Meal prep recipes?
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TheNotoriousLoki
Posts: 2 Member
Hello all,
In the new year when we have finally moved house. I will be starting my weight loss journey.
I want to meal prep my lunches and was wondering if anyone has advice or recipes they would like to share.
I am sorry if someone else has already done this kind of thread but the search feature isn’t working for me.
Thank you
Michael
In the new year when we have finally moved house. I will be starting my weight loss journey.
I want to meal prep my lunches and was wondering if anyone has advice or recipes they would like to share.
I am sorry if someone else has already done this kind of thread but the search feature isn’t working for me.
Thank you
Michael
0
Replies
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https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-meal-prep - google is your friend. this is just one of many links that show up searching on "meal prep".
i'd suggest also that an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker cuts the prep time in half or more, and well worth it so you don't end up resenting time in the kitchen on weekends.1 -
Thank you for the advice, I will look into the insta pot but to be honest I don’t mind being in the kitchen I like cooking.1
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I love my Instant as I make a lot of meals with dried beans and you don't have to soak them. I freeze half of what I make. Mel's Diner split pea is good, I make a combo of it and Plant-based Gabriel's split pea with jalapenos.0
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A pressure vessel cannot usually be found in a good restaurant kitchen. This is because of the intense cooking these vessels deliver. Of course, if one is making bean or pea soup from dry beans or cat food, they are indispensable.
But, unless you are a working parent with a lot of mouths to feed, I think the careful, slow preparation of meals is more consistent with calorie counting weight loss.0 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »A pressure vessel cannot usually be found in a good restaurant kitchen. This is because of the intense cooking these vessels deliver. Of course, if one is making bean or pea soup from dry beans or cat food, they are indispensable.
But, unless you are a working parent with a lot of mouths to feed, I think the careful, slow preparation of meals is more consistent with calorie counting weight loss.
How does careful slow prepapration result in consistncy that a pressure cooker does not? Can you explain?
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wilson10102018 wrote: »A pressure vessel cannot usually be found in a good restaurant kitchen. This is because of the intense cooking these vessels deliver. Of course, if one is making bean or pea soup from dry beans or cat food, they are indispensable.
But, unless you are a working parent with a lot of mouths to feed, I think the careful, slow preparation of meals is more consistent with calorie counting weight loss.
How does careful slow prepapration result in consistncy that a pressure cooker does not? Can you explain?
The OP already said he enjoys time in the kitchen. As I do. If you turn some ingredients into a mess of stew in a pressure vessel you are not going to experience the benefits of time applied to meal prep. Better meals, better calorie counting results.0 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »A pressure vessel cannot usually be found in a good restaurant kitchen. This is because of the intense cooking these vessels deliver. Of course, if one is making bean or pea soup from dry beans or cat food, they are indispensable.
But, unless you are a working parent with a lot of mouths to feed, I think the careful, slow preparation of meals is more consistent with calorie counting weight loss.
How does careful slow prepapration result in consistncy that a pressure cooker does not? Can you explain?
there is no explanation - just ignore...if you want to use an instapot - use it - the caloric value of foods doesn't change based on method of cooking1 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »A pressure vessel cannot usually be found in a good restaurant kitchen. This is because of the intense cooking these vessels deliver. Of course, if one is making bean or pea soup from dry beans or cat food, they are indispensable.
But, unless you are a working parent with a lot of mouths to feed, I think the careful, slow preparation of meals is more consistent with calorie counting weight loss.
How does careful slow prepapration result in consistncy that a pressure cooker does not? Can you explain?
The OP already said he enjoys time in the kitchen. As I do. If you turn some ingredients into a mess of stew in a pressure vessel you are not going to experience the benefits of time applied to meal prep. Better meals, better calorie counting results.
I don't think my question is unreasonable.
I use a scale to weigh my food and count calories.
It isn't clear at all how more time in the kitchen preparing food is going to make my use of a scale or my ability to count any different than if I use a pressure cooker.
that's all I was asking.
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wilson10102018 wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »A pressure vessel cannot usually be found in a good restaurant kitchen. This is because of the intense cooking these vessels deliver. Of course, if one is making bean or pea soup from dry beans or cat food, they are indispensable.
But, unless you are a working parent with a lot of mouths to feed, I think the careful, slow preparation of meals is more consistent with calorie counting weight loss.
How does careful slow prepapration result in consistncy that a pressure cooker does not? Can you explain?
