Question for Meal Preppers

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searsvls
searsvls Posts: 164 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I find meal preppers facinating. I do well to make my breakfast and lunch the night before. I really would like to start doing it for several days in advance. I am just curious if preppers ever eat frozen meals and/or sandwiches in addition to their own meals. I love seeing the pictures that many of you post with the neat containers and the food measured out but I never see sandwich stuff. I understand about the bread setting soggy but do you ever make the filling and take bread on the side. I would like to hear your reasons for the way that you do things.
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  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    edited May 2015
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    I make my own frozen meals and eat them later. I don't eat sandwiches, but if I were going to make a sandwich, it takes a few minutes, so there is not any need to prep that ahead of time (except for lunch the next day which I do for the little one).

    Freezer meals help me save money so I'm not wasting time/energy (cooking once for many, many servings), not wasting food (cooking it before it goes bad), and I feel good knowing I'm serving my family healthy, veggie-packed food that I made with my own hands.

    Why would I want to cook eggs everyday if I can make a frittata that will serve me 6 times? Similarly, I wouldn't make a cup of chili or one burrito or 3 meatballs or nuggets. If I'm going to put the effort in, I'd rather it be once!

    And I've done this for 7 years now and can't IMAGINE having to cook and clean everyday between work, child activities, late meetings, etc. I can have a healthy meal on the table in under 10 minutes with virtually no cleanup.
  • BigLifter10
    BigLifter10 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    I do it strictly for convenience and health. I am one of those who will readily grab anything in a package because I hate to cook. When I finally get ready to prep ( I do it twice a week - typically Sun and Wed, but that sometimes changes depending on what's going on) I am so glad to get it over with. I want to be healthy and stay healthy. My choices to eat pre-packaged stuff will not enhance my health. It's to the point now, that I just FEEL so much better that I can't even imagine having fast food or boxed cake. And I LOVED triple coconut cake from Pepp. Farm (eat it all in one sitting). If I ever need a piece, I'll have it, but so far, that hasn't happened.

    In a nutshell, it's inconvenient while shopping/prepping (two hours or so), but it's way more convenient to eat throughout the week without having to do a lot of cooking! B)
  • preaser
    preaser Posts: 85 Member
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    When I was a kid we would make all our sandwiches for the week and freeze them. (i grew up in a large family)Now, I make mine the night before and refrigerate and it's always fine the next day. I freeze leftover pasta and rice/chicken dishes. Most meals freeze well.
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
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    I use mason jars to make up a few days of fruit and greek yogurt parfaits for a daily snack. I either dump the granola in before I leave home or keep some granola in my desk for when the mood hits.

    Most of my lunches consist of leftovers and are either fresh or something I've made up and tossed in the freezer for grab and go.

    Breakfast I have at home, I specifically set aside the time to cook in the am. It never takes me more than a few minutes and sometimes I'll make a breakfast casserole or french toast bake and cook it while I shower and dress.
  • DedRepublic
    DedRepublic Posts: 348 Member
    edited May 2015
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    searsvls wrote: »
    I find meal preppers facinating. I do well to make my breakfast and lunch the night before. I really would like to start doing it for several days in advance. I am just curious if preppers ever eat frozen meals and/or sandwiches in addition to their own meals. I love seeing the pictures that many of you post with the neat containers and the food measured out but I never see sandwich stuff. I understand about the bread setting soggy but do you ever make the filling and take bread on the side. I would like to hear your reasons for the way that you do things.

    Bread is not in my meal plan. It is not that I do not like bread. I love bread, but I prefer to get my carbs from sweet potatos, white rice, carbohydrate powders, and veggies, and time them in a way to best suit my goals.

    I have all the food I need in my house on Saturday, and cook on Sundays. I have a large freezer in my garage. If I am running the oven I fill it. Clean up time is about the same for 5 or 30 meals. So I'll load up fish and chicken in the oven with Sweet Potatoes all while browning ground turkey on the stove top while the rice cooker is going. It is about being efficient with your time. Once complete I am usually good for two weeks.

