Help with building a meal plan

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Hello! I'm searching for some help in building a meal plan that will support muscle gain. I do not have a kitchen so I have to be creative and what I read/watch online is not specific to my experience. I consistently am not meeting my caloric needs for gains because I'm running out of options. Is anyone willing to chat with me about this?
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Replies

  • tlpina82
    tlpina82 Posts: 229 Member
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    No kitchen... I know a lot about small studio living. Happy to help.
    Are you able to do any cooking at all? (Microwave, small oven, etc).

    Also, what is your weight and height? + Since you know you caloric needs, what's your goal.
    Do you have any allergies?

    Finally. DO you have a proper lifting schedule? Share your structure here so we can look at that too.


  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,711 Member
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    The first thing I’d do is invest in a Ninja Foodi and a portable induction eye.

    IKEA has a popular induction cooker:
    https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tillreda-portable-induction-cooktop-white-50422390/

    The Foodi works as an air fryer, crockpot, instant pot, grill, yogurt maker, dehydrator and more. You do, however, need a sink large enough to wash the basket and pot in comfortably. I’ve washed dishes in a tub during a kitchen remodel. I’d be hesitant to tackle that mother in a tub.
  • KA1688
    KA1688 Posts: 28 Member
    edited December 2020
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    tlpina82 wrote: »
    No kitchen... I know a lot about small studio living. Happy to help.
    Are you able to do any cooking at all? (Microwave, small oven, etc).

    Also, what is your weight and height? + Since you know you caloric needs, what's your goal.
    Do you have any allergies?

    Finally. DO you have a proper lifting schedule? Share your structure here so we can look at that too.


    Hey there! Thank you so much!

    FYI - I do not want to buy a slow cooker or an instant pot. I have used both of these appliances and they have been incredibly ineffective for me because 1. I do not have a freezer to store bulk foods that I prepare 2. I found that I was preparing too much and 3. it was a big production due to my limited space. I would have to work with the cooker, clean up and then start the hot plate to cook other foods. People keep recommending this, and I totally understand why...but it just doesn't work for me.

    I have two shelves of space in the fridge, a sink, a blender, a hot plate, a skillet, a rice cooker, an egg boiler, and a toaster. Because I am also on a budget and a PhD student I have to be very minimal with my time and the funds I spend. So, I do have a good amount of options, but I cannot spend hours meal prepping. I am looking for simple and efficient. Recently, I got into canned chicken and tuna, which I do not love, but with the hassle, it takes to get all of my items out (I do not have storage space so all of the appliances go in containers) it really cuts into my study time.

    I also do not have a studio. I rent an in-law room in a house and my cooking area is their garage so, again, spending a lot of time there to cook is not ideal as people tend to come in and out (and this is also where the cat litter box is). Because of my restrictions, I do not want anything fancy. I just want something simple and that will also meet my needs and not bore me to death (although spices seem to help with that).

    On a side note, I'm disappointed in my smoothies. I use high-quality whey that says it's 24g of protein but I am still hungry afterward. I have found that adding peanuts helps with this, but I don't like the idea of consistently eating a ton of fat.

    I do well with my breakfasts, but when it comes to my weekly shopping I'm left wondering what I'm going to cook and end up buying *kitten* that doesn't necessarily go well together. My weekly budget for shopping is $75.

    I am 5'4 and weigh 127. I recently lost about 15 lbs and with it went my most prized body part - my butt. So I am working to build that up in a healthy way.

    Lifting is 3x a week. I'm following the WCT (white coat training) compound weightlifting program with gradual increases and really enjoy it. I do have a barbell I am working up to. I might end up moving to 4 days if need be.

    The only cardio I really need is walking. This has been a crucial part of my weight loss journey. I live in SF so there are a lot of hills. I walk about 3+ miles a day. I also do yoga in the mornings, but that is mostly for mental health so I don't necessarily look at it as cardio (most of the time it is very gentle).

    My goal is to gain muscle and definition overall. I'm hesitant to write a weight goal as I am currently at 18% body fat and happy with that.

    No allergies - but I'm grossed out by shrimp.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
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    Your food budget is very low for the SF area. How about negotiating for a small fridge with freezer? Freezing for later is the best way to keep costs down, particularly if you eat meat.

    If you really have a financial crunch, don't be too proud to get assistance (SNAP).

