Share your favorite make-ahead meals?

pandsmomCheryl

After a shockingly bad weigh in this weekend (first time I weighed myself since summer) - I am recommitted to getting my weight under control. I spent several hours preparing food for the week on Sunday. I made the Weight - Watchers veggie soup, grilled chicken, boiled eggs, made and portioned salad, etc. It was great to have everything "at the ready" today. BUT - I know I'm not going to want the same thing every day/week. Does anyone plan ahead as well and would you like to share your favorites? Thanks!

ladybugss

I would love to hear some new ideas too.

KimmieSue2011

Yesterday I cooked a spaghetti squash. Tonight I will add to it: chicken sausage, red pepper, asparagus, goat or parmesean cheese, fresh tomato and fresh basil. Insta dinner. Easy.

Amber82479

I make a breakfast casserole as follows:

1.5c chopped fully cooked ham
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2c chopped bell pepper
1 package 10oz. frozen asparagus or broccoli cuts
6 whole eggs, 4 egg whites
2c fat free milk
1c all purpose white or wheat flour
1/4c parmesan cheese, grated
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp pepper
1/2tsp dried tarragon leaves
1c low-fat or fat free shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 425
Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray
Sprinkle ham and veggies in baking dish
Beat eggs, milk, flour, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and tarragon until smooth
Pour over mixture in pan
Bake uncovered 20 minutes, or until knife comes out clean
Sprinkle cup of cheese over the top and put back in 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serves 8
Nutrition Info/Serving (without ham - veggies only): 209 calories, 18 carbs, 9 fat, 17 protein, 245 sodium, 3 fiber (with wheat flour)

I change it up too... I use different veggies to give it some variation and I've never used ham because it seems like wasted calories, since I get protein from the eggs. I'm sure ham would be excellent with it though. I let it cool, then cut into 8 slices, wrap each piece in foil and saranwrap and freeze half. I eat the fresh over the first 4 days and then work my way through the frozen.

Hope this helps!

olivia3263

I plan my meals ahead of time for monday - friday. On sunday I cook a lot of things to have ready for the week (mostly lunch items, as I cook my dinners with fresh meats/fish/chicken and fresh veggies).

This is what I cook on sundays:

Brown rice - for dinners (I make about 3 portions of this to keep in the fridge for when I want it with dinner).

Quinoa - for lunches (see recipe below) - I make 1 cup of dry quinoa for 5 lunch portions

French Lentils or black beans - for lunches (see below) - also make 1 cup of dry lentils for 5 lunch portions

Hard boiled eggs (for lunches) - about 6

I make a salad that I just LOVE for lunch and it's super healthy. I do eat it every day, but I eat something different for breakfast and dinner almost every day - for variety, and I mix up my snacks, too. But this I make ahead of time and have everyday, because it keeps me from going to the vending machine and it gives me a lot of nutrients I need. Here's the recipe:

Prepare 2 cup tupperware bowls with the following:

-Quinoa
-Lentils or beans
-kelp or other seaweed (not necessary but I add it for it's saltiness and iodine content - just a little).

Morning before I leave for work I add:
-1/2 a hard boiled egg (my dog eats the other half for breakfast, haha)
-1/4 avocado
-5 grape tomatoes, halved
-juice of 1/2 a lemon
-sometimes I add some goat cheese or feta if I'm wanting to increase my dairy.

total calories (without cheese): 270

superdrood

This sounds wonderful. Definitely going to try it, thanks for sharing!

I make a breakfast casserole as follows:

1.5c chopped fully cooked ham
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2c chopped bell pepper
1 package 10oz. frozen asparagus or broccoli cuts
6 whole eggs, 4 egg whites
2c fat free milk
1c all purpose white or wheat flour
1/4c parmesan cheese, grated
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp pepper
1/2tsp dried tarragon leaves
1c low-fat or fat free shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 425
Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray
Sprinkle ham and veggies in baking dish
Beat eggs, milk, flour, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and tarragon until smooth
Pour over mixture in pan
Bake uncovered 20 minutes, or until knife comes out clean
Sprinkle cup of cheese over the top and put back in 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serves 8
Nutrition Info/Serving (without ham - veggies only): 209 calories, 18 carbs, 9 fat, 17 protein, 245 sodium, 3 fiber (with wheat flour)

I change it up too... I use different veggies to give it some variation and I've never used ham because it seems like wasted calories, since I get protein from the eggs. I'm sure ham would be excellent with it though. I let it cool, then cut into 8 slices, wrap each piece in foil and saranwrap and freeze half. I eat the fresh over the first 4 days and then work my way through the frozen.

Hope this helps!

pandsmomCheryl

YUM - those are great ideas - love it - especially the spagetting squash one.....totally trying. Thanks...!

Amber82479

Glad it sounds good - hope you love it!!

kjannan

I like to make Chicken or Beef Stroganoff in the morning & pop it in the fridge to throw in the oven after work. Here's my easy recipe:

300g sliced beef or chicken
1 can low fat condensed mushroom soup
Half an onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
90g light sour cream

Mix it all together & cook at about 180 (350) for about an hour and a half. (I never time it, I just pull it out when the meats nice & tender)

That can feed 4 if you put it on top of rice, potato, whatever you like.

It's a really basic recipe & a huge favourite in our house, low calorie too!!