Meal Prep

fstrickl

How and when do you do it?

It is just my husband and I, so I only prep for two. I try to do it on Sunday. Go shopping in the afternoon and prep after that. I cut up veggie and fruit for work snacks and put them in ziploc bags (I'm hoping to buy reusable bags off Etsy), and I try to make a higher protein "treat" to satisfy my sweet tooth, peanut butter, yogurt, and honey or no make energy balls for example. I have also, but don't always, cook something in my crockpot for the main lunch dish (admittedly after a week of the same thing I'm so over it) such as ground turkey taco soup. For breakfasts I boil half a dozen eggs.

Because I don't like working on a Sunday night, does anyone? I buy a tea latte on my way home from the grocery store as my treat, energy booster, and motivation for prepping. I try to let that be my latte for the week. I don't like coffee so it usually isn't too hard.

Others? What's your routine or ritual?

jgnatca

At times I've been highly regimented but hubby caught on. As soon as he figured out which night was "Fish Night" he'd weasel out of it.

I'm a little more relaxed now. The refrigerator and the cupboard are my guides. What needs using up? When I make it through my bean based leftovers, I set more beans soaking overnight. It might be Friday night soak, then slow cooker Saturday. If I'm thinking ahead I'll set some dried mushrooms to soak, too, and warn my daughter that I'll have spares to give away.

Fruits and veggies are picked up Monday nights based on what is in season and on sale. Salads are made up in the morning because I am a morning person. They will last a few days.

In the summer I make up several days' worth of refrigerator oatmeal in mason jars made with frozen blueberries, regular yogurt, and flaked oats. I dress up with nuts or seeds.

In the winter I make a combination steel cut oats and Red River cereal, four cups at a time, also kept in the refrigerator in mason jars. I eat it with Greek yogurt and fruit.

At least once a month I make a roast on Sunday, the leftovers which will be chopped to top salads, or added to soups, stews, casseroles or stir-fries through the week. The roast may be a whole chicken, beef, or pork loin.

I also bulk make my own hummus from dried chickpeas, and pack it in the freezer like this:



I can snap off a square and package it for snacks.

Lunch is typically a leftover or salad based meal. I keep crackers and flour tortillas to creatively repackage the leftovers.

RodaRose

Saturdays are better for cooking at our place because Sundays are crazy busy with other things to prepare for the work week.
Re a week of turkey soups: Build up your freezer options so that you do not have to eat the same thing everyday for the week.
For example this weekend make two foods to portion and freeze. Next weekend make two more. You will eventually have enough variety to have something different all five work days. Clearly label the frozen foods and put them into the recipe builder so that you do not to remember how many servings of what is in each package.

Strawblackcat

We decide what we're eating that night about an hour or two before it's time to eat. There isn't really any meal prep in our house that takes place hours beforehand. The only things that we ever really prepare in advance is pizza crust (if we're making pizza) or bread. Other than that, it's usually just whatever we feel like eating or what needs to get used up. So, we eat a lot of mix-matched things like eggs and bacon with broccoli and salad for dinner, or rotesserie chicken rolls with leftover stew for lunch.

riceflourde

Last night I weighed & portioned food for the first time. I had FB open to keep me company.. Dominos 50% pizza ad got me! Progress not perfection right? This is a great thread, it made me realize I need to plan time for this every week. Sat afternoon will be my shopping time and Sat night will be my prep.

OyGeeBiv

RodaRose wrote: »

Saturdays are better for cooking at our place because Sundays are crazy busy with other things to prepare for the work week.
Re a week of turkey soups: Build up your freezer options so that you do not have to eat the same thing everyday for the week.
For example this weekend make two foods to portion and freeze. Next weekend make two more. You will eventually have enough variety to have something different all five work days. Clearly label the frozen foods and put them into the recipe builder so that you do not to remember how many servings of what is in each package.

This.