Meal prep questions

agrube1968

Who all meal preps? Do you do a week's worth of meals at a time or what? Do you make ahead and freeze? What are some things that you meal prep (what foods)? My daughter and I are wanting to start meal prepping but not really sure where to begin. So any ideas or help would be great! Thanks!

LiftHeavyThings27105

DO IT!!!!!! totally worth it. Helps with everything. How is that for a blanket set of statements! LOL!

KickboxFanatic

Start out small by prepping maybe a weeks worth of snacks. Once you get into that rhythm, prep a few days worth of lunches (or dinners or breakfasts) and get used to incorporating those. I usually advise prepping whichever meal you're most likely to go off plan for. If you can typically stick to your planned lunch but end up at the drive thru cause you're too tired to think about cooking dinner, then pre-prep a couple dinners.

Some weeks I'll do a full pan of baked oatmeal (budget bytes has some GREAT ones) or a quiche for breakfasts and some kind of veggie/rice/protein blend for lunches and then have pre-cut veggies in the fridge ready to throw onto greens for a salad. I'll almost always throw a couple lbs of chicken into the oven or slow cooker to dice/shred for quick tacos/salads/wraps etc.

LiftHeavyThings27105

So, on a serious note....

Do you know your caloric intake and your macros? That is where I would start. Let's assume that you do.

So find a couple of things that you enjoy eating that fit within your caloric intake needs and fall within your macros. Write this all down (I find that when I write all this down as a "budget" that it really helps).

Get some tupperware and - depending on the meals - put it in the fridge or, as you asked, freeze it.

The "Budget" concept really helped me at first. It might be tough in the beginning but it gets easier with time and practice.

I will keep my real answer somewhat general.....we all like different things so what I do might actually bore the pants off of you. I am indeed a creature of habit so that (personality trait) makes the concept of "meal prep" super easy and very feasible for me. I do not get bored by eating the same thing all day, everyday. That does not work for everyone.

If you are not like that, then you can still do meal prep. Just do different things for each day of the week.

So, pick a day of the week (I would suggest that most people do this on Sunday....but you might be different here) and plan the day (or a good part of it) to be spent in the kitchen.

cwolfman13

I don't meal prep every meal. For the most part, I like my food to be fresh. I do meal prep for most of my lunches and usually grill a bunch of chicken tenders on Sunday for the week and my wife will make a big batch of quinoa or sweet potatoes or some such thing and then all I have to do is throw my veg or a salad together in the morning.

The evening meal is always cooked fresh. I usually throw my breakfast together in the morning and take it to work...I buy pre-boiled eggs and usually take that with some oats.

Chunkahlunkah

I usually have a few things available during the week that I prepped ahead of time. For example, yesterday I made a frittata and that'll give me four breakfasts. Last week, I made baked oatmeal and had four breakfasts from that. For foods you don't want to freeze, it's important that you're ok with eating the amount you made within the next few days. I am, but I know some people dislike having the same thing a few times a week.

Some things I make a big batch of and freeze all but the number of servings I expect to eat in the next few days. One of my favorites to do that with is slowcooker salsa chicken. It's just a couple pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, seasoned, and covered with a large jar of salsa. Eight hours on low, and it comes out tender and easy to shred. I then portion 4 ounces into freezer ziplocs and use them over the next month or so, usually whenever I want a burrito bowl. The meat's versatile though and can be used in all sorts of ways.

Basically, if a food still tastes good to me after it's been frozen (like soup, homemade meatballs, shredded chicken that will be a component in a meal, etc), then I make double or triple what I need so that I have it available over the next 4-6 weeks from the freezer.

Foods that I don't like frozen, I make enough just for 3-5 days. Sometimes it's an already put together meal, like baked ziti, and other times it's just components that I can use to assemble meals during the week (like grilled chicken).

I also like to prep some of the veg and fruit that I expect to eat within the next 4 or 5 days, either cooking it ahead of time or dicing/marinating it for snacking or salads.

Sometimes I also portion out my lunch snacks for the week ahead of time, like making baggies of Triscuits or cheese portioned from a larger block.

