January 15, 2026 | Read Online
The 10-minute “meal prep” that saves you an hour every night
Even if you hate cooking
Hi ,
Let’s talk about evenings.
You finish work, you’re tired, everyone’s hungry… and then the big question hits:
“What on earth are we going to eat?”
That’s when takeaway, toast or random snacks start to look very tempting.
Instead of trying to “be better” at 6pm, let’s do something easier:
a 10-minute favour for tomorrow-you.
THE REAL PROBLEM
Most people don’t hate cooking.
They hate:
Making decisions when they’re tired
Chopping everything from scratch
Realising the meat is still frozen
So dinner feels like a big job every night.
A small, smart bit of prep can shrink that job a lot.
WHAT REALLY MATTERS
This 10-minute “meal prep” can be very simple.
It doesn’t have to mean(although it helps):
Cooking full meals for the week
Spending hours in the kitchen
(Those can be great too – that’s what gbMeals can help you with.)
Here, we’re just talking about one tiny block of time that makes tomorrow faster and calmer.
Think:
10 minutes tonight = 30–60 minutes less chaos tomorrow.
PRACTICAL WIN: THE 10-MINUTE BLOCK
Set a 10-minute timer after dinner.
Pick 2–3 of these and do them quickly:
1) Sort tomorrow’s carbs
Choose one:
Cook a batch of rice / quinoa / couscous while you tidy
Boil or roast some potatoes / sweet potatoes
Cook a portion of pasta and store it with a drizzle of olive oil
Tomorrow: carbs are done. You just add protein + veg.
2) Make protein easy
Choose one:
Move meat, fish, mince or tofu from freezer (assuming you always keep some meat for when needed) to fridge
Put protein in a quick marinade (oil + salt + herbs/spice mix)
Boil 4–6 eggs for the next 2–3 days
Tomorrow: no “everything is frozen” panic.
3) Take the chopping pain away
Choose one:
Chop one onion and store it
Pre-cut some veg (carrots, peppers, broccoli, courgette)
Wash and box salad leaves
4) Set up “easy mode”
Takes 1–2 minutes:
Put the pan, tray, knife and board you’ll need out
Group the spices and oil you’ll use in one spot
When you walk into the kitchen tomorrow, you’re not starting from zero.
You’re just finishing what yesterday-you already started.
BONUS: A SIMPLE SLEEP UPGRADE (REGULARITY)
Good food habits work much better when your sleep is steady.
One of the strongest sleep tips from researchers like Dr Matt Walker(Founder and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley) is simple:
Regularity is king. Go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day.
Aim to keep your schedule within about 40 minutes each day – even at weekends.
I know it’s tempting to think,
“I’ll treat myself to a late Netflix night, I’ll catch up tomorrow.”
But your body clock doesn’t love big swings. Regular timing helps:
Mood
Hunger and fullness signals
Cravings and late-night snacking
Energy for cooking and movement the next day
Tiny evening habits – with food and sleep – quietly shape your whole week.
SPONSORED BY gbMeals – TRY IT FREE FOR 14 DAYS
If you like the idea of 10-minute prep(just to be clear, it takes longer than that to prep full meals) but don’t want to plan it yourself, gbMeals can do the thinking for you.
With gbMeals you get:
Simple weekly meal plans
Clear shopping lists
Recipes built around protein, smart carbs and plants
So you can:
Stop worrying about “what’s for dinner?”
Spend less time planning and shopping
Still eat in a way that supports your goals
👉 Try gbMeals free for 14 days and let the planning happen in the background.
Got questions about quick prep ideas, family meals, or making this work with shifts or kids?
Reply to this email – I read every message personally.
See you next week,
Gabriel, Nutrition Hacks | gbMeals
P.S. Next Thursday: The craving trick that helps you walk past the biscuit tin (without feeling deprived).