what do you prepare in bulk?

CeleryStalker
CeleryStalker Posts: 665 Member
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
Every Sunday, I make up a huge pot of irish oatmeal and portion it in single serving tupperware so I can just grab and go.

I also like to make a batch of 'something', this week it was the whole wheat blueberry banana muffins I shared the recipe for earlier today. LOL I also cook for my dog, so I make him his meat twinkies while I'm cooking for myself and my fiance.

I'm looking for other ideas to prepare in bulk for the week, preferably something that isn't a breakfast item. I've got being ready for breakfast down to a science, but prepping a daily salad is getting to be a drag. I can easily add salad to dinners in order to get the bulk of leafy greens in for the day, so having a salad for lunch isn't necessary, it's just the routine I fell into.

Suggestions?

Replies

  • Angela4Health
    Angela4Health Posts: 1,319 Member
    bump
  • SarahWrittenThin
    SarahWrittenThin Posts: 595 Member
    soups are good to make in bulk, I just made 2 gallons of a broccoli cheddar veggie soup and froze half for later and have it in the fridge for this week.
  • kleists
    kleists Posts: 2
    I have found that by cutting and washing all my vegetables (make you allow to dry completely before you store) and prepacking them in little snack on the go bags works beautifully. The upfront time investment is well worth it!
  • knelson422
    knelson422 Posts: 308 Member
    I posted some soups on my blog - http://kristen-foodismyfriend.blogpsot.com . They are really filling, very nutritious, and my husband and kids even like them. I just don't let them know about all of the veggies I have pureed and added to them. Good luck.
  • shadow3829
    shadow3829 Posts: 103 Member
    I fire up the grill and do my turkey chops on the grill, measure out all my chips, measure out everything else that I need and seal in individual sandwich bags. Everything than is just kind of like a grab and go. :)
  • emariec78
    emariec78 Posts: 530 Member
    I often make a big batch of someting I can take for lunch and reheat. A stif fry, a cous cous dish, or something with quinoa. They keep well and it seems like most recipes make 4 servings so it works good for that.
  • slieber
    slieber Posts: 765 Member
    I do a roast every two weeks and portion it into 2 and 3 ounce sizes. I also do turkey breast taco meat with brown and wild rice mixed and do the same thing - I portion it according to WW points, as I have a scale. This all gets frozen.

    I buy a pre-cooked turkey breast, as well, and cut that up and freeze it, as well. And I use the prepacked chicken breasts (perdue) which are already apportioned in around 3 point sizes.

    On Sunday evenings, for work, I make up five salads and put them in the back of the fridge. Because I cut everything fresh, they last the whole week, and I use canned chicken to supplement it - the pull-tab smaller size.

    Personally, I hate cooking, so this works really well for me. I can't eat pre-packaged, ready-meals due to food intolerances and allergies.
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
    Chicken breast, brown rice, cut bell peppers, hummus, veggie burgers
  • ladybugss
    ladybugss Posts: 135 Member
    bump
  • bmfrazie
    bmfrazie Posts: 2,380 Member
    bump. I really would like to get better at doing this.
  • kevin2406
    kevin2406 Posts: 38 Member
    Just finished up some crockpot chicken salsa for this weeks lunch ad tomorrow I'm doing Greek chicken for the weeks dinners.
  • MelanieP_TX
    MelanieP_TX Posts: 159 Member
    I do a 99% fat free, low carb turkey Chili!! So satisfying and healthy, and 2 minutes to heat up.
  • e1lindsay
    e1lindsay Posts: 230
    my dogs want to know what "meat twinkies" are and if i can have the recipe??...
  • abyt42
    abyt42 Posts: 1,358 Member
    This week, I'm making chile verde in bulk. I've also made crockpot curried lentils and chicken, soups, stew, black beans and barley. I take a big container of prewashed spinach, an apple for each day of the week, blue cheese crumbles and dressing to work and make salad each day. (But I have access to a fridge.)

    Another great bulk item: baked potatoes. I bake six, then cut them in half and scoop out the flesh. I mash that, then add 2 ounces of grated sharp cheddar and sauted vegetables. I saute an onion in 2 tsp oil, add a grated carrot, chopped broccoli, a chopped red bell pepper, and five or six halved and sliced mushroom. Then I restuff the potatoes. Each half potato is fairly low cal and very filling as lunch or dinner with a side salad.
  • julesandrich
    julesandrich Posts: 188 Member
    Today I made a batch of granola and pudding (for my son's lunches). My BF also made a pot of split pea soup for our lunches this coming week. We typically make soup on the weekends or a batch red sauce. Not sure if that helps, but I find soups to be pretty quick and we usually double the batch and freeze some for quick weekday meals or lunches when we really don't feel like cooking.
  • julesandrich
    julesandrich Posts: 188 Member
    Another great bulk item: baked potatoes. I bake six, then cut them in half and scoop out the flesh. I mash that, then add 2 ounces of grated sharp cheddar and sauted vegetables. I saute an onion in 2 tsp oil, add a grated carrot, chopped broccoli, a chopped red bell pepper, and five or six halved and sliced mushroom. Then I restuff the potatoes. Each half potato is fairly low cal and very filling as lunch or dinner with a side salad.

