Meal Prep for Devs: 5 Simple Systems That Actually Work

I used to live on energy drinks and whatever food delivery app had the fastest ETA. After spending 3+ hours a day thinking about food—scrolling menus, waiting for delivery, cleaning up random containers—I realized I was context-switching my brain just as much with meals as I was with poorly organized code. The breaking point came during a particularly brutal sprint when I spent $180 on takeout in three days. Not because I'm wealthy, but because I was too mentally drained to make basic food decisions. Here's what I learned after experimenting with meal prep for two years: you don't need Instagram-worthy containers or elaborate recipes. You need systems that work even when your brain is fried from debugging production issues at 9 PM. The "Base + Variable" System This is my go-to approach and probably the most sustainable method I've found. Pick one base ingredient, prep it in bulk, then mix and match throughout the week. My current rotation: Monday prep : Cook 2 cups of rice, roast a she