What does your meal prep day look like, if you do it that way?

[aprilb]

Hello all! I'm on day 22 and still trying to find my groove as far as meal prep. I notice that the times that I start getting bored with my food are usually a result of not planning well. So I think I'm on track a bit better this week but still looking for suggestions to make this all manageable so that I don't spend all day in the kitchen. LOL How do you make it work?

[ShannonM816]

I do best if I do a bunch of prep on the weekend so that I spend less time cooking during the week. It's based on this description:  http://meljoulwan.com/2010/01/14/paleo-kitchen-the-method-behind-my-madness/

It means spending a lot of time in the kitchen one day a week, but then most of the rest of the week is easy -- reheating cooked meats and cooking prechopped vegetables.

[VirginiaKate]

For me, I try to fold the meal prep in to the weekend's food and into my cooking during the week.  Like for Sunday breakfast, I make a huge frittata, eat a piece for breakfast, and then slice it up to bring to work for breakfast during the week.  This weekend we had grilled chicken and I made carnitas, so I just made extra and have them ready and cubed up in the fridge for my salads this week.  Then, during the week, if I make mashed cauliflower one night, I make a bunch so I can have some on a more time-pressed night.  I also go the lazy route and buy shredded carrots, slivered almonds, etc, so I just need to throw a handful into my container to bring for salad for lunch.  

I did the "Well Fed" hot plate thing last week (cooked some ground beef and reheated it with different veggies and spices each night) and it was super easy and delicious, but I can only do that when my bf is on travel, as his seasoning tastes run more traditional.

[MOboysgirl]

I'm on day 8 and feel like I'm cooking and cleaning constantly. Have started food prep and am already very happy with that decision. First of all, leftovers are my new best friend. Making extra from most meals. I've loved Having cut up onions and green peppers in the fridge. Cooked up a few pounds of ground beef and divided equally. Made a double batch of speghetti sauce. Having it tomorrow night and will put rest in freezer. As I go along, I'll continue noticing what foods im using over and over and will add them to my prep work. Cuting up red potatoes  tonight to roast later this week.  Just knowing I have some of the work done, waiting for me in the fridge, really cuts down on the anxiety. I can always throw something together. What a relief. Hope this helps. I'm starting slowing on the food prep, as to not get overwhelmed- worrying that I might waste something. Good luck!

[Guest]

This weekend my prep looked like this:

 

4lbs pork made into carnitas for use multiple ways

Batch of chili made

Fritattas made for hubby work breakfast

Protien salad (Greek w/ NO mayo used Italian style W30 dressing) for hubby lunches

Paleo muffins for the kiddo 

Cut up veg for sides

Roasted off 2lbs chicken breasts

Made ketchup

Made double batch of Mayo

Made Ranch

Made Buffalo Sauce

 

During the week lunches for the kiddo and I will be tuna salad and veggie sticks.

My breakfasts will vary:eggs one day leftovers another.. I like to mix it up =P

Dinners will involve carnitas: we especially like them with guac and salsa in butter leaf lettuce taco shells, but stuffed in potatoes or on a salad work too. Chili for variety as well. Also if we get tied of the pork I can whip out some buffalo chicken salads super quick!

 

[hmg1993]

I plan my week's menus on Saturday and grocery shop for everything I need.  I then spend two hours on Sunday morning prepping everything.  I tend to have two precooked meals and then two that are all chopped up and measured and ready to cook.  Sunday night is always grilled protein and a salad and I make sure to grill extra for work day lunches (I love nom nom paleo's tandoori chicken, made with coconut milk).  Friday night is always wing it/left overs.  I always have extra veggies and compliant chicken sausage in the fridge plus eggs and compliant smoked salmon in the fridge for if I am in a pinch.  Lastly, on Sunday I always make up a batch of mayonnaise.    Hope this helps!

[Rebe_J]

What does my meal prep look like? It's just DH and me, and we're not currently doing a W30.

I write out the weekly menu before I go shopping. I usually hit 2-3 stores and the farmers' market if it's in season. I always keep a stocked pantry and freezer, so if I don't have much cook-up time, I can still get a meal on the table quickly.

Here's my typical cook-up and prep line-up, sorted by method, but not necessarily the order I do them. 

Pressure cooker: steam-baked potatoes, kale & carrots, bone broth, beef or pork recipe such as Kalua Pig or Mexican Beef (nomnompaleo.com), boiled eggs.

Oven: breakfast casserole (8 servings), roast Brussels sprouts, roast sweet potatoes, meat balls or meat loaf, breakfast sausage patties, paleo cake for DH.

Stove top: browned ground beef with onions and mushrooms, steam sauteed vegetables, maybe a big pot of chili to portion and freeze.

Wash and prep variety of vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, multi color bell peppers, green onions, etc. Spiralize a few summer squash for "spaghetti." Also prep some fruit--whatever is in season.

Make condiments: mayo, salad dressing, Sunshine sauce, Kick-ass ketchup, etc.

Some weeks I grind up a lot of meat and freeze what I don't make into meatballs, patties, etc.  For variety, I have chicken thighs and tenderloins and fish fillets in the freezer. They are quick to thaw and cook--no recipe required.

Most of our meals are mix and match, so it helps to have a lot of stackable storage containers. I use masking tape and a sharpie pen for labeling.

 

Hope that helps. Good luck!