Once you get in the habit, this all becomes easy and feels almost effortless. It ends up saving me a lot of time overall and makes eating during my busy workdays incredibly convenient. It's also saved me a lot of money because I became more aware of how little food I actually need on hand.

skelterhelter

I usually meal prep work lunches to make it more convenient (and cheaper!) for me during the week. I buy a package of boneless, skinless chicken and decide how I wanna season it. A few weeks ago I did a variation of the salsa chicken mentioned above; this week I'm doing honey mustard chicken with lemon pepper. Then I'll pair with steamed veggies and quinoa. I want to find another grain, though...I just can't seem to really enjoy quinoa, and if I'm eating it every day I wanna really love it! The prep takes no time at all since I can bake all the chicken in forty minutes, and steam the veggies and scoop out the quinoa while waiting. It's good to have a grain premade and ready to divide up. Then I'll just pair with something sweet (banana, clementine, yogurt, 100 calorie packs of cookies...whatever!) and I'm good to go

I find breakfast extremely easy to prep as well. You can divide rolled oats into mason jars, top with milk of choice, then add any mix-ins (nuts, fruit, spices). After a night in the fridge everything combines and is ready to eat. Eggs can be boiled on Sunday and kept in their container for the week. Buy big tubs of plain yogurt, portion into jars, add granola or fruit.

acorsaut89

I have been meal prepping for a LONG time and it helps me to 1) save money 2) save time and 3) actually eat what I buy.

I make batches of oat bars - which are VERY easy: rolled oats, chia seeds, protein powder (of choice, I use vanilla personally), raisins, chocolate chips (fillings are your choice), PB (can use any kind of nut butter), almond milk (or dairy or coconut or whatever) and honey. One batch is typically 12 bars and I freeze half of them. They last for a week in the fridge, too.

I also buy strawberries (or other berries) and wash it. Then I put it into 7 containers (one for each day because that's how I meal plan) so it's ready to go.

I cook 1lb of turkey bacon as I have eggs every day and then it's ready to go. I usually make fried eggs on Ezekiel bread with one slice of cheese and 2 pieces of turkey bacon. I only prep the bacon though.

I will typically make dinners ahead and some snacks. If I am eating veggies with dip/hummus - I will chop the veggies and, again, put all the veggies and dips into their individual containers so they are ready to go and easy to eat. If it's something like home made guacamole, then I prep a couple days worth at max.

For dinners - I find it depends what I prep and what I cook ahead are different. If it's a stir fry, I will chop the veggies ahead and put them into a container but I cook them on the night I'm eating them. It's easier if I can just throw them into the wok and not have to chop all of them when I'm done work/get home. Rice noodles are super easy to cook so no prepping needed.

If it's a casserole - like this one http://www.nutritionrx.ca/bean-rice-and-cheese-casserole/ which is a fave of mine - I cook it on Sunday and put it into containers for the week. This one makes about 8 servings for me so if I am eating it every night I don't freeze it - just in the fridge. If I am not eating it every night, I freeze individual portions for later.

Pasta sauce can be prepped ahead and then just cook the pasta the night of - very easy to do. Taco meat, same thing: cook the meat, chop the veggies and then assemble night of.

Hardboiled eggs keep for a couple days in the fridge, very easy to eat.

Hope this helps you! Meal prepping has saved me a lot of money over the years for sure, and a lot of time.

marcvb35

I love home cooked meals but my goto for prepared foods are pickles, California blend veggies, caned green beans, and a lot of days I add scallops to the veggies before microwaving. it has worked out for me to eat almost the same lunch every day when trying to loose weight.

kd_mazur

I put a bunch of chicken in the slow cooker on Sunday and then store it for different meals during the week. I pack up my lunches for at least 3 days on Sunday using the chicken. Check Pinterest, there are lots of great suggestions there.

Chunkahlunkah

acorsaut89 wrote: »

I

I make batches of oat bars - which are VERY easy: rolled oats, chia seeds, protein powder (of choice, I use vanilla personally), raisins, chocolate chips (fillings are your choice), PB (can use any kind of nut butter), almond milk (or dairy or coconut or whatever) and honey. One batch is typically 12 bars and I freeze half of them. They last for a week in the fridge, too.

These sound great, @acorsaut89 . Do you have a favorite recipe? I've never made oat bars before. I have a huge container of oatmeal that I'd like to use up, and this sounds like a tasty way to make a dent in it.

I saved the casserole too, sounds like something I'd really like.

mutantspicy

I usually keep staples in Tupperware in my fridge to use throughout the week. I'm not a fan of the freezer.
I meal prep each day while I'm cooking dinner.

