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Meal Prep · A collection

Simple plates, all day

A piece of meat or fish, a starch and a vegetable: the plainest kind of meal, and one of the most useful. Some actors and athletes eat this way several times a day when building muscle; one widely reported example is the plan Dwayne Johnson described for film roles (sources at the end of this page). Each plate on its own is a good, simple meal for kids and families, and they are easy to cook in batches for the week.

🍽 The plates

Every plate below is one recipe for 4, with nutrition per plate. New ones were written for this page; the others are close matches from our recipes.

Breakfast plates

Eggs, Oatmeal and BerriesA warm breakfast plate: creamy oatmeal with berries and two eggs on the side. Ready in under 20 minutes.423 calories · 22 g protein · 17 min Egg and Veggie Scramble with ToastWhole eggs and egg whites scrambled with onion, peppers and mushrooms, with whole-wheat toast. Quick, filling and cheap.275 calories · 22 g protein · 20 min Creamy Stovetop OatmealOld-fashioned oats cooked in milk and water with a little cinnamon. Set out toppings.215 calories · 9 g protein · 12 min · from our recipes Soft Scrambled EggsTender, fluffy scrambled eggs in under 10 minutes.176 calories · 13 g protein · 9 min · from our recipes Veggie Egg Muffin CupsMini baked omelets with vegetables and cheese. Reheat in seconds.188 calories · 14 g protein · 32 min · from our recipes

Fish plates

Lemon Cod with Rice and AsparagusMild white fish and asparagus roasted on one pan while the rice cooks. The simplest fish plate there is.481 calories · 38 g protein · 40 min Salmon, Quinoa and Garlic SpinachBaked salmon with fluffy quinoa and spinach wilted with garlic and lemon. Rich in protein and good fats.595 calories · 43 g protein · 35 min Sheet-Pan Lemon Garlic Salmon and AsparagusSalmon fillets and asparagus roasted together on one pan with lemon and garlic, in about 25 minutes.471 calories · 37 g protein · 25 min · from our recipes Baked Cod with Tomatoes and OlivesCod fillets baked in a garlicky tomato sauce with olives, capers and fresh basil.246 calories · 32 g protein · 30 min · from our recipes Lemon-Garlic Baked SalmonSalmon fillets baked with butter, lemon and garlic in about 15 minutes.415 calories · 35 g protein · 20 min · from our recipes

Chicken plates

Chicken, Sweet Potato and Broccoli Sheet PanSeasoned chicken breast, sweet potato cubes and broccoli roasted together. A classic plate for packing lunches.474 calories · 44 g protein · 55 min Garlic Chicken, Rice and BroccoliPan-seared chicken with a little garlic, white rice and steamed broccoli. The plate meal-preppers make by the dozen.518 calories · 46 g protein · 35 min Simple Roast ChickenA whole chicken roasted with lemon, garlic and herbs. Leftovers become soup, salads and quesadillas.532 calories · 42 g protein · 1 hr 45 min · from our recipes Chicken and Vegetable Stir-FryTender chicken and crisp vegetables in a simple soy-ginger sauce. Have the rice cooking first.355 calories · 43 g protein · 27 min · from our recipes

Beef plates

Sirloin Steak, Baked Potato and Green BeansA steakhouse plate at home: seared top sirloin, a fluffy baked potato and buttery green beans.628 calories · 41 g protein · 1 hr 15 min Ground Beef, Rice and Pepper PlatesLean ground beef browned with sweet peppers and onion, mildly spiced, over white rice. Freezes well in single plates.535 calories · 34 g protein · 35 min Beef and BroccoliTakeout-style beef and broccoli in a glossy garlic-ginger sauce, on the table in half an hour.404 calories · 36 g protein · 30 min · from our recipes Grilled Steak with ChimichurriSirloin seared hot and topped with a bright Argentine-style parsley, garlic and vinegar sauce.523 calories · 35 g protein · 32 min · from our recipes

🧩 Build your own plate

Pick one from each column. Cook a plain protein (bake, grill or pan-sear it to the safe temperature), then add a starch and a vegetable from our side dishes.

🍗 A protein

  • Chicken breast or thighs to 165°F
  • Fish: cod, salmon, tilapia to 145°F
  • Steak: sirloin, flank to 145°F, rest 3 minutes
  • Lean ground beef or turkey beef 160°F, turkey 165°F
  • Eggs until firm; egg dishes 160°F
  • Beans, lentils or tofu for a meatless plate

🍚 A starch

🥦 A vegetable

Safe minimum internal temperatures are USDA’s; check them with a food thermometer.

🧒 Kids’ portions

Children eat the same plates, just less of them. Start small, about half an adult plate for school-age kids and less for little ones, and let them ask for more. Appetites go up and down from day to day, and that’s normal.

Each plate’s recipe page has its own kids’ note: how big a kids’ plate is and what children can help with.

  • Cut meat into small pieces and flake fish (check for bones) for young children.
  • Cut grapes and other small round foods into small pieces for children under 4.
  • Keep food plain on the side if a child likes foods not touching; it’s the same meal.
  • No honey for babies under 1 year.

