Thali Method

  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
×
Home » Uncategorized

Day 5: The Prep Check

Published: Dec 17, 2025 by admin · This post may contain affiliate links · Nutrition values are estimates only. Leave a Comment

Welcome to Day 5 of The End of "What's For Tomorrow?" challenge. You have your dishes, your preferences, your nutrition tags, and your formulas. Now let's figure out how to actually prep all of this.

Goal

Know what to freeze, what to batch-prep, and what to cook fresh.

Why This Matters

Knowing what to cook is only half the battle. Knowing how to prep it efficiently is what makes meal planning actually work. Some dishes freeze beautifully. Others need to be made fresh. Some can sit in the fridge for days. Others don't.

Once you tag your dishes, your Sunday prep becomes automatic. You'll know exactly what to make ahead and what to save for day-of cooking.

Your Task

  1. Open your worksheet
  2. Find the "Prep Ahead" column and the "Day-Of" column
  3. Go through every dish
  4. Mark what you can do before the day you eat it (Prep Ahead)
  5. Mark what you do the day you eat it (Day-Of)

Open the Home Menu Worksheet

How to Tag Your Dishes

Prep Ahead column. What can you do before the day you eat it?

  • 🧊 Freezer: Make a big batch, pull when needed
  • 📦 Fridge: Batch prep, lasts 4-5 days
  • 🔪 Cut: Chop veggies ahead, cook day-of
  • Leave blank if nothing to prep ahead

Day-Of column. What do you do the day you eat it?

  • 🍳 Cook fresh
  • 🔄 Reheat or microwave
  • Leave blank if it's ready to eat

Quick Reference

DishPrep AheadDay-Of
Rajma🧊 Freeze full batch🔄 Reheat
Chicken Curry🧊 Freeze full batch🔄 Reheat
Channa Masala🧊 Freeze full batch🔄 Reheat
Dal🧊 Freeze full batch🔄 Reheat
Sambar🧊 Freeze full batch🔄 Reheat
Plain Rice🧊 Freeze full batch🔄 Reheat
Dosa🧊 Freeze batter🍳 Cook fresh
Idli🧊 Freeze batter🍳 Steam fresh
Egg Curry🧊 Freeze base🍳 Add eggs
Upma🧊 Freeze full batch🔄 Reheat
Poha🔪 Cut veggies🍳 Cook fresh
Veggie Fries🧊 Freeze full batch🔄 Reheat
Cabbage Stir-Fry🔪 Cut cabbage🍳 Cook fresh
Raita📦 FridgeReady to eat
Chutneys📦 FridgeReady to eat
Salads🔪 Prep base only🍳 Add dressing

New to freezer meals? Start small. Pick just one or two dishes to try freezing first.

What You'll Discover

Your freezer stars. The dishes you can make in big batches and pull out whenever you need them.

Your fridge friends. The sides and accompaniments that last all week with minimal effort.

Your fresh-only dishes. The meals that taste best made day-of, so you know not to batch them.

Your prep rhythm. Now you can see exactly what to do on Sunday (freeze and batch) versus what to do on Tuesday night (reheat and cook fresh).

table of day 5 prep check list with dish names

What's Next?

Tomorrow is Day 6: Your Weekly Template. The final day. You'll put everything together into a reusable rhythm that fits your life.

Share your progress in the WhatsApp group. What dishes are you most excited to freeze? Any surprises about what can be prepped ahead?

More Uncategorized

  • Day 6: Your Weekly Template
  • Day 4 Meal Formulas on blackboard graphic
    Day 4: Build Your Meal Formulas
  • Day 3 Nutrition Check on black board graphic
    Day 3: The Nutrition Check
  • Day 2: The Family Audit

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Abhi indian food blogger focused on Marcos

Welcome!

I'm on a mission to bring balance back to our plates, one delicious Indian meal at a time. ThaliMethod is my way of shaking up how we think about our kitchens and our food. We're not about restrictive diets; we're about smart portions and celebrating the incredible variety of Indian cuisine. Join me, and let's redefine what a 'balanced meal' really looks like.

More about me

Popular

  • Day 5: The Prep Check
  • words written on a black board with home menu challenge 1
    Day 1: The Brain Dump
  • The End of "What's For Tomorrow?" A 6-Day Challenge to Build Your Home Menu
  • Spicy Korean spinach side dish topped with sesame seeds in a blue patterned bowl
    Spicy Korean Spinach Side Dish

Thalis

  • Four images combined to show thali plate with Pine Nut Rice Channa Masala Yogurt Cucumbers
    Balanced Channa Masala Thali:21g Protein, 6.5g Fiber
  • horse gram curry with bottle gourd raita & rice in mini bowls on a plate
    Balanced Indian Thali #7 — Horse Gram Curry, Raita & Rice (18g Protein, 469 Calories)
  • Nutritious Indian thali featuring high-protein rice, creamy methi paneer, vibrant broccoli eggplant chutney, and a refreshing glass of homemade buttermilk. Perfect for a healthy, balanced meal.
    Balanced Indian Thali #6: 26g Protein Vegetarian Meal
  • Balanced Thali with white rice, flavorful Ulavacharu Rasam, protein-rich omelet, & crisp salad on a plate.
    Ulavacharu Rasam & Egg Thali

Footer

↑ back to top

Copyright © 2025 ThaliMethod • As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest