Meal Prep Tips Or Tricks

[Kieka]

I am finishing up my Whole30 mid week next week and I have decided to switch to Paleo. For anyone who doesn't know what those two are it is essentially no soy, grains, dairy, legumes or sugar. Paleo lets you add in sugars like honey or coconut sugar but you still stay away from table sugar or syrups. During my Whole30 I did a meal service for my lunches but that isn't sustainable long term due to cost. So I am going to start adding lunch planning into my Meal Prep Sunday routine.

Starting simple this week with pan roasted veggies with just salt and pepper and roasted chicken two ways (balsamic and fajita). Simple bake for the veggies at 400 for 25 minutes. Then the chicken with each flavor on half the pan; bake for 10 minutes at 450 then broil to finish. I know I need some variety so I am hoping that doing two flavors of chicken will be enough to keep me going.

Anybody out there meal prep their lunches and have some ideas, tips, tricks or recipes?

 

[AbbysMom]

It's not the right time of year for it, but I've had luck with my husband's lunches making a big pot of soup. I then freeze it it individual containers so when he needs a lunch I can take one out. I've also made up a big bowl of tuna with all kinds of veggies added in that will last a few days. When I make dinner I usually cook to have leftovers also, so he can take those.

 

[Winchester]

I'm lucky in that Rick actually likes leftovers and he will often take them in his lunch. So if we have a casserole on Monday, then he'll take leftovers in his lunch on Tuesday. If I make tuna salad or other salad, I'll make enough that he can take some the next day. Works out great in the summer; he has a cooler-type lunch box and he keeps ice packs, so that everything is well-chilled. In the winter, I do what AbbysMom does, make soup or stew. He's very willing to take it in his lunch. He loves chili. He'll take a container of soup or chili and some muffins or a hunk of cornbread for his lunch during the colder months. Failing that, he's also a peanut butter hound and sees nothing wrong with a peanut butter sandwich with his lunch. I've mentioned before that Rick is not a chicken fan, but he will eat it in soup or stew. Chicken chili. Things like that.

They have a microwave at his work, but til he gets to it, there's usually a long line to wait. He will often heat his soup or chili up at home in the microwave and put it into a thermos; it's often still warm at lunch time.

We really try to stay away from deli meat because of the sodium and fat content. That doesn't mean he never eats it because he'll get a hankering for sandwich stuff from time to time.

 

[Kieka]

These are my vegtables. Roasted at 400 for 23 minutes. I probably would put roots together next time and take out the softer veggies earlier.

 

[muffy]

Wow! They sure look delicious!

Muffy

 

[Kieka]

Wow! They sure look delicious!

Muffy

Thank you.

This is after I added the chicken. I used three different marinades on the chicken. My favorite one is one that was coconut animos (think soy sauce but a little sweeter), apple cider vinegar, garlic and ginger. But I also have a spicy one with chili, cumin and lime and one with balsamic vinegar and garlic. Blueberries in four of the containers and salsa in the one with spicy chicken.

Still interested if anyone has any ideas. I figure I will rotate veggies and marinades to keep some variety.

 

[Columbine]

A little off topic, but where did you get those containers Kieka ? They look really neat

 

[Kieka]

I am loving them.


I have an hour commute and they fit quiet nicely in this bag with some space for apple slices or a snack. I love the PackIt bags in general. You throw them in the freezer and the next day they are ready to keep your food cold for hours. No packing around ice packs or condensation getting on everything in your bag. My old one last for 2 years of daily use and I only replaced it because I needed something a little bigger for the containers.

 

[Columbine]

Thank you *goes off to scour Amazon UK for the bento boxes*

Those bags look great too