    The potatoes sound yummy!! I usually just add salsa and cheese for a quick lunch but I will have to try this recipe!! Thanks for sharing.
  • elliecolorado
    elliecolorado Posts: 1,040
    I always get the biggest package of chicken breasts that I can and cook them all at once. I freeze some, I cut some in thin slices to use instead of lunch meats on sandwiches. If I always have cooked chicken available it's easy to add to salads, make sandwiches or have for dinner. I also try to separate veggies like celery and carrots into single serving bags so that when I just need to grab something quick they are ready, it keeps me from wanting to grab an unhealthy snack. Also when I get ground turkey I use some of it to make turkey burger patties so that if I am in a hurry or want to cook something easy I have that as an option.
  • Diet_Hell
    Diet_Hell Posts: 34
    Bump :o)
  • joanneeee
    joanneeee Posts: 311 Member
    http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/chocolate-covered-recipes/all-things-oatmeal/oatmeal-cake-flavors/
    these oat bars. i add different things to them each time - either berries, prunes, chia seeds, etc. i make 2 batches (6 bars total) for 100 cals each, freeze them and pop them in my bag when i need one.
  • macnupe
    macnupe Posts: 19
    On Sundays, I grill a bunch of chicken breats and turkey burgers.
  • maeadair
    maeadair Posts: 496 Member
    I do poached pears or apples. Especially delightful in cold weather and are delicious warmed or cold. Take V8 light pomegranate blueberry juice add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste, warm up on low heat, add peeled/ cored/ sliced fruit,cook on simmer to reduce juice and til fruit is tender.
    I also make a Spanish rice with brown rice, low sodium V8,cut up romas, chopped: onion/garlic/button mushrooms,minced celery and whatever else I feel like that week, then add to either pre- roasted cut up chicken or 93% hamburg cooked with worcestershire sauce and cumin . ....
  • mhoward48
    mhoward48 Posts: 26
    I love your idea of the oatmeal for the week. I think I will borrow that if you do not mind. What about the recipe for your doggy Twinkies? I have two spoiled little Boston Terriers.
  • whipdancer
    whipdancer Posts: 21 Member
    One of our regular dishes is what we call turkey rice. Cook up 2lbs of ground turkey, 2 cups of mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, celery, corn, green beans, lima beans - whatever, just make sure they are cut up small), 2 cups of brown rice, 4 ounces of almond slivers. Season it however you like and you end up with 8 to 10 servings of something tasty and easy to grab and go.

    I also prepackage my oatmeal in 1/2 cup servings. I buy the big cannister of Quaker Oats. I make it at work in a coffee mug with hot water from the coffee machine. Another grab and go favorite for breakfast. Also for breakfast, we hard-boil a dozen eggs so we have them on hand through out the week.
  • jen_bersabal
    jen_bersabal Posts: 45
    I have found that by cutting and washing all my vegetables (make you allow to dry completely before you store) and prepacking them in little snack on the go bags works beautifully. The upfront time investment is well worth it!

    I agree. I also like to blanch certain veggies to a crisp tender and have them ready, like asparagus and haricot verts (little french green beans). I keep them in a tupperware container so I can eat them either cold in a salad, or warm with a quick saute in olive oil. I find that it really helps me get more veggies in!
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    I cook a huge batch of plum tomatoes, onion, mushroom and red peppers - I can then:

    Add Italian herbs and roast chicken (pre-cooked and frozen in 2-3 oz portions) to use it as a pasta sauce.
    Add spicy harissa and cumin seeds and poach an egg in it Tunisian style.
    Add paprika and roast chicken (pre-cooked and frozen in 2-3 oz portions) to make Hungarian chicken
    Add Indian spices and roast chicken (pre-cooked and frozen in 2-3 oz portions) to make an Indian Jalfrezi curry!

    EDITED TO ADD: If I cook pasta, or fresh veg (NOT rice) I cook enough for three days. It keeps fine in the fridge. The trick is to drain it then put the pan under cold running water just before it's finished cooking, so it doesn't overcook when you reheat it. :)
  • ashleymcquown
    ashleymcquown Posts: 80
    curry! the longer it sits, the better it tastes : )
  • nurse_christieyne
    nurse_christieyne Posts: 231
    Bump
This discussion has been closed.

Categories