Meal Prep

47before30
47before30 Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, looking for inspiration for meals that can be prepared, portioned up and frozen ahead of time - between 2 kids, part time work and rugby I don't get must free time but really want to make sure that we are eating proper meals.

I really don't like avocado but will try most other things.

Thanks to anyone who gives an idea

Replies

  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    My breakfast is a toasted English muffin with a sliced-up hard-boiled egg and a single slice of both ham and American cheese. I make them all on Sunday, individually wrap, and put the lot of them in the freezer.

    Be sure to take one out to pop in the fridge the night before. Forty-five seconds in the microwave and a cuppa Keurig coffee for breakfast.

    All told, 361 calories, 15g fat, 19g protein, 42g carbs, and measly 1g fiber.

    Crock pot meals freeze really well, as do stews, pasta sauces, meatballs, and even uncooked hamburgers - I take them straight from freezer to pan.

    Pre-cut salad fixings and they're good for three days - I've found anything beyond that it gets a little funky.

    Home made biscuits can be frozen uncooked and will take all of 15 minutes in a 400F toaster oven to be food.
  • 47before30
    47before30 Posts: 12 Member
    CipherZero wrote: »
    My breakfast is a toasted English muffin with a sliced-up hard-boiled egg and a single slice of both ham and American cheese. I make them all on Sunday, individually wrap, and put the lot of them in the freezer.

    Be sure to take one out to pop in the fridge the night before. Forty-five seconds in the microwave and a cuppa Keurig coffee for breakfast.

    All told, 361 calories, 15g fat, 19g protein, 42g carbs, and measly 1g fiber.

    Crock pot meals freeze really well, as do stews, pasta sauces, meatballs, and even uncooked hamburgers - I take them straight from freezer to pan.

    Pre-cut salad fixings and they're good for three days - I've found anything beyond that it gets a little funky.

    Home made biscuits can be frozen uncooked and will take all of 15 minutes in a 400F toaster oven to be food.

    Wow thank you very much!
  • GenieBB
    GenieBB Posts: 52 Member
    I got a rice cooker from Amazon for $15 and its so awesome. You can make quinoa, brown rice, farro, etc in there and then portion that as your grain/starch add some beans and corns in as it cooks. I dont eat meat but adding a few chicken breast to this you can bake and a side of salsa can make a few meals from that. I also use the Farro-add a small amt of vinaigrette dressing, feta, olives and tomatoes (cannolini beans, peppers, anything I have really I add in to this) and it makes a great meal with a piece of fruit, that's 3 meals for me a week- then I take any leftover and put it over green salad mix with a hard boiled egg and some beets. You could easily add some ground turkey or can of tuna to this if you eat meat. Just some ideas I make from the starting point of the rice cooker
  • hmhill17
    hmhill17 Posts: 283 Member
    I prep a lot of meals on Sunday. I premake ham and egg cups. Muffin tin, slice of ham, 2-3 tbsp egg beaters, a little cheese, some jalapeno, bake for 10-12 minutes. Wheat toast with that if I want carbs. On occasion I make overnight oats to alternate with that. I also prep salad ingredients.
    For snacks, I make bags of cheese and poached chicken. Weigh out grapes and cut pineapple. Measure out servings of almonds. Anything that allows me to grab it quickly if I need a snack.
    I prep any meat we're having for dinner on Sunday as well, weighing, cutting, etc. Part of that is my wife hates to touch raw meat so I really need to have it in a bag she can just dump onto a pan without having to do much to it.
    I eat a lot of leftovers for lunch.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    edited September 2019
    CipherZero wrote: »
    Pre-cut salad fixings and they're good for three days - I've found anything beyond that it gets a little funky.

    Here’s a tip for keeping lettuce fresh longer.
    As soon as I get home from the grocery store, I wash lettuce, spinach, arugula etc, spin it dry in a salad spinner. Spread it out on dish towel on the dining room table until completely dry (an hour or so) . Take a few paper towels ( double thickness) and spread it out in a single layer on the paper towels. Roll up loosely, ( jelly roll style) and put it in a gallon zip lock bag. Don’t seal the zip lock bag, just put it in your vegetable drawer. Moisture is what causes spoiling. Keeps my greens fresh all week.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,994 Member
    Whenever I make a meal that freezes well (mostly braised meat dishes), will do a triple batch and freeze in smaller portions as the extra work is not incremental. Some of these contain veg, but if there is none or not enough throw in some veg such as frozen peas or frozen spinach pellets as you warm these up if you don't want to make a separate veggie side. Or you can add root veg such as carrots, radishes, turnip or parsnips to any braised dish because there is little danger of overcooking.

    These are the dishes I typically freeze.

    Coq au vin
    https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1913655/coq-au-vin
    Dak dori tang
    https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/dakbokkeumtang
    Bolognaise sauce for spaghetti
    https://leitesculinaria.com/84057/recipes-marcella-hazan-bolognese-sauce.html
    Chicken cacciatore
    https://leitesculinaria.com/84057/recipes-marcella-hazan-bolognese-sauce.html
    Beef rendang (I save work by buying a ready made beef rendang curry paste from the asian supermarket)
    https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/spicy-beef-rendang/
    Lamb shanks
    https://www.recipetineats.com/slow-cooked-lamb-shanks-in-red-wine-sauce/

    Also meatballs, meatloaf, cottage cheese lasagna, other curries, slow cooked lamb or pork shoulder.


  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Yes, soups and stews, which I usually make in the crockpot, freeze really well.

    For breakfasts, the reviewers say these egg muffin cup things freeze well:

    https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/236039/breakfast-egg-muffins/
    https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/231510/amazing-muffin-cups/
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    Fish stew freezes well and very low in calories. Lobster base, cut up pieces of salmon, halibut, cod and Yellow fin tuna, leeks and some diced leftover baked potato. I usually have a recipe that is under 200 calories per serving.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,189 Member
    edited September 2019
    I don't prep too many meals or too often either, bur when I do these are my preferences (I think that some have been mentioned already)
    1) Soups; mainly pure vegetables soups to which you can add protein at serving time.
    2) Chili (chicken, turkey or beef with beans of choice, and sometimes with vegetables)
    3) Meatloaf (beef or turkey)
    4) Stews with protein of choice
    5) Cooked pork loin
    6) BBQ chicken (freeze individual portions)
  • 47before30
    47before30 Posts: 12 Member
    Thank you everyone - I've only just seen the responses :blush:

    will start including these suggestions

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