    I lived for a while in just such a situation while doing my PhD. Breakfast is easy and lunch is not much harder. For dinner, I got in the habit of buying something cooked (e.g., a chicken breast) and eating it with something steamed from the rice cooker/steamer. I had a freezer, so I heated up frozen vegetables a lot. At the time I wasn't much into salads, but it is very easy to make them these days.
  • KA1688
    KA1688 Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    Your food budget is very low for the SF area. How about negotiating for a small fridge with freezer? Freezing for later is the best way to keep costs down, particularly if you eat meat.

    If you really have a financial crunch, don't be too proud to get assistance (SNAP).

    I lived for a while in just such a situation while doing my PhD. Breakfast is easy and lunch is not much harder. For dinner, I got in the habit of buying something cooked (e.g., a chicken breast) and eating it with something steamed from the rice cooker/steamer. I had a freezer, so I heated up frozen vegetables a lot. At the time I wasn't much into salads, but it is very easy to make them these days.

    Hey there! I am on SNAP, but my food budget is pretty firm as I am unemployed. I shop using deals and coupons so that seems to work out well. There is no room for a small fridge where I live, unfortunately.

  • KA1688
    KA1688 Posts: 28 Member
    edited December 2020
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    I really appreciate the suggestions I've gotten thus far. However, I want to make it clear that I am working with what I have currently and searching for help within these parameters. I am looking for actual resources for compiling my meal prep plan, not for ideas that require me to change my budget, my environment, appliances, etc.

    Thank you!
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
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    KA1688 wrote: »
    I really appreciate the suggestions I've gotten thus far. However, I want to make it clear that I am working with what I have currently and searching for help within these parameters. I am looking for actual resources for compiling my meal prep plan, not for ideas that require me to change my budget, my environment, appliances, etc.

    Thank you!

    MFP probably isn’t a great source for that then. I would recommend googling meal ideas using key words that include the limited appliances you have at your disposal and creating your own meal plans based off of what you find.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,583 Member
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    I know this is kind of a lame answer in circumstances, but I'll risk offering it anyway. Usually, if people are looking for structured meal plans, I suggest this site:

    https://www.eatthismuch.com/

    There's a free version, and it allows some customization, but I don't know that that includes appliances or prep simplicity. Perhaps it might give you some ideas that would be useful for meeting your nutritional goals, even if it doesn't.

    There have been quite a few past threads here about budget meal prep, again maybe not tailored exactly to your appliance limitations and needs, but might give ideas. Here are a couple random examples, but a few minutes with the MFP Community search in this Food subtopic area should get you more examples.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10737879/cheap-filling-low-calorie-foods
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10614805/need-quick-cheap-nutritious-food

    Try a search with "cheap" or "quick" or "budget" or something like that in "Title"; "Food and Nutrition" in "Category"; and then click only "Discussions" under what to search (i.e., unclick "Replies").
  • KA1688
    KA1688 Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I know this is kind of a lame answer in circumstances, but I'll risk offering it anyway. Usually, if people are looking for structured meal plans, I suggest this site:

    https://www.eatthismuch.com/

    There's a free version, and it allows some customization, but I don't know that that includes appliances or prep simplicity. Perhaps it might give you some ideas that would be useful for meeting your nutritional goals, even if it doesn't.

    There have been quite a few past threads here about budget meal prep, again maybe not tailored exactly to your appliance limitations and needs, but might give ideas. Here are a couple random examples, but a few minutes with the MFP Community search in this Food subtopic area should get you more examples.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10737879/cheap-filling-low-calorie-foods
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10614805/need-quick-cheap-nutritious-food

    Try a search with "cheap" or "quick" or "budget" or something like that in "Title"; "Food and Nutrition" in "Category"; and then click only "Discussions" under what to search (i.e., unclick "Replies").

    Very helpful. Thank you!
  • KA1688
    KA1688 Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    Dogmom1978 wrote: »
    KA1688 wrote: »
    I really appreciate the suggestions I've gotten thus far. However, I want to make it clear that I am working with what I have currently and searching for help within these parameters. I am looking for actual resources for compiling my meal prep plan, not for ideas that require me to change my budget, my environment, appliances, etc.

    Thank you!

    MFP probably isn’t a great source for that then. I would recommend googling meal ideas using key words that include the limited appliances you have at your disposal and creating your own meal plans based off of what you find.

    I understand. Thank you!
  • CaffeinatedConfectionist
    Options
    Those are pretty tight restrictions to be dealing with. This bon appetit article about dorm room meals might be helpful, as it focuses more on "meal assembly" than cooking: https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/primers/article/college-cooking-no-kitchen

    It doesn't meal plan for you as such, but might help generate some ideas. As someone else mentioned, with such specific restrictions you might have a hard time finding a meal planning program or service that meets your needs.

