Does anyone else meal prep?

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Replies

  • BigLifter10
    BigLifter10 Posts: 1,153 Member
    edited April 2015
    I do now (for the past couple of years), but am not a planner by nature as far as that goes. I don't like it, but am thrilled that I don't have to try to always think of something when it's time for food. I love it when people post pics and details of their foods as it give me additional ideas. I'm pretty basic with my food, although I have recently forayed into spices and healthier sauce options!

    Edited to add: I usually prep twice a week so my Sunday isn't overloaded (because that's how I feel when I do a week at a time). So Sunday and Wednesday typically. I do occasionally eat out, so that throws me a little, but I try not to do that much at all anymore.
  • Brolympus
    Brolympus Posts: 360 Member
    edited April 2015
    I really need to start doing this. I despise cooking everyday. Getting it done in a couple hours for the whole week would be amazing.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    as9823 wrote: »
    Queenmunchy wrote: »
    Yep, for 7 years now!
    Very impressive!

    I was a single mom for a while (I'm now engaged), have a demanding job, and we have a lot of extracurricular activities. I would have never been able to feed myself and my child healthy meals everyday if I didn't prep :) Now it's second nature, and I just make 2-6 dishes/items every weekend and portion to freeze.
  • Brolympus
    Brolympus Posts: 360 Member
    edited April 2015
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    ... Where are the vegetables? And the fat?

    We meal prep on a weekend - it's necessary when we're prepping for a comp, and just easier when we're not. I can't imagine having to think every day about what I'm having the next day!

    I would assume any veggie cooked and then left to sit in the fridge for days would be a soggy, nasty mess.
  • BigLifter10
    BigLifter10 Posts: 1,153 Member
    FYI - Regarding veggies. I typically do them as needed (either steam or toss on the grill)....BUT....a handy little thing also is available: Ziploc Zip N Steam bags. There are 10 to a box and it shows the microwave guidelines on the bag for whatever veggie, fish, chicken you have to cook up. When I'm really pressed for time, I toss in my favorites of summer squash, zucchini and baby carrots, add 1 T water to the bag, season as needed and cook 2 min. Fresh, fast and flavorful!

    Some people have an aversion to using plastic bags in the micro (this one is designed for food and micro use specifically). I don't personally do it everyday, but once a week or so, they come in very, very handy.

    Just a tip if someone hasn't found these little gems yet! :)
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    I cook in bulk on Sunday's and prep the day in the mornings for lunch and dinner.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Do you eat the same things every day all week then?
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    edited April 2015
    Sure do. Even before I was watching calories and macros as closely as I am now, it was just cheaper and more convenient to make the food over the weekend and reheat it during the workweek. That was a big help when I was finding myself working upwards of 12 hours in the office, because the last thing I wanted to do if I got home at 8 or 9 PM was cook.

    Now that I'm watching calories more closely, planning ahead really helps because I can sometimes be looking at 3000-4000 calorie days and it's obnoxious to potentially have to ad-lib thousands of calories.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Do you eat the same things every day all week then?

    I do, but I tend to keep things interesting by using recipes from a wide variety of cookbooks and getting variety from my snacks. As long as a given recipe isn't disgusting or unappetizing, I can stand to eat it as the main course for the meal for 5 days in a row.
  • mls100771
    mls100771 Posts: 125 Member
    I did the Sunday meal prep for a while. I found that by Thursday the food was starting to get a little funky and I was starting to get sick of it. Probably my fault for not including enough variety.

    Anyway, I do meal prep to an extent. I make up 6 ounce portions of Cornelll marinated chicken breast and freeze them in ziplock sandwich bags. I did this the other night and have 18 portions ready to go. All I do is throw one in my cooler in the morning and it's usually thawed by the time I get to it.

    Otherwise I do most of my food prep the night before. Takes me about an hour to get it all done.

    "Failing to plan is planning to fail!"
  • JamieM8168
    JamieM8168 Posts: 248 Member
    I prep for breakfast and lunch for during the work week on Sunday nights.
    I don't prep ahead of time for dinners or the weekend but I keep a meal list of what will be made
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Do you eat the same things every day all week then?

    I don't. I freeze everything, so I can pretty much choose from 20-30 different meals at any time.
  • as9823
    as9823 Posts: 24 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Do you eat the same things every day all week then?

    I will have a choice of those three meals or a protein shake for all my meals this week yes. Next week there will be a new menu.
  • Oldbitcollector
    Oldbitcollector Posts: 229 Member
    That's awesome!

    I'm doing good to "gym bag" prep the night before, but I'm positive I'll conquer that and be meal prepping soon.
  • Havasufalls
    Havasufalls Posts: 53 Member
    I always make the excuse that since I work 50 hours a week and have 4 children that go to different schools and all play sports that I don't have time, but I will find a way, very inspiring! Thanks for the picture ! :smile:
  • MySignaturecolour
    MySignaturecolour Posts: 48 Member
    I was better at this last summer but getting back into it. Grilled chicken Sunday, prepped breakfast, lunches and snacks. The rest of the chicken went into the freezer. I love having a Foodsaver for freezing. I ususally don't prep dinner although I should.
  • nstock
    nstock Posts: 135 Member
    Yepp! I spend 3-5 hours every Sunday meal prepping. I work 6, sometimes 7 days a week, so if I don't, I end up grazing on whatever food I can find. It sucks in the moment, but it's awesome when you just gotta warm your dinner up! Failing to plan, is planning to fail-- for me at least!
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