Cheap High Protein Meal Prep

... butter hard-boiled eggs (still some prep time, but just 10mins to... for a bit for a meal, but still have decent macros, ... fish (or meat) so finding high protein snacks can be difficult. Especially ...as nuts are insanely high in calories. I do ask ... UK, apples and bananas are cheap but they're dull, if I ...

... 400cal I filled with high volume or high protein/fiber snacks that I... or chicken, and often a cheap little chocolate as a treat. ... feeling satiated between meals - Meal prep. I would usually spend one...

Hey everyone! I’m trying to put on weight intentionally as part of my MTF transition, and I want to make sure I’m doing it in a healthy, sustainable way. Age: 29 Height: 5’9 Current Weight: 154 lbs Goal Weight: ~170 lbs What I’ve tried: - Upping portion sizes but struggling with consistency - Adding protein shakes -Working out regularly (mostly lower body training training) -Trying to eat more often, but my appetite drops some days My schedule is a bit hectic so I don’t have many opportunities to eat during the day I’m looking for advice on: -A cheap, easy grocery list I can stick to weekly -Simple meal prep that helps me reliably hit around 5,000 calories/day -How to avoid burning too many calories while still lifting If anyone has transitioned and bulked up for curves, or just has experience with high-calorie meal strategies on a budget, I’d really appreciate the help! Thanks so much again in advance! submitted by /u/mrsheabutta87 to r/weightgain [link] [comments]

Gym bros, I have just recently started my fitness journey. Plan ko na rin sana ma-hit ung daily protein intake ko. As per calculation, my target protein intake is 125g per day. Ano ba usually kinakain nyo to hit your protein goal? Yung mga mura and madaling mabili lang din sana, and if may meal prep kayo na ginagawa pls share also! Thanks! 💪 submitted by /u/Fit-Middle-469 to r/AnytimeFitnessPH [link] [comments]

Hi my only problem with meal prepping is the portioning, sometimes I do too much and it’s too much for lunch!! I can’t do anything but just eat it till done. I hate it. Some days I’m hungrier I guess and sometimes I’m less hungry. How do you guys deal with this?? Portioning is so confusing! (Not trying to lose weight or gain, just trying to make life easier) And last time I meal prepped lunches, I made way to much big portions and had to force it down, I don’t know how to know how much I want same everyday, hunger changes…it’s hard. I don’t move much, mainly just sitting at school so I don’t need much to get full but I also want pretty moderate or good protein meals. I do hear like 30 or 40g protein but it’s hard to always reach that especially on cheap budget and I feel like I don’t really need that much, or maybe I do?? Tho I’m not a gym rat so I’m not sure how much to be having per meal as a short high schooler girl haha , don’t know if you got any tips :) submitted by /u/Ana_is_Weird to r/MealPrepSunday [link] [comments]

Every time I try “serious” meal prep, I blink and suddenly my whole Sunday is chopping and washing dishes.​ I love the idea of cheap, prepped meals, but spending 4–5 hours in the kitchen kills my motivation fast.​ If you prep regularly, what’s your realistic system that doesn’t eat your only free day?​ Do you batch just one thing (like proteins or carbs), or go all‑in on full boxed meals for the week?​ I’m hunting for low‑effort, high‑leverage habits instead of Instagram‑perfect prep marathons.​ Walk me through your actual routine, time breakdown, and any shortcuts you wish you’d learned earlier. submitted by /u/Affectionate_Tip3238 to r/budgetfood [link] [comments]

​ Hey guys I'm planning to meal prep on a weekly basis if possible to gain some muscle, lose some fat and of course to save some money and time. Ideally a meal prep which is balances and doesnt just focus only on high protein. A lot of the recipes online are tailored for western audiences, so i was wondering if anyone has some easy and cheap meal prep ideas for malaysians? A balanced meal prep and not just focusing on high protein Any tips to meal prep more efficiently is much appreciated. Thanks guys submitted by /u/smokeynuggets2710 to r/malaysians [link] [comments]

