Food prep method

Tamma_Bobamma
Tamma_Bobamma Posts: 1 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hey y'all! I wanted to share my method for easy meal prep. I can't count how many epic failures I experienced before I started stocking my freezer with pre-made frozen meals. It makes it so easy to always have a meal handy that you know is healthy, and you know the calorie and maco contents because you made it yourself. It also saves TONS of money, you can make a whole weeks worth of lunches for under $10 easily.

Here are a few things you will need:

food scale
measuring cups
quart sized zip-lock bags
recipe you plan on using (or you can use this one to start)
This is pretty simple, first off, I cook my protein, in this case chicken. I will let it cool and cut it up. Measure the amount you need (4 ounces in this case) into each bag.


Next, if I am eating carbs I will have that cooked by the time the chicken is done. Measure the amount needed into each bag, in this case a half cup of brown rice.

I almost always do a veggie along with the protein and carb, in this case I have selected broccoli. I don’t usually measure broccoli for this method because I have found that along with all the other ingredients the perfect amount fills the bag. There is no need to cook the veggie, they always cook perfectly when the meal is reheated.

Now depending on how long you plan to store these, you can freeze them or refrigerate, I normally freeze them and they last for months. Reheating them I have found takes about 3-4 minutes from frozen, with a break halfway through to shake the half inflated bag and stir the ingredients up.

I know this meal seems bland, and it is! I cook almost all of my meals without any spices. I keep a large stock of healthy sauces and spices in my desk at work. This helps a lot with variety, even though I am eating the same lunch all week, it can be a little different every day. I am a huge fan of sriracha hot sauce, but I have no less than 5 different hot sauces alone in my spice drawer.

If you do this with a few of your favorite recipes you will never find yourself stuck without a healthy meal on hand. No more excuses to eat Wendy's for lunch (damn you baconater!).

[Edited by MFP Mods]

Replies

  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    Thank you.
    Is it safe to cook food in plastic zip lock bags?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    edited October 2016
    My only food prep is to keep a well stocked pantry, fridge and freezer. Occasionally I will thaw something ahead of time. LOL

    [Edited by MFP Mods]
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,889 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    My only food prep is to keep a well stocked pantry, fridge and freezer. Occasionally I will thaw something ahead of time. LOL

    I have landed on this too. I find it more flexible, fast and easy enough for my need, and the storing of dry starch in pantry (or potatoes in fridge) is cheaper than when prepared in freezer.
  • mari5466
    mari5466 Posts: 137 Member
    I meal prep for about 4 days. I cook everything in one batch and keep it in tuppawear containers. I usually do a grain, chicken, with some sauce and broccoli in a separate container. I make Starbucks cheese and fruit plates or Cesar salad kits. Op is right, I usually don't spend more than 10 dollars for 4-5 lunches. If something comes up and I don't eat it I usually freeze it.
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    I take one day where I just meal prep. I have to make most stuff that's for all three meals plus some snacks, so the price is usually closer to $20 a week. The other day I roasted a chicken for about an hour. In the meantime I prepared my hidden veggie and liver meatballs, made avocado/cilantro spread, and peeled apples to make sauce in the slow cooker. I bought some turkey deli this time around which was unusual, and I already have canned sardines and salmon on hand (I like to stock up on sales). Overall, about 2 hours of meal prep that will last about a week. All I have to do in the morning is cook my daily veggie intake, and I am good to go. It makes life so much easier.
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