#meal prepping

[acti-veg]

i suffer from chronic depression and really low energy. i find preparing even the most basic of meals really hard.

do you know of any places in the uk i can buy vegan ready meals which do deliveries please?

also things i can buy in bulk for breakfast, lunch etc like cereal bars where prep isn’t needed

thank you so much

Huel is a good option for very cheap meals, you can buy ready-to-drink ones or powders that you just mix yourself. That can be breakfast and lunch sorted by itself. There are also quite a lot of meal delivery services in the UK who offer vegan food, I found about five with a quick search but I haven't tried any, so I can't make recommendations.

Stocking up on basics like soups, pasta pots and packaged noodles would be good in a pinch. Protein bars would be good to have on hand, Misfits ones are great but Trek do protein flapjacks that are vegan as well. Home and Bargain and Heron do big flapjacks which are surprisingly vegan and are very high in calories, for when you just need to get some fat and calories in - they're about 5 for £2. For more nutritious options, canned foods can also be just thrown in with microwaves rice, things like chickpeas, lentils, black beans, kidney beans etc. You can buy microwavable packets of pre-flavoured grains and such from most supermarkets, they're reasonably healthy and not too expensive. There are also loads of snacking faux meats that you just throw on some bread for a quick lunch. Even just having some bread, hummus and carrot sticks in in can serve as a quick lunch when you really don't have the energy.

The best advice I can give is to pre-prepare meals in bulk, during those periods where you have the energy to do that. This doesn't need to be complex recipe making, you can throw soy chunks/fake chicken, rice, broccoli and soy/teriyaki sauce in a big pan and make enough for a few days in about 10-15 minutes. Meals like chili, pasta, curry, homemade soups and noodle dishes freeze pretty well so you only need to blast them in the microwave.

[meowyymeowington]

So kawaii!! #piss x3 @brookinselexis

[the-seeker-vyx]

Blog Post #9

A little update on what I've been eating lately because this is my blog and I can obsess about myself on it if I please.

[superfluousspork]

Breakfast Log:

Made mini-omelettes as part of an effort to meal prep more & stay out of my works vending machines

Ingredients:

- eggs

- milk

- shredded cheddar

- spinach

- cherry tomatoes

- green onions

- garlic

- salt

- pepper

- basil

Cooked at 350°F for 25 mins

Outcome:

Could use more salt maybe? Otherwise great. I'll add breakfast sausage to the next batch

[abramsbooks]

RECIPE: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri (from Meal Prep Magic by Catherine McCord)

It was in Argentina where I began my love affair with chimichurri; a pot of it accompanied whatever meat we were eating. Just the thought of pairing it with pork tenderloin makes me giddy.

PREP TIME: 15 minutes, plus 1 to 2 hours for marinating COOK TIME: 15 minutes SERVES: 4 to 6

¼ cup (60 ml) Dijon mustard

½ cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar

8 cloves garlic, minced

⅓ cup (75 ml) plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

2 to 2½ pounds (910 g to 1.2 kg) pork tenderloin, fat and silver skin removed

½ cup (15 g) packed fresh cilantro

½ cup (15 g) packed flat- or curly-leaf parsley

1 small shallot, peeled

2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Pinch crushed red pepper

Freshly ground black pepper

Place the Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, half of the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large zip-top bag. Squish the bag to mix the marinade. Add the pork tenderloin and use your hand on the outside of the bag to move the marinade around the pork. Marinate for 1 to hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

To make the chimichurri, in a food processor, place the cilantro, parsley, remaining garlic, shallot, the remaining ⅓ cup (75 ml) olive oil, the red or white wine vinegar, lime juice, crushed red pepper, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper and pulse until finely chopped.

Heat a grill to medium heat. Grill the marinated pork on several sides for a total of 14 to 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 135 to 140°F (55 to 60°C) when checked with an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat. (Alternatively, you can use a cast-iron skillet to roast the pork. Heat over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sear the pork all over for a total of 6 minutes. Transfer the pan to a 400°F (205°C) oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes.)

Allow the pork to rest for at least 10 minutes to allow the juices to settle before slicing. Use a sharp knife to cut pork on a bias into ½-inch (12 mm) slices and top with the chimichurri sauce.

Make sure not to overcook the pork. Pork should never be cooked to more than 135 to 140°F (55 to 60°C). You want the internal color to be light pink.

Make double the amount of chimichurri sauce to serve with fish, shrimp, chicken, or steak later that week.

TO ENJOY LATER The cooked pork can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Enjoy at room temperature or warm for 30 seconds in the microwave. Store the chimichurri in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze in ice cube trays then transfer to labeled zip-top bags for up to 4 months.

PREP IN ADVANCE Place the zip-top bag of the pork in its marinade in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, place the pork chops in the zip-top bag in the refrigerator to thaw overnight; cook as directed.

Become a faster, healthier cook with secrets from Weelicious founder and meal prep genius Catherine McCord

With celebrated cookbook author and Weelicious founder Catherine McCord's step-by-step process, your kitchen will be beautifully organized and fast, healthy family meals will be at your fingertips—starting with 100 of her favorite recipes. McCord believes that success in the kitchen comes down to two things—organization and meal prep—and she’ll show you how to master both in Meal Prep Magic.

