Week 2 · Sweet & Savory · Asian-Forward

PREP
SMARTER
week two meal system

1958 cal / day 124g protein / day Sweet & Savory lean Teriyaki · Bulgogi · Honey Glazed 1 Non-Asian Night
~2hrs
Sunday Prep
15min
Weeknight Assembly
~$38
Est. Spend
7
Meals Planned
01
Shopping List
✓ Do Not Buy — Already Stocked Jasmine rice · Full Asian pantry (soy sauce, dark soy, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, mirin, Shaoxing wine, gochujang, doubanjiang, hoisin, chili oil, white pepper, garlic powder, MSG, neutral oil) · Kirkland chicken chunks (freezer backup) · Greek yogurt (breakfast)
★ Best Value Proteins This Week Chicken thighs/drumsticks at $0.99/lb is exceptional — buy 4–5 lb. Boston Butt at $3.99/lb gives you a slow cooker pull-apart protein that earns its cost across multiple meals. These two anchor the week.
🥩 Proteins
★ Chicken Thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
~2 kg / ~4.5 lb — sous vide + wok finish. Week's primary protein.
$0.99/lb
~$4.50
★ Boston Butt / Country-Style Ribs
~1.5 kg / ~3 lb — slow cooker. Sweet honey-soy pull pork.
$3.99/lb
~$12
Raw Shrimp (16 oz frozen)
Wok protein for the non-Asian night and one fast Asian meal.
$8.99
🥬 Produce
Green Cabbage (1 head ~800g)
Raw slaw base + stir fry. $0.29/lb is the best deal on the board.
$0.29/lb
~$0.50
Broccoli Crowns (~600g)
Blanch Sunday, use all week. High volume, low calorie.
$1.69/lb
~$2.25
Cucumbers (×2)
Raw topper, Korean cucumber side.
$0.69 ea
$1.38
Green Bell Peppers (×2)
Stir fry + raw veg.
$0.69 ea
$1.38
Avocados (×3)
Mediterranean/Italian night + bowl topper.
$0.69 ea
$2.07
Mushrooms — Sliced White (8 oz)
Bulgogi bowl and stir fry depth.
$1.45
Baby Carrots (1 lb)
Raw snack + stir fry.
$0.85
Lemons (×2)
Mediterranean night, brightness throughout week.
$0.54 ea
$1.08
🧊 Frozen / Backup
Bibigo Mini Wontons (if low)
Check your freezer first — backup night only.
If needed
🥫 Pantry
Cleveland Kimchi (16 oz)
On sale — replenish if you're low from last week.
$2.99
Nasoya Firm Tofu (16 oz)
Optional protein extender for a low-meat day.
$2.50
Estimated Total
Pantry, breakfast, household not included
~$38–44
02
Macro Targets
1958
Calories / Day
~914 per meal
124g
Protein / Day
~52g per meal
~130
Cal from Breakfast
~20g protein from yogurt
📐 Your Plate Formula 180–200g cooked chicken thigh or pulled pork · 150g cooked jasmine rice · 150g+ veg (essentially free calories) · sauce. This gets you to roughly 750–850 cal and 45–55g protein per meal before rice adjustment. Your partner: same protein, larger rice portion (~280g).
Protein Serving (cooked) Calories Protein Notes
Chicken thigh (bone-in, skin-on, cooked) 180g ~370 ~33g Weigh after cooking, bone removed
Chicken thigh (skin removed, cooked) 180g ~270 ~37g Remove skin if calories are tight
Pulled Boston Butt (cooked) 160g ~340 ~34g Weigh after pulling, in juices
Shrimp (cooked) 150g ~150 ~30g Very lean — pair with higher calorie sides
Jasmine rice (cooked) 150g ~175 ~3g Your cut portion
Eggs (whole) 2 eggs ~100g ~140 ~12g Good cheap protein extender
Greek yogurt (nonfat) 150g ~85 ~15g Sauce base or side — high protein, low cal
⚠️ Protein Flag — Shrimp Night Shrimp is very lean (~30g protein per 150g) but low calorie. On the Mediterranean shrimp night you'll need to lean on avocado, olive oil, and a larger rice portion to hit your calorie target without going over on protein.
03
Fridge Audit
⚡ Use First — Leftovers from Last Week Roasted zucchini, mini sweet peppers, and braised pork are all from last week. Zucchini and peppers are your priority — they go into Sunday and Monday meals. The braised pork you didn't enjoy gets repurposed into a completely different dish (fried rice) so the texture and presentation are transformed.
Roasted Zucchini
⚡ Use Sunday
→ Goes into Sunday bulgogi bowl as veg base
Mini Sweet Peppers
⚡ Use Sunday–Monday
→ Raw topper Sunday, wok stir fry Monday
Braised Pork (leftover)
⚠ Use by Monday
→ Repurposed into fried rice Monday — completely different dish
Kimchi
✓ Good all week
→ Side condiment throughout, fried rice on Monday
Eggs
✓ Good all week
→ Fried rice, protein extender any night
Greek Yogurt (2 lb)
✓ Good all week
→ Breakfast daily + sauce base mid-week
04
Sunday Prep Sequence
⏱ Before You Start Get your food scale, all storage containers, and your sous vide vessel out now. Total active time: ~50 min. Total elapsed: ~4 hours. The slow cooker runs longest — start it first before anything else.
0:00
Slow Cooker — Honey Soy Pulled Pork (Boston Butt)
8 min active · 7–8 hrs passive
Passive

