Five high protein batch cook meals

1. Beef and bean chilli (5 portions, around 40 g protein each)

• 750 g lean (5% fat) beef mince
• 1 onion, 2 peppers and 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes and 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tins kidney beans, drained
• Chilli powder, cumin, smoked paprika, a stock cube

Brown the mince in a large pan, then add the onion, peppers and garlic and cook for five minutes. Stir in the spices, purée, tomatoes, beans and crumbled stock cube with a splash of water. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until thick. Serve with rice, a jacket potato or in a wrap, with a spoon of Greek yoghurt instead of soured cream.

2. Chicken and chickpea curry (5 portions, around 45 to 50 g protein each)

• 1 kg chicken breast or skinless thigh, diced
• 1 onion, garlic and fresh ginger
• 3 to 4 tbsp curry paste
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes and 1 tin chickpeas, drained
• A bag of spinach and 150 g Greek yoghurt

Soften the onion, garlic and ginger in a little oil, add the curry paste and cook for a minute. Add the chicken and brown it, then the tomatoes, chickpeas and a splash of water. Simmer for 25 minutes. Stir the spinach through until it wilts, take the pan off the heat and stir in the yoghurt. Serve with rice or a chapati.

3. Turkey and lentil bolognese (6 portions, around 40 g protein each)

• 1 kg lean turkey mince
• 100 g dried red lentils, rinsed
• 1 onion, 2 carrots and 1 courgette, finely grated or chopped
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato purée and a stock cube
• Dried oregano, garlic and black pepper

Brown the turkey, then add the onion, carrot, courgette and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add the lentils, tomatoes, purée, herbs, stock cube and about 300 ml water. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have broken down. Serve with wholewheat pasta and a little parmesan. The grated vegetables disappear into the sauce, which helps with fussy eaters.

4. Red lentil and tofu dal (5 portions, around 30 g protein each)

• 400 g dried red lentils, rinsed
• 400 g firm tofu, pressed and cubed
• 1 onion, garlic, ginger and a chopped chilli
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes and 1 tin light coconut milk
• Turmeric, cumin, garam masala and a bag of spinach

Bake or fry the tofu cubes until golden and set aside. Soften the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli, add the spices, then the lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk and about 800 ml water. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until thick, adding water if needed. Stir in the spinach and tofu. Serve with rice and a spoon of Greek or soya yoghurt, which adds a few more grams of protein. This works for vegetarians and, with soya yoghurt, vegans. See vegetarian and vegan protein for more ideas.

5. Chicken and black bean burrito bowls (4 portions, around 45 g protein each)

• 800 g skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 2 tins black beans, drained
• 2 sweet potatoes, cubed, and 3 peppers, sliced
• Fajita or smoked paprika seasoning, a little oil and a lime
• To serve: rice, salsa, lettuce and Greek yoghurt

Toss the chicken, sweet potato and peppers in the oil and seasoning and roast on two trays for 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Slice the chicken and mix with the vegetables and warmed black beans. Squeeze over the lime. Portion into boxes with rice, and add salsa, lettuce and yoghurt when you eat so they stay fresh.

Storing, reheating and making it work

Food Standards Agency advice is to cool leftovers quickly, ideally within two hours, eat fridge portions within two days, and reheat until steaming hot throughout. Only reheat food once. Rice is the one to be careful with: cool it quickly, keep it for no more than 24 hours in the fridge and never reheat it twice. Frozen portions are best defrosted overnight in the fridge.

To keep things interesting, change the toppings and sides rather than the base. The chilli works in a jacket potato on Monday and in a wrap with salad on Wednesday. The curry is just as good with a chapati as with rice. The bolognese can become a pasta bake with a little cheese on top. Small changes like these stop the week feeling repetitive.

Pick two recipes a week and alternate them, and you have a month of variety from five meals. If you are losing fat, keep the protein portion the same and adjust the rice or pasta. Our guide to fat loss meal prep explains how. If you are building muscle, add a larger carbohydrate portion on training days. For cheaper ingredients, see high protein shopping on a budget. And on a busy training evening, a box of chilli in the fridge after a class at Lycan Strength is exactly what stops the takeaway app coming out.