Hi everyone! My girlfriend and I are vegetarians from Brazil and we recently started training seriously (gym + strength focus). Before this, we never paid much attention to protein intake — but now we’re realizing that consistently eating enough protein while keeping meals practical and varied is harder than we expected. We’re not trying to be ultra strict with macros, but we do want to build a solid nutritional base for hypertrophy and recovery. Right now our biggest challenges are: Adding reliable protein sources across the day; Finding high-protein breakfasts that aren’t complicated; Having quick, practical snack options that actually help protein intake. We’d love advice from experienced vegan/vegetarian lifters: Your most reliable high-protein staple foods; Simple real-life meals you actually eat regularly; Cheap or accessible ingredients that make hitting protein easier; Any mindset or meal-prep strategies that helped you long term. Context: We live in Brazil — some products may not exist here, but ingredients and adaptable ideas are very welcome. Thanks a lot — really appreciate any guidance from this community 💪🌱 submitted by /u/Soy_B0y to r/veganfitness [link] [comments]

I have been hitting the gym for 5 months but my weight is stuck. I know it's my diet. Location: Edachira, Kakkanad. Schedule: Get back to my room at 10 PM, exhausted. Zero time/skill to cook. Budget: Fitness meal prep services are quoting 15k/month—way out of my league. Looking for: Affordable monthly mess/tiffin services (Target: ₹5k–₹8k) near Edachira/Infopark. High-protein hacks for bachelors who can't cook. I just need enough protein to see results without spending half my salary on "organic" meal plans. Any leads on local home-delivery canteens or "messes" would be a lifesaver! submitted by /u/Extra_Guess4740 to r/Kochi [link] [comments]

Rice was made in the instant pot with salt. I cooked the beans from dry. Soak the beans overnight (or if short on time, use boiling water). Start an aromatic base by sautéing onion and garlic with spices (I used salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder, and cumin). After cooking down the onions and garlic, add beans and water or stock (I had chicken stock in the freezer I made from scraps)- enough to cover the beans. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook for about an hour- check every now and then. Add a bay leaf if you have it. And then that’s it. Super cheap, high in protein and fiber. submitted by /u/Raging_Rigatoni to r/budgetfood [link] [comments]

Greetings everyone, 25yo, living alone, very small kitchen and storage space for fridge & freezer to do big meal preps. ~85.5kg rn, 1.83cm, trying to bulk to 93.5kg until April 2026 with minimal fat gain. Weightlifting 3-4 days a week (async), cardio (running) 2x week. Avg total calories burned per day are 2850, aiming at consuming ~3200 per day. Macros are: ~185gr protein, ~100gr fat, ~360gr carbs. I consistently track my calories, was maintaining perfectly, want to bulk now but struggle with the extra calories and protein. Been some time now that I'm going back and forth trying to minimize cooking time while eating healthy and also minimize grocerie costs. What was working for my cut and maintenance very well is a variety of very simple foods as follows: Morning cerial (cruesly) with milk. ~650cals, low to moderate protein, moderate to high fat, very high carbs Lunch I always eat beans with 2 tortilla wraps on the side and yoghurt. I take a variety beans with veggies that you microwave in 2 mins with sauce. Sometimes its lentils and i also make rice, sometimes ita chickpeas, depends. Somedays its also plain beans and i put tuna/eggs and a salad and avocado. More or less its ~800 cals, ~40-50gr protein, low to medium fats and lots of carbs >100gr. Afternoon its always the same smoothie with protein whey, cacao, seeds, mixed nuts, berries, milk, pb which is 780cals, 50gr protein, 30gr fat, 85gr carbs. For night i used to meal prep for 3 days either chicken with potatoes or rice with lean beef minced meat. I found that i can't stay consistent with this and i need an alternative. Also lean minced meat here is insanely expensive. So I'm looking for a very easy and cheap, ideally no to minimal cooking way to fill my night meals and to hit my protein goals since even with those meals i hit max 150gr protein. I also eat string cheese 5gr protein 5gr fat in the day sometimes as filler, plus fruits. I have and do sometimes 0% fat yoghurt with granola and fruits/berries or kwark instead of yoghurt but idk if its excessive dairy to eat this on top of all the dairy im consuming already. I used to recently just buy whole chicken thats already prepped, throw it in oven and eat it for 3 days with rice. Can consume crazy amounts of this. That's a choice for night although non sustainable for me lately but in anycase i still have the issue of not hitting my calories with this option. What meals would you guys suggest, ideally not causing any nutrient deficits based on what i already eat and not having me eat a bunch of meals. Somedays i also fill with tortilla and turkey ham and low fat cheese for quick 300cals but I'd like to reduce this since the ham and cheese slices are expensive and i already eat bunch of dairy and tortillas. Feel free to ask for clarifications. I'm in the Netherlands if anyone has supermarket specific recommendations! Cheers submitted by /u/Rep_Nic to r/fitmeals [link] [comments]