    Some of my meals are powder meals so I have purchased many Shaker Cups and just preload supplements into them...that way I can just grab and go in the morning. This also helps me plan my supplement purchases.

    Body-Building-Meal-Prep.jpg


  • mdt07
    mdt07 Posts: 50 Member
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    I use to do weekly prep but I found that I like variety too much. So there are times I prep all meals for a day the night before. If I decide to do a sandwich I just keep the bread and filling separate. I do freeze pasta or rice casseroles in small containers so they are easy to thaw and cook quickly. Meal Prep over a few days saves quite a bit of time because you have less daily clean up and you are not waiting for meals to cook.
  • miriamtob
    miriamtob Posts: 436 Member
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    I do cooksmarts. It gives me the menu, shopping list and meal prep instructions each week, so I never had to learn how to do a cook up; I just follow their instructions.
  • searsvls
    searsvls Posts: 164 Member
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    DedRepublic, I am fascinated by the picture with your meals. Talk about organization!! Do you freeze some of them? How long does it take you on Sundays? You are inspiring!!!
  • searsvls
    searsvls Posts: 164 Member
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    Miriamtob, Thanks for the Cooksmarts idea. I looked at the website. Looks great!
  • as9823
    as9823 Posts: 24 Member
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    I go by the grocery store Sunday after church. Buy all my supplies for three different entres (whatever I decide to eat that week) I compile each entre with a lean protein source and a complex carb source. I make five servings of each meal. So I prep fifteen meals a week as soon as I get home from the grocery store. That's three solid meals a day Monday-friday that are prepped. My snacks are all veggie and or cashews/almonds, so I don't include those into the prepped meals. I usually will just cook single meals on Saturday or grill for the family. And start over on Sunday.

    punsdskxnc5r.jpg

  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,275 Member
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    When I prep veggies for week, I make egg salad. Or cut up a chicken, ie, tear down rotisserie chicken, so it is ready for salads.

    The bonus of veggies prep is at end of week you throw stuff in a crockpot and decide what it looks like, soup, chili, and you make a batch of that for eating, freezing.
  • G33K_G1RL
    G33K_G1RL Posts: 283 Member
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    Since I started meal prep, I haven't gone to the cafeteria except once (I forgot my lunch on the counter :disappointed: )

    It's a lot less trouble to weigh and track food. I track once while I prep, the make an MFP recipe with the correct number of servings. Doesn't really matter if the servings aren't exact since at the end of the week I've eaten them all.

    I change recipes every week, and alternate meats. So it never gets boring! Also I can take advantage of whatever meat is less expensive that particular week.

    So it saves time, saves money and means I waste so much less food than before.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    I don't buy frozen meals (bleh), and I don't often eat sandwiches. Recently I've been having wraps for lunch though - i take my pre prepared salad/meatballs/HB egg/mayo in a container, the wraps in their package, and make them up as I eat.

    We prep food for dinners in a Sunday and freeze it raw (vegies and meat) to cook fresh each night, and salads and breakfast are made on Sunday.
  • DedRepublic
    DedRepublic Posts: 348 Member
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    searsvls wrote: »
    DedRepublic, I am fascinated by the picture with your meals. Talk about organization!! Do you freeze some of them? How long does it take you on Sundays? You are inspiring!!!

    Takes about an hour on Sunday's...sometimes 1/2 hour depending on which meal I need prepped for he week. I try to stay ahead.

    Oh yeah...about that freezer...

    ipjt6l571ocn.jpg

  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Haha @DedRepublic, your freezer looks like mine! I've done this for 7 years but never splurged on a standup freezer (single mom and bought a house 3 years ago). My parents bought one for me as a christmas present last year and I think I went nuts prepping 8 weeks worth at a time for weeks!
    I honestly can't imagine how some parents can cook everyday while we need to do homework, bring the kids to extracurriculars, bathe them, etc. I make my time work for me!
  • DedRepublic
    DedRepublic Posts: 348 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Queenmunchy wrote: »
    Haha @DedRepublic, your freezer looks like mine! I've done this for 7 years but never splurged on a standup freezer (single mom and bought a house 3 years ago). My parents bought one for me as a christmas present last year and I think I went nuts prepping 8 weeks worth at a time for weeks!
    I honestly can't imagine how some parents can cook everyday while we need to do homework, bring the kids to extracurriculars, bathe them, etc. I make my time work for me!

