Meal Prep: The Key to Weightloss and a Healthier Lifestyle

[AlexBell]

Hello Everyone,

I recently transformed my lifestyle and have accumulated some knowledge that I thought might be worth sharing (this might be way more information and detail than you want, but it's out there if you're interested). I’ll start by saying that I’m no dietitian, doctor, or athletic trainer, but rather a musician and high school band director. I live an “on-the-go” lifestyle like many of you might, and I used to always struggle with eating well on my crazy schedule. I also am also at work late for football games, band practice, concerts, gigs, etc. Drive thru’s are convenient when time is of the essence, but they were taking their toll on my health and I needed to make a change.

 Sunday night after everything is ready for the week!

Over the past year, I’ve begun experimenting with meal prep strategies and have refined the process to something I can manage consistently, and so can you. I hope you find some of it helpful. I’ll break this post up into the following categories:

•Process

•Apps

•Shopping List

•Recipes

•Products & Tools

Process

I’m never hungry because I eat 5-6 times a day, all 200-600 calories per sitting. Here is a typical day for me:

Breakfast on my Commute to work (6:30 am).

•I rotate a few different types of protein shakes.

Morning Snack on a Break (9:30 am)

•Apple & Nuts. Honeycrisp Apples are the most delicious apples on the planet if you haven’t tried them; I pair with it almonds and pumpkin seeds.

Lunch (11:30 am)

•Vegetable Soup (easy and tasty recipe) and Greens Salad topped with Grilled Chicken Tenderloin.

Afternoon Snack after School (2:30 pm)

•Greek Yogurt and String Cheese, individually packed for convenience.

Dinner at home or before evening work commitments (5:00-6:00 pm)

•Lean Protein and Steamed Vegetables/Starch. Grilled Chicken Breast/Salmon/Steak/Seared Ahi Tuna with Cooked Broccoli/Mixed Vegetables/Asparagus/Green Beans.

I use the Fitpacker Meal Management Bag to store my food for the day. I put my Protein Shake in the large side pocket, my bag of nuts with apple in the small side pocket, in addition to a bag of grape tomatoes in the small side pocket. Inside the bag I put the dinner container at the bottom, sollowed by salad container, with soup on top. I sneak the yogurt and string cheese in next to the salad. I also prefer using reusable and strong plastic-ware, so I recommend the Humangear GoBites Trio (which fits in the zipper pocket).

I use Saturday as my shopping day, as well as doing a little easy prep. Sunday is my main cooking/preparing/packing day. I make a list of what I need from each of the stores I use and knock out all the shopping at once (I use Sam’s Club, Walmart, Publix, Whole Foods Market and local meat market). You could probably consolidate to 1-2 stores if you’d like, I’m just very meticulous and want the very best option, most nutritious or best bargain.

Apps

I am not affiliated with any of the following apps, just a happy user. I’m an iPhone owner, so I can only speak for iPhone usability, but they are all available in the Google Play store as well.

Out of Milk

This free Shopping app is what I use to keep track of what foods I'm out of so I buy only what I need. It is available on the Apple Store and Google Play. I know some items I need to buy weekly, but others I might only need to buy every 2-4 weeks. I have created separate Shopping Lists for each store. You can categorize items, add prices and taxes, modify quantities, and much more. Highly recommended to stay organized and know exactly what you need.

Fooducate

This app is great when you’re shopping for the healthiest ingredients, and is available on the Apple Store and Google Play. Once you create a free account, you can click Food Finder and scan an item’s barcode or search it, and the app will rate the item based on nutrition facts, ingredients and other factors. It will also justify it’s grade with good or bad qualities (you can personalize your settings if you are limiting sugar/sodium, or any other micro-nutrient-specific requirements). I use this app a lot when trying a new brand to make sure there’s no hidden surprises and that I’m really getting the best product available in it's category. I have been shocked to find that some products have such a wide range of grades, and something that may be thought of as "healthy" might get a D- rating. Check everything you eat with a barcode and you will be surprised (look at the Alternatives tab to find better options).

Lose It!

This app is phenomenal for keeping track of what you eat and is available from the Apple Store and Google Play. Even if I splurge and have some chicken wings or a few "coca-colas", it’s important to enter them to track the nutrients and to be accountable for what I put in my body. Scan barcodes, search restaurant/supermarket foods, or enter a custom food. The app itself is free, but I upgraded to Premium for $39.99 for a year, which allows you to enter food as far in the future as you’d like (free version will only allow entry for current day and the past, not a future day). I am extremely picky about details, and to be consistent, I convert all ingredients to grams (including liquids). I find that it’s also easier to not have to constantly have to wash teaspoons, tablespoons, cups.

