How I Prep a Week of Easy, No-Heat Summer Meals

The summer heat waves have arrived — and they show no signs of stopping. With high temperatures predicted for the week ahead (again!), I’m avoiding the oven, stovetop, and even my grill until further notice. This week, I’ll rely on fresh, in-season vegetables, supermarket shortcuts, and meals that require no cooking at all (just some chopping and assembly to pull them together). In this Power Hour, I’ll show you how to plan, shop, and prep for a week of no-cook breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Here’s how to do it.

• Breakfast: Cold smoothie bowls that everyone can personalize (five days).
• Lunch: Easy and no-prep lunches — perfect for eating poolside or at your desk (five days).
• Dinner: Summer suppers that require no cooking at all — just some assembly (four days).
• Nutritional Goals: This week’s plan focuses on keeping the kitchen cool with no-cook meals, not specific dietary markers. This week’s meals are well-balanced and full of fresh, summery produce.

• Feeds: 2 adults and 2 kids
• Prep Time: About 2 hours
• Meals Covered: About 70% (one night out and no weekend meals)
• Weeknight Cooking Required? No cooking, but assembly may be required some nights.

• Smoothie Breakfast Bowl with Berries & Granola: Make 10 times the recipe

• French Ham and Cheese Baguette: Make 3 times the recipe
• Avocado Chicken Salad: Make 2 times the recipe

• Ahi Poke: Served with lettuce and avocado
• Summer Vegetable Sandwich with Garlic Cream Cheese
• Mediterranean Tuna and White Bean Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
• Easy Gazpacho

These are the ingredients that I bought or used for this week’s meals. Shop your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer before heading to the grocery store. Staple ingredients — like olive and vegetable oils, kosher salt, and black pepper — are not included in this list.

• Deli/Bakery: 3 French baguettes, 1 loaf soft French bread (not baguette), 3 slices hearty bread, 5 cups cooked chicken (from about 2 rotisserie chickens), 24 ounces unsmoked very thinly sliced deli ham
• Produce: 1/4 cup fresh chives, 1/4 cup fresh dill, 5 cloves garlic, 3 avocados, 2 ounces (about 2 cups) baby arugula, 7 ounces (about 7 cups) baby spinach, 2 medium cucumbers, 1 small (8-ounce) fennel bulb, 4 lemons, lettuce (for poke bowls), 10 bananas, 2 to 3 pounds tomatoes, 1 scallion, 1 small sweet onion, 1 shallot, 1 small head (about 5 ounces) radicchio, berries (for smoothie bowls)
• Seafood: 1 pound ahi (yellowfin tuna) steaks
• Dairy: 1 1/4 gallons (160 ounces) almond milk, 9 tablespoons butter, 4 ounces cream cheese, 24 ounces very thinly sliced Gruyère cheese,
• Dry Goods: 2 1/2 cups granola, 3/4 cup Dijon mustard, 2 (5-ounce) cans oil-packed tuna, 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 (12-ounce) jar whole pimento or roasted red peppers, 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1/4 cup basil pesto, 1 1/4 cups chia seeds, 3/4 cup flaxseeds, 2 cans cannellini beans, 2 1/2 cups coconut milk, 1 (12-ounce jar quartered and marinated artichoke hearts, 30 cornichons, 2 teaspoons macadamia nuts
• Freezer: 1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels, 10 cups frozen blueberries, 10 cups frozen peaches, mango, or pineapple

