Packaged or home meals?

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2

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  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    MFP has a recipe builder where you can enter in all the ingredients and how much they weighed when you put them in the dish, and it'll give you the total calories/calories per serving.
  • Feistychick68
    Feistychick68 Posts: 302 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    MFP has a recipe builder where you can enter in all the ingredients and how much they weighed when you put them in the dish, and it'll give you the total calories/calories per serving.

  • Feistychick68
    Feistychick68 Posts: 302 Member
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    Oh I clearly didn't know about that. Can u tell I'm a noob here? Ty I will see if that helps..
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    Feistychick68 wrote: »
    Wow I really must be an idiot because how do u know what ur points r based on what something weighs... I have no clue how many calories r in a total meal I cook so how in the world do u calculate that... I could say more and make myself look like a complete *kitten* but let's just say measuring the final product if I don't know the total of the combined.. I just don't get sorry...

    You add up for all the ingredients. Since you mention points, I'm assuming you're doing Weight Watchers; I don't know how that system works, so I'll explain it how I do it.

    Malibu stated above how it works. So if you have chicken, pasta, pasta sauce, and cheese, you would weigh out the amount you're using, and punch in the info to the recipe builder. It does all the calculations for you for fat, calories, ect.
  • Feistychick68
    Feistychick68 Posts: 302 Member
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    Ok that helps a lot!!! I where bouts is the recipe builder or is it a seperate app I need to download. Ty all so much btw
  • Annr
    Annr Posts: 2,765 Member
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    yep the MFP recipe builder is great. I had a can of some pretty healthy soup, and I built it up more with some wild rice, some beans, and then I had put it in servings for 4. I ate it with some dense Dave's Bread, and it was heaven. I had 3 servings in containers and ate them for lunches or dinners. I have declared me soup queen! It's fun to get some protein, (leftover steak pieces, chicken grilled, or some beef kelbasa) then add the stock (chicken, or beef) then build in either (egg noodles, wheat pasta, wild rice) and then I add carrots, or zucchini, cabbage, or bok choy, the choices are endless. The great thing is when I make the soup and portion it out, its hardly nothing in calories, but its heaven. I sometimes add fresh baby spinach in my soup bowl and pour the soup over the leaves cooking them quickly but then they aren't slimy. Sprinkle your soup with a bit of fresh parmesan cheese and volia'!!!!
  • Feistychick68
    Feistychick68 Posts: 302 Member
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    Ok I found it I think under recipes when u click on a meal. That I think will be the difference on making this work or failing. I was wondering how to do this without buying weight watchers food my whole life. Ty all so much
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    Almost three years in, I pretty much have this figured out. Most of my regular recipes are in the recipe builder. When I make them, I immediately divide and package them in individual portions, so I already know how many calories are in them. A few button clicks and my day is logged. So I only have to go to trouble now when I add to my recipes.
  • thenewkayla
    thenewkayla Posts: 313 Member
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    DrinkwineMichael wrote: »
    Another great idea is to use the Allrecipes site and import from there. Easy to make adjustments, too. The quick tools on the app are also effective. Quality of food is far more important than quantity, and to get quality you have to make your own...
    I second the all recipes site I
  • areallycoolstory
    areallycoolstory Posts: 1,680 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I know many folks think a scale is a must, but I haven't joined that group yet. However, I totally agree with the points about eating home cooked meals whenever possible. It is cheaper, more delicious, and certainly more satisfying. I have thought a lot about the pros and cons of weighing, and have decided that so long as I am losing weight at a rate I am comfortable with, I will continue to guestimate. So far so good:-) The primary reason for resisting the use of a scale is that I want this lifestyle change to be sustainable this time around, and I know I will not want to continue weighing my food once I have met my goal weight. I don't want to take a food scale into a restaurant. I am not taking it with me on vacation. However, I still work to stay under my calorie goal when on vacation and dining out. I think I guestimate intelligently. I googled methods for how to do so as I pondered my choice at the start of this journey. I use sizes a lot. For example, a 5oz potato(average portion) is roughly the size of a computer mouse. I think everything except CICO (calories in/calories out) can be individualized. After an abundance of advice you get on these boards, figure out what works for you. Be honest with yourself about whether or not it is working. And then go for it:-) Best of luck!
  • Feistychick68
    Feistychick68 Posts: 302 Member
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    Ty I know wat you mean. Sometimes I worry about having to be so exact I will give up caz Ik I'm not going to measure and weigh my whole life.... I'm just not that type of person to do that. For now I'm going to do my best to be as accurate as I can and maybe weigh wat I can for as long as I can until maybe I can guesstimate without the scale. I agree I have to find a way to make this work for me for the long haul. Being too anal is frustrating to me and not a long term thing I will maintain.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I mainly make my own food, but when I've been at work all day, then had to collect all 3 kids from different places, then get home to do dinner, I don't have time to cook, so then it's easier to put something in the microwave. My children are 5, 3 and 11 months so I need to get them bathed and put them to bed not long after dinner. My husband does shift work, so one week in two I'm on my own all evening. Luckily I only work 3 days a week, so it's only 3 days a fortnight I have to rely on ready meals.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    areallycoolstory wrote: »
    I know many folks think a scale is a must, but I haven't joined that group yet. However, I totally agree with the points about eating home cooked meals whenever possible. It is cheaper, more delicious, and certainly more satisfying. I have thought a lot about the pros and cons of weighing, and have decided that so long as I am losing weight at a rate I am comfortable with, I will continue to guestimate. So far so good:-) The primary reason for resisting the use of a scale is that I want this lifestyle change to be sustainable this time around, and I know I will not want to continue weighing my food once I have met my goal weight. I don't want to take a food scale into a restaurant. I am not taking it with me on vacation. However, I still work to stay under my calorie goal when on vacation and dining out. I think I guestimate intelligently. I googled methods for how to do so as I pondered my choice at the start of this journey. I use sizes a lot. For example, a 5oz potato(average portion) is roughly the size of a computer mouse. I think everything except CICO (calories in/calories out) can be individualized. After an abundance of advice you get on these boards, figure out what works for you. Be honest with yourself about whether or not it is working. And then go for it:-) Best of luck!


