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Funkybutt
LIF Adult
Member since 4/15 3049 total posts
Name:
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do you meal prep during the weekend?
I hate cooking, but I need to start eating better and I was thinking of prepping multiple meals on Sundays. However, doesn't that just mean I'm eating "leftovers" during the week? I feel that leftovers usually doesn't taste as good as when you eat it after cooking. Also, is the food ok by Friday if it's prepped on Sunday?
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Posted 2/9/18 12:24 PM  |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54921 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
Thats why i don't do it.
I am not one to eat something that was made 4 days ago.
To me it gets like mush.
I love these salads that are supposed to last all week.
On what planet?
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| Posted 2/9/18 12:39 PM |
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Hofstra26
Love to Bake!
Member since 7/06 27915 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
Posted by Funkybutt
I hate cooking, but I need to start eating better and I was thinking of prepping multiple meals on Sundays. However, doesn't that just mean I'm eating "leftovers" during the week? I feel that leftovers usually doesn't taste as good as when you eat it after cooking. Also, is the food ok by Friday if it's prepped on Sunday?
I don't prep meals in advance, I like my meals freshly prepared. If you do cook on Sunday, by Friday, most things won't be fresh anymore. For example, cooked chicken, tomato sauce etc should only be kept 2-3 days at most. I wouldn't hesitate to prep ingredients ahead of time such as dicing veggies, shredding cheese, etc. I wouldn't cook all of my meals that far in advance though.
If you want to cut down on cooking time day to day, try making some freezer meals that you just need to reheat or dump in a CROCK Pot. A vacuum sealer is one of my favorite appliances, you can buy and cook in bulk and keep the food fresher longer. I like to make big batches of sauce to freeze as well as pesto, pancakes, waffles, shredded chicken or pork, chicken cutlets, trays of stuffed shells (without sauce) and soups. It's great to have these staples frozen and on hand, makes dinner prep easier.
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| Posted 2/9/18 12:44 PM |
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MrsT809
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 12167 total posts
Name:
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do you meal prep during the weekend?
You just have to be smart about what you make and maybe you won't make it the whole week but it can definitely help.
Things like soup or chili reheat great. Pasta sauce and taco meat can easily be done ahead. Enchiladas, lasagna, meatloaf, pulled pork are all good too. Keep frozen bagged rice on hand for a quick side.
We used to do mason jar salads all the time and they really do work well. I used to make three days worth typically and they lasted just fine.
I also have a foodsaver so I use that to freeze leftovers sometimes this way things stay fresh and I'm not eating the same thing three days in a row.
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| Posted 2/9/18 12:58 PM |
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M514
Hi
Member since 8/10 6011 total posts
Name:
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do you meal prep during the weekend?
No, I meal plan, but I don’t meal prep. I just can’t cook everything in one day and then eat it all week. It grosses me out.
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| Posted 2/9/18 2:59 PM |
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Hofstra26
Love to Bake!
Member since 7/06 27915 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
If you need some good meal prepping/planning ideas, click the link below. I have a post on my blog that is dedicated to just that, some of the tips might help you out. 
MEAL PLANNING/PREPPING TIPS
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| Posted 2/9/18 3:20 PM |
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Funkybutt
LIF Adult
Member since 4/15 3049 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
Posted by Hofstra26
If you need some good meal prepping/planning ideas, click the link below. I have a post on my blog that is dedicated to just that, some of the tips might help you out.
MEAL PLANNING/PREPPING TIPS
Thanks - I'll check it out!
I signed up for Happy Herbivore's vegan weekly meals and she's all about meal prep and her plans include shopping lists and things to make ahead.
I think I'll try cutting stuff up in advance instead of cooking everything. Maybe that'll make it easier for me to want to cook after work instead of heating up a veggie burger in the microwave. 
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| Posted 2/9/18 3:40 PM |
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MrsT809
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 12167 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
If you want vegan ideas, this would be an easy one to prep and keeps well a few days in the fridge. Mexican quinoa stew
What about making your own veggie burgers? I like these sweet potato black bean burgers. They reheated well in the toaster oven and add fresh guacamole on top yoy won't mind it being reheated one bit.
I make skinnytaste Cuban black beans and rice a lot for dh's lunches. So he eats that 3 or 4 days with no complaints.
You could also make a batch of quinoa on the weekend and then just roast a bunch of veggies to throw over it for dinner (even easier if you prep the veggies ahead of time). I usually make a batch at least once a week and heat it up for breakfast for a few days topped with blueberries, pecans, and maple syrup.
