Food Prep

Options
I'm on the AdvoCare 24 day challenge and just finished the cleanse! I have lost 4 pounds but am finding it hard to keep up these good eating habits! I know I can do it, I'm just so bad a prepping foods. Does anyone have any good recipes or ideas for food prep?

Replies

  • tkillion810
    tkillion810 Posts: 591 Member
    Options
    I do food prep usually twice a week. Once on the weekend and then again mid week. I often cook up a batch of protein, say organic FR chicken breast, or hardboiled eggs. Then I chop/prepare my veggies. Soups are great too when food prepping. You might check out the Lean Green Bean website. She does weekly food prep and often posts pictures of her meals. She's a RD.
  • AlliSteff
    AlliSteff Posts: 211 Member
    Options
    I try to prepare 2-3 meals for lunch on Sunday (plu smy breakfast egg muffins)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Options
    Food prep is easy...

    I dig out my food scale, containers/bags and start.

    If it's veggies they are washed cut and weighed and bagged per weight (usually 100g) same with fruit such as grapes, cherries etc.

    If it's actual meals I cook up what I need weigh the total, figure out serving size and use my scale.

    Boil up half a dozen eggs, bag up nuts by weight

    Put these things in a container in your fridge/freezer or cupboard for easy access.
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
    Options
    It's just a matter of doing it, even when you don't want to. Otherwise, it's easy to fall back into bad habits. I buy a ton of fresh veggies and fruit and have them ready for the week in the fridge. When I cut up watermelon or rinse grapes I get out my scale and I make a couple of separate containers for my snacks/lunches throughout the week. I buy bags of sweet mini peppers so I can grab 3-5 at a time and not have to cut up a big one. Breakfast is usually eggs or oatmeal, sometimes toast so I don't worry too much about prepping that (unless it's steel cut oats then I make it ahead of time). For lunches I will normally make an extra portion of what I made for dinner and take leftovers to work. I also buy 1-2 Lean Cuisines or Healthy Choice frozen meals for some variation throughout the week.
  • asdelmonte
    asdelmonte Posts: 171 Member
    Options
    Like others have said, it's just a matter of doing it. When I shop, I prep my meats as soon as I get home. The fat is trimmed off, the chicken breasts are pounded flat, everything in marinated and bagged up before it goes in the freezer to be pulled out later in the week.

    Every night, while cleaning up from dinner, I prep my breakfast (usually eggs), lunch (usually left overs), and snacks (fruit, veggies, granola bar, etc.) for the next day and pull something out of the freezer for dinner.

    When I make a batch of soup I portion it out into canning jars and freeze it for lunches on those days where my family ate the entire dinner and didn't leave any leftovers. (Happens a lot with teenage boys)
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
    Options
    I prep stuff for breakfast and lunch every weekend. If not, my meals go to hell really quick. I make bacon for my breakfast samich, and usually a big batch of chicken thighs for my lunch protein. I will also make some quinoa for my lunch carb and roast some veggies if that falls in the plan for the week.

    I sometimes prep some snacks, but most of those are just grab and go for me. Greek yogurt, protein bars, fruit, canned tuna.......

    Dinner is typically just some slab of meat or fish that is baked or grilled with sweet potato "oven fries" and a veggie or salad.

    In the winter I do a lot of soups and stews for lunches and I make them on the weekend then portion them out into containers to grab each morning when I pack my lunch.

    My favorite soup this past winter was:

    http://ourlifeinfood.com/2011/10/24/mushroom-sweet-potato-and-smoked-gouda-chowder/

    I used greek yogurt instead of the half-and-half and added chicken to bump up the protein. Heck, any recipe that has you garnishing with bacon gets a thumbs up from me. Typically, this came in between 400-500 calories per serving with 5-6 servings per batch.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    Options
    When I get REALLY lazy, I do admit to buying the chopped veggies at the store. A bit more expensive but it keeps me cooking at home instead of getting take out.
  • IGbnat24
    IGbnat24 Posts: 520 Member
    Options
    Crockpot = Best way to cook ahead for the week.