    I don't bring mine to a restaurant; that's just wacky! Lol.
    I do find it helpful because I was seriously overestimating and underestimating certain foods. I was eating far less chicken and beef than I thought was 4oz (yay!), and not eyeballing things like hummus and peanut butter correctly (boo!). It's become very helpful for me, especially since I'm nearing my goal. Food scales aren't for everyone, but it's been very beneficial for me to stay on track, and help me hit my maintenance calories correctly once I'm there.

    Definitely agree with this above poster; it's not for everyone, but it can be helpful if you think you need it and want to know exactly what's going into your body.
  • lynndot1
    lynndot1 Posts: 114 Member
    edited April 2015
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    I bulk cook Sundays. Make all of our lunches for the week in one go, and just make the recipe in MFP so all I have to do is add it during the week. I do a couple dinners too for when I work late so boyfriend doesn't feel the need to get fast food instead of waiting for me to come home ;)

    I try and do new recipes now and then but at this point I've got enough in rotation to do repeats and once it's in MFP I don't have to worry about it. Just make 10 servings, portion it out, and go! I keep Mon+Tues lunches in the fridge, the rest go in the freezer and come down when it's time to thaw/eat.

    Some lunches I've done:

    Paella
    Jambalaya
    Stews/soups
    Big roasts in the crockpot
    Chicken (breasts or thighed) seasoned and baked + roasted vegetables as a side
    Burritos
    "One pot" pasta dishes (pasta, veggies, cheese/cream)
    Stuffed shells

    Basically any recipe I can make a LOT of. It helps that we don't mind eating the same lunch Mon-Fri. You could also do 2 smaller recipes if you guys want variety. The possibilities are endless!

    But once you get the hang of that, you basically have "prepackaged meals" on hand all the time. Burritos especially can be microwaved straight from the freezer, anything else you just thaw out and reheat.

    I'm not rabid about exact serving sizes for my recipes. I simply tell MFP it makes, for example, 10 servings, and then I have an army of plastic Tupperware that I divide up into 10 roughly equal portions. Is it exact? Probably not as weighing it all. But it's close enough, and I'm too lazy to do that much dividing up by weight, hah.