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| Posted 2/9/18 4:01 PM |
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PitterPatter11
Baby Boy is Here!
Member since 5/11 7619 total posts
Name:
Momma <3
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do you meal prep during the weekend?
I do extensive meal prep on Sundays. I make pretty much all lunches and dinners for the week.
For lunch I make the SkinnyTaste chipotle chicken bowl with quinoa or brown rice. I’ve never had an issue with it being bad on Friday. If you’re concerned, you can pop them in the freezer.
For dinners, I prep everything but don’t cook it. For example, if I’m making lasagna roll ups, I will cook the pasta and then prepare the cheese mixture. I will then prepare the roll up and put it in a baking pan. Ill then stick it in the oven on Monday night, I come home and bake it. I’ll also prep shredded chicken ahead of time and have something like chicken quesadillas with it on Tuesday. Then I’ll prep another dish like banging good chicken. I’ll bread the chicken and put it in a Tupperware container until I bake it in Wednesday.
Look into poke bowls if you want to prep a few things to mix and match.
Message edited 2/10/2018 7:00:37 AM.
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| Posted 2/10/18 6:59 AM |
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Lauren82
LIF Adult
Member since 10/06 4580 total posts
Name:
L
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
I do a mixture of meal prep and making the day of...I meal plan every week...otherwise we eat too much take out! I usually do make ahead things for Monday-Wednesday because we have activities those nights that make it hard. It doesn't feel like leftovers to me if I haven't eaten it before. You have to be strategic with what you make ahead...I make ahead soup but keep the noodles separate. And I never make sides ahead. I don't make my lunches ahead either...I can't eat the same thing for 5 days. I have a coworker that takes turns making lunches with me. Gives us both some variety and I only need to make lunch 2-3 times a week!
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| Posted 2/10/18 3:42 PM |
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jlm2008
LIF Adult
Member since 1/10 5092 total posts
Name:
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do you meal prep during the weekend?
Yes, I meal prep but I don't mind "leftovers", if i did I wouldn't be able to eat half the time! I also don't make it on Sunday with the intention of it lasting till Friday an I don't usually do my protein more than a day ahead. what I do make is loads of roasted vegetables, sweet potato, steel cut oats( that I do make for the week), Hardboiled eggs, Batches of chili to last 3-4 days. It makes lunch and dinner making sooooo much easier when you just have to warm up the sides!
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| Posted 2/11/18 3:57 PM |
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klingklang77
kraftwerk!
Member since 7/06 11487 total posts
Name:
Völlig losgelöst
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
I use Hello Fresh. It makes everything easier. Ingredients are delivered and I do not have to prep for anything. I do skip some weeks, though.
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| Posted 2/11/18 4:21 PM |
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LuckyStar
LIF Adult
Member since 7/14 7274 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
Posted by NervousNell
Thats why i don't do it.
I am not one to eat something that was made 4 days ago.
To me it gets like mush.
I love these salads that are supposed to last all week.
On what planet?
This. I don't understand any of it, especially the salads.
I seriously skeeve leftovers. Sometimes DH will take stuff for lunch the next day because he'll eat anything he doesn't have to cook or obtain himself. But I'm definitely the wrong person for meal prepping.
I do find that the instant pot saves me time with dinner because I agree that cooking during the week can be so hard.
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| Posted 2/11/18 11:18 PM |
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NervousNell
Just another chapter in life..
Member since 11/09 54921 total posts
Name:
..being a mommy and being a wife!
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
Posted by LuckyStar
Posted by NervousNell
Thats why i don't do it.
I am not one to eat something that was made 4 days ago.
To me it gets like mush.
I love these salads that are supposed to last all week.
On what planet?
This. I don't understand any of it, especially the salads.
I seriously skeeve leftovers. Sometimes DH will take stuff for lunch the next day because he'll eat anything he doesn't have to cook or obtain himself. But I'm definitely the wrong person for meal prepping.
I do find that the instant pot saves me time with dinner because I agree that cooking during the week can be so hard.
I have enough of a hard time even WANTING to ever eat a salad, I can't imagine wanting to eat one that has been sitting around in a mason jar for 5 days.
If I am going to eat a salad, it better be freshly made for me with a lot of delicious stuff in it and presented beautifully.
Otherwise, I know myself, I'd bring it, decide not to eat at all rather than eat it, and then by 3 pm be going through the vending machine like a junk yard dog.
