell alone.
Avoid over-prepping
Prepare only what you can use safely. Keep delicate salads, cut fruit and fresh herbs for the day you will eat them. Build your next session from what actually got eaten, rather than an ideal schedule.
Quick answers
Do I need special containers?
Clean, food-safe containers with lids are enough. Smaller portions cool and reheat more evenly.
What if I have no full hour?
Cook one extra portion of dal or beans whenever you already cook. That small step still saves time later.
General information only. Food needs vary; ask a qualified clinician or registered dietitian about individual medical needs.