mrsthatgirl
90179
4194
85
WEEK 1
Background: I was eating terribly all summer and I gained quite a bit of weight. For someone who is small framed, it's incredibly noticeable. I decided to start meal prepping lunches because it's my worst meal of the day. If it's no fast food then it's quick foods. I make four meals and on the 5th day, it's usually a shake or a healthy fast food choice. I try to keep my meals clean, so I avoid a lot of sauces, cheese, etc.
EDIT: This is just lunch! I still eat breakfast, dinner, and snacks for anyone who thinks it's not enough food. For breakfast, it's usually cereal or egg/toast or sometimes homemade banana pancakes. Of course coffee with cream and sugar. Dinner is normal food: baby back ribs, pot roast, lasagna, etc. except I keep it to one serving. I also snack too. Snacks are based on macros (e.g. I'm high in fat but low in carb for the day? I'll eat some unsalted pretzels). Weekends are less ...strict. Also, I work out 2-3/week and walk quite a bit.
Baked chicken (lemon pepper & cajun), alternating between brown rice & baked sweet potato, blanched snap peas, & steamed broccoli. I meal prep for my husband too. His are usually the same as mine, except incredibly larger portions. For the first week, he had more chicken and both rice & sweet potato
WEEK 2 - First Two Days
Turkey bacon/kale/cheddar egg cups, steamed zucchini, & low-sodium black beans. The larger portion belongs to my husband of course
WEEK 2 - Last Two Days
Ground turkey with sauteed kale, whole wheat pasta, and roasted tomato "sauce." This is probably one of my favorite meals!
WEEK 3
Honey soy salmon, brown rice, steamed bell peppers, and edamame
WEEK 4
Grilled NY strip steak, baked sweet potato, sauteed kale, and steamed asparagus
WEEK 5
Poblano salmon burger (freshly caught in Alaska!) in a pocket, steamed zucchini, and raw baby carrots. Not pictured is romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, and salsa to go with the burger
WEEK 5 - For My Husband
...who doesn't like fish. He was out of town most of the week, so I only prepped two days for him. Baked chicken breast, steamed zucchini, and whole wheat pasta in a roasted tomato "sauce." His meal was mostly made up of foods I already had at home
HolyShitZoom
Excellent!!! Well done OP, wish you much success!!
MisanthropicAnthropoid
This is how you do it. Good luck.
MotoMeow
Silly question but do you heat it up in a microwave before you eat or just eat it cold?
mrsthatgirl
Depends. I almost always heat the protein, but will sometimes eat the vegetables cold.
Rizzicks
If you heat up salmon in my office microwave, prepare to be beaten.
LoodGookin
I was thinking the same thing, but won't limit it to just salmon, any fish really. And this is gonna be for 4 days in a row.
Heavymettle
I understand this is ideal eating but most of that food made me very sad to look at.
hrondleman
It's the lack of sauce for me. Everything looks so dry.
apercent
Your lunch looks better than fast food
apercent
... especially this
devasto
Tasty Bites might be worth a look too. Just a minute or so in the microwave for a decent addition
Blagshak
Please tell me you didn't microwave the salmon. That has to stink up an office like butts
mrsthatgirl
I did! ...but I'm a SAHM mom, so I survived.
WeCouldAllGoPeeTogether
They catch salmon burgers in Alaska? Way to go, Alaska! You innovative motherfuckers!
ZanerithCloud
The Salmon burger is a wiley and worthy foe to catch. It requires great skill and many years of training to become a master burger angler.
troublecliff
SanityNotFound404
Lol. Clever.
flefla
Good looking food right there. Props to you. Look up bento box recipes. I found them a great way to get healthy tasty food in good portions
EventidesCall
Give us the recipes woman!!!!!!!
Minorea
This is great, I don't have to think myself what I'm going to eat next week. Thank you! ^-^
JohnJacobJingleHeimerSmitt
I would do this if i had a massive box freezer
morithum
I hope your husband doesn't die. But if he does, call me.
rimehoarfrost
These look really good! I don't even try to eat "healthy", but I would like recipes if you have.
drcurlyfat
I just had a hotpocket.
d1d1t4t3hlulz0hl4wdy
I just had little C's, about the same really.
tomdonovan30
From someone else who's also losing weight, good luck!
mrsthatgirl
Thank you! You too!
syahwylde
This! This is the damn secret to losing weight or getting sexy and getting healthy. Proper nutrition.
GrandmaSlappy
I would starve
TheLoneliestGiraffe
Props, man.
MamaKin
Everything looks just a bit undercooked. Is that to accommodate for reheating in a microwave?
mrsthatgirl
The only thing undercooked was the steak, but it completely cooked once microwaved. Everything else is cooked well.
ash291
"Avoids cheeses" /leaves post
SureJan
leaving right with you
AnnaNimitee
Where in Alaska do you catch poblano salmon burgers?? (Seriously, nice work!)