I am going to preface this by saying I am aware food banks vary greatly. I am fortunate that the food banks in my area are often amazing and I get a lot of great food. I'm posting this here because I frequently see people post about receiving similar items to these from the food bank and not knowing what to make with them or how to use them to make a meal. This is one of the meals I made from mostly food bank ingredients and is fairly flexible as far as improvising with varied ingredients. Main: Saute 1 onion with any other "hard" veggies - in this case I had 2 wrinkly green peppers and a couple of carrots. Add a can of beans, a can of corn, and a can of some sort of tomato - I used tomato sauce, you can use diced, crushed, or even fresh. Add any softer veggies (I had frozen grated zucchini from a previous week) if you have them and meat - I used a bag of frozen pulled pork from the food bank this week. Diced up ham steaks, canned chicken are 2 other options I have gotten in the past from the food bank that could work here. If you are using meat that starts off raw (chicken legs, ground beef, etc) brown them with the onions first. Notice there isn't any seasoning yet? I used a whole bottle of "taco sauce" that is meant to be drizzled onto tacos before serving. I frequently get some sort of random bottle of seasoning. Korean barbecue sauce. Butter chicken simmer sauce. Dry ranch dressing or Italian seasoning mix. Any of these will work. Cook everything together - You can leave it liquidy almost like a stew, or continue cooking till it thickens a little. I tend to cook it till it thickens because It takes less space to store in the fridge and I can add water back when reheating if I want it more stew like. Rice: The food bank loves to give out bags of plain white or brown rice. They also love to give out bags of lentils. I use two cups of rice and a big handful of lentils in my rice cooker, adding a little extra water and letting them cook a little bit longer than usual. The adds a little extra protein to my meals without having to figure out what the heck to do with the lentils (I know what to do with lentils, they just give me a lot of them!). A Chinese squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar before cooking makes the rice taste better but is completely optional. Veggie sides: My beans did not come from the food bank, but if you're in California and on Medi-Cal, please look into project food box - They send me a box of fruits and veggies every week for 3 months because I am pre-diabetic and have high blood pressure. My green beans are from that box and are simply sauteed with a little bit of garlic, some onion powder, and the juice of the rest of the lemon that I squeezed some into my rice. If it had been a nicer looking lemon, I would have zested it and added it to the green beans for more flavor. On my plate I also have pickled red onions and pickled carrots. Anytime I get a red onion, rather than using it as is I slice it up and pickle it - This makes it last for weeks without going bad and adds a lot of flavor to my meals. The recipe for both pickled onions and pickled carrots are super simple. Sliced them up and jam as much as you can into a jar. If you have any additional flavoring elements you want to use such as peppercorns, garlic, or other spices, add them. Make a quick pickle brine by mixing one cup water, 1 cup vinegar, one tablespoon salt, and one tablespoon sugar and heat until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Pour it over the veggies in the jars until they are submerged. Once cooled, put the lids on them and store in the fridge. Please note these are not shelf stable pickles. These are refrigerator pickles that need to be stored in the fridge. As long as you always use a clean utensil to remove what you are using they should last at least 2 to 3 weeks. I quick pickle other veggies like this too. Zucchini spears/slices, shredded red cabbage, radish/daikon slices all do well pickled. There's a little bit of cojita cheese on my plate too. I save any cheese I get to garnish my plates like this, because I feel like it small amounts have much more impact like this than mixing into a meal. As a garnish I can have cheese on several meals rather than one single cheesy dish, which makes all of my meals taste a little more indulgent. What have you got in front of the food bank or cheap at the grocery store lately that you're trying to figure out how to make into a meal? I love playing Chopper out of random ingredients - so if you've got some seemingly random ingredients throw me a list and I'll see what I can come up with. submitted by /u/PasgettiMonster to r/povertykitchen [link] [comments]

