Post by Loupy on Apr 9, 2018 0:16:52 GMT -7
Meal Prep Tips...
So what is meal prepping anyway. If you’ve never heard of it or heard about it but don’t really know what it’s all about. I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest condensed version. It’s simply preparing meals ahead of time, freezing them and eating them later. Think TV dinners or those little Stouffer’s frozen prepared meals.
The difference here is you’re preparing them yourself with healthier clean eating ingredients and you’re freeing them yourself. Another advantage is your can control the portion size of your meals depending on who they are for and when you plan on eating them. I always eat more for dinner than I do for lunch.
Most people I know generally spend a few hours on the weekend making the meals. Then they take them out of the freezer and eat them during the week for lunch or dinner. I can see the advantage of not having to cook much during the week when life is more busy and hectic. You can still eat healthy when you are busy and don’t have time or want to cook.
You won’t end up running to get fast food on your way home from work. You can take one of these meal prep meals to work with you for lunch. It’s more healthy and will save you a lot of money and time too. For me the hardest part would be spending a lot of time on my day off in the kitchen. What about you? Would that be hard for you too?
Here’s the best idea for you – just make double of whatever food it is, which his barely any more work and eat half for dinner and prep the other half for future meals. Barely any more work and twice as many meals. Win-Win.
Some helpful hints I’ve found in searching the web to consider when you decide to make some clean eating meal prep recipes:
Buy some good storage containers that fit your needs and pocket book. I’ll add link for several options at the end.
Decide on the recipes you’re going to use and make a very comprehensive grocery list. Look in your cupboards and refrigerator to see what you already have so you don’t buy something you don’t need and so you don’t miss something you do need. Don’t trust your memory. I learned this the hard way several times. Grocery is something I do well. I make columns for produce, dairy, meat, canned goods, bakery and Misc. Then I look at the recipes I’m using and write down everything in the columns they belong. It makes shopping in the store much faster and more enjoyable. I’m not walking all over the store several times.
Cook your meals. When you’re done cooking let them cool a few minutes.
Divide the ingredients up into the containers and either refrigerate or freeze them. Some meals have ingredients like lettuce or avocados or tomatoes that would taste better fresh. I suggest either putting them in a separate container or just adding them when you are ready to eat. It would depend on the the circumstance whether this would work for you or not.
CONTAINERS: I don’t suggest using zip lock bags. The problem would be with heating them up. I don’t want to eat anything that has been cooked in plastic. Who knows what could happen, certainly nothing positive. There are basically two kinds of containers. Either plastic (BPA free) or glass.
Loupy's note: I use these: www.amazon.com/dp/B079NHM1P8/?
So what is meal prepping anyway. If you’ve never heard of it or heard about it but don’t really know what it’s all about. I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest condensed version. It’s simply preparing meals ahead of time, freezing them and eating them later. Think TV dinners or those little Stouffer’s frozen prepared meals.
The difference here is you’re preparing them yourself with healthier clean eating ingredients and you’re freeing them yourself. Another advantage is your can control the portion size of your meals depending on who they are for and when you plan on eating them. I always eat more for dinner than I do for lunch.
Most people I know generally spend a few hours on the weekend making the meals. Then they take them out of the freezer and eat them during the week for lunch or dinner. I can see the advantage of not having to cook much during the week when life is more busy and hectic. You can still eat healthy when you are busy and don’t have time or want to cook.
You won’t end up running to get fast food on your way home from work. You can take one of these meal prep meals to work with you for lunch. It’s more healthy and will save you a lot of money and time too. For me the hardest part would be spending a lot of time on my day off in the kitchen. What about you? Would that be hard for you too?
Here’s the best idea for you – just make double of whatever food it is, which his barely any more work and eat half for dinner and prep the other half for future meals. Barely any more work and twice as many meals. Win-Win.
Some helpful hints I’ve found in searching the web to consider when you decide to make some clean eating meal prep recipes:
Buy some good storage containers that fit your needs and pocket book. I’ll add link for several options at the end.
Decide on the recipes you’re going to use and make a very comprehensive grocery list. Look in your cupboards and refrigerator to see what you already have so you don’t buy something you don’t need and so you don’t miss something you do need. Don’t trust your memory. I learned this the hard way several times. Grocery is something I do well. I make columns for produce, dairy, meat, canned goods, bakery and Misc. Then I look at the recipes I’m using and write down everything in the columns they belong. It makes shopping in the store much faster and more enjoyable. I’m not walking all over the store several times.
Cook your meals. When you’re done cooking let them cool a few minutes.
Divide the ingredients up into the containers and either refrigerate or freeze them. Some meals have ingredients like lettuce or avocados or tomatoes that would taste better fresh. I suggest either putting them in a separate container or just adding them when you are ready to eat. It would depend on the the circumstance whether this would work for you or not.
CONTAINERS: I don’t suggest using zip lock bags. The problem would be with heating them up. I don’t want to eat anything that has been cooked in plastic. Who knows what could happen, certainly nothing positive. There are basically two kinds of containers. Either plastic (BPA free) or glass.
Loupy's note: I use these: www.amazon.com/dp/B079NHM1P8/?