PantyDestroyerPresidentOfTheStayFatClub
Where do I find a job that works only 4 days out of the week?
drcurlyfat
I just landed one. Working for DISH. Check it out.
Nikolaj
"I make four meals and on the 5th day, it's usually a shake or a healthy fast food choice." Literally the first description.
PantyDestroyerPresidentOfTheStayFatClub
My bad. I didn't read. Just saw 4 lunches and was like I need to work with this guy.
Nikolaj
Haha, fair enough. It was a good dream, while it lasted :)
KyleBeach
Alot of warehouses do it, usually works better for the shifts. Alot of people would rather work long 4 days and have a 3 day weekend than
KyleBeach
five 8's
rattlebone10
How do you reheat the food to make it taste fresh? Thank you.
neeks64
toaster oven works the best imo. not mushy
gordonloet
also, microwaves are very unhealthy from what I've read
rattlebone10
Thanks, appreciate it.
MamaKin
but those are plastic containers. not for toaster ovens.
neeks64
you have to take it out of the container to heat it up
MamaKin
At work? These are meant to be convenient. Heck, I'd just eat them cold.
RansackTheJoint
I keep a metal tray in my toaster oven so I dont need containers! Also put tin foil on it for greasy foods/not cleaning it everytime
MamaKin
I don't think that many places of employment have toaster ovens with convenient trays.
razzles
This is great. Do you get hungry though?
mrsthatgirl
The first 3 weeks sucked. From 2,000+ calorie days to 1,200-ish calorie days, but I eat breakfast, dinner, and snacks too.
HereInDuckburg
You should invest in glass lunch containers. Thats a lot of microwaved plastic every day
MissJennyMF
Added benefit of glass, no smells! Plastic containers start absorbing the odor of certain foods over time. The glass ones don't do that!
BobbyMillsfromAChorusLine
Dont know why you're being downvoted. I love my pyrex dishes!! Makes leftovers and meal prep so easy!
ilovecars
You can put the food in a ceramic bowl and then microwave it
Catclicksalot
What if you use plastic containers marked with the number 4?
mrsthatgirl
If I keep this up, I most likely will. My plan was only to do it for four weeks, but I still see myself going.
batmaneatsbabie
orrrrrrrrr take them out of the container to microwave? plastic is poison (it seeps in & shit) but the glass really isn't any better
Idonthavealottosay
You don't eat on Fridays?
aahrg
They said they eat out in Fridays, trying for a healthier fast food option
ScootMcNairysTrampStamp
Yes! Also when I microwave the plastic, it gets hot and the food stays cold. I feel the Pyrex ones heat more evenly somehow.
analogfantasies
The glass heats up and transfers the heat to the food.
HereInDuckburg
Im almost positive thats wrong. Microwaves heat up water molecules because they absorb a lot of energy. Glass doesnt.
HereInDuckburg
Im almost positive thats wrong. Microwaves heat up water molecules because they absorb a lot of energy. Glass doesnt.
analogfantasies
And yet, glass will heat up to temperatures that will burn skin in a microwave. I have received such burns before.
HereInDuckburg
Point is the glass heats up because of transfer from the food.
TheLingoBingo
Serious question, why is it bad to microwave plastic containers that were made to use in the microwave?
Fleecemaster
Most catalysts used to make plastics are metal based and will leech out of plastic over time, it's ok occasionally though.
dudewheresmyname
Plastic is only meant to be reused so many times. Pyrex heats more evenly too when reheating food.
dontthinkifitinhere
Chemicals
Sneemaster
Watch out for that dihydrogen monoxide
nacko
Ugh, not those again, definitely don't need any of those...
nacko
As is typical, it depends: http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/microwaving-food-in-plastic-dangerous-or-not ; Glass doesn't...
nacko
...have a perfect track record either.
madamoizillion
Many cheap plastics will leach small particles of plastic into your food when heated by any means. There's research that suggests...
madamoizillion
that these particles over time can increase your risk for certain cancers. A lot of cheap plastic is made with known carcinogens.
madamoizillion
This is particularly of interest with very weak plastics like seran wrap or prepackaged freezer meal containers.
thespottedbunny
Do you get tired of eating the same thing all week? That's my biggest concern.
acbeggs
Make two meals (4 servings each) and alternate for dinner and lunch? Or if you pick new recipes each week it's not bad!
mayathescorcerer
I tried and yes, you do. After day three I want a cheeseburger.
s4ndwich3s
This is why it wouldn't work for me. I hate eating the same thing 2 days in a row.
KyleBeach
The key is to find something that fits the "healthy" meal choice that you can do well with. My go to lunch for years almost every day has
KyleBeach
been 3 cans of tuna, a few tbsp of olive oil and mustard, mixed up and nuked in the microwave.