When I make a pot of soup, I divide it up into 6 containers (Monday-Saturday) and divide the total grams of each ingredient by the 6 portions:

Olive Oil: 2 g

Onion: 37 2/3 g

Carrots: 34 1/2 g

Celery: 13 1/2 g

Garlic: 2 g

Broth: 5 1/3 oz (this is easier to keep in liquid for me)

Tomatoes: 134 1/2 g

Garbanzo Beans: 39 1/3 g

Veggie Soup Mix: 72 g

Okra: 35 3/4 g

Pesto: 13 g

Weight Gurus

This isn’t meal prep-specific, but this is an easy app that syncs your weight to your phone through Bluetooth (must have Bluetooth-supported scale). You can set up a goal and it will show your progress. Check it out here for Apple Store or for Google Play.

Shopping List

This is what I use, but feel free to tweak it to meet your needs or preferences.

Sam’s Club

•Bag of Apples, Honeycrisp, 4 lbs.-Produce

•Box of Grape Tomatoes-Produce

•Bag of Carrots-Produce

•Bag of Celery-Produce

•Spring Mix-Produce

•Whole Natural Almonds, Unsalted-Blue Diamond

•Guacamole Mini Packs, 2 oz. each (18 count)-Wholly Guacamole

•Feta Cheese, 24 oz.-Atheno's

•Unsweetened Almond Milk-Silk

•Individually Frozen Individually Wrapped Chicken Breasts-Forester Farmer's Market

•Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Tenderloins-Tyson

•Frozen Blackened Atlantic Salmon-Sea Cuisine

•Frozen Ahi Tuna-Member's Mark

•Frozen Shrimp, Cooked, Jumbo, 2 lbs.-Member's Mark

•Triple Berry Nut Trail Mix for Snacks-Member's Mark

•Frozen Stir Fry Vegetable, 5 Individual Microwavable Bags-Member's Mark

•Frozen Broccoli, 4 Individual Microwavable Bags-Member's Mark

•Frozen Green Beans, 5 Individual Microwavable Bags-Member's Mark

•Greek Yogurt, Assorted-Oiko's

•Guacamole Mini Packs-Wholly Guacamole

•Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 Liters-Member's Mark

Publix

•Teriyaki Sauce, Low Sodium-Kikkoman

•Frozen Cut Okra-Publix

•Vegetable Soup Mix-Publix

•Cucumber-Produce (tried Sam's Mini Cukes, they spoil way too fast)

•Matchstick Carrots-Publix

•Sweet/Vidalia Onion-Produce

Whole Foods Market

•Diced Tomatoes, Organic, No Salt Added-365 Brand

•Garbanzo Beans, Organic-365 Brand

•Basil Pesto-365 Brand

•Soy Ginger Sauce-365 Brand

•Organic Chicken Broth, 32 oz.-Pacific

Crisper's (yes, the restaurant)

•Bulk Fat Free Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing-32 oz for $6.99

•Bulk Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing-32 oz for $6.99

Recipes

Breakfast-Protein Shake

Container: Freezer Jar

Morning Snack

 I label the Day with a Sharpie

Container: Ziploc Sandwich Bag

1 Apple-About 220 grams

Unsalted Almonds-28 grams

Lunch #1-Vegetable Soup

 

Container: Ziploc Twist 'n Loc Container

Extra Virgin Olive Oil-12 grams

1 Onion, Diced-About 200 grams

2-4 Carrots,  Chopped-About 200 grams

4 Celery Stalks, Chopped-About 100 grams

Garlic, Diced-12 grams

Chicken Broth, Low Sodium, Pacific-32 oz.

Canned Tomatoes, Diced, No Salt Added-2 14-15 oz. cans

Canned Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas, No Salt Added-1 14.5 oz can

Frozen Vegetable Soup Mix-1 16 oz. bag

Frozen Okra, Cut-1/2 16. oz bag (there is Okra in the previous package, I just like extra)

Bay leaves-5 leaves

Black Pepper as desired (I like a lot)

Optional: Franks Hot Sauce (I like a kick)

Heat medium-large pot with olive oil over medium-high heat; add onions until tender. Add carrots until tender. Add celery. Add garlic until aromatic. Add Stock, Tomatoes, Garbanzo Beans, Vegetable Soup Mix, Okra, Black Pepper and Bay Leaves (and optional hot sauce). Reduce heat to low and let simmer for an hour. Let cool and remove bay leaves. Makes 6 portions [place into 6 Ziploc 3-Cup containers]

Lunch #2-Greens Salad with Grilled Chicken Tender

Ready to store

     Lunch time!