I always have a carton of Hard Boiled eggs in the fridge for go to easy protein.
I always have a few serving of smoked salmon in the fridge for easy protein.
You can also use precooked chicken or left over breasts from a casserole bake or barbecue.
I always keep a container of baby spinach and kale in the fridge for quick salads.
I usually keep a 1 cup batch of rice, quinoa or coucous in the fridge for a go to Carb.
I always have cans of black beans and chickpeas ready to go.
Lentil soup can be stored in the fridge for quite a while and used for quick lunches.
I keep a small containers of blueberries, black berries, raspberries
I keep a big tub of yogurt and cottage cheese.
I buy a collection of veggies I like to eat raw for a daily veggie snack (peas, carrots, baby peppers, cauliflower, cucumbers, etc)
I keep a couple bags of raw nuts

I usually prepare 3 to 4 lunch size Tupperware containers. I make a salad container, a warm up lunch container, a veggie snack, and a yogurt / fruit snack.

ritzvin

YES! I don't do individual meal containers (too much prep time), but I do make stuff ahead (and use the recipe builder) and throw in freezer baggies (a week or so's worth in fridge, extra in freezer), so I can just weigh onto plate and microwave for lunch/dinner. (I have an extra food scale at work). Whatever night I can find the time to grocery shop and/or cook is when I do it (not necessarily the same night of the week) - if I run out, it's extra food bars/yogurt/peanut butter/cottage cheese/pre-cooked frozen shrimp until I get around to it again.

Soups/stew/chili/meat (pre-saute a bulk package of pork chops/chicken)/potatoes (boil ~7 lbs and slightly mash)/etc. Food bars, I usually just buy (homemade recipes are generally too perishable for most of my uses and Aldi is reasonable priced on them).

acorsaut89

Chunkahlunkah wrote: »

acorsaut89 wrote: »

I

I make batches of oat bars - which are VERY easy: rolled oats, chia seeds, protein powder (of choice, I use vanilla personally), raisins, chocolate chips (fillings are your choice), PB (can use any kind of nut butter), almond milk (or dairy or coconut or whatever) and honey. One batch is typically 12 bars and I freeze half of them. They last for a week in the fridge, too.

These sound great, @acorsaut89 . Do you have a favorite recipe? I've never made oat bars before. I have a huge container of oatmeal that I'd like to use up, and this sounds like a tasty way to make a dent in it.

I saved the casserole too, sounds like something I'd really like.

This is the recipe I use for oat bars https://skinnyms.com/no-bake-workout-bars-recipe/

You can sub the raisins and chocolate for nuts if you want. Also, she cites Natural PB and Coconut Milk but I use reg PB and almond milk without issue.

EHollander89

I usually plan my meals on the weekend. I'll pick out my recipes, add to the recipe builder if they are not already there, and then make a shopping list. The crock pot is super useful for meal prepping. I made a version of the salsa chicken mentioned above this weekend. I like to eat a portion of the chicken with rice and veggies.

I like to portion out lunches for work, and I might prep other items to throw together for breakfast and dinner. For example, you can wash, chop, and portion veggies or fruit to use as part of a meal or eat as a snack. I keep a small pad of post-it notes and a pen next to my food scale to jot down weight in grams as I am putting everything together. The extra planning definitely helps me stay on track with my calories and my budget.

Chunkahlunkah

acorsaut89 wrote: »

Chunkahlunkah wrote: »

acorsaut89 wrote: »

I

I make batches of oat bars - which are VERY easy: rolled oats, chia seeds, protein powder (of choice, I use vanilla personally), raisins, chocolate chips (fillings are your choice), PB (can use any kind of nut butter), almond milk (or dairy or coconut or whatever) and honey. One batch is typically 12 bars and I freeze half of them. They last for a week in the fridge, too.

These sound great, @acorsaut89 . Do you have a favorite recipe? I've never made oat bars before. I have a huge container of oatmeal that I'd like to use up, and this sounds like a tasty way to make a dent in it.

I saved the casserole too, sounds like something I'd really like.

This is the recipe I use for oat bars https://skinnyms.com/no-bake-workout-bars-recipe/

You can sub the raisins and chocolate for nuts if you want. Also, she cites Natural PB and Coconut Milk but I use reg PB and almond milk without issue.

Thank you! I'm off today and will make them right now. ETA: Doh, not nearly enough PB on hand right now. Will make after my next shopping trip.

rdl81

I prep my main meals on a Sunday for mon to Thursday rice / chicken and veg in the day and then a mince beef chilli for evenings that just leave me breakfast and snacks and Fridays meals to worry about in the week. These trays are useful

HoneyBadger302

I'm a total newb to meal prepping - two weeks down, working through week three.

I switched to it for:
a) ease of planning and less thinking day to day about portion sizes.
b) A way to save money (spending WAY too much $$ on 'food')
c) To kick start the scale by losing a lot of the hidden calories I think I was getting by eating out too often.

Since I work 7 days a week, I don't have a free day to dedicated to it at this point. So, I just pick one evening and plan on it being a long day. Head to the grocery store with my list of things to buy (a combination of my menu plan I threw together for that week and what's on sale), go home, and start cooking/measuring/prepping right then straight from the grocery bags.

