HeLP! Looking for ideas for grab and go diy diet

Tamwinde

I have a friend who sells (or whatever you want to call it) Medifast products. While the idea seems great to me because of the convenience, the cost and idea of eating so much processed food doesn't thrill me. So, does anyone have a good plan/idea for creating your own grab and go type diet plan without too much preparation?

RodaRose

It makes sense to make changes gradually. Eat some of the same foods that you are eating now. Eat smaller portions. Start cooking two new dishes a week. After a month you will have eight new dishes that you can rotate.

SharpTeeth

I cook a pound of bacon and grill chicken every Sunday so that I have meat already ready for a variety of quick fix meals, like BLTs, chicken wraps, salads, etc, which are all quick as well to shove in a tupperware to take to work. I also like a CalNaturale Svelte protein drink (non-dairy, as I am intolerant) in a pinch, which are healthy enough and taste like a treat. For a small filling snack I keep different sorts of nuts on my desk.

Pinnacle_IAO

Tamwinde wrote: »

I have a friend who sells (or whatever you want to call it) Medifast products. While the idea seems great to me because of the convenience, the cost and idea of eating so much processed food doesn't thrill me. So, does anyone have a good plan/idea for creating your own grab and go type diet plan without too much preparation?

I like to keep staple items which allow me to plan ahead and package my own meals cooked and prepared from pure whole foods. At the end of every day, I know in detail my meals for tomorrow.

Pearsquared

SharpTeeth wrote: »

I cook a pound of bacon and grill chicken every Sunday so that I have meat already ready for a variety of quick fix meals, like BLTs, chicken wraps, salads, etc, which are all quick as well to shove in a tupperware to take to work. I also like a CalNaturale Svelte protein drink (non-dairy, as I am intolerant) in a pinch, which are healthy enough and taste like a treat. For a small filling snack I keep different sorts of nuts on my desk.

I'll second this. I call it the Sunday diet. Prep everything on Sunday so everything is grab and go during the week.

Tamwinde

Thanks all....guess there's no easy way. I was hoping someone had an idea that didn't entail spending my Sunday cooking and prepping. Though grilling chicken isn't hard. Thanks.

Josalinn

Tamwinde wrote: »

Thanks all....guess there's no easy way. I was hoping someone had an idea that didn't entail spending my Sunday cooking and prepping. Though grilling chicken isn't hard. Thanks.

Sorry. Part of the appeal of having someone else do it for you like medifast or nutrisystem is that it is easy. It's a trade off easy and processed or a little work and not as processed.

So one thing you could do is if you eat roughly the same calories at lunch and dinner is make 2x as much at dinner the night before and tupperware the leftovers for lunch the next day. You are already cooking so might as well make enough for later. Crackers, grapes, baby carrots, nuts, etc. can all be portioned out fairly quickly when you get home from the store.

Tamwinde

Good point Josalinn.

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage

I love mason jar salads. I make a work week's worth at a time and they stay fresh. What could be easier than grabbing a jar and a fork?

noneya2010

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage wrote: »

I love mason jar salads. I make a work week's worth at a time and they stay fresh. What could be easier than grabbing a jar and a fork?

Are these like the old McD's "salad shakers?" I loved those things and something about shaking it all up makes it taste so much better; dressing (less) gets distributed easily. I never thought to do them in a mason jar!

Kalikel

Eat healthy foods. If you don't know how to cook, learn to make them in ways you like. Put them in Tupperware and you have yourself a grab-and-go plan that costs less, is healthier and tastes better.

It is more work, though. There's always a trade-off.

melimomTARDIS

its crazy easy to count the calories in packaged food, so if grab and go is your style, pick up some frozen dinners and protein bars, string cheese, apples and other easy to eat fruit/pre cut veggies. Then log it!

bunnywestley81

I make big batches of things and freeze.

Veggie soup doesn't take long and can make 8 portions in a go. Freezes well.

Get a slow cooker and lob some stock and hen tit in it. Turn on and ignore for a few hours. Chicken for a week!

Or you can make chilli, casseroles, soup etc in there and freeze for the week.

Tinned soups without "cream of" are quick and easy.

Salads are a go to lunch for me. Buy prepared leaves for less prep and throw some dressing and a drained tin of tuna on it. Or a cooked meat of your choice (I buy whole lettuces and salad veg and chop myself as its cheaper though!)

stirfrys are quick, buy prechopped meat and bagged/frozen veg.

Or ready meals (check salt and sugar tho)

Fruit is an awesome snack and an apple or banana require very little prep. Also yogurts. String cheese. Nuts.

Just weigh and log

TeaBea

Quick to pack lunches

Cottage cheese + snack pack fruit (in juice). Veggie side of snap peas, baby carrots and/or pepper strips.

Baked potato (you can buy the singles wrapped in plastic).....for toppings I like the Green Giant broccoli and cheese (singles) and I throw some grilled chicken on there.

krystleLD25

I suck at eating good breakfasts. I make my own smoothie so the night before I put all the stuff that goes into my smoothie in the blender. The only thing I add the next day is almond milk or some sort of juice. It depends on the type of smoothie. When I wake up, I blend it and go. Adding an egg or Greek yogurt is a good source of protein. I'm also a fan of the puréed fruit pouches (who says they're just for kids). I try to get the peter cotton tail ones bc they are organic and usually have veggies in them as well. I also pre-portion trail mix or nuts for a good snack sense my breakfasts aren't that filling sometimes. Hope that helps.

sheermomentum

If you don't mind the salt content, then Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones frozen entrees are pre-portioned meals waiting to be zapped up. Put some frozen veggies in a separate container, and you have something that's not all that different from what your friend is selling, and requires almost no thought or work. But still, home cooking is yummier

Tamwinde

Thanks for the additional ideas. Sheermomen...that's exactly what I've started to do and I'm trying to stick to the meals that are 500 mg or under (sodium).