Pre-making meals for the week?

risamgirl

Anyone pre-cook their meals for the week to help them stay on track with calories?

How do you do it? Suggestions needed!

Thanks!

Marisa/Risamgirl:flowerforyou:

KPaden1221

i wanna try this too!! so BUMP

R_mageddon

Ditto!

I also like the idea of things that can be portioned out and put in the freezer so that I can just take it out and heat it up and instantly know the nutritional value. This would be perfect for taking lunch to work.

thisismynewmindset

bump

tuffytuffy1

I got an email from Weight Watchers recently and it said to grill once and eat for the week. I liked that idea, so on Sunday I took 6 chicken breasts and grilled them three ways:

1. cubed, skewered and marinated in light Italian dressing
2. whole and marinated in balsamic vinegar and rosemary
3. whole and marinated in BBQ sauce

I also grilled up a big container of veggies (sweet onions, carrots, little potatoes, red peppers) to eat with the chicken each night.

katschi

The only thing that I'm pre-making now for the week is a Quiche so that I can have a quick lunch or breakfast everyday.
I got this great idea from a fellow MFP member.
It lasts me 6 days.

The_Saint

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/The_Saint

On this very topic.....

brookiemo

BUMP

angeleyes13

I do this by planning a menu first and then take it from there - it really saves a lot of time (and money as I take my lunch to work) and I know how much I am consuming!
It really makes me think about it too which helps me to stay healthy.
I usually take salads to work (nicoise is a favourite and is so easy to throw together ) and I take fruit with me too.
Evening meals, I tend to cook batches of stews/casseroles/bolognese sauce and roast a chicken which I then portion up.
I then add whatever veggies I want, with cous cous / rice/sweet potato.
Hope that helps
Ax

registers

Anyone pre-cook their meals for the week to help them stay on track with calories?

How do you do it? Suggestions needed!

Thanks!

Marisa/Risamgirl:flowerforyou:

I don't do it anymore... but what I used to do is... 2 day meals. For example, i'll eat the same thing for a week, then make a different meal plan for the next week. You can cycle 4 weeks. For example:
x = certain food
y = a different food
w = different than x and y
z = different than w, y, x

week one is plan x, week 2 is plan y, week 3 is plan w, week for is plan z. then you repeat. This way you only have to cook 3 meals on sunday. Breakfast, lunch, dinner for the week. On sunday i'd just cook the food for the week, and I had a vaccumsaver and make prepackaged portions for the week, then i'd put it in the microwave when it's time to eat.

ItsAsha

Yep, I Do!
I usually make a gigantic bowl of salad and put it in a tight container to keep it fresh. If I'm taking salad to work for lunch, sometimes I package smaller containers of salad so i can grab it in the am on my way out the door. I usually grill chicken so I can either have that for dinner or toss it into my salad. Other dinners I pre-make are turkey meat balls, (weird, i know lol) turkey meatloaf, homemade soup, (super low in calories).

I usually eat fruit for breakfast so if I buy grapes, I count them out (so you know your calorie intake when you eat them) and bag them into smaller baggies. Sometimes I also measure out one serving of cereal and bag it separately along with one serving of milk.

The key to this is packaging everything so it stays fresh! Once you have everything measured and packaged, your life will be so much easier :0)

PlanetVelma

I pre-make meals not just to help me stay on track, but to make life easier on myself when it comes to dinner time after work. I make a meal plan for the week and make my grocery list based on what type of meals I want to have. As an example, we had lasagna last week, I made 2 pans - we had lasgna for dinner and i froze the other pan into individual containers.

I also will chop up a ton of lettuce and other veggies and keep turkey burgers in my freezer for a quick In & Out-rageous salad or already cooked shrimp & hard boiled eggs (for a seafood salad).

Another thing I'll do is make a HUGE roast in the crock pot on Sunday and make my meals from the leftover roast (tacos, salads, etc...)

I also got in this big kick out of making my own meatballs and then freezing them. You can make a TON of homemade meatballs in a few hours and then freeze them when you want a quick spaghetti & meatball meal.

It's all in how you plan your meals, whether it be lunch or supper meals. It does take up a good day - maybe 2 days to get all the cooking/cleaning/etc...but it is soooo well worth it during the week, especially those days I'm too tired to cook!

risamgirl

Hey Tuffy....great idea.

I was thinking of doing something similiar to this website...but myself...to save $$$...I can't afford their services...lol

http://www.myfitfoods.com/index.asp

PlanetVelma

Yep, I Do!
I usually make a gigantic bowl of salad and put it in a tight container to keep it fresh. If I'm taking salad to work for lunch, sometimes I package smaller containers of salad so i can grab it in the am on my way out the door. I usually grill chicken so I can either have that for dinner or toss it into my salad. Other dinners I pre-make are turkey meat balls, (weird, i know lol) turkey meatloaf, homemade soup, (super low in calories).

I usually eat fruit for breakfast so if I buy grapes, I count them out (so you know your calorie intake when you eat them) and bag them into smaller baggies. Sometimes I also measure out one serving of cereal and bag it separately along with one serving of milk.

The key to this is packaging everything so it stays fresh! Once you have everything measured and packaged, your life will be so much easier :0)

Great minds think alike! I make turkey meatballs and turkey meatloaf too. I use my cupcake pans to make both meatloaf and meatballs - helps with portion control.

registers

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/The_Saint

On this very topic.....