I haven't spent a lot of time on campus, and this is my first time taking a lot of in-person classes. I usually meal prep, but I don't know how to do that now if there's nowhere on campus to store food while I work out in the mornings. Where can I go on campus to get high-protein, low-calorie, preferably cheap foods? I already know chick fil a, but what else is there submitted by /u/Impactist537 to r/UTAustin [link] [comments]

(Cross posted from another community, let me know if there’s formatting errors and i can fix them.) For reference, I have a full kitchen and enjoy cooking. I don’t have a set food budget, but would generally just like to keep it as low as possible. I try to keep it high-protein, but my primary concern is just minimizing cost without going hungry. I’m covering all living costs myself right now while doing full time study, so even if I’m financially stable enough for the time being, I’d still like to cut costs as much as possible in case my situation changes. I shop at Aldi and Costco (gold membership). I’ll list some of my go-to meals here. If you have any suggestions for others to keep it from getting boring, please let me know! Pasta and meat sauce, made with ground turkey and the cheapest jarred sauce available at Aldi (as much as I love making my own pasta sauce, I did the math and it’s slightly cheaper this way) Baked potatoes with roasted broccoli and shredded cheese, often topped with barbecue-style ground turkey (after seasoning and cooking like usual. I finish in as many bbq-sauce ingredients as I have on hand; ketchup, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, brown sugar, all the spices, etc) Eggs and rice, usually with roasted broccoli and soy sauce Eggs and toast, nice and easy breakfast Chicken thighs, I eat them either with rice or make sandwiches to use up my bread. I also buy skin-on bone-in, so I can save the scraps to make chicken stock which I use when available to make simple pan sauces for later chicken thighs Italian sausage and potato sheet bake. This is my favorite meal I make honestly just due to the simplicity. Diced small potatoes “marinated” in olive oil, salt, and all the Italian herbs/seasonings I have, a roughly chopped white onion, and a whole pack of Italian sausages go in the oven on a sheet pan for 30ish minutes, I usually get one serving per sausage and it’s 5 sausages to a package so this one lasts a few days. I also add roasted broccoli if I have some made If I’m out and about, the Costco hot dog combo is an amazing early dinner or lunch, I load it up with ketchup and relish to maximize calories. This is a favorite of mine since I’ve been uber eats driving for extra cash lately, it’s a quick, cheap and easy way to get my mind off all the food I’m delivering lol If bacon and/or cream cheese are on sale, I love making cream cheese stuffed jalapeños and wrapping them in bacon, then putting the whole thing in the oven until cooked. Classic cookout food from my home state of Texas, even if it’s not the cheapest compared to these others it’s a very nice treat, and quite quick and easy to prep as well Finally, fried rice! I like using chicken thighs the best but I always keep a bag of frozen fried rice vegetables in the freezer. Great way to use up leftover meats and rice, and so filling. Using sesame oil (can be bought pretty cheap in bulk at Asian markets) and dark soy sauce in addition to regular make it taste almost as good as restaurant quality. submitted by /u/asa-monad to r/povertykitchen [link] [comments]

Hi everyone, Poor man here looking for weekday meal prep services or place in Los Angeles that meet the following criteria: $8–12 per meal High protein Low sodium Low oil/fat Health-focused (taste doesn’t need to be great) I usually eat just one meal per day, so I’m looking for something I can eat regularly for health/fitness purposes. Chipotle is getting too expensive. Does anything like this exist? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance 🙏 submitted by /u/Expert-Emu-9286 to r/AskLosAngeles [link] [comments]