    I am also a student and while I have access to a full kitchen I don't always have the time to make use of it.

    I often rely on things like canned fish, beans, and high protein dairy products like cottage cheese or greek yogurt to meet my protein goals, which are about 9p-100g per day (I aim for. 7 to .8g per pound of body weight). I have found that canned fish, especially things like sardines, are often extremely affordable compared with other protein sources. It doesn't sound like you have an easy way of cooking beans from dry, but maybe canned beans would also be a good resource. They're versatile, in that you can make bean and vegetable salads, beans and rice, refried beans for burritos, etc, and are a good source of nutrition.

    Not sure if you have a pot for things like pasta or oats, but if so, pasta salads (esp if augmented with things like tuna or beans and veggies) can be well rounded. I also eat a lot of oatmeal with protein powder - I also don't like smoothies because I too find them to be not filling. Instead I put my protein powder in oatmeal, cottage cheese, or yogurt. Chocolate peanut butter pp in cottage cheese is actually a decent dessert substitute in my book (when the real thing is unavailable).

    Anyway, not sure if any of that is at all helpful but always happy to help brainstorm.
  • KA1688
    KA1688 Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    Those are pretty tight restrictions to be dealing with. This bon appetit article about dorm room meals might be helpful, as it focuses more on "meal assembly" than cooking: https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/primers/article/college-cooking-no-kitchen

    It doesn't meal plan for you as such, but might help generate some ideas. As someone else mentioned, with such specific restrictions you might have a hard time finding a meal planning program or service that meets your needs.

    I am also a student and while I have access to a full kitchen I don't always have the time to make use of it.

    I often rely on things like canned fish, beans, and high protein dairy products like cottage cheese or greek yogurt to meet my protein goals, which are about 9p-100g per day (I aim for. 7 to .8g per pound of body weight). I have found that canned fish, especially things like sardines, are often extremely affordable compared with other protein sources. It doesn't sound like you have an easy way of cooking beans from dry, but maybe canned beans would also be a good resource. They're versatile, in that you can make bean and vegetable salads, beans and rice, refried beans for burritos, etc, and are a good source of nutrition.

    Not sure if you have a pot for things like pasta or oats, but if so, pasta salads (esp if augmented with things like tuna or beans and veggies) can be well rounded. I also eat a lot of oatmeal with protein powder - I also don't like smoothies because I too find them to be not filling. Instead I put my protein powder in oatmeal, cottage cheese, or yogurt. Chocolate peanut butter pp in cottage cheese is actually a decent dessert substitute in my book (when the real thing is unavailable).

    Anyway, not sure if any of that is at all helpful but always happy to help brainstorm.

    Thanks so much!!
  • cremorna1
    cremorna1 Posts: 133 Member
    Options
    I'd go with salads:
    Rice+chicken/canned fish+veggies
    Legumes (canned)+cheese+veggies
    Pasta+eggs+veggies
    (Also search buddha bowls online to get more ideas)

    All these make filling lunches. You can prep enough for 2-3 days and just mix and match daily. Chop celery, carrots, bell pepper and have it ready to throw in.

    There are many healthy smoothie recipes out there, and you can make them more filling by adding banana, avocado or chia seeds (or flax or hemp). Also you can add greens (spinach, kale) to the smoothie. If you just want low fat PB, try PB2. That being said, I've never really felt "full" with a smoothie...

    Hope this helps. I have no idea of prices though, sorry.

    Hang in there, things will get better. And all the best for the PhD. It's a tough life, but you are tougher.


  • cremorna1
    cremorna1 Posts: 133 Member
    edited December 2020
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    Maybe try writing what you eat in a typical day and we can add ideas on how to switch it up/make it more creative?
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited December 2020
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    I was going to suggest hard boiled eggs anyway, and then when I saw you have an egg boiler, well, even better! I'm thinking with two shelves of refrigerator space, I'd go with eggs, greek yogurt, store made rotisserie chickens (if you're not vegetarian). Omelets are pretty easy and you could use canned vegetables or ones that don't take up much refrigerator space (mushrooms, etc...). Cottage cheese... or pre-made hummus works nicely for quick snacking or wraps (or you can make your own in the blender). Rice or quinoa..and since you have a skillet you could always make filling for tacos 🌮 using different types of stuff like meat, beans, or lentils. Even simple beans and rice with spices...that's one of my favorite meals. Canned or fresh vegetables, leftover rice, eggs, and leftover meat can also make a quick refried rice dish, and you'd only need soy sauce for flavoring! Jerky is easy because there is no cooking or refrigerator involved . You can do a lot with limited options.