📦 Batch-cook a week of plates

One afternoon of cooking can fill the refrigerator with plates for lunches and dinners. The cooling and storage times are USDA’s.

  1. Pick two or three plates your family likes, such as the chicken and sweet potato sheet pan, the beef and pepper rice and the cod with asparagus. Add their recipes to the meal planner for one shopping list.
  2. Cook the starches in big batches. A large pot of rice or quinoa, a tray of sweet potatoes, a pan of baked potatoes. They take the longest and keep well.
  3. Roast proteins and vegetables on sheet pans at the same time. Cook every protein to its safe temperature: poultry 165°F, ground meat 160°F, steaks and fish 145°F (with a 3-minute rest for steaks).
  4. Cool it quickly. Divide food into shallow containers so it cools fast, and get everything into the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour if it’s hotter than 90°F out). It’s fine to refrigerate food while it’s still warm.
  5. Pack plates and label them with the date. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below.
  6. Eat refrigerated plates within 3 to 4 days. For the rest of the week, freeze plates right away; frozen leftovers keep their best quality for about 3 to 4 months.
  7. Thaw and reheat safely. Thaw frozen plates in the refrigerator overnight, or in the microwave. Reheat until steaming hot, 165°F, stirring once or twice in the microwave.
A week, made simpleCook on Sunday: plates for Monday to Wednesday go in the refrigerator, plates for Thursday and Friday go in the freezer. Move Thursday’s plates to the refrigerator on Wednesday night to thaw.

📊 A whole day of plates

Here is what seven of our plates add up to, one at every meal from breakfast to a late snack, at one serving each:

Seven family plates in one day (per adult serving)
PlateCaloriesProtein
1. Eggs, Oatmeal and Berries42322 g
2. Garlic Chicken, Rice and Broccoli51846 g
3. Lemon Cod with Rice and Asparagus48138 g
4. Chicken, Sweet Potato and Broccoli Sheet Pan47444 g
5. Sirloin Steak, Baked Potato and Green Beans62841 g
6. Salmon, Quinoa and Garlic Spinach59543 g
7. Egg and Veggie Scramble with Toast27522 g
The day3,394256 g

That is more than most adults need: the Dietary Guidelines (2020–2025) estimate about 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day for adult women and 2,000 to 3,000 for adult men, depending on age and activity. For most families, two or three of these plates a day, as ordinary meals, is plenty. To plan plates around your own calorie or protein goal, use Meet your goals.

📰 The reported plan behind the idea

In 2015, Muscle & Fitness magazine published a day of eating that Dwayne Johnson described, much like the diet he followed for the film Hercules, and many outlets reported it. It was seven meals spread through the day, almost all of them a protein, a starch and a vegetable. The versions differ by film and year: a 2014 version for Hercules reported by Men’s Health used chicken, halibut, egg whites, white rice, baked potatoes, oatmeal, broccoli and asparagus. Here is the 2015 list as reported, with our estimate of each meal from USDA FoodData Central:

One reported day (Muscle & Fitness, 2015, as reported by E! Online and FiveThirtyEight)
MealFoods, as reportedCaloriesProteinOur family plate
110 oz cod, 2 eggs, 2 cups oatmeal2 cups cooked oatmeal counted as 1 cup dry oats68274 gEggs, Oatmeal and Berries
28 oz cod, 12 oz sweet potato, 1 cup vegetablesvegetables counted as broccoli50948 gChicken, Sweet Potato and Broccoli Sheet Pan
38 oz chicken, 2 cups white rice, 1 cup vegetables2 cups cooked rice counted as ⅔ cup dry75262 gGarlic Chicken, Rice and Broccoli
48 oz cod, 2 cups white rice, 1 cup vegetables, fish oilvegetables counted as asparagus; fish oil left out66252 gLemon Cod with Rice and Asparagus
58 oz steak, 12 oz baked potato, spinach saladsteak counted as top sirloin; salad as 2 cups spinach, no dressing73855 gSirloin Steak, Baked Potato and Green Beans
610 oz cod, 2 cups white rice, saladsalad as 2 cups greens, no dressing69561 gLemon Cod with Rice and Asparagus
7a 10-egg-white omelet with onions, peppers and mushrooms; a protein shake; fish oilegg whites and 1 cup vegetables counted; the shake and fish oil left out21138 gEgg and Veggie Scramble with Toast
Totalthe foods onlyabout 4,250about 390 g

Our estimate counts the foods as listed, cooked plain without oil or butter, and leaves out the protein shake and fish oil (we don’t give advice on supplements). Published estimates range from about 4,100 (E! Online) to 5,200 calories (FiveThirtyEight, counting everything). Either way, it is an example for a very large, very active adult training hard for a role, about twice what most adults need. It isn’t a target for most people, and it isn’t for children. The simple-plate idea is what carries over to a family kitchen.

Sources

Teddy Rook Book isn’t connected with Dwayne Johnson or these publications. The list is a reported fact, summarized in our own words; the recipes are our own.