#budget meal prep

[promtad]

Easy Meal Prep Ideas for Healthy Weekdays

Are you tired of rushing to cook meals every day, only to end up with unhealthy takeout options? Do you struggle to find the time to eat nutritious and delicious meals during your busy weekdays? If so, it’s time to discover the power of meal prep. Meal prep is a game-changer when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet while juggling a hectic schedule. By dedicating a little time to plan and…

[stuckinapril]

There will not be a single moment next week in which I’m not running around doing something

[tiktok-singularity]

Amazing simple meal prep inspo

[petula-xx]

A cast of left overs, AKA Vegie Fried Rice.

I've been time poor recently due to a busy work schedule. I'd fallen behind keeping up with my fridge and pantry stocks. A free week has allowed me to get on top of things again.

I already had every ingredient in this pan on hand. A lot of odds and ends including:

old, soft juicing carrots

old, softening onion and garlic

near 'best before' eggs

a left over cup of frozen peas

assorted Asian condiments

Lots of frozen meals ahead from this effort!

Basic kitchen skills can mean eating well, saving money and minimizing food waste.

[auntiepasto]

Save Money, Cut Your Own Meat

This is half of an 8.8 pound pork roast from Costco. It cost me $20.22.

Yes, you read that right. Under $3/pound. In 2023, where even breathing the air is expensive.

It’s a whopping big chunk of meat, and Costco pork is decent. (Would I love to be indulging in small-farm meat? Of course. Does the budget permit? Not always.)

Pork loin is incredibly forgiving to a first-time butcher. All you do is cut it straight down, as shown above.

You’ll notice I’ve started cutting it into pork chops. I’d already cut the other half into a mix of chops and larger pieces that I’ll probably cut up smaller later and use for stir-fry or pork jun.

Do you need to be meticulous about your sizing? Nope. You can see where I slashed the fat to indicate roughly a pound of meat (8ish pounds divided in half, then divided by 4). I then divided each pound that I was planning to use for chops in four, and cut those.

I did end up deciding to use the last two pounds as a roast, so there’s a nick in the fat cap on that. Oh well, that’s fine.

Bag up your meat in freezer bags. Choose to store it in sizes that you’ll eat, so if it’s just for one, I’d store it in either half-pound or pound increments — so one meal fresh and one meal of leftovers out of a half-pound. If it’s for two or more, you’ll probably want to start with a pound per bag, and you might want to do two, depending on how many people you’re feeding.

Weigh it up (optional, but I like to know), label and date, squish all the air out, and toss it in your freezer. Voilá, you have meat for months. Even if you eat a pound of pork (four chops) a week, you’ve got two months worth of meat and it cost you only $20-some and a bit of your time.

[what-even-is-sleep]

Trying to get ahead of an unsustainability cycle that might be starting up this week,,, (I start work).

[angelmush]

lmao i wish i didn't have 2 spend all my days off work recovering from working LOL it's def better w my current job than it ever was w dog training bc my current job is wayyyyy more lowkey but i still just feel kind of exhausted :(

[hearthandheathenry]

The Real Cost Of Convenience

The other day I went through my weekly flyers, did some online snooping, and made a list of all my local deals that would help feed my family healthy fresh foods on the limited budget we have. We've been trying to feed our family of 3 whole foods and proteins for less than $100 a week. What started as a simple hunt for sales to stock up, ended up turning into a huge eye-opening lesson on convenience and our health. Please let our family's shopping trip and findings not only inspire you to eat healthier at a lower cost, but also open your eyes on the real cost of convenience on our health and wallets.

To summarize my findings, it turns out that we could buy over TWO TIMES the amount of vegetables that would feed us for a month (or more) STILL for less than opting for convenient, already-prepped frozen veggie alternatives. I spent $33.61 on fresh veggies to chop up and freeze, and after some research, the cheapest alternatives listed online equaled out to $75.64 for a nearly identical amount of frozen veggies (I accounted for the veggie waste difference). Which means I am cutting my vegetable grocery bill in half! That is absolutely insane. Keep in mind this amount of veggies would feed my family of 3 for a month at the price and amount I've already spent. Which means I could get about 2 months of food for my family for the price of 1 month of convenient, frozen options. This leaves us so much more room to invest in quality grass-fed red meat and pasture-raised poultry, so we can elevate our health and diet without spending more out of pocket. So, if you would like more affordable and healthy options for food in your house, I highly recommend looking for deals on fresh vegetables and stocking up when you are able to, rather than opting for the easy to grab and prepare option off the shelves. Eating healthy does not have to be expensive and is actually really affordable for families. Your health and wallet will thank you.

