Meal Prepping Safe?

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christineeong
christineeong Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys!

I've been meal prepping my lunch for months now and I've lost weight along the way (with healthy diet and exercise). I'll bring my meal prep to the office and whenever I eat them, my colleagues will comment on how unhealthy they are because they're cooked and kept in the fridge / not freshly cooked on the same day / all the food nutrients are lost.

So I'm wondering if it's alright to continue meal prepping? I only meal prep 3-4 days max at one go tho :(

I'm happy with my meal prep because I enjoy doing it haha. The food choices near my office is pretty unhealthy or too expensive.
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Replies

  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
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    People always feel the need to judge. It sounds like what you are doing is working well for you. You are providing healthy options for yourself and saving money along the way! I don't believe all of the nutrients are lost when you prep ahead of time, but that is purely an opinion. I think if you are doing something that you enjoy and it is working for you health AND budget wise...keep it up!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    christineeong wrote: »
    Hi guys!

    I've been meal prepping my lunch for months now and I've lost weight along the way (with healthy diet and exercise). I'll bring my meal prep to the office and whenever I eat them, my colleagues will comment on how unhealthy they are because they're cooked and kept in the fridge / not freshly cooked on the same day / all the food nutrients are lost.

    So I'm wondering if it's alright to continue meal prepping? I only meal prep 3-4 days max at one go tho :(

    I'm happy with my meal prep because I enjoy doing it haha. The food choices near my office is pretty unhealthy or too expensive.

    That is literally some of the dumbest crap I've ever heard...your colleagues take the ignorance cake. Man...that's seriously some dumb crap right there.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    Your colleagues are ridiculous. It's too bad finding another job probably isn't a viable option.
  • JJLive
    JJLive Posts: 88 Member
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    christineeong wrote: »
    ...unhealthy they are because they're cooked and kept in the fridge / not freshly cooked on the same day / all the food nutrients are lost.

    That is incredibly ridiculous. I'd ask them where they think the nutrients go? Do the atoms fly away on a mystical journey? There is a little something called the 'Laws of Physics' and I'd encourage them to read it over, lol. Seriously though.

    I usually cook an entire week of meals on Thursday, bring them in on Friday and put them in the freezer (except Monday's lunch). Everyday I pull one of the the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw out for tomorrow. Works fine for me because I like to relax/have fun on the weekend. The food doesn't go bad and there isn't a warp of time and space that sucks away the nutrients from a sealed container.
  • EddieP50
    EddieP50 Posts: 192 Member
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    Here are a couple of articles on the subject. While the article shows they will lose some nutrients during storage in the fridge, it is not significant and the food will spoil before it was to lose a significant amount.

    takepart.com/article/2013/08/07/nutrition-loss-and-pre-preparing-foods

    www3.uakron.edu/chima/text/Food%20storage%20article%208-05.pdf
  • valente347
    valente347 Posts: 201 Member
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    christineeong wrote: »
    Hi guys!

    I've been meal prepping my lunch for months now and I've lost weight along the way (with healthy diet and exercise). I'll bring my meal prep to the office and whenever I eat them, my colleagues will comment on how unhealthy they are because they're cooked and kept in the fridge / not freshly cooked on the same day / all the food nutrients are lost.

    So I'm wondering if it's alright to continue meal prepping? I only meal prep 3-4 days max at one go tho :(

    I'm happy with my meal prep because I enjoy doing it haha. The food choices near my office is pretty unhealthy or too expensive.

    Your coworkers are having a hard time with critical thinking because they are hating. It's a well-known fact that hating on some else presents symptoms of clouded thinking and word salad. I just usually feel sorry for those who suffer, but if it's someone with whom you feel comfortable speaking, you might want to suggest that they focus on positive things to say when in public.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    valente347 wrote: »
    christineeong wrote: »
    Hi guys!

    I've been meal prepping my lunch for months now and I've lost weight along the way (with healthy diet and exercise). I'll bring my meal prep to the office and whenever I eat them, my colleagues will comment on how unhealthy they are because they're cooked and kept in the fridge / not freshly cooked on the same day / all the food nutrients are lost.

    So I'm wondering if it's alright to continue meal prepping? I only meal prep 3-4 days max at one go tho :(

    I'm happy with my meal prep because I enjoy doing it haha. The food choices near my office is pretty unhealthy or too expensive.

    Your coworkers are having a hard time with critical thinking because they are hating. It's a well-known fact that hating on some else presents symptoms of clouded thinking and word salad. I just usually feel sorry for those who suffer, but if it's someone with whom you feel comfortable speaking, you might want to suggest that they focus on positive things to say when in public.

    I think you just won today's Internet :D

  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    valente347 wrote: »
    christineeong wrote: »
    Hi guys!

    I've been meal prepping my lunch for months now and I've lost weight along the way (with healthy diet and exercise). I'll bring my meal prep to the office and whenever I eat them, my colleagues will comment on how unhealthy they are because they're cooked and kept in the fridge / not freshly cooked on the same day / all the food nutrients are lost.

    So I'm wondering if it's alright to continue meal prepping? I only meal prep 3-4 days max at one go tho :(

    I'm happy with my meal prep because I enjoy doing it haha. The food choices near my office is pretty unhealthy or too expensive.

    Your coworkers are having a hard time with critical thinking because they are hating. It's a well-known fact that hating on some else presents symptoms of clouded thinking and word salad. I just usually feel sorry for those who suffer, but if it's someone with whom you feel comfortable speaking, you might want to suggest that they focus on positive things to say when in public.

    Probably the most enlightening thing I'll read all day!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,009 Member
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    JJLive wrote: »
    christineeong wrote: »
    ...unhealthy they are because they're cooked and kept in the fridge / not freshly cooked on the same day / all the food nutrients are lost.