Container: Ziploc Container, Medium Square, Ziplock Container, Extra Small Square, Tablecraft 2.5 oz Dipping Cup with Lid

Spring Mix-50 grams

Matchstick Carrots-30 grams

Feta Cheese-20 grams

Broccoli, diced-10 grams

Cucumber, sliced and quartered-25 grams

Onion, diced-15 grams

Grape Tomatoes-70 grams (store in Ziploc snack bag; don't refrigerate [tomatoes don't like the cold apparently...Don't feel bad, I learned that very recently.])

• I put mine in the small pocket of my lunch box with my Apple & Nuts.

Guacamole Mini Pack-1 container

1 Grilled Chicken Tenderloin-size varies from 40-80 grams (I season with Tarragon and Lemon Pepper, you can use anything)

Black Pepper to taste

Salad Dressing-About 40-50 grams in Dip Cup

Grill the Chicken Tenderloin until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

In Extra Small Square Container, add onion and cucumber; add lid and place in Medium Large Square Container.

In the Medium Square Container, add Spring Mix, Matchstick Carrots, Feta Cheese, Broccoli, Guacamole mini, black pepper, and whole cooked chicken tender.

Place Dip Cup in Medium Square Container if desired (though I just portion a bunch in advance and leave them in my office fridge)

Heat chicken for 30 seconds in microwave, cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, chop tomatoes in half (if desired). Mix all remaining ingredients together and enjoy!

Afternoon Snack -Greek Yogurt and String Cheese

Dinner #1-Bacon-wrapped Filet with Steamed Asparagus

Container-Fitpacker Pro Premium Meal Container

Bacon-wrapped filet

Frozen Broccoli, Individual Bag or Frozen Asparagus, Individual Bag

Get grill pre-heated to as hot as possible; when grilling a steak, especially a fine cut like this, you want to get it off the grill as soon as possible so it doesn't dry out. Rotate and flip to get the beautiful grill marks. Baste with butter (or Olive Oil spread), season to taste (I like Montreal Spicy, Cayenne Pepper, and light salt). Medium Rare beef must be cooked to an internal temperature of 130 degrees. Once at desired temperature, remove from grill and store in your container (if eating right away, allow to rest so the juices can settle).

Place bag of Asparagus in microwave until done and store in container with Filet.

Dinner #2-Grilled Chicken with Pepper & Onion Blend

Container-Fitpacker Pro Premium Meal Container

Individually Frozen Chicken Breast, thawed and seasoned to your liking (I use Montreal Spicy Steak Seasoning, Cayenne Pepper and a meat seasoning from Whole Foods.

Frozen Stir-Fry Vegetables, Individual Bag

Teriyaki Sauce, Low Sodium-30 grams

Sesame Seeds

Get grill pre-heated to medium heat. Chicken must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Once at temperature, remove from grill and store it in your container.

Empty contents of Pepper & Onion Blend into a microwave-safe dish, add water and cook until done; divide contents in half and store each half in two containers with Chicken Breast. Pour Teriyaki Sauce over top and sprinkle chicken with Sesame Seeds.

Dinner #3-Blackened Salmon & Stir Fry Vegetables

Container-Fitpacker Pro Premium Meal Container

Individually Frozen Blackened Salmon Filet, thawed (comes pre-seasoned)

Olive oil (or cooking spray)

Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables, Individual Bag

Soy Ginger Sauce-30 grams

Sesame Seeds

Pre-heat toaster oven or oven to 400 degrees and grease shallow baking pan with olive oil. Place salmon filet on pan and put in oven. Fish must be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Once at temperature, remove from oven and store in your container.

Place bag of Stir Fry Vegetables in microwave until done; divide contents in half and store each half in two containers with Blackened Salmon. Pour Soy Ginger Sauce over top and sprinkle Salmon with Sesame Seeds.

Dinner #4-Jumbo Shrimp, Ahi Tuna Steak & Green Beans

Container-Fitpacker Pro Premium Meal Container, Tablecraft 2.5 oz Dipping Cup with Lid

Frozen Shrimp, Jumbo-150 grams

Frozen Ahi Tuna Steak-100 grams

Seabreeze Salad-50 grams

Frozen Green Beans, Individual Bag

Ketchup-20 grams

Horseradish-10 grams

Worcestershire Sauce-3 drops

Tabasco Sauce-3 drops

1 Lemon Wedge

Thaw Shrimp and Ahi Tuna Filet under refrigeration (or in sink under running water if pressed for time); remove shrimp tails.

Place bag of Green Beans in microwave until done and store in container with Shrimp.

