4 Smart Ways Heifa Odeh Meal Preps for Ramadan

Because Ramadan is about togetherness and community.

For content creator Heifa Odeh of Fufu’s Kitchen, Ramadan is about togetherness and community. “Everyone just wants to worship, get together, do all the right things,” she says. “It's so beautiful to see everyone on the same page.”

Observed during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is a celebratory time when Muslims abstain from food and water from dawn until dusk. It’s also a time of increased faith and worship, and, of course, gatherings. During this month, it’s common for Muslims to get together with family and friends for iftar, the breaking of the fast, where food is the centerpiece. 

There’s an emphasis on cooking throughout the month of Ramadan, and it can be exhausting to constantly find yourself in the kitchen—especially while you’re fasting. Heifa walked me through four smart meal prep tips she relies on to nourish and sustain her family and friends. 

1. Marinate Meat Ahead of Time

Heifa finds that having marinated meats on hand makes getting dinner together much easier. 

“At the beginning of the week, I'll marinate different kinds of proteins,” she says, noting that she most often goes for chicken and steak, setting aside a few minutes to prepare recipes like chicken shawarma and lomo saltado.

She advises against marinating fish, as salts and acids can change their texture the longer it sits.

In addition to marinated proteins, Heifa also likes to keep uncooked kofte, a seasoned meat mixture made of beef or lamb, on hand, so all she has to do is shape them into meatballs or skewers when she’s ready to cook. 

All of these meat options will keep uncooked in the fridge for a few days—up to two days for raw chicken and up to five days for beef or lamb.

2. Prep Individual Ingredients in Advance

There are plenty of ingredients that will hold up well if prepared ahead of time, especially vegetables. “Cutting takes time,” says Heifa. “If I’m going to make roasted vegetables, for instance, I'm going to prep all my veggies ahead of time, and then I'll just toss them in the pan with olive oil the day of.” 

This also works well for salads, though it depends on the ingredients—heartier vegetables like cauliflower and carrots will hold up well in the fridge for a few days, but ingredients like tomatoes and leafy greens are at risk of becoming soggy if cut ahead of time. 

For suhoor, the morning meal before the fast, Heifa likes to make sure she has all the ingredients she needs for a smoothie prepared, so all she has to do is blend. She also makes a point to prep easy, filling meals like overnight oats or baked oatmeal to make those early mornings a breeze. And for a boost of hydration that will last through the day, she always has cut-up watermelon ready to go in her fridge. 

3. Make Sauces and Dressings Beforehand

Heifa loves preparing all sorts of sauces and dressing in advance, as she notes that they’re easy to get out of the way and their flavors tend to get better as they sit—tahini dressing is one of her go-to's. 

If she’s making a salad with heartier vegetables and a grain like couscous, she’ll even dress it a day before and let the ingredients soak up those flavors. The same goes for sauces, whether it’s pasta sauce or curry—the longer they sit, the better.

4. Keep the Right Kitchen Supplies on Hand

Prepping food in advance requires having the right kitchen supplies at your disposal to keep everything fresh and ready to cook when the time comes. For example, Heifa notes that you’ll want to stock up on Ziploc bags and airtight containers for storage, as well as parchment paper, wax paper, and aluminum foil. 

She’s a big fan of quick-pickling—anything from onions to cucumbers and radishes—especially during Ramadan, so she keeps an assortment of jars on hand. These don’t have to be anything fancy; she makes a habit of keeping and reusing jars from any store-bought products, like grape leaves.