Low prep meals

Athijade

Hey everyone!

So, some background.

I deal with a few medical issues that have been causing me a lot of issues when it comes to sticking to a weight loss plan. However, the biggest problem is a lot of fatigue. It doesn't matter if it is from my depression, my chronic fatigue, or other reasons, I am often so tired by the end of my work day that I struggle to make myself dinner. So I end up ordering in a lot... and when I am tired I don't make the best choices. My health, waist line, and wallet are suffering!

So I thought I would ask my friends here as I know this is a great community that likes to help people out. I need ideas, breakfast, lunch, and dinner (but mostly dinner) of easy to prep meals. It doesn't matter so much how long it takes to cook since I don't have to DO anything at that point. I just need meals that are fast and easy to throw together.

I can start prepping some on weekends, but would prefer not to cook everything then. I don't mind leftovers, but I don't prefer them for more then a day or two. So I would not want to make a weeks worth of meals all at once. But cutting up veggies or marinating meat ahead of time is within my abilities.

SuzySunshine99

When I have really busy weeks, I sometimes pick up a rotisserie chicken. It's a great shortcut, since it's already cooked, but doesn't dry out when you re-heat it.

You can cut it up or shred it ahead of time, and use the meat to make a variety of quick meals:

-Chicken stir-fry...bag of frozen veggies and a jar of sauce and it's done in minutes. Even some microwave rice to go with it.
-Lunch salads...bag of mixed greens, throw some of the chicken on there, and other veggies you have.
-Add it to canned soups or chili to make it more of a meal.
-Chicken tacos...just get some tortillas and salsa.

Most rotisserie chickens at the grocery store/Costco are about $5-6, and I can't believe how many meals I can get out of one.

Also, if you own a slow-cooker, you can look up some recipes that you can throw together earlier in the day (when you have more energy).

joyanna2016

This isn't exactly what you are asking for but I wanted to tell you this because I find it to be a lifesaver sometimes. Whenever I cook chicken or hamburger meat I always try to cook extra and freeze it in quart bags. The chicken I go ahead and cut up in bite sized pieces and sometimes I freeze it in some chicken broth. It is SO convenient not to have to deal with the preparing of the meat step in so many dishes.

Athijade

SuzySunshine99 wrote: »

When I have really busy weeks, I sometimes pick up a rotisserie chicken. It's a great shortcut, since it's already cooked, but doesn't dry out when you re-heat it.

Also, if you own a slow-cooker, you can look up some recipes that you can throw together earlier in the day (when you have more energy).

You know... I used to do the store rotisserie chicken ALL the time. It really was a great way to have something already good to go and I got a lot of meals out of it. I should look into doing that again!

Slow cooker is a great idea too. I do own one and love to use it, but sometimes I forget it as an option.

joyanna2016 wrote: »

This isn't exactly what you are asking for but I wanted to tell you this because I find it to be a lifesaver sometimes. Whenever I cook chicken or hamburger meat I always try to cook extra and freeze it in quart bags. The chicken I go ahead and cut up in bite sized pieces and sometimes I freeze it in some chicken broth. It is SO convenient not to have to deal with the preparing of the meat step in so many dishes.

No, that is a great idea! Thank you so much. Once I have some freezer space (it is just about stuffed full atm after a Costco trip and getting some easy frozen meals to keep on hand) I will do this for sure.

DancingMoosie

Sometimes we do easy skillet meals or casseroles.
Chicken: cook egg noodles or rice,
stir together cream of mushroom (or other flavor) soup and a can of chicken in a bowl
Pour in 2 cups frozen mixed veg of your choice(defrosted)
Heat chicken,soup, veg in a skillet
Add noodles or rice
Ground beef: cook up a lb or 2
Season half for taco, half just salt and pepper
Freeze half the meat in 2 portions
Now you have enough for tacos, spaghetti sauce, loose meat sandwich, or an enchilada casserole for now, and more for later.

nanastaci2020

For breakfast I am often eating already prepped items. I buy muffins from Costco: blueberry muffins also made with zucchini & carrots. You only taste the blueberry. 110 cals each, with 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein. And I'll often have 2 hard boiled eggs. 120-150 cals total depending on the size of the egg, and filling. I have a kitchen gadget, I think called Dash, that holds up to 6 eggs. Pour water to a certain line and it hard boils them and makes a noise to let me know its done. EaSy.