Cut Boston Butt into 3–4 large chunks if it's one piece. Place in slow cooker.

Honey Soy Braising Liquid — weigh directly into slow cooker:

· Soy sauce 50g · Dark soy sauce 20g · Honey 45g · Oyster sauce 30g · Mirin 25g · Sesame oil 12g · Rice vinegar 15g · Water 80g · Fresh ginger sliced 20g · Garlic cloves crushed 20g · White pepper 2g

Set to LOW for 7–8 hours. Do not open the lid.

💡 The honey caramelizes into the pork fat as it cooks — this is what gives it the sweet glaze that makes it completely different from last week's braised pork. The rice vinegar cuts through the richness so it doesn't feel heavy. You'll shred directly in the liquid.
0:10
Sous Vide — Chicken Thighs (two flavor bags)
12 min active · 2–4 hrs passive
Passive

Fill vessel and set sous vide to 165°F (thighs need higher temp than breast for ideal texture). While it heats, prepare two bags. Weigh marinade directly into each bag.

Bag A — Teriyaki (~700g chicken thighs):

· Soy sauce 30g · Mirin 30g · Honey 20g · Sake or Shaoxing wine 20g · Sesame oil 10g · Garlic powder 3g · Ginger powder 2g

Bag B — Bulgogi Style (~700g chicken thighs):

· Soy sauce 35g · Asian pear juice or grated pear 30g (use mirin if no pear) · Honey 15g · Sesame oil 12g · Gochujang 10g · Rice vinegar 10g · Garlic powder 4g · White pepper 2g

Seal both bags tight. Drop into vessel once at temp. Set timer for minimum 2 hours, up to 4.

💡 165°F for thighs gives you fully rendered fat and fall-apart tender meat that still holds together when sliced. The bulgogi marinade's natural sweetness from pear (or mirin) is the key to that Korean BBQ flavor without a grill.
0:25
Rice Cooker — Large Batch Jasmine Rice
5 min active · 25–30 min passive
Passive

Cook 800g dry jasmine rice. Yields ~2.2 kg cooked. Leave on warm until portioning later.

💡 Your portions: 150g cooked (~175 cal). Partner's: ~280g. Tare your containers and weigh each now — eliminates all mid-week decisions.
0:30
Blanch Broccoli + Prep Raw Veg
15 min active
Active

Broccoli (~600g): Cut into florets. Boil salted water, blanch broccoli 90 seconds only, then immediately into ice water to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry. This keeps it bright green and slightly crisp all week — far better than roasting for a prep component.

Raw veg — slice and container everything:

· Cucumbers — 300g rounds · Green peppers — 200g strips · Baby carrots — 150g as-is · Cabbage — 200g shredded fine (raw slaw reserve) · Mushrooms — 225g whole (sliced) keep separate

💡 Keep mushrooms in their own container — they release moisture and will make everything else soggy if stored together. Don't wash them until you're ready to use them each night.
0:50
Make Korean Cucumber Side (Oi Muchim)
8 min active · improves overnight
Active

Slice 200g cucumber thin, toss with salt 5g, let sit 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess water.

Dress with: Gochujang 12g · Rice vinegar 15g · Sesame oil 8g · Honey 8g · Soy sauce 8g · Garlic powder 2g

Toss and refrigerate. Ready to eat tonight, even better tomorrow.

