Who meal plans?

Options
swalberg0625
swalberg0625 Posts: 98 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Meal planning totally excites me. I love to cook up new delicious recipes. And since I started there is no looking back. Open's up my evenings after work when food is already prepared. Not to mention throwing together lunches is a cinch. I usually meal plan on Thursday and grocery shop Friday.

If you meal prep how do you plan everything out? Have you been successful? Has it made life easier? What are you plans for this week?

This Weeks Plan:

Tempeh BBQ sandwiches
Portabella Mushrooms stuffed with harvest Chickpeas
Eggplant Steaks
Whole wheat pasta w/ tomato sauce
Sweet Brown Oatmeal Bread
Protein Balls

Yummy!! :)

Replies

  • Varcolaci
    Varcolaci Posts: 15
    Options
    Well, yeah I guess technically I meal plan. I know what I am going to eat every day. I have taken steps to make most of the handful of items in my diet very easy to prepare quickly, but one thing that I prepare in advance is my chicken. I eat a lot of it, so I make several pounds all at once and divide it into 8 oz. portions so I can add chicken to my meal quickly. Oh and I make a bunch of rice in advance. Nothing else I eat takes longer than 5 min. to prepare. I have had better success with simple foods than I did trying any gimmicks, boxed health products etc. I eat the same stuff mostly, which is boring, but it allows me to fine tune my nutrients bit by bit. I still am not hitting my goals exactly but I am closer every day. I really am enjoying it.
  • swalberg0625
    swalberg0625 Posts: 98 Member
    Options
    Well, yeah I guess technically I meal plan. I know what I am going to eat every day. I have taken steps to make most of the handful of items in my diet very easy to prepare quickly, but one thing that I prepare in advance is my chicken. I eat a lot of it, so I make several pounds all at once and divide it into 8 oz. portions so I can add chicken to my meal quickly. Oh and I make a bunch of rice in advance. Nothing else I eat takes longer than 5 min. to prepare. I have had better success with simple foods than I did trying any gimmicks, boxed health products etc. I eat the same stuff mostly, which is boring, but it allows me to fine tune my nutrients bit by bit. I still am not hitting my goals exactly but I am closer every day. I really am enjoying it.

    Awesome! Thanks for sharing. I think it really helps with portion control. And yes I agree with not eating boxed health junk. Keep it more natural. Keep up the good work! :)
  • erin6989
    erin6989 Posts: 29 Member
    Options
    I would say I menu plan more than I meal prep. I plan out all of my dinners for the week on friday, then grocery shop on saturday and sunday. I plan quick meals for days when I workout after work, and more involved meals for the weekends. If there are things I can do in advance, like prepare a casserole, then I will do that. And I use my CrockPot, A LOT! I especially like that because there are always leftovers that I can bring for lunch the next day!
  • EvelynBfly78
    EvelynBfly78 Posts: 240 Member
    Options
    The local produce market's ad comes out Sat for the week starting Sun. I usually plan around that. I shop there on Tues because it's 10% off Senior Day. Then I go to the regular supermarket (Winco) & shop the bulk bins along with almond milk, vegan butter, etc. On Wed & Fri I cook. Divide up portions & freeze them. All I have to do is defrost a container, add some extras & voila! Meal is ready.
    I hardly ever spend more than 15 mins preparing some meals. Sometimes 30 mins if I have to use the oven.
    I find it easier to decide what to eat if I have a freezer selection..
  • swalberg0625
    swalberg0625 Posts: 98 Member
    Options
    The local produce market's ad comes out Sat for the week starting Sun. I usually plan around that. I shop there on Tues because it's 10% off Senior Day. Then I go to the regular supermarket (Winco) & shop the bulk bins along with almond milk, vegan butter, etc. On Wed & Fri I cook. Divide up portions & freeze them. All I have to do is defrost a container, add some extras & voila! Meal is ready.
    I hardly ever spend more than 15 mins preparing some meals. Sometimes 30 mins if I have to use the oven.
    I find it easier to decide what to eat if I have a freezer selection..

    This is a great idea. I don't freeze meals because I have a roommate and a toddler, but had I thought of this when I was single! Nice work! :)
  • swalberg0625
    swalberg0625 Posts: 98 Member
    Options
    I would say I menu plan more than I meal prep. I plan out all of my dinners for the week on friday, then grocery shop on saturday and sunday. I plan quick meals for days when I workout after work, and more involved meals for the weekends. If there are things I can do in advance, like prepare a casserole, then I will do that. And I use my CrockPot, A LOT! I especially like that because there are always leftovers that I can bring for lunch the next day!

