Meal prep is the single biggest time-saver for eating well on a busy schedule — and Nigerian food is perfect for it, because soups and stews only get better after a day in the pot. The trick is to cook the parts that store well in bulk, and make the fresh parts to order. Here is how, with real dishes from Ilera's library.
What to batch-cook
Cook these in bulk on the weekend — they hold for several days and reheat beautifully:
- Soups: egusi, efo riro, okra soup — make a big pot, portion it, reheat through the week.
- Stews: tomato stew for rice and fish keeps for days and works with almost anything.
- Beans: beans and moi moi batch and freeze well.
- Jollof: jollof rice reheats fine and makes a fast lunch.
What to make fresh
Cook these to order — they take minutes and are best fresh: swallow (eba, pounded yam), boiled rice, plantain, and eggs. Pairing a fresh swallow or rice with a reheated soup gives you a hot, proper meal in under ten minutes.
A simple weekend prep plan
- Pick two soups or stews and cook a big pot of each.
- Cook one pot of beans or jollof for fast lunches.
- Portion everything into containers — some in the fridge, extras in the freezer.
- Through the week, make swallow, rice or plantain fresh and reheat a portion of soup or stew alongside.
Food safety: cool cooked food quickly, store it covered, and reheat only the portion you need each time — not the whole pot over and over.
Prep to a plan
Meal prep works best when you know exactly what you are cooking and how much. Ilera builds your week and a single shopping list around your goal, so your prep session has a plan. See also our weekly food timetable and cheap, healthy meals guides.