    I also tend to over-eat nuts and trail mix. It's too addicting. So I WILL weigh out 10-15 servings of mixed nuts and put them into individual baggies. Then I just grab a baggie when I want a snack rather than the entire container. Saves me from destroying my calories on almonds haha.
  • Annr
    Annr Posts: 2,765 Member
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    Yep Lynndot1 I do the baggie thing too. If I buy a bag of something, I portion it out into snack bags, then put all back in the bag. If its a nut based snack I just re-use the baggies. I also do the fat-free whipping cream inside fat-free graham crackers and freeze them. A great sweet snack but without much calories. The whipping cream freezes into creamy ice-cream texture. :-)
  • HumboldtFred
    HumboldtFred Posts: 159 Member
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    I keep lean pockets and lean cuisines in my freezer and in the freezer at work. I work 13-16 hour shifts much of which is often in a vehicle or a place away from any food resource other than fast food. If I can nuke up some pre-portioned food and get by with a 400 cal lunch where the option was a slice of pizza for 900 calories, I win. Also, with trigger foods I am better off with the pre-portioned amount. If I get the little dishes of ice cream, it makes me stop to think about it before I bust out another cup as opposed to just taking another scoop.
  • musicandarts
    musicandarts Posts: 187 Member
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    I make my own food. Not a lot of cooking as I rely on salads and fruits quite a bit. I don't trust the nutrient labels on packaged foods.
  • Fizbi
    Fizbi Posts: 60 Member
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    I don't worry about being exact. I eat from grocery stores grabbing a bright red dell pepper for a snack. I also like to pack them small cans of peas or other veggies and eat them straight from the can. Calories are all on the side.

    For dinner, I take the time to plan and compute them Calories because over time, they do count.

    Ask yourself...do you want to be successful? Has any other system worked?
    Counting Calories works for me. I'm sticking with it. I just don't sweat a little error now and then. My exercise makes up for it.
  • Annr
    Annr Posts: 2,765 Member
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    Fizbi wrote: »
    I don't worry about being exact. I eat from grocery stores grabbing a bright red dell pepper for a snack. I also like to pack them small cans of peas or other veggies and eat them straight from the can. Calories are all on the side.

    For dinner, I take the time to plan and compute them Calories because over time, they do count.

    Ask yourself...do you want to be successful? Has any other system worked?
    Counting Calories works for me. I'm sticking with it. I just don't sweat a little error now and then. My exercise makes up for it.

    counting keeps me truthful, and being accountable to what I am doing with each meal.
  • olivia_june
    olivia_june Posts: 111 Member
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    I hate trying to guesstimate calories per serving when I make a big pot of soup or whatever, so I just look it up in the database and go with the highest calorie suggestion. I treat my calories like a rough estimate and I don't eat back my exercise calories, though.

    I like to keep a couple of prepackaged meals in the freezer just in case I'm lazy or overly hungry and don't have patience for cooking. But I also keep servings of homemade soup in there too (because sometimes it's 6:30 and I'm like, wth am I eating for supper?), or whatever else I happened to make a huge portion of. I have a deep freeze and then the regular freezer, and I have a lot of stuff on hand, like chopped up onions and mushrooms, etc. My son has strict dietary requirements so all of his stuff has to be prepped beforehand and frozen as well, so I'm used to it by now, haha.

    I buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store (cooked is somehow less expensive than raw) every week, I usually have 100g of that and whatever raw veggies I have on hand, with ranch, for lunch... easy and fast (I save the carcass and bones for stock and then use the stock for soup). Breakfast is hard boiled eggs (boiled ahead of time and hanging out in the fridge) and a banana with PB. I have an hour between when I wake up in the morning and when I have to take my son to school, and then I go to the gym after I drop him off. He takes a year to eat (he has severe special needs and needs someone to feed him directly) so my breakfast has to be fast and able to fuel me for my workout.

    For snacks I eat almonds, bananas, grapes, pickled asparagus/pickles, cheese, protein bars, etc....basically a lot of grab and go stuff. I don't really have the time to stand around making overly complicated meals except for at supper, and the complex ones can only really be done on the weekends. *shrug*

    I'm a year into doing this seriously and I've lost almost 50lbs. Works for me!

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