The OP already said he enjoys time in the kitchen. As I do. If you turn some ingredients into a mess of stew in a pressure vessel you are not going to experience the benefits of time applied to meal prep. Better meals, better calorie counting results.
I don't think my question is unreasonable.
I use a scale to weigh my food and count calories.
It isn't clear at all how more time in the kitchen preparing food is going to make my use of a scale or my ability to count any different than if I use a pressure cooker.
that's all I was asking.
its not...that's why i said ignore...pressure cookers; instapot; slow cookers are awesome for time-crunched adults who don't work in professional kitchens...1 -
I was you 1 year ago, and I lost 31 lbs and hit my goal weight! Meal prepping lunches was a HUGE part of it - I'm excited for you!
You can turn almost anything that you can cook in a big batch into meal prep. Biggest thing is to make things YOU actually WANT to eat, because otherwise it's tempting to go out or have something else. Some of that comes down to storing things in a way that they will keep and reheat well, and some can be experience items like having some real silverware, and some is making things you will enjoy. I like to make things my husband doesn't like because I usually won't be making those for dinners - then lunch is more of a "treat" in a way.
Some tips:
First get good containers for being able to reheat/serve without food quality suffering. I have a variety. Here are some that I have really liked:- This is awesome for bowls/salads. It has separate layers that lets you separate ingredients you might want to reheat and those you want to keep cold. Or for salads separating things that are wet from things that will wilt. So e.g. if I make a taco bowl with rice beans etc I want to heat, I'll put all that in the bottom, then put the cold stuff like cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, etc on top. https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Leakproof-Salad-Container/dp/B014FYZU9C/ref=asc_df_B014FYZU9C/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167129511510&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6723681605118947801&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026941&hvtargid=pla-219725348452&psc=1
- Get some little sauce/dressing/condiment containers. Again this keeps things from getting soggy or wilting by letting you add just before serving
- You can subdivide larger meal prep containers even further by using silicon cupcake liners, which are reusable and washable: https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Cupcake-Muffin-Reusable-Non-Stick/dp/B074Z47M4N/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=silicone+meal+prep+cupcake&qid=1576850685&s=home-garden&sr=1-4
- Soup cups are nice for things like soups and stews - these have a vent in the lid that works great for reheating: https://www.amazon.com/Sistema-Microwave-Collection-Soup-Medium/dp/B005D6Y1OM/ref=asc_df_B005D6Y1OM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167135973835&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17714925552958865776&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026941&hvtargid=pla-81168705686&psc=1
- Make it a nice experience to eat lunch! Real silverware, a cloth napkin, and little salt and pepper shakers make my lunch feel more like self-care overall
Food ideas:- Soups or chili. Make a gigantic batch in a pot, slow cooker, or pressure cooker, and freeze some of it mason jars for later use (make sure to label and date it). Makes future weeks easier. Here is one of my favorites, you definitely need the dollop of harissa paste to serve with: http://numnums.com/recipes/4263/cook-s-illustrated-harira-moroccan-lentil-chickpea-soup
- Sheet pan chicken. You can season it with whatever you want, and bake a big batch all at once in the oven. This is a go to if I want chicken to go on top of salads or bowls. How: place an oven-safe wire rack inside a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425F. Pound chicken breasts out (between couple sheets of plastic wrap) to about 1/2 inch thick. Season as desired (assorted spices, or brush with italian dressing or hoisin/teriyaki sauce, sprinkle with ranch mix, etc). Bake the chicken on the wire rack 12-15 mins. Use a meat thermometer to start checking the temp a few minutes before it might be done and remove as soon as it hits 165F- it helps the chicken not overcook if you use a meat thermometer to remove as soon as it's safe.
- Sheet pan roasted veggies - take whatever you like - peppers and onions, broccoli, green beans etc - toss in a tablespoon or two of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (and I often add garlic or other seasonings like taco seasoning depending on what I'm having it with) and throw it onto a sheet pan in a single layer. Roast at about 400F in the oven until reaches desired doneness (time depends on what you are making). Don't mix veggies that are going to cook at different speeds, or else you need two pans so you can take some out early. E.g. broccoli and carrots take a lot longer than bell peppers.