Season Tuna with whole peppercorns. Preheat pan to medium to medium high heat with olive oil and water (careful or it can burn). Sear tuna for 60 seconds, flip, and after 60 more seconds remove from heat. When eating, cut into slices.

Cocktail Sauce, combine Ketchup, Horseradish, Worcestershire and Tabasco in Dip Cup, mixing well. Squeeze lemon over shrimp when ready to eat.

Place Seabreeze salad into 1 dip cup, and cocktail sauce in another. Store Ahi Tuna, Shrimp and Green Beans in container. When ready to eat, heat the tuna and green beans.

Products & Tools

These are a few other items I use that are helpful. I like the brands/models listed, though I'm sure you could get the job done with others.

Food Scale-There are a million food scales out there, they all do about the same thing. I weigh everything down to the gram.

Digital Food Thermometer-This is one of my favorites! It comes with 6 probes, color-coded, that can be programmed individually. Why might you need this? You like your steak medium rare, your friend likes their's medium, you're cooking hamburgers for the kids, chicken for your salads (all different size pieces of course), you get the idea. Once you download the free app, set which probes are being used for what meats/temperatures. You can let your meat cook in peace without hovering over it and you'll get a notification when a probe is at temperature or if the device becomes disconnected from your phone. Great for entertaining during a sporting event, so you can still socialize and enjoy the game without fear of burnt food.

Personal Blender-This is a wonderful little personal blender. It will even pulse on it's own for 45 or 60 seconds. If you like smoothies on the thicker side (like me), you may need to help it a little by shaking it around a bit.

Spill-proof Travel Mugs-I love this for my morning iced coffee! It is completely leak-proof and keeps my ice all day. You have to push a button to open the drinking hole, and even has a lock button. I use the 16 oz. with my coffee and the 24 oz. for water. I walk out of the house in morning with my coffee travel mug in hand, water in my lunch box (large pocket), and I'm hydrated all day with no risk of spillage. I used a Yeti Rambler for years and I like this travel mug much more (I can't tell you how many times I spilled my water from the Yeti...)

SweetLeaf Sweetener-This is available at Whole Foods Market, but it is notably cheaper on Amazon (what isn't honestly?). I was a big sweet tea drinker, and I'd rather drink water than unsweetened tea; this Stevia-based sweetener tastes good in tea and coffee and comes in individual packets (1 packet = 2 tsp sugar equivalent. Try it out rather than sugar, Sweet n Low or some heavily-processed sweetener.

Conclusion

I hope some of this information is helpful to you in your journey (I hope I didn't lose you in my inner monologues). It was definitely an accomplishment to compile all of this into one long, rambling post. Whether you're looking to lose weight, live a healthier lifestyle, or just schedule time to eat during a busy work day, I wish you the very best in your meal prep endeavors. I'm not a professional chef by any means (though I've gotten the art of eating down pretty well), so if you have any suggestions on any my recipes/methods, I'd love to hear from you in the comments. If you have any recipes of your own that are similar to what I have, let's trade!

Most importantly, you can do this! I'm just a trombone player and band director, so if I can do it, I know you can too. Don't fall off the wagon, the reward is definitely worth the effort (coming from the guy who is 70+ pounds lighter than the start of this chapter). Stay well everyone, and prep on!

Alex B

[lavabelle]

LOVE!!! Thanks for sharing!

I have in the past had much success and a sense of accomplishment at "bulk" cooking. I used to cook and freeze meals for my family for 30 days, I shopped and cooked one weekend out of a month, and honestly, I can't imagine a better way to keep a family healthy when you work full time.

You have inspired me to do it again but more for myself this time...my kiddos are all grown up now, and its just me and hubby...he does most of the cooking, but taking care of ourselves is just as important as taking care of our families...I like the idea of cooking for the week on the weekends, thanks again.

Wishing you much success and looking forward to reading the remainder of your post 🙂

[emili · Accepted solution]

@AlexBell thank you for sharing. I am very hopeful that more folks read your post and take something from it to enrich their diet and time management. kudos...

[Baltoscott]

Wow.  It must have taken you an extra half a day of Sunday prep to put that awesome post together @AlexBell.  🙂  And your meals look nutritious, tasty and filling.  Thanks for taking the time to show us all the steps you take.

[AlexBell]

Awesome! Glad to assist! Best wishes to you @lavabelle.

[AlexBell]

Thanks for reading @emili! I hope so too!

[AlexBell]

Thank you for reading! I hope so too!

[AlexBell]

This post has been a large project, but I’m happy to do it if it helps someone love a healthier lifestyle. Thank you for reading @Baltoscott!