    If you have Netflix I started watching a show called 'Time to Eat' that is supposed to be full of quick simple meal ideas. They obviously wouldn't all work for you but maybe there would be some ideas/inspiration. I'm thinking of a couple in particular...one where she poured boiling water over some noodles, beef jerky, and vegetable for instant noodles dishes. Another one where she put eggs and mushrooms in a skillet like an omelet, let that cook, put a tortilla and some sauce on top of it, flipped it, and made a wrap.
  • tlpina82
    tlpina82 Posts: 229 Member
    Options
    Okay. So... Big restrictions, but we can get around it.
    You may need to do weekly or by-weekly shopping thou, given that you don't have fridge space.

    I know you didn't ask for workout tips, but...
    Since you want to gain muscle, I assume you know you need to be in a slight calorie surplus and you need intensive workouts.
    Regarding your WCT schedule. 3x a week. I assume you're doing 3 full body sessions per week.
    Just make sure it's challenging. If it's comfortable, it's not working. It needs to be a workout.

    NOW... Lets talk food.

    You're gaining, so 0.8 to 1.2g of protein per pound of body weight should be a sweetspot.
    So, from 100g to 150g of protein per day.

    For optimal protein synthesis, constant release is the best way to go.
    4 meals a day is what I recommend. One of those can be a shake, just make sure you're meeting you calories.

    As far as food goes:
    Breakfast
    - 200g of high protein yoghurt or fat free greek yogurt. (20-25g protein easily)
    - Some Oats or Granola to bump up the calories.

    Lunch
    - 4 eggs gets you 26g of protein (change that to 2 whole and 2 whites and you get 20g and less fat)
    - Rice (I use Sona Masoori white rice because i love the taste)
    - Beans (Rosecoco or black beans are my favorite, but lentils, peas and other dry legumes will work as well.)
    (Between the rice and beans, that's another 20-22g of protein
    - Vegies - Stuff you're comfortable eating raw to avoid extra work. I usually go for Broccoli, Tomatoes, Cauliflower and leafy greens that I can eat raw.

    Dinner
    Similar to Lunch, but with either chicken Breast or lean steak. (20/30 g of protein easily depending on your choice)
    You also have the freedom to add some pasta instead of rice and beans, but think nutrition.
    Not just Macro, but micro as well.

    Snacks
    I use high quality Whey Isolate (Muscleform - 94% protein in the scoop on the flavor free, 90% on the Chocolate flavor, but don't think %, think Grams. Make sure your scoop gets you the minimum you need per meal)
    - Skimmed Milk
    - 1 or 2 spoons of oat (Or any other natural cereal) to "thicken it out"

    NOTES:
    - Have a scale. Measure in the beginning so you'll know what you're getting.
    - Play with quantities in the food log, learn the quantities you need to get to your calorie goals.
    - Add cheese if you need some extra calories, Nutritional yeast is a good veggie based cheese substitute.

    Meal preps.
    - 1 cup of dry rice should last you the week in the fridge, doesn't take a lot of space.
    - Same for beans, but increase to 2 cups dry.
    - Chicken breasts can be cooked in a batch of 5 or 7 for the whole week, wrap individually, toss it in the Mini-fridge.
    - Eggs take less than 3 minutes to prepare then and there and 30 seconds to put in an egg boiler and wait for the ready beep.
    - Because you don't have space in your fridge, unfortunately, you;ll have to measure food daily, but the pre-prepped should fit in the fridge without problems.


    Hope this helps.
    Good luck.
  • KA1688
    KA1688 Posts: 28 Member
    edited December 2020
    Options
    tlpina82 wrote: »
    Okay. So... Big restrictions, but we can get around it.
    You may need to do weekly or by-weekly shopping thou, given that you don't have fridge space.

    I know you didn't ask for workout tips, but...
    Since you want to gain muscle, I assume you know you need to be in a slight calorie surplus and you need intensive workouts.
    Regarding your WCT schedule. 3x a week. I assume you're doing 3 full body sessions per week.
    Just make sure it's challenging. If it's comfortable, it's not working. It needs to be a workout.

