In our house, Sunday lunch comes in two versions. The first: three hours at the stove, a mountain of washing-up and, at six o'clock, the question of what to take to work for lunch tomorrow. The second: you cook once, an hour and a quarter later you've got eight portions ready, and Monday and Tuesday are sorted. Sunday is the best day of the week for cooking, so let's make it count.
Sunday lunch as the foundation for the whole week
In the Evenyn studio, we build meal plans in sessions: you cook for 2 to 4 days ahead, not the whole week. That way food is never five days old, and Sunday cooking fits into one afternoon, tidy kitchen included. This is what the Monday–Tuesday session looked like in a real August meal plan that our members cooked on a Sunday:
| Recipe | kcal | Protein | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caprese plate with mozzarella and sourdough bread | 517 | 41 g P | 13 min |
| Light creamy pumpkin stew with beef meatballs | 561 | 35 g P | 50 min |
| Egg and chickpea spread with dill | 332 | 19 g P | 20 min |
| Fresh mango bowl with quark | 326 | 29 g P | 20 min |
Eight portions: breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack for two days. Exactly what you'd otherwise be sorting out on Monday at half eleven, hungry, standing at the fridge.
How it actually goes, step by step
Every weekly plan in the studio has a prep note, a guide to the order to do things in so you're not standing at the stove for nothing. The one for this session went like this: Start with the beef meatballs and put them in the oven. At the same time, put the potatoes for the stew and the eggs for the spread on to boil. While everything is boiling and baking, prepare the pumpkin, onion and the rest of the ingredients for the stew.
That's the whole point: the oven and the pot work at the same time while you get the next dish ready. The estimated time for this session was an hour and fifteen minutes. Not because you cook faster, but because nothing is waiting on anything else.
The Thursday email that plans your next week
Every Thursday we'll send you a sample meal plan for the week ahead, one recipe under the microscope and a tip on which foods are on offer right now.
What Sunday cooking really gives you
First, peace of mind: on Monday and Tuesday you don't think about food at all, you just heat it up. Second, money: you cook from one shop and nothing ends up in the bin, which is the most reliable way to save money on groceries. And third, paradoxically, a better Sunday lunch: the stew from the table above is Sunday lunch, you just eat the first portion hot and the rest is waiting for you.
Our view: a traditional three-course Sunday lunch is a lovely thing for holidays. For an ordinary Sunday, a system where Sunday cooks Monday too is better. To see what a whole week built like this looks like, check out the ready-made 7-day meal plan.
Frequently asked questions
What should I cook on Sunday for the whole week?
Nothing for the whole week; that's the road to food you won't want to look at by Thursday. Cook for 2 to 3 days: one main dish in several portions, one spread or salad and one snack. On Wednesday, a short second session.
How long does cooked food keep in the fridge?
Ordinary cooked dishes in a sealed container keep for 2 to 3 days, exactly the length of one session. That's why we cook for two or three days and not seven.
Won't I get bored of eating the same thing for two days?
A session has four different dishes, so on Monday and Tuesday you eat four different meals, not one on repeat. It's the day that repeats, not the food within the day.
Does Sunday lunch have to be hot and traditional?
It doesn't have to be anything. If your family sticks to soup and a main course, meal prep doesn't compete with that: cook the traditional way and make your session from whatever can be reheated tomorrow.
Get time and taste back in your week
You get your meal plan, recipes and shopping list ready-made. All that's left for you is the cooking.
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