I have a few "bento" style containers I use for full meals, some bowl style for combo meals (such as a stir fry or similar), and a few taller containers that I can use for salads. Freezer space is limited in my house, so I can only pre-make so much, but do what I can.

I don't pre-make every single meal -lunches are usually a salad I build the night before, with pre-cooked and per-measured protein to go with it. I have a few things that I can whip up for a freshly made meal when I'm feeling up to cooking that night. I also include dinner as fresh on the night I do my meal prep.

Roasting individually pre-measured protein bundles (wrapped in their own aluminum foil wrappers) keep the guess work out of it. Carb-plants like yams or potatoes I'll measure and pile in their size piles on a pan if I can, otherwise, they end up being doled out post cooking. Squash end up getting divided up post cooking. Rice, etc I try to measure pre-cooking and then divide evenly as I can (it'll balance out in the end).

I may modify my process as time goes on. Honestly, I'd prefer a few more things fully prepared, and I need more salad containers so I can do the salad stacks ahead of time too (or at least more than the two I have).

lynn_glenmont

agrube1968 wrote: »

Who all meal preps? Do you do a week's worth of meals at a time or what? Do you make ahead and freeze? What are some things that you meal prep (what foods)? My daughter and I are wanting to start meal prepping but not really sure where to begin. So any ideas or help would be great! Thanks!

Make a big batch of stew or soup or a casserole. Serve. Portion out leftovers into meal-size portions in freezer containers (or reserve a day or two's worth of the portions in the refrigerator if you want to eat the same thing in the next couple of days). Freeze (or refrigerate).

People have been batch-cooking for decades or even centuries, if you consider a pot of something left bubbling on a stove that wasn't allowed to go out because it was also heating the house. "Meal prep" is just people slapping a new name on it in the hopes of selling you something for more money than it's worth (like plastic food containers). Just like "bone broth" is a new name for stock that people hope you will pay more for (or click on the recipe so they can sell advertising).

Jeeplet18

I am a huge advocate for meal-prepping. It makes your mornings so much easier because everything is already done!

I usually meal prep breakfasts. Now that it is getting warmer I started making smoothies in large batches. I put them in mason jars, with plastic lids and place them in the freezer. Take one out the night before to begin to thaw in the refrigerator and you have a fresh smoothie ready for breakfast the next morning.
I also make breakfast sandwiches in advance too - English muffin, egg(or egg whites), thin slice cheese, soy-sausage(or whatever meat/protein you like). Just assemble, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. They keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week (or you can freeze for longer storage).

I don't typically meal-prep lunches because I normally pack them the evening before from dinner left overs. But when I do, I like to make up several salads in advance keeping the salad dressing separate in a small container. I also have done the typical bulk cooking of chicken/steak/fish and veggies and putting them in plastic containers. It just makes life SOO easy! Plus, you know exactly what your going to eat, how many calories, and what you can fit in around it for the rest of your day.

I like to snack-prep too by hard boiling eggs, and pre-portion fruit in to containers and nuts, crackers and chips into snack baggies so the morning of I am not struggling trying to get out my food scale to figure out exactly how much 1 oz of almonds is.

toxikon

I'm a weekly meal-prepper. I bought a ton of plastic tupperware from Amazon to portion out my batches.

I start by visiting my favourite recipe sites and finding recipes that will freeze well and reheat well. Usually creamy/liquidy meals are best. I like to prep: curries, quiches, stews, soups, chili, pasta dishes, rice dishes. I scale up the recipes to 8-12 servings.

My favourite recipes websites are:
www.seriouseats.com
www.twosleevers.com
www.skinnytaste.com
www.budgetbytes.com

When I settle on 2-3 recipes, I write a list of the ingredients I need to buy, then go buy them. Then I do all my cooking on Sunday afternoon, weighing and writing down the weight of each ingredient in grams so I can input the recipe into the MFP Recipe Builder to get the calorie count for each portion. After dividing up my meals, I put 2-3 days worth in the fridge, and the rest in the freezer. Then I just restock the fridge as needed.

RachelElser

I prep a week's worth of my lunch items on the weekend- one ounce things of cheese curds, baggies of 1 cup of cereal or popcorn, 3 oz of pickles, 2 oz of nuts, etc. And then when I make dinner, I purposefully make extra and freeze individual portions and take that as my main. I freeze in glass/porcelain because that's what I heat it up in.

foodlovermartha

As far as I’m concerned the name of the game is meal prep! Having good-for-you food ready and waiting is a savvy way to make sure you don’t opt for unhealthy choices when you’re tired and hungry. Here are tons of meal prep tips for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Hope they help!

KymmyJoy

Rubbish at meal prep... trying batch organics smoothie and breakfast bowls to see if that helps.

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