💡 This is a side that appears on 3–4 meals this week and takes 8 minutes to make once. The sweetness from honey balances the gochujang heat — perfectly aligned with your sweet-leaning profile.
~2:30
Wok Finish — Chicken Thighs (both bags)
10 min active · after sous vide
Active

Remove bags from water bath. Pat skin completely dry — critical for crispy skin finish.

Induction wok on maximum heat, neutral oil 15g. Sear skin-side down 2–3 minutes without moving until skin is deeply golden and crispy. Flip, 30 seconds. Remove and rest.

Bag A (Teriyaki): Pour remaining bag marinade into hot wok, reduce 60 seconds until slightly thickened and glossy. Spoon over chicken. Slice and refrigerate with the glaze.

Bag B (Bulgogi): Same — reduce bag liquid in wok 60 seconds, pour over. Slice and refrigerate separately.

💡 The sous vide does the cooking, the wok does the flavor. Reducing the bag marinade into a glaze takes 60 seconds and transforms it from a marinade into a proper sauce — don't skip this step.
~2:45
Portion Rice Into Containers
5 min active
Active

Tare each container, weigh 150g cooked rice for your portions. Partner's containers: 280g. Label with a strip of tape.

~7:30
Shred Pork — When Slow Cooker Done
5 min active
Active

Pork should pull apart with zero resistance. Shred directly in the insert, mixing with the cooking liquid. The honey caramelization will have created a slightly sticky, glossy sauce — spoon it all over the shredded meat.

Transfer to a container. Pour remaining liquid over the top.

