meal planning (not a diet question)

[sherry7899]

I am going to attempt to eat healthier (I won't mention any food specifics here)
I was wondering if anyone found doing meal prep/batch cooking and having the same things for breakfast and lunch/snacks most days of the week helped to keep you on track?

Thanks!
Sherry

[beyond.omega]

Eating the same thing definitely helps me stay on track with my preferred diet. I've read that this is an ok strategy for health, but it is important to include some variety at at least one meal per day. I eat the same thing for breakfast, snack, and dinner and change it up every few days at lunch.

[BunnyHop]

Preparing meals and making sure to have good quantities of already prepared foods around has really helped my overall quality of life. The last six months have really been better, overall, even though some ongoing events in my life would generally seem to be destined to derail my efforts.

There's less stress about getting something ready at the last minute on a too-tight schedule, plus I find it a LOT easier to keep myself on track eating actual MEALS with reasonable portion sizes and plenty of variety over the course of the week.

I don't really do actual batch cooking where you do all the meal prep for the week in advance, but I do work to rotate a series of entrees and side dishes as the days roll on.

I'm dependent on the microwave for reheating leftovers unless I actually WANT something cold.

For me, removing the stress of 'what to eat?' seems to increase my tolerance for a certain amount of repetition, so no, I really don't get bored. Varying the salad dressing does help sometimes, though.

Rotating various fresh fruits as they're available keeps things less monotonous at breakfast and lunch. (Tend to eat salads at night, instead of fruit).

[MsThistlebottom]

Hi Sherry!

Absolutely! I loosely plan out my week and generally have the same things for breakfast, lunch (at least part of the week), and snacks. This plan varies weekly. I've found that automating at least a couple of meals this way helps me to plan better, saves time, and eliminates last-minute guesswork. I should mention that I'm following a specific program that involves tracking meals and weekly meetings (at work, which is a bonus). Feel free to PM me if you'd like more details.

Edit: I generally don't do batch cooking anymore, but we will often make a double recipe of, say, turkey chili or chicken breasts so that I'll have extra meals for lunches. DH is grilling tonight, so I asked him to throw on an extra chicken breast or two so I can make chicken salad for lunch this week.

[DCW]

I buy a box of salad greens and add fixings just to make it easier.

I am not a picky eater.

[Laura S.]

I tend to cook for leftovers so I don't have to cook every day. And, I try to freeze small portions of things I have too much of that will freeze well. I like having options within a pattern for a period of time.

[BunnyHop]

Originally Posted by Laura S.

... I like having options within a pattern for a period of time.

Oh, this! Meals seem more varied if I can mix things up, just a bit.

I've also learned not to freeze things I wasn't wild about the first time through. Saves clutter in the freezer and botheration later on when it's so ancient I can't remember what it was and have to toss it. Somehow dutifully eating things that bore me before I get around to freezing them is less tedious than digging them out of the freezer to eat on purpose later.

[buffmama]

Absolutely! Makes things easier and takes less time to cook overall. Having repeats means those things get made quicker as they're on autopilot. Asking the family what should go into the regular rotation means everyone is happy. I save one or two days where I can make things fresh that aren't as portable/good reheated. Portion size is easier to figure out (although I don't always get it right). Instapot helps a lot with this. Batch cooking/chopping staples still means you can vary the sauce/cooking method etc.

[jusca]

Yes, I mostly eat the same things. Having the meals frozen ahead of time definitely keeps me on track. I like to have a minimum of 3 types of meals ready for the week so I won't get tired of eating the same thing. I also keep a few favorite store frozen items for variety. I cook in bulk on Sundays and freeze individual meals in containers. Heat and go when ready!

For anyone interested in compartment food containers,, Dollar Tree has an excellent round 3 compartment food storage container with lid and that is sturdy and holds up very well in the freezer and microwave. It's on par with Rubbermaid quality, unlike those cheap black flimsy compartment containers being sold on Amazon,etc. https://www.dollartree.com/Round-Pla...2987/index.pro

[bubbles76]

My problem isn't meal prepping, it's meal planning . When I prep, it's usually pretty simple: chop some veggies, cook some meats, freeze some, keep enough in the fridge for three days. Breakfasts are the same but I'll vary the fruits and/or veggies, snacks are varieties of fruits and nuts. I'm lucky that my Bubbles will eat their favorites for days in a row. I cook sides during the week usually, unless it's sweet potatoes. Those I'll do in advance, as peeling and chopping take time.

However, since I'm trying to eat less meat, I struggle with meal planning. Are there any good meal planning sites, preferably free?