My lunches are often leftovers and I've started batch cooking on Sundays, which takes me several hours in the kitchen so that is probably NOT for you. If you have a slow cooker or would be open to getting one, those meals are pretty easy and take very little time. You pretty much put stuff in, stir occasionally, and later have cooked food. Chili for example: brown the ground beef or turkey, drain. Put meat, beans, tomatoes, seasoning (all of mine are store bought) in the slow cooker and let it go on low for 3-4 hours.

gewel321

So there are a lot of days when I get home and am too tired to cook. I do a lot of convivence foods. As long as I can fit it in my calories I can eat it. There is a great stoffers meal Salisbury steak. I microwave it and then throw in Bob Evans Mashed potatoes. Whole meal low calories! I do make some meals ahead of time and sometimes I cook too but on those days when I am too tired to breath it helps to have something to throw into the microwave for dinner.

Lunch for me is always a lean cuisine meal. No work there!

AwesomeSquirrel

Personally I enjoy a lighter evening meal from time to time. An omelet, avocado toast with a poached egg or a grilled sandwich (either cheese or hummus+kale) will do it for me.

For an omelet you can slice/dice veg ahead of time and store in Tupperware. I like to boil a an extra potato or two earlier in the week to toss in as well.

Avocado toast prep mainly involved strategically leaving avocado on sunny window sills and then remembering to eat them.

I keep bread in the freezer and try to remember to take slices out in the morning but honestly do just fine after work as well.

I’m also a big fan of precooking and reheating soup, but that’s partly because I don’t mind eating the same soup 4 days in a row (especially butternut squash with Thai red curry!).

whitej1234

At stress times when cooking is not an option I live of the freezer, hands down. The only thing to prep during the week is to take out the meal the night before. I don't always do all but here are my go-to plans.

1. Freezing portions of cooked rice. It freezes well and doesn't take the extra 20 minutes to cook (and run off the stove, when I am too tired in the evening).
2. Keeping store bought deep frozen vegetables in the fridge to add quickly. That includes pees, haricots verts, and general veggie mixes. The good thing about pees and haricots verts is that you only need to thaw them in a micro or just hot water and they taste good. The veggie mixes need to go into something I cook.
3. I buy canned tomato (crushed), that solves any sauce issues when I am powerless, it can even taste good with a couple of spices just warmed in the micro with some dish leftovers.
4. I batch fry minced meat and cut chicken breast. Sometimes I freeze, sometimes I just keep it for a couple of days. That means that with that souce from (3) and pasta or that rice from (1) I am ready to go. In the summer a lot of chicken salads went in after batch frying chicken breast peaces.
5. Schnitzel survive freezing very well and can go with almost anything on the side. I batch cook them over the weekend and freeze watever is not eaten in the next 1-2 days.
6. I keep cut veggies in the firdge for quick salads. The secret is to keep them in glass separate containers. So I have a cut cucumber container, cut sweet pepper contained, cut onion containor etc. It almost always can stay around for 2-3 days without loosing crispinnes. Don't try on tomatoes or lettuce. Tomatoes I buy cherry and then they don't even need to be cut sometimes. Lettuce I keep in water for a few days at a time, that also keeps it crispy and really easy to just toss in. You can also buy these ready salad leaves mixes then it is just wash and place in plate plus the other veggies.
7. If you like pickles that can stay longer during the week and also be easily added to a salad. I have constant onion pickles these days, and sometimes eggplant and mushrooms.
8. For a bit more energetic days I have baked salamon. I cut and clean it ahead of time and keep in the fridge (not a fan of frozen salmon unfortunately for my wallet). And then when back from work, place in form season lightly and into the oven while I am doing other things. With some haricots verts, salad from 6 and little rice from 1 and fancy dinner on the table.
9. Lasagnia freezes well (though not the easiest to make healthy in the first place)
10. Stews freeze well
11. In the winter I am usually having a good container of soup (mushroom or chicken) in the fridge for heat and go lunch+dinner.
12. I used to do egg muffins for easy breakfast/lunches. Freeze well and don't require anything special in the morning. Got a bit tired of their taste though.

That is my list.
Goodluck