    NOW... Lets talk food.

    You're gaining, so 0.8 to 1.2g of protein per pound of body weight should be a sweetspot.
    So, from 100g to 150g of protein per day.

    For optimal protein synthesis, constant release is the best way to go.
    4 meals a day is what I recommend. One of those can be a shake, just make sure you're meeting you calories.

    As far as food goes:
    Breakfast
    - 200g of high protein yoghurt or fat free greek yogurt. (20-25g protein easily)
    - Some Oats or Granola to bump up the calories.

    Lunch
    - 4 eggs gets you 26g of protein (change that to 2 whole and 2 whites and you get 20g and less fat)
    - Rice (I use Sona Masoori white rice because i love the taste)
    - Beans (Rosecoco or black beans are my favorite, but lentils, peas and other dry legumes will work as well.)
    (Between the rice and beans, that's another 20-22g of protein
    - Vegies - Stuff you're comfortable eating raw to avoid extra work. I usually go for Broccoli, Tomatoes, Cauliflower and leafy greens that I can eat raw.

    Dinner
    Similar to Lunch, but with either chicken Breast or lean steak. (20/30 g of protein easily depending on your choice)
    You also have the freedom to add some pasta instead of rice and beans, but think nutrition.
    Not just Macro, but micro as well.

    Snacks
    I use high quality Whey Isolate (Muscleform - 94% protein in the scoop on the flavor free, 90% on the Chocolate flavor, but don't think %, think Grams. Make sure your scoop gets you the minimum you need per meal)
    - Skimmed Milk
    - 1 or 2 spoons of oat (Or any other natural cereal) to "thicken it out"

    NOTES:
    - Have a scale. Measure in the beginning so you'll know what you're getting.
    - Play with quantities in the food log, learn the quantities you need to get to your calorie goals.
    - Add cheese if you need some extra calories, Nutritional yeast is a good veggie based cheese substitute.

    Meal preps.
    - 1 cup of dry rice should last you the week in the fridge, doesn't take a lot of space.
    - Same for beans, but increase to 2 cups dry.
    - Chicken breasts can be cooked in a batch of 5 or 7 for the whole week, wrap individually, toss it in the Mini-fridge.
    - Eggs take less than 3 minutes to prepare then and there and 30 seconds to put in an egg boiler and wait for the ready beep.
    - Because you don't have space in your fridge, unfortunately, you;ll have to measure food daily, but the pre-prepped should fit in the fridge without problems.


    Hope this helps.
    Good luck.

    This is SUPER helpful. I went ahead and purchased these items through Amazon and it came out to $56 with is BELOW my budget. Thanks so much! Now to see how I do.

    Also, I that my workouts are challenging (to the point when I need to figure out what my issue is because I keep hurting my shoulder). However, I do not break a sweat....the weight is hard and I'm almost unable to lift, but at what point do I know if I need to up the amount? Because of the consistent shoulder injuries, I've backed off upper body weight and only do 10 lbs now:( something must be off with my form. I don't know.
  • KA1688
    KA1688 Posts: 28 Member
    edited December 2020
    Options
    Wow! I'm so loving this support. Very unexpected. I'm super grateful to be part of this community.
  • tlpina82
    tlpina82 Posts: 229 Member
    Options
    KA1688 wrote: »

    This is SUPER helpful. I purchased a scale and started using it, but it became such a flipping mess. Any suggestions there?

    Use it for 1 week, associating approximate measurements.
    If you need 100g of rice, count how many spoons are needed to get to where you need.
    Same for the other food groups.
    After a week or so, you should be able to drop the scale.

    If you're eating meat, try to buy them in specific packaging.
    The supermarket I go to, sells 360g packages cut in 2 180g steaks and 400g packages cut in 2 200g steaks lean steaks.

    When I buy in bulk, my butcher cleans and cuts the meat in specific weights.

    Lean burgers are even better. I buy 1kg of 2% fat ground beef and divide it in 5, 200g lean burgers. Easy peasy.

    Hope it helps.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,583 Member
    Options
    KA1688 wrote: »
    tlpina82 wrote: »
    Okay. So... Big restrictions, but we can get around it.
    You may need to do weekly or by-weekly shopping thou, given that you don't have fridge space.

    I know you didn't ask for workout tips, but...
    Since you want to gain muscle, I assume you know you need to be in a slight calorie surplus and you need intensive workouts.
    Regarding your WCT schedule. 3x a week. I assume you're doing 3 full body sessions per week.
    Just make sure it's challenging. If it's comfortable, it's not working. It needs to be a workout.

