Glossary

Meal prep and meal planning glossary

41 terms you will meet in recipes, nutrition labels and food safety guides, each with a link to a deeper guide.

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Batch cooking: Cooking a large quantity of one recipe at once and portioning it for several meals. Learn more about batch cooking
Blanching: Briefly boiling vegetables, then plunging them into ice water. It preserves color and texture, especially before freezing. Learn more about blanching

Calorie deficit: Eating fewer calories than your body uses over time, which leads to weight loss. The right size of deficit is personal; ask a clinician. Learn more about calorie deficit
Component prep: Prepping separate building blocks (a grain, a protein, vegetables, a sauce) that you combine into different meals during the week. Learn more about component prep
Cook once, eat twice: Deliberately cooking extra so leftovers become a second, different meal. Learn more about cook once, eat twice
Cross-contact: When an allergen or gluten transfers from one food or surface to another. It matters for allergies and celiac disease. Learn more about cross-contact

Danger zone: The temperature range between 40°F and 140°F (4°C to 60°C) in which bacteria multiply quickly, according to USDA. Learn more about danger zone
Diabetes Plate Method: A simple plate guide from the American Diabetes Association: half non-starchy vegetables, a quarter lean protein and a quarter carbohydrate foods. Learn more about diabetes plate method

FIFO: First in, first out. Put newer food behind older food so the oldest gets used first. Learn more about fifo
Flash freezing: Freezing items spread out on a tray before bagging them, so they do not stick together. Learn more about flash freezing
Freezer meal: A fully or partly cooked meal stored frozen to reheat or finish cooking later. Learn more about freezer meal

Gluten-free: In the US, a food labeled gluten-free must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten under FDA rules. Learn more about gluten-free
Glycemic index: A ranking of how quickly a carbohydrate food raises blood glucose compared with a reference food. Learn more about glycemic index

Halal: Permissible under Islamic dietary law. Certification standards vary, so check labels and follow your own religious authority. Learn more about halal
High-protein: Meals or diets that emphasize protein, often used to support satiety or muscle gain. Learn more about high-protein

Ingredient prep: Washing, chopping and portioning raw ingredients ahead of time without fully cooking meals. Learn more about ingredient prep

Keto: A very low-carbohydrate, high-fat eating pattern intended to shift the body toward using fat and ketones for fuel. Learn more about keto
Kosher: Conforming to Jewish dietary law (kashrut), including rules on permitted foods and separating meat and dairy. Learn more about kosher

Macros: Short for macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fat, the nutrients that supply calories. Learn more about macros
Meal planning: Deciding in advance what you will eat over a period, usually a week, and shopping for it in one go. Learn more about meal planning
Meal prep: Cooking, portioning or preparing food ahead of time so meals are quick to assemble later. Learn more about meal prep
Mediterranean diet: An eating pattern built on vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, olive oil, fish and nuts, with less red meat. Learn more about mediterranean diet
Mise en place: French for “everything in its place”: measuring and arranging ingredients before you start cooking. Learn more about mise en place

Net carbs: Total carbohydrates minus fiber (and sometimes sugar alcohols). It is a popular low-carb counting method, not an FDA label term. Learn more about net carbs

Paleo: An eating pattern that avoids grains, legumes, dairy and processed foods, focusing on meat, fish, vegetables, fruit and nuts. Learn more about paleo
Pantry staples: Shelf-stable basics such as rice, pasta, canned beans, oils and spices that you keep on hand to fill gaps in a plan. Learn more about pantry staples
Pareve: In kosher law, foods that are neither meat nor dairy, such as eggs, fish, fruit and vegetables. Learn more about pareve
Planned leftovers: Leftovers you schedule on purpose, such as a leftover-lunch day after a big dinner. Learn more about planned leftovers
Plant-based: Eating mostly or entirely foods from plants. It can include vegetarian and vegan diets. Learn more about plant-based
Portion control: Serving measured amounts so a meal matches your calorie or macro target. Learn more about portion control

RDA: Recommended Dietary Allowance, the daily intake that meets the needs of nearly all healthy people. For protein it is 0.8 g per kg of body weight. Learn more about rda

Safe minimum internal temperature: The temperature food must reach to be safe, for example 165°F (74°C) for poultry and reheated leftovers. Learn more about safe minimum internal temperature
Sheet-pan meal: A complete meal of protein and vegetables roasted together on one tray, a common meal prep shortcut. Learn more about sheet-pan meal
Shelf-stable: Food that is safe at room temperature until opened, such as canned goods and dry grains. Learn more about shelf-stable

TDEE: Total daily energy expenditure: the calories you burn in a day, including activity. It is an estimate used to set calorie targets. Learn more about tdee
Theme nights: Assigning a type of meal to each weekday, such as Taco Tuesday or Soup Sunday, to speed up planning. Learn more about theme nights
Two-hour rule: USDA guidance to refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours of cooking, or 1 hour above 90°F. Learn more about two-hour rule

Unit price: The cost per ounce, pound or item, shown on many shelf tags. It is the fairest way to compare package sizes. Learn more about unit price

Vegan: A diet with no animal products, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs and usually honey. Learn more about vegan
Vegetarian: A diet without meat or fish. Many vegetarians eat dairy and eggs. Learn more about vegetarian

Whole30: A 30-day elimination program that removes added sugar, grains, legumes, dairy and alcohol. Learn more about whole30

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