    That is incredibly ridiculous. I'd ask them where they think the nutrients go? Do the atoms fly away on a mystical journey? There is a little something called the 'Laws of Physics' and I'd encourage them to read it over, lol. Seriously though.

    I usually cook an entire week of meals on Thursday, bring them in on Friday and put them in the freezer (except Monday's lunch). Everyday I pull one of the the freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw out for tomorrow. Works fine for me because I like to relax/have fun on the weekend. The food doesn't go bad and there isn't a warp of time and space that sucks away the nutrients from a sealed container.

    Well, some of the vitamins (micronutrients) can deteriorate (=break down=undergo chemical change) inside a sealed container. Yes, all of the atoms are still there inside the sealed container, so no laws of physics are being broken, but they're not all still arranged in the way that your body needs them. But it's happening with the food sitting out on the food prep stations at the "unhealthy" and expensive places near OP's office, and it happened to all the food from the time it was harvested and shipped and stored...A few days in a sealed container in a dark refrigerator isn't likely to make a huge difference.

    Pro Tip: store the food in containers that hold single-meal servings when filled to the top, or place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper flush against the top surface of the food, to minimize air exposure during refrigeration. It will help preserve flavor, as well.
  • balle1965
    balle1965 Posts: 8 Member
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    Been doing food prep of all my meals since December, 2013. I've lost 90 lbs (while going through "The Change"). I've had two annual physicals during this time. Lab results are good, doctor says I'm fine. That's all that matters to me. And yes, I agree with all the previous comments, people make those judgmental comments because really, they are just envious of your commitment to healthy eating. Keep it up!
  • christineeong
    christineeong Posts: 5 Member
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    oh gosh, thank you all so much, it means so much to me. Honestly! I've been meal prepping for about 4 months now and I've managed to lose about 23 pounds so far (7 more pounds to go before I achieve my goal weight).

    I really like meal prepping on Sundays, makes me feel so accomplished haha. Now that I know there's nothing to worry about, I can do that in peace :)
    thank you so much guys!
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    JJLive wrote: »
    christineeong wrote: »
    ...unhealthy they are because they're cooked and kept in the fridge / not freshly cooked on the same day / all the food nutrients are lost.

    Pro Tip: store the food in containers that hold single-meal servings when filled to the top, or place a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper flush against the top surface of the food, to minimize air exposure during refrigeration. It will help preserve flavor, as well.
    This helps a lot!! thank you Lynn!
  • ddavenport63
    ddavenport63 Posts: 74 Member
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    i totaly agree with suruda . keep doing what your doing
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I read in a book once that rice and beans are the only foods a person should keep as leftovers. But i honestly eat chicken left over all the time sometimes for 3-4 days. Fish the next day. Same with certain veggies.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    Have your co-workers heard of the magic of refrigeration?

    3-4 days should be fine but you may wish to check your fridge is set for a temperature of 5c or less.
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
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    Do said coworkers go to the grocery store every day in order to get the "freshest" food (I swear some of my grocery stores sell the same lot of produce two-three weeks in a row. It'll be super fresh and amazing the first week and then the third week they're selling moldy and soggy produce)? Buying food on Monday, cooking it on Monday, and eating it on Thursday isn't going to be super different nutrition-wise compared to if you buy the same food on Monday, cook it on Thursday, and eat it on Thursday.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    Sounds like your coworkers have a serious case of the jellies.

    I used to have people comment on my food all the time "you can't eat pizza!" and "wow, that fit's into your diet?". Mind you i dont talk about my diet/exercise people just see me eating what they think is stereotypically "healthy" food, and they have no concept of a balanced diet.
  • Smccabe8
    Smccabe8 Posts: 129 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I meal prep up to 2 weeks worth of lunches at once. I freeze them in small glass containers, and just take one out at a time to microwave them. I don't eat fresh meat or cooked veggies if they've been in the fridge for more than a couple days, but I have the digestion system of a newborn kitten so that's just me. I don't think they lose nutrients or anything crazy like that.

    I assume your co-workers go to a farm every day on their lunch break, pick their own produce, come back to the office and cook their lunch on a camping stove? For optimal nutrients of course.
  • wonko221
    wonko221 Posts: 292 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Congratulations on your discipline and weight loss. Keep doing what you're doing.

    I prep a little over a week at a time, most weeks. When i make my next week's meals, i work them into the rotation, which lets me keep a little more variety. But this also means i'm eating food that may be over a week or two old (frozen until i'm ready to thaw/eat it).

    I've had no noticeable loss of nutrition or flavor. I prepare things that will freeze and reheat well, and enjoy my meals immensely.

    What i enjoy even more is only having to do dishes once per week, on prep day, and then having my portioning containers to wash as needed!
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
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    abatonfan wrote: »
    Do said coworkers go to the grocery store every day in order to get the "freshest" food (I swear some of my grocery stores sell the same lot of produce two-three weeks in a row. It'll be super fresh and amazing the first week and then the third week they're selling moldy and soggy produce)? Buying food on Monday, cooking it on Monday, and eating it on Thursday isn't going to be super different nutrition-wise compared to if you buy the same food on Monday, cook it on Thursday, and eat it on Thursday.

    My Costco does this and it sucks. I think the worst was the 'fresh' asparagus harvested a full month prior. It was green goo at the tops and they were still trying to sell it. Same thing with their bell peppers. I just had to quit buying them from Costco because sometimes I would immediately discover mold upon taking them out of the bag or within 1-3 days. That's ridiculous. Since there are basically never any dates on the peppers, I can't know how old they are to screen. :/
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Where the hell do you work that you're coworkers are that dumb? That kind of level of stupid not only hurts my feelings but makes me wonder what the hell they do for a living.

    Please tell me it's something not relevant to human safety.

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