1. Prep produce. For the Ahi Poke: Wash and chop lettuce, then transfer to a food storage container and refrigerate. For the Mediterranean Tuna and White Bean Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette: Thinly slice fennel and radicchio. Combine fennel, radicchio, and arugula in a large food storage container and refrigerate. For the Easy Gazpacho: Quarter the tomatoes, then peel and roughly chop the cucumber, shallots, and garlic.
2. Make gazpacho. Tear sliced bread into large chunks then place in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Squeeze the tomato quarters over the bread, then let it sit for a few minutes while the bread softens and absorbs the tomato juices. Add the tomatoes and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the cucumber, shallots, garlic, vinegar, and salt. Process until desired consistency. Turn the blender or food processor on and add a thin stream of olive oil. Taste and add more salt or vinegar, if desired. Transfer to a food storage container and refrigerate.
3. Prep tuna and white bean salad. Make the basil vinaigrette in a lidded jar. Cover and refrigerate. Combine drained and rinsed cannellini beans and drained (do not rinse) oil-packed tuna in a separate food storage container and refrigerate.
4. Mix cream cheese for subs. Mix the cream cheese, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Cover and refrigerate.
5. Make avocado chicken salad. Make a double batch of the chicken salad. Start the dressing by juicing a lemon into a mixing bowl, and add finely chopped dill and chives, salt, and pepper. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then add a diced avocado, diced or pulled rotisserie chicken, and corn kernels. Toss gently to combine and refrigerate. Cut a lemon into wedges and refrigerate separately.
6. Assemble smoothie packs. Divide frozen blueberries, frozen peaches, peeled bananas, spinach, chia seeds, and flaxseeds into freezer quart-sized zip-top bags or reusable containers. Each bag should contain the fruit and seeds necessary for 1 recipe (or 2 servings). Label and freeze.
7. Make ahi poke. Use a sharp knife to cut the tuna into 1-inch cubes. Place the tuna in a large food storage container. Add thinly sliced sweet onion, sliced scallion, minced garlic, black sesame seeds, macadamia nuts, soy sauce, sesame oil, Hawaiian sea salt or kosher salt, and red pepper flake, if desired. Stir gently to combine, then cover and refrigerate.

Monday through Friday, Smoothie Breakfast Bowl with Berries & Granola: In the morning, combine 1 prepared smoothie pack with almond milk, coconut milk, and vanilla extract in a blender and purée until thick and smooth. Divide between 2 bowls and top with granola and berries. Repeat with a second smoothie pack for 2 additional servings.

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday, French Ham and Cheese Baguette: Set up an assembly line to prep sandwiches in the morning. Slice the baguette lengthwise, buttering one half and spreading mustard on the other half of the cut side of the bread. Thinly slice cornichons lengthwise, then pile on the bottom half of the bread with layers of ham and Gruyère cheese. Close the sandwich and cut into quarters. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate if not eating immediately.
• Tuesday and Thursday, Avocado Chicken Salad: The avocado chicken salad is ready to eat. Toss it again before serving with a wedge of lemon. The flavors are brightest if you allow the salad to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to take the chill off.

• Monday, Ahi Poke: Fill bowls with lettuce, and top with a portion of the poke. Top each bowl with sliced or diced avocado.
• Tuesday, Summer Vegetable Sandwich with Garlic Cream Cheese: Remove the cream cheese mixture from the fridge to soften until spreadable. Slice the loaf of soft French bread in half lengthwise. Spread the cream cheese over both cut sides. Layer well-drained pimentos or roasted red peppers, thinly sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced cucumbers, well-drained quartered and marinated artichoke hearts, and spinach. Close the sandwich and cut crosswise into quarters.
• Wednesday, Mediterranean Tuna and White Bean Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette: Dinner is already prepped and just requires some light assembly. Place the fennel, radicchio, and arugula in a large mixing bowl. Shake the pesto vinaigrette to emulsify, drizzle 2 tablespoons over the greens, and toss to coat. Divide the vegetables between serving bowls. Place the beans and tuna in the now-empty mixing bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Toss again to coat. Spoon the bean and tuna mixture onto the greens. Serve with additional vinaigrette, if desired.
• Thursday, Easy Gazpacho: The gazpacho is ready to eat. Just ladle soup into bowls and serve chilled.
• Friday, Dinner out.

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Power Hour Meal Prep is the series where we help you put it all together. We show you how to eat well during the week with an hour or two of Power Hour prep over the weekend. Every plan is different; mix and match to find your own personal sweet spot.