I just defeated the Kitchen Miniboss! Level up!

MachiavelliNZ
MachiavelliNZ Posts: 36 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been losing weight for about 2.5 months now and doing great but I had been slightly concerned that my food bill was higher than I would like.

I decided to take some time, make a giant recipe plan, and make myself 5 meals that I could eat over the next five days and that were specifically tailored to my macros. I also get the added benefit of not having to cook or think about what I want to eat for meals on those days.

The question was: how would this change the cost of healthy eating?

The answer: I did a big shop for my massive 5-serving meal and, surprisingly, found that it only cost me $40 (and I had been spending $20-30 a day when I was eating on the go for my mobile job).

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Victory!

I just had a serving now, post-exercise, and it's extremely filling for me. I feel like I have learned a very valuable lesson and am now totally confident that I am going to be able to continue this healthy eating plan even when the budget gets tight.

Replies

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    mini-boss....

    what side of gamergate are you on?
  • MachiavelliNZ
    MachiavelliNZ Posts: 36 Member
    Comment is unrelated?

    The side where we all respect each other as fellow human beings and nobody gets harassed and everyone lives happily ever after.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    mini-boss....

    what side of gamergate are you on?

    Oh don't get me started on that...

    @MachiavelliNZ That's amazing! I have yet to defeat the "laziness" miniboss, so I'm a slave to whatever other people in the house cook... and sandwiches... and random fridge opening.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    mini-boss....

    what side of gamergate are you on?

    Oh don't get me started on that...

    @MachiavelliNZ That's amazing! I have yet to defeat the "laziness" miniboss, so I'm a slave to whatever other people in the house cook... and sandwiches... and random fridge opening.


    fd9b27be0c6a9ad0c19e549f4404f577.jpg

    OP, that's awesome! I haven't tried yet to tailor a meal specifically for my macros, but now I think I might. I do usually cook a double portion of my lunch and eat the leftovers for dinner (I work second shift) so this adds another dimension.
  • MachiavelliNZ
    MachiavelliNZ Posts: 36 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    I'm a slave to whatever other people in the house cook... and sandwiches... and random fridge opening.

    Yeah, my main problem was that I kept eating on the go and just grabbing whatever I needed for the day from the supermarket on the way past. Convenience isn't cheap!
  • maoribadger
    maoribadger Posts: 1,837 Member
    Its amazing the savings you make meal planning and weekly shopping. I average about 65-70 GBP for a family for 4 a week with the odd expensive week when we need cheese etc
  • Amestris
    Amestris Posts: 152 Member
    That's awesome. Even though I like to cook I get super lazy at times. It's worth it though to have food cooked and ready to go. What did you put in your pasta by the way?
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    MachiavelliNZ wrote: »
    Comment is unrelated?

    The side where we all respect each other as fellow human beings and nobody gets harassed and everyone lives happily ever after.

    Then you're ok.

    How long can you stay consistent with the big meal prep approach? I've not tried that yet, but might for my lunches, it's a great idea.
  • MachiavelliNZ
    MachiavelliNZ Posts: 36 Member
    Amestris wrote: »
    That's awesome. Even though I like to cook I get super lazy at times. It's worth it though to have food cooked and ready to go. What did you put in your pasta by the way?

    The pasta I just boiled with a tiny bit of salt in the water. Aside from the mince, there are only capsicum / bell pepper, snow peas, and mushrooms. Those veg were on special and I like 'em :smile:

    I really love pasta so I didn't feel the need to do anything fancy to it.
    dbmata wrote: »
    How long can you stay consistent with the big meal prep approach? I've not tried that yet, but might for my lunches, it's a great idea.

    That's a good question. I'm hoping to stick with it for work-days and leave the more spontaneous meals to my days off when I have extra time. I need to shop and cook smarter for my budget. But, honestly, it's such a time saver it just makes sense when it means zero prep or thought on the days I have already cooked for.

    I microwaved a portion at work today and my colleagues were all telling me how much it looked and smelled great. So I must have done something right!
  • Tilandra
    Tilandra Posts: 21
    I've been doing freezer cooking/Once-A-Month cooking for years.... way before I got concerned about nutrition... because it's way cheaper and more convenient than the "cook each meal" approach. The beauty is you can do it when you have the energy/time/feel less lazy, and reap the benefits long after.

    With ground beef as your protein, one of the tricks I learned doing OAMC was to take a big stock pot and add your 5lb. package of meat, then add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, stirring until cooked, then strain. You can then continue to brown the meat, or package as-is in one quart freezer bags and brown it when you use it... your choice. The water speeds up cooking and the straining helps you lose quite a bit of fat out of the mixture so you can use a cheaper grind (which is typically fattier).

    Good luck on your future kitchen questing! ;)
  • MachiavelliNZ
    MachiavelliNZ Posts: 36 Member
    Tilandra wrote: »
    With ground beef as your protein, one of the tricks I learned doing OAMC was to take a big stock pot and add your 5lb. package of meat, then add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, stirring until cooked, then strain. You can then continue to brown the meat, or package as-is in one quart freezer bags and brown it when you use it... your choice. The water speeds up cooking and the straining helps you lose quite a bit of fat out of the mixture

    :o That's genius! I'm definitely going to try that method. It sounds like a very easy way to lose some fat from the beef.

  • Tilandra
    Tilandra Posts: 21
    Hope it helps! Stir it less often if you like a chunkier texture like I see in your photos. :D
  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,290 MFP Moderator
    Oh, that is brilliant! I might give that a try if I ever have a moment when I'm not feeling uber lazy (which is most of the time). :)

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