I read that link, and i came across some post in your blog... you stated "starvation mode is real" but you never stated why you believe it.

risamgirl

You guys are an amazing collection of knowledge to pull from!

I was thinking of whipping up some brown rice today...and eating it with grilled chicken...lettuce...pico de gallo...and avocado...Chipotle burrito bowl style.

My biggest weakness is lunches and dinners. and late night snacking...lol. My breakfast are always healthy...oatmeal with almond breeze...sometimes I throw in a small handful of craisins for texture and flavor.

kerriknox

I do this every week. I even have 2 lunch bags so I can have the first 2 days packaged and ready to go. I eat 5 smaller meals a day so I really need to do this as there is a LOT of different containers. Plus I try to not eat any processed foods so making it myself on Sunday is great.

I usually make a huge omelette and then split it into 4 portions to reheat for breakfasts. Sometimes I opt for just hard boiled eggs but At least with the omelette I get some Veggies in. Fruit I pre-portion into containers. I cut up a tonne of carrot, cucumber and celery sticks and split them up. The whatever I plan for lunches. Right now my current favourite is Vietnamese salad rolls. I make a huge batch of them and split it up for the week.

It makes the calorie counting way easier, saves time and money since I am not ordering fast food cause I didn't have time to pre-make my lunch.

There is also a great cookbook called 'cook once, eat healthy all week' that have 7 different meal plans (weeks) and instructions on how to cook everything for all the meals, in the right order to save the most time. It is great. Takes a couple of hours on a Sunday but you have lunches and Dinners for the whole week.

risamgirl

HEY - what is your turkey meatballs recipe??? I've gotta know!

registers

You guys are an amazing collection of knowledge to pull from!

I was thinking of whipping up some brown rice today...and eating it with grilled chicken...lettuce...pico de gallo...and avocado...Chipotle burrito bowl style.

My biggest weakness is lunches and dinners. and late night snacking...lol. My breakfast are always healthy...oatmeal with almond breeze...sometimes I throw in a small handful of craisins for texture and flavor.

This is another reason I like IF(intermittent fasting), you only cook onces a day. IF is pretty much fasting through the day, then you get in your calories in the evening. People will probably say "not eating will slow down your metabolism" this isn't true. here is the scientific research to back it up.

fasting burns 5 times more fat.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12051710


Multiple feedings has no effect on the BMR or Active metabolic rate
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8399092

breakfast slows down oxidation
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10967612

fasting longer than 6hrs increses fat oxidation,
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15212756

risamgirl

Thanks Kerri! I am going to look for that cookbook asap!

The_Saint

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/The_Saint

On this very topic.....

I read that link, and i came across some post in your blog... you stated "starvation mode is real" but you never stated why you believe it.

Message me, I'll go over my experience with you.

Peep_chic

I looked up freezer cooking and there are some interesting Ideas out there. I do some
not a lot. Mostly for the kids. I freeze prepared spaghetti, or the homemade sauce only,
rice, beans, chili, soup. I just put it in a sandwich bag wrap it with foil and write date, food and calories on it.
Whenever I need it I retrieve it.

BhanGoes

Every weekend, I make a week's worth of brown rice, steamed broccoli, and grilled proteins and veggies (peppers, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes). Combine them in individual plastic containers so you have lunch for the week.

**Special note: I recommend grilling (or baking/sauteeing/whatever) several different proteins so throughout the week you still experience a variety of flavors. Shrimp and chicken and lean pork, for example. You can use the same or different spices or marinades, depending on your preference. (I find that a little olive oil, Old Bay, and lemon works for me on each protein.)

This saves you time, money, and energy. You prep and clean up only once; each evening, you have to only wash out your container, not a kitchen full of dishes, plates, and utensils. You can make more accurate lists and use up all of each ingredient by cooking in large batches and portioning out. (What else are you going to do with one cup of leftover raw broccoli? Probably toss it when it rots!) I buy brown rice and produce in bulk since I know I'm cooking for the entire week, which comes out cheaper than buying smaller quantities at the grocery store. $7 for a 15-pound bag of organic brown rice! Score!

If you make more than you predict you will eat in a week, freeze the leftovers so you have a healthy, inexpensive meal option on short notice.

pa_jorg

yes, i try to prep things ahead of time too. i try to make 1-2 full meals that can be used during the week and if I don't have time for that i at least try to get some items cooked on their own or sometimes just washed and chopped to save time later.

runlorirun

I don't pre-cook but I work at home. I do make a weekly dinner menu so I know what I have for breakfast and lunch.

blm625

I used to do weight watchers and they had this I think last year I only did it one week but it was nice having everything ready to throw together!

karenkwalker

When I had an office job - I bought slotted plastic containers and filled the large section with vegetables, the two smaller sections one with chicken or turkey lunch meat and one with a small helping of cheese and then packed some hummus to go with the vegetables. This worked well for me.

I cook up several 4 oz size chicken pieces and eat those pretty consistently for dinner - changing it up with sauces or cheese or something so I don't get too bored. I can actually eat the chicken cold in the car - since my job now requires me to drive around - I don't want to get tempted by fast food.