Weekly meal prep with a personal chef

What you get

On cook day the chef plans the menu, shops, cooks in your kitchen, packages everything and cleans up. A typical cook day produces three to five dishes, each in enough servings for your household. The meals go into your fridge and freezer with labels and reheating instructions.

Choosing a schedule

• Weekly suits households that want fresh meals and variety.
• Every two weeks costs less over a month. More of the food is frozen.
• Now and then works for a busy stretch, a new baby or recovery from surgery.

Fresh or frozen

Ask the chef which dishes should be eaten in the first few days and which are made for the freezer. Soups, stews, braises and sauces freeze well. Salads and crisp vegetables do not. A good menu mixes the two so that the last meal of the week is as good as the first.

Getting your kitchen ready

• Clear space in the fridge and freezer before cook day.
• Tell the chef what containers you have. Many chefs bring their own or will buy a set for you.
• Run the dishwasher and clear the counters. The chef will leave them clean.

Eating for a goal

If you are training for something or trying to lose weight, a chef can cook to a plan: set portions, more protein, fewer processed foods. The chef follows the plan. They do not write it. Get your targets from a doctor, a registered dietitian or a qualified coach and pass them on.

What it costs

A reasonable estimate is $250 to $500 per cook day for the chef’s fee, plus groceries, and more in expensive metro areas. See what a personal chef costs for prices by market.

Getting the most from it

After each of the first few visits, tell the chef what you liked, what was left over and what you want again. Menus get better quickly once the chef knows your household.