- Bowls - any combination of rice, beans, meat, veggies you desire. Some of my go-tos: burrito bowls (chicken, spanish rice, beans with all the taco toppings like lettuce/tomato/avocado and salsa or avocado dressing), teriyaki bowls (teriyaki chicken, rice, stir-fry veggies with an asian/teriyaki sauce), mediterranean bowl (chicken or gyro meat, rice, chickpeas, salad, tatziki sauce) - you can probably come up with more.
- Kick it up with a sauce - I bought this cookbook that is JUST sauces and it helps make things like chicken and veggies more interesting by giving some variety: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Add-Sauce-Revolutionary-Everything/dp/1945256249/ref=asc_df_1945256249/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312061146391&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16218731484389510867&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026941&hvtargid=pla-438358185539&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=60223809057&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312061146391&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16218731484389510867&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026941&hvtargid=pla-438358185539
The other thing that has helped me was buying a few general cookbooks to get ideas. A lot of them have recipes that serve 4. I'll make that recipe then boom, split it into 4 lunches for the week. I really like pretty much anything by America's Test Kitchen because their recipes are pretty precise and always turn out for me, but you can also just use online things like allrecipes etc. The only thing you really have to think through then is how to make it keep and re-heat well.
Best of luck!2 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »A pressure vessel cannot usually be found in a good restaurant kitchen. This is because of the intense cooking these vessels deliver. Of course, if one is making bean or pea soup from dry beans or cat food, they are indispensable.
But, unless you are a working parent with a lot of mouths to feed, I think the careful, slow preparation of meals is more consistent with calorie counting weight loss.
How does careful slow prepapration result in consistncy that a pressure cooker does not? Can you explain?
The OP already said he enjoys time in the kitchen. As I do. If you turn some ingredients into a mess of stew in a pressure vessel you are not going to experience the benefits of time applied to meal prep. Better meals, better calorie counting results.
If you don't enjoy foods cooked in a pressure cooker, then avoid them. For those of us who enjoy them, we're getting all the benefits of eating those meals. There are more options than a "mess of stew" (and even if you are making stew, it's a time-honored meal that many people enjoy).
This is the sort of attitude that makes some people conclude that weight loss is an unattainable goal. If you don't like spending lots of time in the kitchen, there are still lots of options available for preparing food. As for me, I like spending time in the kitchen, but I don't necessarily have a lot of time available daily to spend preparing meals. For busy days, my pressure cooker is quite helpful.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »A pressure vessel cannot usually be found in a good restaurant kitchen. This is because of the intense cooking these vessels deliver. Of course, if one is making bean or pea soup from dry beans or cat food, they are indispensable.
But, unless you are a working parent with a lot of mouths to feed, I think the careful, slow preparation of meals is more consistent with calorie counting weight loss.
How does careful slow prepapration result in consistncy that a pressure cooker does not? Can you explain?
The OP already said he enjoys time in the kitchen. As I do. If you turn some ingredients into a mess of stew in a pressure vessel you are not going to experience the benefits of time applied to meal prep. Better meals, better calorie counting results.
If you don't enjoy foods cooked in a pressure cooker, then avoid them. For those of us who enjoy them, we're getting all the benefits of eating those meals. There are more options than a "mess of stew" (and even if you are making stew, it's a time-honored meal that many people enjoy).
This is the sort of attitude that makes some people conclude that weight loss is an unattainable goal. If you don't like spending lots of time in the kitchen, there are still lots of options available for preparing food. As for me, I like spending time in the kitchen, but I don't necessarily have a lot of time available daily to spend preparing meals. For busy days, my pressure cooker is quite helpful.
Of course, there are many who focus on volume to meet weight loss goals and if you have that constant state of hunger, it is a good approach to wolf down a big bowl of something. It will fill you up and often that is the best approach. Low calorie density and high volume. Add low cost and you have a great reason for a pressure vessel. From a culinary standpoint, a pressure vessel is more like making jewelry with a jack hammer. Even the stew that is touted as a candidate, it a far different meal when gently simmered with ingredients added as their cooking time demands instead of the usual toss it all in the Pot, dump in a bottle of Italian dressing, set the timer and split.
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wilson10102018 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »A pressure vessel cannot usually be found in a good restaurant kitchen. This is because of the intense cooking these vessels deliver. Of course, if one is making bean or pea soup from dry beans or cat food, they are indispensable.
But, unless you are a working parent with a lot of mouths to feed, I think the careful, slow preparation of meals is more consistent with calorie counting weight loss.
How does careful slow prepapration result in consistncy that a pressure cooker does not? Can you explain?