    Yes, Yes, and yes...you ROCK!!! Honestly people think I'm nuts...but if they only knew how lazy I am!!! Ha ha...I prep on Sundays...like even my powder meals and preworkouts in color coded shaker...so I can just grab and go. I spend ZERO time during Monday-Friday cooking. I also spend ZERO dollars buying food Mon through Friday

    shaker-cups.jpg

  • BigLifter10
    BigLifter10 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    DedRepublic wrote: »
    Queenmunchy wrote: »
    Haha @DedRepublic, your freezer looks like mine! I've done this for 7 years but never splurged on a standup freezer (single mom and bought a house 3 years ago). My parents bought one for me as a christmas present last year and I think I went nuts prepping 8 weeks worth at a time for weeks!
    I honestly can't imagine how some parents can cook everyday while we need to do homework, bring the kids to extracurriculars, bathe them, etc. I make my time work for me!

    Yes, Yes, and yes...you ROCK!!! Honestly people think I'm nuts...but if they only knew how lazy I am!!! Ha ha...I prep on Sundays...like even my powder meals and preworkouts in color coded shaker...so I can just grab and go. I spend ZERO time during Monday-Friday cooking. I also spend ZERO dollars buying food.

    shaker-cups.jpg



    Okay, I have been trying to tell myself it's okay to buy more Blender Bottles because I use them up so fast and get so tired of washing them out all the time (and it does feel like ALL the time). But, now that I see this ......hmmm, I may have to consider getting another 10 to add to my collection of SIX. B)
  • DedRepublic
    DedRepublic Posts: 348 Member
    edited May 2015
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    BigLifter10 wrote: »
    DedRepublic wrote: »
    Queenmunchy wrote: »
    Haha @DedRepublic, your freezer looks like mine! I've done this for 7 years but never splurged on a standup freezer (single mom and bought a house 3 years ago). My parents bought one for me as a christmas present last year and I think I went nuts prepping 8 weeks worth at a time for weeks!
    I honestly can't imagine how some parents can cook everyday while we need to do homework, bring the kids to extracurriculars, bathe them, etc. I make my time work for me!

    Yes, Yes, and yes...you ROCK!!! Honestly people think I'm nuts...but if they only knew how lazy I am!!! Ha ha...I prep on Sundays...like even my powder meals and preworkouts in color coded shaker...so I can just grab and go. I spend ZERO time during Monday-Friday cooking. I also spend ZERO dollars buying food.

    shaker-cups.jpg



    Okay, I have been trying to tell myself it's okay to buy more Blender Bottles because I use them up so fast and get so tired of washing them out all the time (and it does feel like ALL the time). But, now that I see this ......hmmm, I may have to consider getting another 10 to add to my collection of SIX. B)

    It was a difficult decision...it's like...who the hell needs so many blender bottles?? And why must I have them color coded?? It simply helps me to be consistent...and...helps me know when to place more supplement orders....I can stay ahead this way...it's like an assembly line putting them together though...really saves time.

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    searsvls wrote: »
    I find meal preppers facinating. I do well to make my breakfast and lunch the night before. I really would like to start doing it for several days in advance. I am just curious if preppers ever eat frozen meals and/or sandwiches in addition to their own meals. I love seeing the pictures that many of you post with the neat containers and the food measured out but I never see sandwich stuff. I understand about the bread setting soggy but do you ever make the filling and take bread on the side. I would like to hear your reasons for the way that you do things.

    Why would you need to prep a sandwich?! It's not like it takes long to make one!
  • NewMeSM75
    NewMeSM75 Posts: 971 Member
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    @DedRepublic That truly is awesome!!

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