Help me Meal prep??

erikgoya

Hi all, trying to get back into the workout grind, so I have to get my diet in check as well.

Naturally, I want to start meal prepping at least my breakfasts and lunches.

Problems with that:

1: cooking is not my area of expertise

2: I'm a college student, so I need meals that are relatively easy to cook.

3: I don't even know where to start. I can start pinning away recipes on Pinterest all day, but that doesn't leave me with a lot of direction for which meals to cook.

4: I usually have lunch or dinner directly after working out, so I'm inclined to eat more than I normally would (you would too after 1.5hours in the gym). So I have to compensate for the higher amount of calories I'll inevitably eat.

I know im asking for a lot, but ANY advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Notes:
Trying to stay between 1800-2000 calories, working out 4x a week.
I got a stove, toaster oven, and a small rice cooker available to me, as well as a personal mini fridge.

RodaRose

Do you have access to the cafeteria and other eating establishments on campus? Are you staying through the Christmas break?

Sued0nim

I'd suggest batch cooking casseroles / stews / chillis / soups etc and investing in tupperware to keep in your fridge

depends what you like

I like things like chicken cacciatore, meditteranean vegetable stews and beef chillis - you can cook enough to last a few days at a time

skinnytaste.com might be worth looking at

I'm more of a bung it cook to be honest

but invest in garlic and some dried herbs: I'd suggst thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, chilli, bay leafs, salt and pepper and you'll have the basics for a number of dishes

eg chicken cacciatore -
salt and pepper both sides of skinless, bone in chicken thighs (6-8)
dry fry in non-stick pan until brown
stick in casserole dish
put 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped red peppers in fry pan to soften and char (add 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, bay leaf sprinkle with a tsp or 2 of thyme)
Dump on top of chicken
Dump over 2 tins chopped tomatoes
Add tbsp oregano and stir
(I tend to add a couple of zucchini sliced at this stage cos I always seem to have them in fridge)
in oven for an hour
eat with rice

you don't have to be an amazing cook - you just have to learn how to chop and bung and taste as you go along

RoxieDawn

I am with batch cooking... Perhaps you can get a small crockpot that plugs into the wall and can be stored in the closet..

Tons and tons of things to throw in a crockpot. Get you a meat and some veggies and a few spices and you can get creative or use the numerous recipes you can find through a google search... there is one thread here on MFP that is flooded with recipes...

trilakegrandma

Have you tried using mason jars? http://thebudgetsocialite.com/20-mason-jar-meals/

kommodevaran

Breakfast and lunch are typically meals that don't need cooking - cereal, sandwiches, yogurt are "fast food".

allaboutthefood

If you can invest in a crock pot, so easy and great recipes out there.

Lizzy622

On greatist.com (yes i not e) there is an article with 17 surprising rice cooker meals. Your rice cooker can be your savior.

Lounmoun

I don't cook breakfast or lunch. I do cook dinner every day.
My breakfasts are things like cereal, yogurt, fruit, sandwich, dinner leftovers, granola bar.
Lunch is sandwich, salad or leftovers.
I make a big pot of soup one a week for dinner and I have leftovers for other meals during the week or to put in the freezer.

Make a bunch of hard boiled eggs- have plain, as deviled eggs, as egg salad sandwich, added to salad
make soup- reheats and freezes well
Pre-cook a bunch of chicken/beef/pork- add to soup, stir fry, omelets, casseroles, sandwiches, wraps, salad, pizza, pasta, fajitas
Make rice balls.
Have fruit with peanut butter or yogurt.
Make hummus- have with vegetables, pita chips or as a sandwich spread
salads- pasta salad, bean salad, etc http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10270725/things-to-go-in-salads/p1
Quick pizzas- use tortilla, naan, pita bread for crust. If you have all the toppings prepared in advance it takes make 10-15 minutes to prepare and cook.
Quesadilla or grilled sandwich
7 layer dip
oatmeal

lynn_glenmont

Re: the batch cooking suggestions -- he says he has a mini fridge, which in my experience means a tiny freezer space, so I don't see how he's going to store multiple meals worth of food.

OP, maybe focus more on the meal planning (and shopping to fulfill those plans) rather than "prepping" - most people seem to mean cooking enough several days, a week, or even more when they talk about prepping. Maybe I'm mistaken, or you meant it differently.