I plan to do more cost comparison and snooping around to see what else I can uncover and tips that I can give you all to elevate your lives in the future, but for now, here is a breakdown of where I shopped and what I spent, versus the cost of the cheapest convenient, frozen options of similar poundage online (after processing to account for veggie waste):

[healthyskillz]

Out of my cooking rut! Only posting new recipes that turned out good. This was a simple one but so good, I had leftovers for breakfast the next day and then went and made a whole pot again for lunch and to stock the freezer.

GREEK BEANS 2.O

I have a go-to recipe of Greek beans where you bake them in a minty tomato sauce. But this one doesn't require an oven and works well with canned beans or beans cooked from scratch. I did both.

It's so easy, you cook the beans for half an hour in broth with lemon juice, bay leaf, oregano, onion, garlic, tomato paste. Before serving add chopped black olives. Super yum!

[wellness-university]

Meal Prepping 101

Taking maximum credit loads, commuting, and working a part-time job can make eating a balanced diet seem impossible.

I mean, how many more responsibilities do you need?

But that’s the thing - eating a nutritious diet is the foundation to your success. It can give you the energy to study for exams and stay awake during three-hour seminars. And it may even grant you better grades.

Also, eating a balanced diet may improve your immune system, which results in fewer absences.

Yes, you’re not the only one snoozing in three-hour seminars. 

One way to guarantee that you’re eating nutrient-dense and filling meals is to practice meal prepping. Meal prepping is cooking multiple servings of a meal in a single day. For instance, you can make your lunches for Monday through Friday by cooking in bulk on Sunday. All you have to do is pop it in Tupperware and grab it before you go out the door.

Click here to see some examples of lunches that are easy to meal prep.

For most college students, this can seem like a daunting task.

“Where will I find the time to grocery shop?”

“What should I cook?”

“HOW do I cook?”

I’m here to reassure you that meal prepping is not as hard as it seems. Throughout my college career, I've been a commuter student who has taken maximum credit loads for every semester.

Meal prepping was the secret to staying organized and making the little time I had count.

There’s nothing like the reassurance of having your lunch ready and prepped next to you at all times. And- you’re in full control of what you are eating because we all know how easy stress eating is. Not to mention how hard it is to stop grabbing for the nearest salty snack.

If you’re unsure of how to begin meal prepping, let’s dive into how you can take care of your body by preparing your meals for the week! 

Basic Nutrition

The first step to meal prepping is deciding what you want to eat. I’m not a certified nutritionist, but I do have experience in eating for body function and performance since I am an athlete. These meal plans tend to be nutrient-dense and focused on eating whole foods.

What do I mean by whole foods? These are foods that usually don’t have a gigantic ingredient list listed on their packages. These include fruits, veggies, meat, beans, grains, and eggs.  

For example, I made sure to eat foods that would give me sustainable energy for my last Jiu-Jitsu tournament. My breakfast for the day was a sautee of quinoa, scrambled egg whites, and black beans. The combination of protein and carbohydrates kept me fueled through each of my fights.

Here’s the number #1 tip you should follow when grocery shopping: stick to the perimeter of the store. While following the perimeter of the store, you’ll find your veggies and fruits, the deli section and dairy.

But this is not to say that you won’t go down any aisles. There are a few “whole foods” scattered throughout the middle of the store such as beans and rice. 

