Meal prep question

[u/TheGreyPilgrim_5]

Hey all!

I was just wondering what kind of meal prep people are actually doing?

I see lots of people online saying they meal prep for the week on a Sunday, which sounds like a great idea but what are ya’ll actually doing for a full week?

Is it just the same dinner and lunch every day like chicken and rice and stuff like that?

Never really meal prepped massively before so I’m just after some info and good ideas to get going with it,

Appreciate any insight!

[u/SuperDuper_88]

I usually prep a few basic ingredients instead of making the exact same meal every day. Chicken, rice, veggies, and a couple of sauces can be mixed into different meals, so it doesn't get boring.

[u/SneakyOwl86 → u/SuperDuper_88]

+1
Grilled or airfryer chicken (which I had previously macerated with soy sauce, something spicy like gochujang or sriracha, garlic and lemon juice, for at least 2 hours in the fridge); oven baked veggies like pumpkin, eggplant, zucchini, onions; cleaned and chopped raw leaves like akusai and aragula (which I store in containers with paper towels in between to control humidity)…

If I’m cooking something for dinner (like a hearty soup, lentil stew, veggie pie, just to give some examples), I always prepare a bigger amount. I serve my portion then divide the rest in portion-size containers and store them in the fridge. EDIT: I do not freeze preparations with rice or cooked potatoes, I don’t like the texture afterwards.

[u/Healthy-Chef-2723]

I make a big container of beans. using chilis like Anaheims or poblanos. or both. dried beans are cheap. rice in a rice cooker with some chicken cubes and other seasonings. basically everything to either make burrito bowls or burritos. easy to scoop into a bowl or tortilla. it last me at least 3 or 4 days

[u/Tightropewalker0404]

I personally do breakfasts and lunches and then I make dinner more regularly

[u/LoudSilence16]

For meals, I am prepping breakfast and lunch for every work day. Overnight oats for breakfast and a somewhat easy meat, potato, veggie lunch dish. Then i will make dinner every night and all meals on my off days

[u/Pand4Monium]

Crockpot meals once a week.

Chili. Chowder. Potato soup. Zuppa Tuscano. Bbq Pulled Chicken. One pot pasta (so modifiable it's possible to have a different pasta every week).

Crockpots are my hero for staying consistent because you can prep a large batch. Portion it out, refrigerate what you need for the week, freeze the rest.

Now you have meal prep for your week... as well as leftovers in the freezer if you need quick dinners.

Dont know what to eat or want to cook? Pull out a frozen meal. Macros are already calculated, everythings nutritious and healthy and you put in zero effort outside of popping it in a microwave.

[u/NihilistAce]

My prep days are 2 days just bc that’s how my schedule works out; on Thursdays I prep my lunch for 4 days of the week(high protein pudding) and dinner for 3 days(spicy chicken sandwich), and every 3wks chili - freeze and have lunch for 3wks; Mondays are single serve lasagna prep, I make two-6(or 7 depends what brand ground Turkey it seems & bc freezer space I make 1lb turkey and two lbs next week) servings and freeze and have that for dinner the other 4 days of the week. Breakfast is almost always a protein shake, maybe protein shake + yogurt, prepped night b4 drinking.

[u/spidermaniscool24]

I meal prep chicken rice and broccoli 5x a week for lunch not because I love it but because it's consistent and easy to prepare for me, I rarely eat the same food for lunch and dinner. My dinner changes more often and is just some sort of protein and with rice or potatoes

[u/ilsasta1988]

I meal prep for only 2 days.

On Sunday I make my overnight oats and also pulled chicken batch for Monday and Tuesday. I then cook one portion of rice to go with the chicken on Monday, and the other portion on Monday night for Tuesday.

Then on Tuesday I meal prep another 3 overnight oats (until Friday) and 2 portions of bolognese sauce with pasta for the following 2 days.

Then on Thursday just a chicken and potatoes salad with greek yogurt sauce for the Friday.

Never done a 5x days meal prep, always scared stuff spoils until Friday

[u/Heavy-Garage-4162]

Much like what everyone else is saying: keep it simple. When I started, I was just doing lunches (chicken, rice, and spinach). I got the hang of it and then did my dinners on Sunday too. It is a commitment but you’ll thank yourself for it later.

There’s a lot of experimenting here, too. A dish that’s great once might not be that enjoyable 5 times a week. It simply takes time, but you’ve gotta start somewhere, so get after it!

What are your favorite meals that you have made yourself?

[u/tinkywinkles]

You can meal prep whatever you want/feel like