Anyway, decide on a selection of proteins, and don't buy more perishable food than you're going to be able to eat before it goes bad
- eggs keep really well in the refrigerator inside their shells, and if you hard boil them they're portable snacks
- you could buy small packages of chicken parts, pork chops, lean beef, and bring them home and cook them immediately, or refrigerate and cook within a day or two -- broiling and poaching are simple, or if you have a heavy pot with a lid you could cook them slowly on top of the stove in tasty liquids (e.g., canned tomatoes, barbecue sauce, etc.)
- sliced deli meat
- I would not rely on fresh or frozen seafood in your circumstances, unless you buy just one meal's worth and plan to eat it within 24 hours of getting it in your mini-fridge, but if you like canned tuna, salmon, sardines, etc, those are options; you could also find tuna and salmon in single-serve pouches, but that may not be a good choice if you face the typical college student budget constraints
- jerky is another portable but pricey option
- cheese (makes a good portable snack, and it will keep in the refrigerator for a while -- varies with type, and once you open it it's going to deteriorate faster)
- cottage cheese (in my experience the "best-taste" shelf-life is pretty short, especially once you open it)
- greek yogurt (I like plain for versatility in sweet and savory dishes; add fruit, and sweetener if you like, for a sweet dish; mix with oats for breakfast; use it top chili, burritos, potatoes, beets -- I pretty much use it as a substitute anywhere I might use sour cream or mayo, and I spread it on toasted homemade bread that has nuts and/or fruit in it)
- milk, but you may not be able to store much of that in a mini fridge
- canned beans, canned chili, canned soup.

Decide on easy-to-cook veggies, and consider how long they'll last when you buy them. Maybe get two or three days worth of fresh veggies that deteriorate quickly (spinach, kale, other leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes), two or three days worth of veggies that should last up to a week (brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, bell peppers, beets), and keep a small stock of long-lasting fresh veggies (carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, winter squash, onions -- carrots in the fridge and others in a dark place, the cooler the better -- so not near a heat vent, at least -- maybe next to an exterior wall) or canned veggies (again, I'm assuming no meaningful freezer space. As a rough rule of thumb, stir-fry the spinach and other more perishable veggies (they're more perishable in part because of their high-water content, which tends to make them quick cooking), and steam, boil, or roast the less perishable veggies (lower water content and they need longer cooking time, more direct heat, and/or longer cooking times). You might want to stock up on spices, hot sauce, soy sauce -- whatever flavors you like. Don't be afraid to add some fat (e.g., olive oil, cheese, butter) to your veggies. Your body won't be able to use the fat-soluble vitamins without some fat. (If the rest of the meal has sufficient fat, and you really don't want the fat on your veggies, you don't have to add it.)

Decide on a selection of fruit for the week, and eat the very perishable (berries) and the medium perishable (grapes, stone fruit, pears, bananas) before the less perishable (apples, citrus fruit). You can keep bananas, stone fruit, pears at room temperature until fully ripe; apples should be OK for the better part of a week at room temperature, by which time you're getting to then end of the week and can put them in the fridge. If you do have a bit of freezer space, I'd be tempted to use it for some frozen berries for smoothies, but that's personal preference.

You can cook grains in the rice cooker, but I wouldn't cook more than you'll eat in a couple of days. With eggs, cheese, veggies, etc. already in your mini fridge, you won't have a lot of room left, anyway

You could buy a loaf of bread (I'd recommend whole-grain, but it's up to you) -- a loaf from a commercial bakery should last a week, although at some point it will start getting dry or tasting stale, and you'll probably want to start toasting it in the toaster oven (or making grilled sandwiches in a little butter on a pan on top of the stove).

Whole-grain cereals (cold or hot -- e.g., oatmeal) are fairly quick and easy. You can combine oatmeal (rolled oats) with yogurt (or yogurt and milk, depending on the texture you like), fruit, nuts, other add-ins of your choice for a quick breakfast. A lot of people do this the night before, but I find 5 or 10 minutes resting time is sufficient for the texture I like (more muesli than oatmeal).

So, breakfast: eggs and veggies (I'd stick to the stir-fry category), a piece of fruit, a slice of toast, a bit of cheese; or cold cereal with milk and fruit, maybe an egg; or oatmeal, yogurt, fruit.

Lunch: pretty much all of the other options listed above. Pick a protein and veggie(s), preferably the most perishable options you have on hand, cook. Add a grain or carb if you like; add a fruit if you like.