 

 

[Aberrantatavia]

I also will do large cook ups, but I don't do them every weekend for the week. If I'm making something that takes any amount of time, it has to be a freezable meal so I can do a large batch. For my last whole 30 a couple of years ago I did a combination of freezer meals and well Fed's cook up pattern. Sometimes it's better to simplify and just make a massive batch of chicken and beef that doesn't take too long. Then add whatever Frozen veges and a salad. I have to say, my electric pressure cooker is my best friend for saving time in the kitchen. I just bought another one because I use my first one just about every day. I'm starting another whole 30 next week and I'm planning to have as many things as possible already cooked  or prepped and in the freezer for the whole month before we start. This time I've got my daughter and her family on board and my mom as well. So will be cooking for 4 adults with varied tastes and a 1 year old and my mom here and there. Having everything that I can put in the freezer done ahead is going to be key. Electric pressure cookers like the instant pot are a bit of an investment, but so well worth it. Alternatively, use your crock pot as much as possible. You can cook a dinner in there with little prep all day or all night even if you don't need it done for 6pm. Sometimes it's just easier for me to throw something in the crockpot at night and let it cook and then the next morning put it in the fridge but not eat it till that night or the next. I can let a chicken cook in my instant pot while I'm making dinner, and then the prep for the next night is much quicker and easier. And if i do things like salad dressing and mayo on the weekends, that makes it easy to throw an already cooked meat in a salad and top it with dressing. Today while I was doing other things, I cooked a bunch of squash in my instant pot. It will go in muffin tins to freeze and then already be in single servings. I try not to overwhelm myself with having to do 20 things on my cook up day:) I'd rather try to do 3 prep things while I'm already in the kitchen. If I'm making something on the stove top, I can also hard boil some eggs. I get caught up in "oh my God I have to prep everything!!!!! Right now!!" When really I can do a few things at a time and it will be ok. And there are a couple things I always have on hand, like already cooked sweet potatoes. In a pinch, I dump a can of sardines over it and call it breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner. Usually with a pile of sauted spinach. Good luck, you'll get more in tune to what works for you as you go along:) 

[MOboysgirl]

Thank you so much for you input and advice. I will buy an instant pot. I have found a few tricks along the way (today is our day 18). Love having cut up veggies in large ziplock bags to throw into a sautee or to roast up. I love having ground beef cooked up. You mentioned cooked chicken and beef. How do you cook? Then do you freeze it? How do you find yourself using it?

last night I was on fire. Had my ground beef and sweet potatoes already made up so reheated and made in to Shepard's pie. Made ketchup while that was heating up. When that was done baking, I threw together my already cut up green beans, red potatoes and onions, tossed with olive oil and seasoning and roasted them for today's breakfast. While those were baking, I took the rest of the sweet potatoes and made the no fuss salmon cakes for a few breakfast meals. And  since the oven was already on, I roasted a bulb of garlic for tonight's BBQ sauce.  Sautéed spinach to have with our supper last night and then came the dishes. Sooooo many dirty dishes! Lol

all that work sure made breakfast and today's lunch easy.  Just fried up some eggs to go with my already cooked salmon cakes and roasted vegetables. Lunch is leftover Shepard's pie with side of veggies that I cooked up the other day. 

Its a LITTLE disheartening that all that work only provided 2 extra meals (today's breakfast and lunch). But eventually I'll get more ahead of the game. 

Like i said I'm very curious to know what you do with already cooked chicken and beef. I should be able to have some cooking prep time this weekend. But not sure what to prep quite yet, besides the 3 pounds of hamburger I have defrosting. Will come up with my meal plan and go from there, I guess  

Thanks again and I wish you much success on your next whole30. I can't imagine cooking for so many people. It's just me and my hubby and I feel like I'm always in the kitchen. your  family is blessed to have you. 

[Catlover]

Just as others have mentioned, I like to cook batches of stuff once or twice a week.

Vegetable soup, Chicken & rice (I use riced cauli), big pans of stir fry, and sometimes I fill the grill with a variety of chicken, fish, salmon and vegetables. I eat these things for breakfast also to keep from burning out on eggs. There is a recipe in the Whole30 book that has kale, butternut squash & pork. I prefer it made with chicken. I double the recipe and make that one every other week. It is my favorite breakfast, lunch or dinner!  The grilled veggies, meat and fish is a nice thing to have already cooked to add to salads or just grab a piece of fish, a few grilled veggies and add a fat like 1/2 an avocado and there is a meal! Easy! Delicious.

[steubner]

On 8/26/2016 at 9:29 AM, MOboysgirl said:

Like i said I'm very curious to know what you do with already cooked chicken and beef. I should be able to have some cooking prep time this weekend. But not sure what to prep quite yet, besides the 3 pounds of hamburger I have defrosting. Will come up with my meal plan and go from there, I guess 

I cook chicken (thighs or breasts) with onions and bell peppers, then shred or eat whole. This is so easy to freeze, and would work great on salads, with Mexican Cauliflower rice, or other veggie blends. You could also do lettuce wraps or zucchini boats with either the chicken or beef.

Already cooked ground beef...chili, throw in some compliant marinara, or cook in a hash with potato. You could also do shepherds pie.

When I started, I kept things very simple with ingredient meals to start. When I cooked dinner, I made 3-4 extra portions of everything, and put it in the fridge (and later the freezer). If I cook twice a week, that's an extra 8 meals.

This is my second try at my first round, but I've been meal prepping religiously for 8 months. It really is the key to success in my opinion. This weekend I did a huge shopping day and a 1 1/2 day long cooking day. I made my list and went to work. I *should* have enough in the fridge and freezer for the next 2-3 weeks at the very least, not including the heat and eat things I bought (like sliced beef from Trader Joe's, and pulled pork from Costco).

There are also websites that offer services to help you plan your meals that will customize your recipes, give you a shopping list, and tell you what and how to prep and cook. Those helped me learn a TON about doing one big cooking day. I will say...I couldn't do one big cooking day every month. But, do what works for you! You will learn along the way how you need to adjust things