One step beyond the ideological approach of Marie Kondo and The Home Edit, McCord brings you a practical guide to organizing the most important space in your home and using it. If you’ve ever lost leftovers to the back of the fridge, failed to find a spice that you know you bought, or faced a cabinet full of mismatched Tupperware, her advice will forever change your relationship to your kitchen.

After showing how to maximize your space for efficiency, McCord offers up her favorite family recipes. Including tried-and-tested secrets for saving time, these recipes are easy to prep ahead, make entirely ahead, contain basic ingredients that are always in your pantry, and/or strategically employ your freezer, air-fryer, Instant Pot, slow cooker, and more. Think grab-and-go breakfasts like Raspberry Creamy Chia Puddings, creative packed lunches including easy-to-assemble Salad Jars, healthy snacks like air-fryer crispy artichokes, and irresistible dinners that are even better leftover, such as lemony chicken thighs with lots of herbs.

By following McCord's simple strategies for meal prepping, you’ll always have food on-hand to enjoy throughout your busy week, limiting your trips to the grocery store and time spent in the kitchen. Eat healthy meals you love, while saving time, money, and your sanity. Never again stress out about what to make for dinner! Meal Prep Magic is a lifesaver for any and all home cooks, busy parents, and fans of Weelicious and McCord's popular book Smoothie Project.

For more information, click here.

[survival-essentials]

Homesteaders Handbook is a comprehensive guide that provides information, tips, and practical advice on various aspects of homesteading. It is designed to help individuals or families who are interested in starting or improving their homestead to lead a more self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle. 

I think every person should have this book in their home, next to their emergency foods or in their bug out bags. This knowledge is better at your fingertips now, as you might not be able to get it during crisis or blackouts. ask my anything.

[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):

[resetmypatientviolence]

Me: loves to cook

My depression/ADHD/anxiety/OCD/general executive dysfunction when it’s time to shop and meal prep for the week instead of flying by the seat of my pants for the week:

[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. 

[therealistrreal]

Life Chronicles: Day 7

The Art of Rest and Preparation Embracing the Calm Before the Week Welcome back to Life Chronicles. It’s Sunday, a day that often carries the weight of the upcoming week but also offers a chance for much-needed rest and rejuvenation. Today, let’s dive into the art of taking care of yourself and preparing for the days ahead, it is what I like to call the Sunday Reset. Morning: The Slow…

[adv3nture5withm3g]

Cinnamon and Cat Cuddles

I got the best surprise walking into work today. I was surprised by a cinnamon bun from my favorite place for them. They are heavenly and bring back so many trips there; it is one of the day’s highlights. I also woke up and went to the vet with Fiadh and one of her cats. All went well, and we got some food on the way back. I ended up meal prepping for the following few shifts meals, doing some…

[xavierrayblog]

This is my first sponsor. So happy to be working with Factor 75 😊😊

Use my link to get 50% off your first box by clicking here

[2thinktalk]

Meal Prep-per for Hire

[dynamichealthinsights]

Meal Prepping with Nutrient-Dense Foods: A Deep Dive into Nourishing Your Body and Simplifying Your Life

In a world that often feels like it’s moving at warp speed, finding the time and energy to prioritize healthy eating can seem like an insurmountable challenge. The allure of quick fixes, convenient takeout options, and the constant bombardment of conflicting nutritional advice can easily lead us astray from our wellness goals. But amidst the chaos, there’s a beacon of hope for those seeking a…

[shadestepping]

I kept all of my recipe cards from while I was subbed to Hellofresh and Everyplate. I laminated, hole-punched, and threw them in a large three-ring binder. They’re great for meal-prepping too. OP is absolutely right, their recipes go hard and you can eat tasty, healthy food on a budget.

I also want to add that Everyplate uses the same recipes as Hellofresh and they are considerably less expensive (or at least, they were when I was subbed to them last year). You can get three meals for 2 people a week (or 6 meals for yourself), for less than Hellofresh’s 2 meals for 2 people weekly. The recipe selection is a lot more limited, but if you need a more convenient way to meal plan and save money, look into it. If it’s just you, you can have six meals a week (three nights of 45 minutes cooking) for less than $50.

And you can get some great deals for your first few weeks of deliveries that will bring your total down to $20-$30. It will save you money on groceries so you don’t overbuy, and time from having to make a trip to the grocery store and planning meals, all you may need to purchase or have on-hand are condiments and your basic seasoning, like ketchup, mayonnaise, butter, oil, salt and pepper.

Definitely use these resources. Help yourself, you won’t regret it.

hey jsyk while hellofresh is dummy expensive and i wouldn’t recommend it if you already know how to cook (if you’re a beginner like i was when i had it for 3 months, then it’s worth it), you should know that ALL OF THEIR RECIPES are free on their website and they all fuck hard

i will say that all the cooking instructions for veggies are pretty much the same (season with salt + pepper and roast on the top oven rack at 425F), but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

that being said, it also introduced me to methods i wasn’t at all expecting. i would have never thought to use cream cheese in my meat sauce, and now all my friends are constantly asking me to make my special rigatoni.

happy cheffin! :)

[ramyeongif]

meal prepping