The OP already said he enjoys time in the kitchen. As I do. If you turn some ingredients into a mess of stew in a pressure vessel you are not going to experience the benefits of time applied to meal prep. Better meals, better calorie counting results.
If you don't enjoy foods cooked in a pressure cooker, then avoid them. For those of us who enjoy them, we're getting all the benefits of eating those meals. There are more options than a "mess of stew" (and even if you are making stew, it's a time-honored meal that many people enjoy).
This is the sort of attitude that makes some people conclude that weight loss is an unattainable goal. If you don't like spending lots of time in the kitchen, there are still lots of options available for preparing food. As for me, I like spending time in the kitchen, but I don't necessarily have a lot of time available daily to spend preparing meals. For busy days, my pressure cooker is quite helpful.
Of course, there are many who focus on volume to meet weight loss goals and if you have that constant state of hunger, it is a good approach to wolf down a big bowl of something. It will fill you up and often that is the best approach. Low calorie density and high volume. Add low cost and you have a great reason for a pressure vessel. From a culinary standpoint, a pressure vessel is more like making jewelry with a jack hammer. Even the stew that is touted as a candidate, it a far different meal when gently simmered with ingredients added as their cooking time demands instead of the usual toss it all in the Pot, dump in a bottle of Italian dressing, set the timer and split.
I think you're confused. When one is eating foods prepared in a pressure cooker, you can still choose small portions, it doesn't require "wolfing" down a "big bowl" of something.
I've never dumped a bottle of dressing in an Instant Pot in my life. I'm usually cooking vegetables, beans, and curries. I think your attitude is more about the type of meals you *think* people are required to produce with pressure cookers. In reality, they can be used to prepare a wide variety of foods. They're not just for volume eaters and they're not just for tossing a bunch of stuff in a pot with a bottle of dressing.
And again, I'm not seeing how this type of culinary gatekeeping is useful for those newer to calorie counting.2 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »A pressure vessel cannot usually be found in a good restaurant kitchen. This is because of the intense cooking these vessels deliver. Of course, if one is making bean or pea soup from dry beans or cat food, they are indispensable.
But, unless you are a working parent with a lot of mouths to feed, I think the careful, slow preparation of meals is more consistent with calorie counting weight loss.
How does careful slow prepapration result in consistncy that a pressure cooker does not? Can you explain?
The OP already said he enjoys time in the kitchen. As I do. If you turn some ingredients into a mess of stew in a pressure vessel you are not going to experience the benefits of time applied to meal prep. Better meals, better calorie counting results.
If you don't enjoy foods cooked in a pressure cooker, then avoid them. For those of us who enjoy them, we're getting all the benefits of eating those meals. There are more options than a "mess of stew" (and even if you are making stew, it's a time-honored meal that many people enjoy).
This is the sort of attitude that makes some people conclude that weight loss is an unattainable goal. If you don't like spending lots of time in the kitchen, there are still lots of options available for preparing food. As for me, I like spending time in the kitchen, but I don't necessarily have a lot of time available daily to spend preparing meals. For busy days, my pressure cooker is quite helpful.
Of course, there are many who focus on volume to meet weight loss goals and if you have that constant state of hunger, it is a good approach to wolf down a big bowl of something. It will fill you up and often that is the best approach. Low calorie density and high volume. Add low cost and you have a great reason for a pressure vessel. From a culinary standpoint, a pressure vessel is more like making jewelry with a jack hammer. Even the stew that is touted as a candidate, it a far different meal when gently simmered with ingredients added as their cooking time demands instead of the usual toss it all in the Pot, dump in a bottle of Italian dressing, set the timer and split.
Well, not that I'll convert anyone, but, here's a list of the non-stew like things I cook in a pressure cooker:- root vegetables
- rice
- roast beef
- whole chicken
- chicken pieces
- sausage links
- eggs
I freeze my meals in wide mouth glass mason jars: typically 1/2 cup each of rice and beans, with 3-4 oz of meat. All cooked and ready to reheat and eat.
Not using plastic containers makes my food taste better, and glass doesn't warp during reheat like plastic can. If I don't drop and break a glass jar, they last for pretty much forever. At about $1 each, they pay for themselves quickly.
I make a dozen hard boiled eggs every week for grab and go snacks.
I cook a root veggie almost every day for myself, sometimes twice.
I rarely make stew or soup, fwiw, and hope this post better illustrates the versatility of a pressure cooker for curious readers.
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