Food prep

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jo_m_towns
jo_m_towns Posts: 27 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What are some good food prep ideas

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  • mean_and_lean
    mean_and_lean Posts: 164 Member
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    You can make a few meals over the weekend and portion them out for the week.

    What I have been doing lately is looking at cookbooks and stuff that I have in the house and I make a meal plan for the week. I make a list of what I will need for the meals and then grocery shop on Sunday and make whatever meals I've planned every night. I'm not sure if something like that will work for you. It's easy for me because I work from home.
  • jo_m_towns
    jo_m_towns Posts: 27 Member
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    Ahh!! That sounds like a great idea. Your so lucky to work from home. What meals have you come up with?
  • mean_and_lean
    mean_and_lean Posts: 164 Member
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    Well I have a ton of cookbooks and I've done shrimp pad thai, chicken with rice and veggies, salads, hamburger on a portobello mushroom cap, pork chops, potato leek soup, chicken pot pie (usually made with the leftovers from roasted chicken) . . . lots of stuff!
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I have a few things I do. Sometime during the week I usually talk with the family and have them do a quick meal plan for Monday-Thursday's dinners. I also plan the dishes I plan to cook over the weekend. I create a grocery list.

    On weekends I ALSO cook things that I can, just to stick in the freezer. Different kinds of soups, stews, chilis, curries portioned into individual servings and labeled. Before work I just grab whatever I want and throw it in my bag.

    I flash freeze things like burritos, muffin tin recipes, mini meatloaf, meatballs, nuggets, stuffed peppers, breakfast sausage patties, etc. I also make sauces on the weekend and freeze them in jars (if they're used in larger quantities like enchilada or tomato sauce) or in ice cube trays (pesto, cheese sauce, sofrito).

    I also usually make one frittata, hard boiled eggs, roasted veggies, or something along those lines to heat and eat all week for breakfast.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    I recommend this guy's site-

    http://fitmencook.com/kitchen-essentials-getting-started-with-your-healthy-eating-plan/

    If you click on meal prep, recipes, etc. he has a lot of good bulk recipes to make for the whole week.
  • dotti1121
    dotti1121 Posts: 751 Member
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    I like to cook chicken breasts in bulk, then cut up and divide into 1-lb freezer bags and freeze. Then I can just grab a bag of chicken that's ready to go!
  • jo_m_towns
    jo_m_towns Posts: 27 Member
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    Ah thanks I will defiantly check it out ...hope your day is going good
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    edited January 2016
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    One thing that I've seen - and want to try, is similar to dotti1121's but goes a step further...sort of. It was getting chicken breasts in bulk, dividing them, UNCOOKED, into freezer bags (quart size or larger, depending on if these are for individual or family) but ALSO making a few different sauces to put in the bags too. Like, tomato sauce, italian sauce, pesto sauce, soy sauce based - and then make a few bags of chicken +sauce for each type of sauce.

    Leave the bags in the fridge for a few hours, and then freeze. It leaves you with chicken that is marinaded and ready to cook that you can just take from the freezer, thaw, and cook quickly, and serve over rice or other accompaniments. :-)

    I've seen the same for other meats. Kind of wondered if it would work for veggies, too, you know?
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I buy vegetables fresh and make a salad right away. This last time I put a covered bowl in the refrigerator to accompany suppers and also three mason jars to enjoy the salad during lunch at work. I only make enough say, to last 4-5 days because....fresh.

    A frequent habit is to make a roast on the Sunday, use the drippings for a slow cooker stew on Monday, and package the rest of the cooked meat (chicken, beef, pork loin) for future meals like a casserole or a wrap. I don't use the whole roast all week because....boring.

    Every couple weeks I make a bean based slow cooker meal, using dried beans. I soak the beans overnight, cook until soft, and then put them in a slow cooker dish like a black bean turkey chili. This chili makes a lot so it takes a while for the two of us to eat through it.

    Some sample recipes:

    http://www.beefinfo.org/?ID=17&ArticleID=37

    http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/perfect-pan-roasted-chicken-thighs

    Roast Chicken

    Slow cooker black bean turkey chili
  • Patrieee
    Patrieee Posts: 6 Member
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    Hey I meal prep by focusing on certain ingredients in different categories. For example I would cook a bunch of chicken, fish, beef (protein) clean and chop lettuce, zucchini, and spinach (veggies) wash strawberries, peaches (fruit), cook oatmeal, rice (carbs). I would keep those in the fridge then mix and match for meals for the week. This way I don't eat the same meals everyday and I don't spend lots of time cooking and portioning out food. Each meal then takes like 5 ish min to throw together for the day.
    Here's a blog that featured my prep: http://www.teambeachbody.com/teambeachbodyblog/nutrition/meal-prep-mondays-week-16

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