Meal Prep?

I don't prep exactly, but I do plan. I sit down and figure out 3 meals to make during the week that covers lunch and dinners for the work week. I also plan out snacks (and if they're packable, pack them for the week).

I keep a slight theme for our meals. I like to cook an ethnic meal, a vegetable-focus meal, and one open meal.

I usually cook that night's meal, and use square tupperwares to pack the rest of the servings (either 2-4 extra servings) that will be eaten for lunch and dinner during the week. Pinterest is my go-to for finding recipes and we've had a lot of success.

Anything that can be done in bulk. Right now I have a whole chicken roasting in the oven, that'll be for dinner, a soup and wraps. There's a huge slab of ground beef that'll be for tacos and a meat lasagna, maybe also for a meat pasta sauce. A roast that'll be cooked and divided up into portions, pork chops will be done the same way. There's a ham too. Going to whip up a potato soup in the crockpot tomorrow. Veggies will be chopped and stored in mason jars, lettuce will be washed and stored the same. Bought a tub of salted sunflower seeds which has been measured and put in small snack containers, did some almonds too (a serving is not as appealing as people think! lol), even measured out servings of cereal for a quick breakfast. Buy all sorts of different sizes, snacks to full meals.

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

I just watched a Buzzfeed (I know, I know) video where 3-4 pals got together and did it as a group, so they got to share the work and also get a little more variety in what they bought and prepped. I think I'd do that if I could find others to go in on it.

my OCD wouldnt let me do it lololol

I use a weekly planning sheet for my meal https://1drv.ms/x/s!AkN3G55LlLjJkBM-CsaqncXvwJ62 and just use normal supermarket brand tupperware type boxes for taking stuff into work or for freezing/storage.

I prep my workday lunches and one kind of crockpot/prep ahead meal on a Sunday for the week ahead.

Over the winter, my lunches are normally a mixture of homemade soups (most of my recipes make 4-6 portions) and either cold pastas or leftover crockpot meals with some microwave rice. So for example I would have Soup & Roll Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Chicken Pasta on Tuesday/Thursday. In the summer I tend to have salads/pasta/stuffed pittas. Most common meal prep recipes can be bulked up easily enough calorie wise with additional high calorie dressings/cheese/etc if you're looking to gain.

My crockpot or prep ahead meal normally makes 4-6 portions as well so I can change up with stuff I have in the freezer from previous weeks and not get bored of eating the same things. I normally make something like:

• Thai Green Curry
• Chicken & Mushroom Casserole
• Saag Paneer
• Salmon Fishcakes
• Minted Lamb Meatballs
• Falafel
• Burgers
• Marinated Beef for Stirfry

When I get in from work I can either re-heat a crockpot meal or cook off something that is already prepped in around 10-15 mins.

I also keep a snack basket for pre-weighed/portioned/packaged snacks like:

• Nuts
• Popcorn
• Protein Bars
• Protein Muffins
• Pickles

Instagram and Pinterest have loads of great posts for recipe inspiration.