I also skeeve leftovers. We try to only cook enough for us, so we don't have leftovers. Because they sit in the fridge for a few days looking gross in tupperware, nobody wants to eat them, then they go in the trash. Huge waste of food
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| Posted 2/12/18 9:43 AM |
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LuckyStar
LIF Adult
Member since 7/14 7274 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
Posted by NervousNell
Posted by LuckyStar
Posted by NervousNell
Thats why i don't do it.
I am not one to eat something that was made 4 days ago.
To me it gets like mush.
I love these salads that are supposed to last all week.
On what planet?
This. I don't understand any of it, especially the salads.
I seriously skeeve leftovers. Sometimes DH will take stuff for lunch the next day because he'll eat anything he doesn't have to cook or obtain himself. But I'm definitely the wrong person for meal prepping.
I do find that the instant pot saves me time with dinner because I agree that cooking during the week can be so hard.
I have enough of a hard time even WANTING to ever eat a salad, I can't imagine wanting to eat one that has been sitting around in a mason jar for 5 days.
If I am going to eat a salad, it better be freshly made for me with a lot of delicious stuff in it and presented beautifully.
Otherwise, I know myself, I'd bring it, decide not to eat at all rather than eat it, and then by 3 pm be going through the vending machine like a junk yard dog.
I also skeeve leftovers. We try to only cook enough for us, so we don't have leftovers. Because they sit in the fridge for a few days looking gross in tupperware, nobody wants to eat them, then they go in the trash. Huge waste of food
Me too, or at least I try to. He’ll take stuff the next day but if it’s still there 24 hours later it goes in the garbage. It bugs me because it really is wasteful and I buy good quality food.
DH occasionally tries to put us on a budget (And fails because I ignore him) and inevitably brings up buying lunch as an “unnecessary expense.” I’m like you can eat meow mix for lunch for all I care but if you think I’m bringing 3 day old tacos for lunch you’re in for some disappointment.
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| Posted 2/12/18 10:36 AM |
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SusiBee
. . . . .
Member since 3/09 8268 total posts
Name:
S
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
A little bit, not consistently.
I might roast a chicken or a piece of beef to have for lunch / dinner, roast a bunch of veggies for other meals. My favorite are roasting grape tomatoes with garlic cloves, rosemary and thyme. Wonderful tossed with pasta or warmed and put on top of grilled chicken.
I do wash a lot of lettuce and keep it in the fridge, chop up red cabbage to add to salads, since that keeps a bit.
If I make cutlets one night during the week, I'll make some extra to take for lunch or make another meal out of them.
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| Posted 2/13/18 10:28 AM |
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klsnyc805
LIF Adolescent
Member since 11/09 578 total posts
Name:
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
I prep things to freeze and take them out during the week to reheat and make in recipes. Like meatballs, lasagna, shredded chicken, maybe roast a butternut squash. It does involve some meal planning ahead of time.
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| Posted 2/14/18 1:14 PM |
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jamnmore
LIF Adult
Member since 6/16 989 total posts
Name:
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do you meal prep during the weekend?
I prep on Sunday for the week. So that means I have my shopping done and my meal plan done. I will prep Monday's dinner on Sunday - take out meat to thaw, gather ingredients, basic chopping if needed. But everything will be prepared the night we eat. But just having it all ready to go Monday when I get home is huge. If I don't have to run around the kitchen like a mad woman when I get home it is a huge bonus. When I freezer cook, that is a day I spend all day in the kitchen and prepare meals and freeze them to use as needed. I don't prep breakfast and do lunches after dinner during clean up.
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| Posted 2/14/18 2:42 PM |
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Sash
Peace
Member since 6/08 10312 total posts
Name:
fka LIW Smara
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Re: do you meal prep during the weekend?
First off I never meal prep salads, they are so easy to make. I may wash and cut up the lettuce for the week but that’s it.
I will make a crockpot chili (ground turkey or chicken) which is a meal that gets better as leftover. I will prep for 3 days and then Wednesday cook for the the next 3. I will season meat and freeze or let it marinate and then cook it Wednesday for a salad or to add with veggies. There is a lot of food that will taste good the next day.
I started doing it off and on a few months ago and was hesitant because I never ate leftovers. But I’m glad I did it because it saves me time, money so we arent eating out and helps me eat right to lose weight. I get home at 7 or 7:30 and it is was just too late to cook or do anything.
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| Posted 2/15/18 7:57 AM |
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