InterplanetaryPurplyThornyDragon
That sounds hellish, but I salute you for resisting appetite fatigue
KyleBeach
Haha i love mustard so nearly anything i could tolerate eating, if i add mustard i will enjoy it,
snarkybitch
Does the food stay well for the whole week?
TheReaper95
If you freeze it, a long time. If in the fridge, depends on how cold it is. Colder. The longer.
ihaveatinyPP
Prep 3 days at a time. You can do all meals and dishes in one set.
tatatataco
Yah I can't do it either...
TrapsAreIllegal
I do a 3 day split. The week is just iffy!
goodgodlemon30
I do this every Sunday and the foods are fine for the week. Chicken will get dry but I shred it and add to some salad!
HeemsMcClane
I go by a rule of thumb of 2-3 days tops (aslong as it is put in the fridge within 2 hours of being cooked), obv longer in the freezer 1/2
HeemsMcClane
but tbh, precook all the long stuff on the weekend and then just boil/bake the veg the night before during the week! 2/2
Ifyourenotfirstyourelast
I would find that I could prep fruit and veggies several days ahead but that I didn't like the taste of leftover meat all week
skindredzakuska
I'll bet when the fifth week comes around it has to be thrown out. Prolly shouldn't prep it all all at once.
weshallseeeee
Here's to assuming you are trolling, or didn't read, "I make four meals and on the 5th day..."
turbulentlizard
I prep meals for a few weeks at a time, store them in a large chest freezer set as cold as possible. Keeps fine.
Tatelina
What kind of foods? Surely some freeze better than others?
turbulentlizard
Yeah, I avoid fish, it tends to really dry out when freezing. Usually do a Meat + Veg combo, have also done burritos/burrito bowls.
OldSaintDickolas
After you cook a meal it will usually keep up to 5 days. I would throw it out after then though.
Ihatepickingusernamesgb7488
See I tried this but discovered I'm weird about eating stuff that's been sitting for more than a day.
Idonthavealottosay
My SO too! I end up eating all the leftovers
KNCanuck
I feel that sometimes, but then I realize how much easier/cost effective it is to put up with slightly less-than-perfect-tasting leftovers
sxybritchesheartsandypandy
Same here. Ended up in the hospital with food poisoning years back, and now I just can't stomach anything even slightly questionable.
sxybritchesheartsandypandy
I do prep some things beforehand, but it's freezeable stuff to dump into a crockpot in the morning.
sxybritchesheartsandypandy
My sister is paranoid about transferring stuff to the freezer. Even if I am wrong, your brain just has icky feeling about certain things:/
morithum
Yeah some leftovers are shite
SweetBabyJesusBaconFlavoredNutellaMountainDewApplePieMooQuack
Vacuum packing.
Ihatepickingusernamesgb7488
Yo fancy
snarkybitch
Yeah. Expecially fish.
Ihatepickingusernamesgb7488
Or broccoli. The stank after a day Is un bearable. Lettuce and spinach just wilt
snarkybitch
Totally!
ainou
I thought I was the only one who hates eating leftovers! O_O
thecacti
I hate them too!! So nice to know of others. Everyone looks at me like I'm crazy.
Kaysmira
I got incredibly sick several times as a child from eating leftovers, so I'm wary. One flavor of burrito mix still makes me gag.
sharptongue
I haven't been able to eat fish sticks since I was like 5. That and mac and cheese with ketchup. Threw up every hour for like 24 hours.
Kaysmira
The burrito incident was my worst. Had it coming from both ends, as they say. Mom said it was still good. It was definitely not.
Ihatepickingusernamesgb7488
Can't deal. #FirstWorldProblems
SaltandPepper149
Leftovers should only be kept for 3 to 4 days. Source: masters thesis on food safety.
minigreyhound
I have many questions! Question the first: how long after the expiration date can you safely eat eggs that have been in the fridge?
SaltandPepper149
I don't have a good answer to that question. In Canada we use best before dates, and studies have found that food can be good passed them.
Grizzlybeer
drop each egg in a glass of water - if they float - they are bad. if they sink - they are good
TheReaper95
You should consider re-learning. Completely depends on the conditions they are kept in after preparation. Food can last longer.
SaltandPepper149
I don't disagree with you, but when it comes to providing the public with blanket food safety messaging, 3 to 4 days is the "magic" range
snarkybitch
Not sure why I got downvoted am legitimately curious
Digicat
I got ya +1
snarkybitch
Thanks :)
HereInDuckburg
Because youre a snarky bitch thats why
Tifandi
I'll give you a vote for the name ;) I can envision your comments being misread from it
snarkybitch
My fault
snarkybitch
Fair enough *sighs heavily*
ashipthatshipsshippingships
God, you even sigh like a snarky bitch.
snarkybitch
I try.....