💡 Tonight's dinner: Bulgogi Chicken Rice Bowl. You've already got everything — bulgogi chicken sliced, rice portioned, cucumber side made, raw veg prepped. Assembly is 5 minutes.
05
Post-Prep Inventory
Teriyaki Chicken (sliced)
Bag A · with glaze
5
days
Bulgogi Chicken (sliced)
Bag B · with glaze
5
days
Honey Soy Pulled Pork
In braising liquid
5
days
Jasmine Rice
Pre-portioned 150g / 280g
5
days
Blanched Broccoli
Use early for best texture
3–4
days
Korean Cucumber Side
Gets better day 2–3
4
days
Raw Cut Veg
Cucumbers, peppers, carrots
5–6
days
Shredded Cabbage
Raw slaw reserve
5
days
Mushrooms (sliced)
Keep dry, use within 3 days
3
days
Avocados
Leave on counter to ripen
3–5
days
🔁 Mid-Week Refresh Rule Rice is the only thing worth re-cooking mid-week if it runs out — 25 min hands-off in the rice cooker. Shrimp is intentionally left uncooked: thaw in cold water 20 min on the night you use it, cook fresh in the wok for 4 minutes. Everything else holds.
06
Day-by-Day Meal Plan
How to use this plan One meal per day = lunch and dinner. Assemble once, portion twice. Swap days freely. All gram quantities are your cut portions. Partner gets same food, larger rice (~280g) and slightly larger protein portion. Gold numbers are gram weights.
SUNDAY
Korean
Dinner — make from tonight's prep
🥩 Bulgogi Chicken Rice Bowl
Bulgogi chicken sliced 180g · rice 150g · roasted zucchini (leftover) 100g · mini sweet peppers (leftover) raw 60g · Korean cucumber side 80g · kimchi 50g on side · extra bulgogi glaze drizzled over
~820 cal ~51g protein
→ Clears both leftover veg items in one meal. Pure assembly, 5 min.
✦ Works solo or for two — just double protein and rice for partner
MONDAY
Chinese
Lunch & Dinner
🍳 Leftover Pork Fried Rice
Leftover braised pork shredded 150g · day-old rice 150g · kimchi 60g chopped · 2 eggs · broccoli 100g · mini sweet peppers 80g · soy sauce 15g · dark soy 5g · sesame oil 8g
~870 cal ~55g protein
→ Transforms last week's pork into something completely different. Clears the fridge.
✦ Easy to halve for solo nights
TUESDAY
Japanese
Lunch & Dinner
🍗 Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
Teriyaki chicken sliced 180g · rice 150g · blanched broccoli 120g · shredded cabbage 80g · Korean cucumber side 80g · teriyaki glaze from bag 20g drizzled · sesame seeds if you have them
~830 cal ~52g protein
→ Classic bowl, sweet glaze, clean flavors. Uses broccoli while it's at peak texture.
✦ Ideal solo or together
WEDNESDAY
Korean
Lunch & Dinner
🥬 Honey Pork Lettuce Wraps
Honey soy pulled pork 170g reheated in juices · cabbage leaves as wraps · rice 150g · cucumber 60g · mushrooms 80g wok-fried 3 min · sauce: gochujang 12g + honey 8g + sesame oil 5g + soy sauce 8g
~890 cal ~53g protein
→ The honey-forward pork is nothing like last week's braise. Uses mushrooms before they turn.
✦ Great for two — interactive eating makes it feel like an event
THURSDAY
Mediterranean
Lunch & Dinner — Non-Asian Night
🍤 Lemon Garlic Shrimp Bowl
Raw shrimp thawed 200g wok-cooked 4 min · rice 150g · avocado 100g sliced · broccoli 100g · cucumber 80g · sauce: olive oil 15g + lemon juice 20g + garlic powder 3g + salt + chili flakes
~820 cal ~46g protein
→ Your one non-Asian meal. Light, bright, completely different palate from the rest of the week.
✦ Shrimp cooks fresh in 4 min — easy to scale for 1 or 2
FRIDAY
Asian
Lunch & Dinner
🍗 Bulgogi Chicken Noodle Stir Fry
Bulgogi chicken 180g · egg noodles or rice noodles cooked 120g · cabbage 100g · peppers 80g · carrots 60g · wok toss with leftover bulgogi glaze 25g · sesame oil 8g · chili oil 8g
~910 cal ~50g protein
→ Same bulgogi chicken, totally different format from Sunday. The noodle swap keeps it fresh.
✦ 15 min wok assembly — easy any night
SATURDAY
Zero Effort
Backup / Fridge Cleanup Night
⚡ Kirkland Chunks or Wonton Night
Kirkland chicken chunks air fried · or Bibigo wontons · rice 150g from container · whatever veg is left · drizzle: soy sauce 10g + sesame oil 5g + chili oil 5g
~750 cal ~40g protein
→ Not a failure. This is a planned rest night. Enjoy it.
✦ Solo night ideal — no cooking, no decisions
07
Sauce Reference
All quantities per single serving (your cut portion). Mix in a small bowl, pour over, done.
Teriyaki Glaze (from bag)
Tuesday bowl · any night
Bag A liquid reduced in wok 20g Sesame oil 5g Pour warm over bowl
Bulgogi Finishing Sauce (from bag)
Sunday bowl · Friday noodles
Bag B liquid reduced 25g Chili oil 5g Sesame oil 5g
Honey Gochujang Wrap Sauce
Wednesday lettuce wraps
Gochujang 12g Honey 8g Soy sauce 8g Sesame oil 5g Rice vinegar 5g
Lemon Garlic Oil
Thursday Mediterranean shrimp
Olive oil 15g Fresh lemon juice 20g Garlic powder 3g Salt 2g Chili flakes to taste
Korean Cucumber Side (Oi Muchim)
Sunday · Tuesday · any bowl
Gochujang 12g Rice vinegar 15g Sesame oil 8g Honey 8g Soy sauce 8g Garlic powder 2g Made Sunday, lasts 4 days
Quick Wok Stir Fry Sauce
Monday fried rice · any wok night
Soy sauce 15g Dark soy sauce 5g Oyster sauce 12g Sesame oil 8g White pepper 1g
08
Flex Rules
Solo vs Two — Portion Logic Cook everything the same way. When solo, assemble one portion and refrigerate the rest immediately. When together, plate your 150g rice first, then your partner's 280g. Same protein, different rice. No separate cooking ever.
🔁 Mid-Week Refresh Rice runs out → rice cooker, 25 min, done. Chicken runs out before Friday → Kirkland chunks fill the gap. Shrimp is intentionally left raw — thaw and wok cook fresh on the night you use it. Nothing else needs refreshing.
💊 Supplements Note Multivitamin gummies, fish oil, and fiber supplements — take fish oil with your largest meal of the day (lunch or dinner) to minimize any aftertaste and improve absorption with dietary fat. Fiber supplement is best taken before a meal with a full glass of water. Nothing in this plan conflicts with any of these.
⚡ Emergency Fallback Hierarchy 1. Kirkland chunks + rice from container + any sauce — 10 min
2. Bibigo wontons air fried + rice + chili oil — 12 min
3. Eggs scrambled into leftover rice — 8 min
4. Order out — you've earned it once a week
🔑 The Rule That Makes This Work Your wok is for finishing, not for cooking from scratch. Everything heavy happened Sunday. Weeknights are just heat + combine + sauce. If you're standing at the stove for more than 15 minutes on a weeknight something went wrong with prep — not with the recipe.