Healthy foods prepared in advance?

Brandilee2015

I'm a busy mom of two boys. Sometimes I barely have the time or energy to exercise, let alone eat right.
I keep bags of frozen fruit on hand for smoothies and I grill chicken breasts and freeze for later but I really don't know what other tips, tricks, and meals there are that I can prepare in advance for healthy eating later.

Anyone want to share their helpful secrets?

Kalikel

You learn as you go. It depends a lot on how many people you need to feed, too.

As you go along, you'll start realizing what will help you and what won't. You adapt and tweak ings to fit your own needs.

fablizy

I make up chili low fat and low carb big pot that can be frozen. ..spaghetti sauce to eat work veggies and grilled chicken. .. and veggie noodle turkey lasagna. These are all low cal low carb meals that can be done in advance. Really my husband usually does the cooking but we like stuff we can make in advance because I don't always have time to figure out what to have for lunches at work and such. Hope this helps.

Brandilee2015

Anyone ever try those mason jar salads?

meritage4

Double cook most family meals-then you can freeze or just reheat a meal.

rekite2000

Roasted chickpeas, soups and chilies that I freeze in serving sizes, I keep spicy bean burgers by Morningstar for grab and go lunches. I will spend an hour and measure out servings of my munchies (chips, crackers, candy- anything I may binge on if not divided up).

lesliefoste

Eggs are really helpful to me when I'm pressed for time or just don't feel like cooking. They're cheap, high in protein, and versatile. My current go-to is scrambling 2 eggs with spinach, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms. Add a little shredded cheddar at the end. Pair with a toasted English muffin with some butter. Under 500 calories and you're full AND you got in some veggies. Another favorite go-to is to scramble eggs with salsa and some cheese, and eat wrapped in corn tortillas.

Besides exploring egg options, I find my crock pot is really helpful. Put something together the night before and put it in the fridge. Plug in before I leave for work, and when I get home, dinner's ready! You can find tons of healthy recipes to fit your family's taste if you google it.

softblondechick

Just be a perpetual motion machine. Come home from store, and prep veggies before you put them in the fridge.

tigerlily_

Do they sell cheap bags of stir-fry veg near you? That literally takes minutes to cook (I add spices, hot sauce and a few eggs for extra protein) and is healthy and really low calorie.

TracieJ65

Every Monday I make a double batch of smoothies, in my vitamix. I do a complete first one with veggies, (celery, carrots, spinach, a cucumber), protein powder, water, flaxseed, and wheat germ. Put it in a big Tupperware and do a second batch with Greek yogurt, water, and whatever fruits I have on hand. I then mix the two together and have smoothies for the week. I pretty much cook all of our dinners, but most meals. I always cook enough for two so we have another helping of leftovers and I also look for recipes that freeze well and try to make a second, of those, to put one in the freezer. It really is true that if you spend an afternoon, on Sunday, or whatever is one of your days off, preparing it pays off in the end. Another thing I do, with my vitamix, is if I have something I am going to cook, later in the week, that needs the veggies, cheese, or whatever cut up, I will do it in my vitamix, put it in Tupperware, label the Tupperware, and it is ready for when I am ready to cook that meal. Almost everything that I cook I add extra veggies to.

thistimeimgonnamakeit

I think the key is to cook stuff that takes a long time on the weekend so you are mostly just reheating/repurposing during the week. On Sunday, I roast several pounds of vegetables, and a chicken or slab of meat (for my husband) that we eat for lunch during the week. I also make a big pot of lentils and a separate large pan of sautéed greens - we make 'breakfast bowls' of lentils, greens and eggs in the morning (the eggs take 3 minutes on the stove in the morning). If I know we're going to have pasta during the week, I'll prep the sauce as well and freeze it.

The other thing I try to do is plan for the week. I know that by Thursday, I'm pretty tired, so I try to plan for super-quick meals on Thursday and Friday. At least one night a week we'll do a stir fry with tofu and frozen veg (especially if we have leftover rice from something else).

Docbanana2002

I make meals on the weekends when I have more free time and then reheat them during the week. I've found that beans and bean soups, vegetable soups, rice or other grains, turnip/mustard/collard greens are all foods that reheat well and can simmer in a crock pot or cook in a rice cooker while you are doing other errands around the house. Don't have to be stood over. Some of them are even better after a few days.

Keeping bags of frozen vegetables around is good, too--I like the kind you can just microwave right in the bag. If you prefer freshly cooked veggies, then do the washing and chopping when you have the free time, then just do a quick steam at the last minute.

Pre-chop veggies for your salads, store in ziplock bags, and quickly assemble.

Sweet potatoes and baked potatoes can be pre-washed and then just cooked quickly in the microwave.

You can also pre-cook/chop fillings for fajitas or tacos and then assemble last-minute.

Tanya949

I make a big pot of soup that lasts several days. I make casseroles that will do for several weeknight dinners. I chop all veggies and fruits and leave in containers in the fridge, so on week nights I can just grab the veggies I need and they are already cut up and ready to cook. I prepare several servings of frozen fruits/yogurt ahead of time and freeze so they can just be popped into the blender for smoothies. I usually do all my prep on Sundays for the week ahead, and most things are ready to go during the week or already made. Saves a lot of dirty dishes/pots/pans during the week too.

Brandilee2015

Thank you for all the great suggestions!

gmallan

Fritatta. Throw any veggies, meat and herbs in a cassarole dish with eggs and a bit of wholegrain mustard and bake in the oven. Cut into pieces and freeze of put in the fridge for later. Excellent for a quick meal and great for using up leftover bits and pieces