    NOW... Lets talk food.

    You're gaining, so 0.8 to 1.2g of protein per pound of body weight should be a sweetspot.
    So, from 100g to 150g of protein per day.

    For optimal protein synthesis, constant release is the best way to go.
    4 meals a day is what I recommend. One of those can be a shake, just make sure you're meeting you calories.

    As far as food goes:
    Breakfast
    - 200g of high protein yoghurt or fat free greek yogurt. (20-25g protein easily)
    - Some Oats or Granola to bump up the calories.

    Lunch
    - 4 eggs gets you 26g of protein (change that to 2 whole and 2 whites and you get 20g and less fat)
    - Rice (I use Sona Masoori white rice because i love the taste)
    - Beans (Rosecoco or black beans are my favorite, but lentils, peas and other dry legumes will work as well.)
    (Between the rice and beans, that's another 20-22g of protein
    - Vegies - Stuff you're comfortable eating raw to avoid extra work. I usually go for Broccoli, Tomatoes, Cauliflower and leafy greens that I can eat raw.

    Dinner
    Similar to Lunch, but with either chicken Breast or lean steak. (20/30 g of protein easily depending on your choice)
    You also have the freedom to add some pasta instead of rice and beans, but think nutrition.
    Not just Macro, but micro as well.

    Snacks
    I use high quality Whey Isolate (Muscleform - 94% protein in the scoop on the flavor free, 90% on the Chocolate flavor, but don't think %, think Grams. Make sure your scoop gets you the minimum you need per meal)
    - Skimmed Milk
    - 1 or 2 spoons of oat (Or any other natural cereal) to "thicken it out"

    NOTES:
    - Have a scale. Measure in the beginning so you'll know what you're getting.
    - Play with quantities in the food log, learn the quantities you need to get to your calorie goals.
    - Add cheese if you need some extra calories, Nutritional yeast is a good veggie based cheese substitute.

    Meal preps.
    - 1 cup of dry rice should last you the week in the fridge, doesn't take a lot of space.
    - Same for beans, but increase to 2 cups dry.
    - Chicken breasts can be cooked in a batch of 5 or 7 for the whole week, wrap individually, toss it in the Mini-fridge.
    - Eggs take less than 3 minutes to prepare then and there and 30 seconds to put in an egg boiler and wait for the ready beep.
    - Because you don't have space in your fridge, unfortunately, you;ll have to measure food daily, but the pre-prepped should fit in the fridge without problems.


    Hope this helps.
    Good luck.

    This is SUPER helpful. I went ahead and purchased these items through Amazon and it came out to $56 with is BELOW my budget. Thanks so much! Now to see how I do.

    Also, I that my workouts are challenging (to the point when I need to figure out what my issue is because I keep hurting my shoulder). However, I do not break a sweat....the weight is hard and I'm almost unable to lift, but at what point do I know if I need to up the amount? Because of the consistent shoulder injuries, I've backed off upper body weight and only do 10 lbs now:( something must be off with my form. I don't know.

    Sweating is not the measure of exercise effectiveness, especially for strength training. (True even for cardio - there are people who sweat lots under light CV stress, and people who never sweat much. I'm the former, one of my regular rowing double partners is the latter: We'll end the same row, in the same weather, having rowed at about the same intensity, with my clothes soaked with sweat pretty much all over, and her with maybe one tasteful droplet slipping into her cleavage . . . and no, I'm not fatter - similar size.)

    Speaking as a person who's been through it, with a recurring injury, the best option is physical therapy, and form correction or (guided by the therapist) exercise substitution. If you can't access physical therapy, options include posting a video in the strength training area here and asking for form corrections/guidance, and/or asking for exercise substitutions that might work for you. This is also a case - though many will disagree - that it can be worth the tradeoff to reduce weight and increase reps or sets, to get a similarly taxing volume . . . if and only if that doesn't aggravate the injury. Still need to have proper form, though.

    I know you're budget limited, so recognize that physical therapy could be a problem unless you do have decent health insurance. Are you a student? Sometimes university student health clinics offer more affordable service. A local university that has a physical therapy program might have a program where PT student do supervised practical training, at low cost. If you social network, ask your friends if they have PT friends who might do a quick free consult for a friend-of-friend with low income and an injury, or maybe barter for some skill you have - can't hurt to ask.

    Best wishes!