The most important part of your meal plan and diet is BALANCE. Sure, you want to stick to whole foods mainly, but there’s nothing wrong with having Cheez-It’s as a snack every once in a while. Here’s a helpful grocery list you can follow if you want to meal prep your lunches:

- 2 types of fruits you enjoy 

- 2 vegetables you enjoy

- Chicken (or tofu if you don’t eat meat)

- Brown rice

- Black beans

- Yogurt (dairy or non-dairy, try to pick one with less added sugars)

- Almonds (omit if you’re allergic to nuts)

- Honey (substitute maple syrup)

- Dark chocolate

- 1 type of cracker/treat that you enjoy such as Doritos

Make sure to multiply this list based on how many days you’ll want lunch. Your meal prep can last however many days you want it to, but I usually cap it at five days. Here’s the meal you’re going to make:

- Brown rice bowl with chicken/tofu, beans, and veggies

- Side of yogurt parfait (yogurt, fruit, almonds, honey)

- Side of dark chocolate

- 1 treat *alternate every other day*

This list is just for lunches, but you can prep any meal of your choice. If you want to meal prep your breakfast, add these items to your list:

- Large eggs (white or brown)

- Egg whites

- Loaf of bread (whichever kind you prefer)

- Any spread you put on toast

There’s your breakfast! You can make 2 eggs + extra egg whites for added protein with toast.

And if you’re interested in meal prepping your whole day, all you have to do is choose a different dish than your lunch for dinner. Since every student has a different living situation, I’ll leave this up to you to decide. 

It’s important that when you go grocery shopping for your meal prep, you pick up any other items that you need such as laundry detergent or bottled water. This will save you time and stress throughout the week since your time is limited between classes to run to the store.

Budget

It’s easy to say what you need to get at the grocery store, but I know that not every student has adequate funds to purchase my entire grocery list. This doesn’t mean that you can't meal prep.

You can easily modify any grocery list to fit your needs. For instance, instead of getting two types of vegetables and fruit, you can only get one type of each. Or if raw chicken is too expensive, scour the frozen aisles for pre-cooked chicken tenders. They may not be the healthiest option, but they might be your only option at the moment. 

If you’re a student that works a part-time job, meal prepping will save you more money than you’d expect. Instead of picking up random fast food meals throughout the week or spending $20 for a coffee and a treat at Starbucks, your only large purchase for the week should be your groceries. 

For each paycheck, set aside $30-70 for your meal prepping. The more days you meal prep, the more you will spend. It’ll seem like a large amount at first glance, but $70 spread out over 5 days is $14 for multiple meal and snacks. 

How to Meal Prep

After following your budget and gathering your groceries, it’s time to start meal prepping. Let’s grab our Tupperware and get to work!

The whole concept of meal prepping is cooking your meals in one session. Most people like to meal prep on Sunday since that’s when they have the least amount of plans. Choose a day where you know you’ll have at least 2 hours free to cook. 

Here are a few tips to follow when preparing your meals:

- Empty the dishwasher and sink before you start

- Have multiple foods cooking at once (chicken on the stove, veggies in the oven, etc.)

- Always start with the food that takes the longest to cook (rice can take up to 45 minutes)

- Make sure to eat and get yourself in a good mood before cooking

- Clean as you go

With these tips, your meal-prepping session should go smoothly. Meal prepping is something that takes time to truly perform well. The more you do it, the better it gets.

It also may help to try meal prepping with a friend or roommate so that you can delegate and split tasks.

Don’t be discouraged if your first meals are poorly seasoned or cooked through. The only way to improve is to practice and stay consistent. 

[gameofspice]

Freezer meals | How to make a week ahead meal prep

Frozen food is bad for you! What? Yes, I am telling the truth. Fat, taste enhancers and preservative-loaded frozen food are bad for you. Not the home-cooked frozen meals, though. This blog contains some of my frozen food/freezer recipes and meal prep ideas to ease your daily routine if you like to buy groceries and stock up for your week. Meals that freeze well are handy time savers for the busy…

[tiktok-singularity]

Vegetarian Cauliflower dish

[thriftykitchen]

MEAL PREP

Deli wraps and tacos to freeze

[grouchydairy]

This means I can safely order a few staple ingredients in bulk (read: for cheap!) knowing that I’m not subscribing to 10lbs of an ingredient I will only use once (1) in the next 2 years.

#budgeting

[thebloggerman]

How to Meal Prep: Budget Vegetarian Recipes