    I love crockpot meals! I just got my first pressure cooker with a recipe book and looking forward to making meals in that too. It's nice in the summer so you don't have to heat the home when cooking. I usually cook most my meals on Sunday but if I have a busy weekend i'll save ingredients for an extra meal to cook during the week.
  • FauxFoxx
    FauxFoxx Posts: 53 Member
    Options
    I absolutely have to plan my meals. It not only keeps my diet in check but my budget! I go shopping twice a week and only get what I have for the menu. Like this week I have planned:

    Breakfast: protein shake
    Snack: gala apple and almond butter
    Lunch: spinach and romaine salad with sprouts, carrots and cucumber with roasted garlic tomato soup and a slice of bread
    Snack: banana/pineapple/nuts and dried fruit
    Dinner: grilled teriyaki tofu and vegetables with brown rice

    If I go without a plan I spend entirely too much money and will forget stuff that I need. With it, I stay within my budget of under 30$ for the week! :)
  • do4fit16
    do4fit16 Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    I meal (see dinner plan) a week at a time, crock pot, bulk meals, grilled meats and veg. I take the left overs for lunches/freeze them. It decreases the amount of stress in our house as we both know what is happening for dinner and we are less likely to order out if there is already a plan! I love looking for new recipes to try in the crock pot, or new ways to flavour/spice up our grilled meats. We have found some real winners lately.
  • swalberg0625
    swalberg0625 Posts: 98 Member
    Options
    I absolutely have to plan my meals. It not only keeps my diet in check but my budget! I go shopping twice a week and only get what I have for the menu. Like this week I have planned:

    Breakfast: protein shake
    Snack: gala apple and almond butter
    Lunch: spinach and romaine salad with sprouts, carrots and cucumber with roasted garlic tomato soup and a slice of bread
    Snack: banana/pineapple/nuts and dried fruit
    Dinner: grilled teriyaki tofu and vegetables with brown rice

    If I go without a plan I spend entirely too much money and will forget stuff that I need. With it, I stay within my budget of under 30$ for the week! :)

    WOW! $30 a week is insanely cheap. I definatley spend more than that, but it's partial to always stocking my pantry. I love baking for my lil guy. And I have a roommate as well. I usually spend upwards of $125-$175 every other week since my roomy and I trade off every week. But awesome planning and budgeting!
  • swalberg0625
    swalberg0625 Posts: 98 Member
    Options
    I meal (see dinner plan) a week at a time, crock pot, bulk meals, grilled meats and veg. I take the left overs for lunches/freeze them. It decreases the amount of stress in our house as we both know what is happening for dinner and we are less likely to order out if there is already a plan! I love looking for new recipes to try in the crock pot, or new ways to flavour/spice up our grilled meats. We have found some real winners lately.

    Me too! Love trying new recipes!! Especially when they turn out!
  • Beckboo0912
    Beckboo0912 Posts: 447 Member
    Options
    I ALWAYS plan...it is one of the more exciting parts of my week...yay to being a mom and working and all that, it then becomes the simple things in life. I usually plan Friday night and shop Saturday, once in a while Sunday, then prep Sunday. I try to do pretty simple meals but sometimes I don't. I use my grill pretty often now but I also love my crockpot. Breakfast is usually a protein shake/eggs. Lunch is usually leftovers of some sort, and dinners this week is as follows for part of the week:
    Pasta primavera
    Turkey burgers
    Turkey Steak

    I love cooking and planning. Now that I'm outta work for the summer it usually changes up a little bit just because we try to do more during the day if it's nice.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    Options
    I don't plan for a whole week. I generally sit down every morning while I'm waiting for my email to load and plan what I'm having for the rest of the day (breakfasts are usually the same).

    What I do though is to prepare certain things in advance and keep a stash in the fridge. I do this with chicken, fish, lentils and beans in particular, since proteins do seem more prep. I also do it with green vegetables though. I blanch or partially cook leafy greens, broccoli, well, pretty much any non-starchy vegetable, and then keep them all ready to incorporate into other dishes really fast.

    I love food and cooking, but I also love just picking things up at the farmers market.
  • sezzybelles699
    sezzybelles699 Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    FauxFoxx wrote: »
    I absolutely have to plan my meals. It not only keeps my diet in check but my budget! I go shopping twice a week and only get what I have for the menu. Like this week I have planned:

    Breakfast: protein shake
    Snack: gala apple and almond butter
    Lunch: spinach and romaine salad with sprouts, carrots and cucumber with roasted garlic tomato soup and a slice of bread
    Snack: banana/pineapple/nuts and dried fruit
    Dinner: grilled teriyaki tofu and vegetables with brown rice

    If I go without a plan I spend entirely too much money and will forget stuff that I need. With it, I stay within my budget of under 30$ for the week! :)

    Can I friend you and check out your food diary?
    Sarah
  • teagirlmedium
    teagirlmedium Posts: 679 Member
    Options
    I do not, but I am considering doing some meal planning. My main reason for meal planning at this point would be because it would help me spend less money. My budget has changed and my goals are changing so I cannot focus on nutrition levels yet I have to focus on cost.
  • LinCharpentier
    LinCharpentier Posts: 1,122 Member
    Options
    Like the saying goes Plan on planning or plan on failing.

Categories