Hey NYC Reddit! I'm in the city for a few weeks and trying to stay on a budget while still hitting my protein goals (around 100–150g/day). I don’t mind hole-in-the-wall spots, meal preps, or food carts — just looking for meals that are: Affordable (under $15 ideally) High in protein (chicken, beef, tofu, eggs, anything!) Available in Manhattan or Brooklyn Bonus points if they’re good for takeout or if you’ve got any local meal prep delivery recs too. Thanks in advance — your bodega egg tips might save my gains 😅 submitted by /u/Dismal_Nose2304 to r/FoodNYC [link] [comments]

Salutare, campioni ai economiei! Astăzi vă învăț cum să faceți meal prep high protein, low budget, full sarcasm. Pasul 1: Fugi la magazin și ia: – 1 kg orez (pentru că e proteina săracului) – 1 conservă de mazăre (vitamine, frate) – 2 morcovi (optional, pentru decor) – 1 plic de condimente „ce-o fi” – Pateu pentru cheat day Total damage: ~18 lei. Adică mai puțin decât o cafea fancy de la mall. Pasul 2: Gătești TOTUL într-o oală. Nu separi, nu combini artistic, nu decorezi. În viața reală, metabolismul tău nu știe dacă mănânci dintr-o farfurie de porțelan sau dintr-o cutie de margarină. Pasul 3: Distribui în caserole second-hand: foste cutii de înghețată, foste cutii de supă la plic, cutii în care poate au locuit niște șuruburi. Curățate, evident... cred. Rezultatul? – 5 mese care arată de parcă le-ai furat de la o cantină industrială. – 0 regrete financiare. – 100% gains emoționali. Eat cheap, poop proud. submitted by /u/Ok-Acanthisitta884 to r/roFrugal [link] [comments]

If you’re trying to bulk on a budget, this recipe is for you. These chicken quesadillas are cheap, high-protein, and super easy to make. During my journey from 135 lbs to 190 lbs, finding affordable, effective meals like this was key. The best part? You can prep a bunch at once, refrigerate them, and reheat for a quick meal anytime. What You’ll Need (and Costs): Rotisserie Chicken: ~$6 at Costco (you can get about 32 oz of usable breast meat, enough for 10 quesadillas). Pre-sliced onion and pepper mix ( or onion and 2 green peppers): ~$3 for a 12 oz bag (makes 8-10 quesadillas). Flour tortillas: ~$4 for a pack of 20 tortillas. Seasoning: Just use what’s in your pantry (salt, onion powder, a pinch of sugar). Cheese (optional): ~$2-3 for an 8 oz bag of shredded mozzarella or cheddar (adds ~80 calories per quesadilla). Total Cost for ~10 Quesadillas: Roughly $11-$13 depending on what you already have at home. That’s about $1.30 per quesadilla for 20-25g of protein in a full quesadilla (or ~7g protein and 110 calories per slice). Total of 200-250 g of protein and over 4,400 cals, for less than the price of most fast food combos. Recipe Instructions: Shred the Chicken Pull the breast meat off your rotisserie chicken. You’ll get about 32 oz of usable meat. For each quesadilla, measure ~3 oz (about 85g) of shredded chicken for ~21-24g of protein. Cook the Veggies Heat a pan with a little oil or cooking spray, toss in the onion and pepper mix, and cook until soft. Season with salt, onion powder, and a pinch of sugar for flavor. Assemble the Quesadilla Lay a tortilla flat, add 3 oz of shredded chicken, a handful of cooked veggies, and cheese if you’re using it. Fold the tortilla in half. (Optional) Cook the Quesadilla Toast the quesadilla in a nonstick pan over medium heat, flipping once, until golden brown and crispy. Slice and Serve Cut the quesadilla into 3-4 slices. Each slice is ~125 calories and ~8g of protein. Bulk Prep and Budget Tips: Maximize Your Rotisserie Chicken: For ~$5, you’re getting enough meat to make ~10 quesadillas. That’s 10 high-protein meal ingredients for the price of a milkshake. Batch Cooking: I typically prep 5-6 quesadillas at once, wrap them in foil, and store them in the fridge. Reheat in an air fryer or microwave when you’re ready to eat. Tortilla Packs: At ~$3 for a 20-pack, each tortilla is ~15 cents, making this one of the cheapest meal bases out there. Why This Recipe Works: When you’re bulking, the name of the game is simplicity. Overcomplicated meals are a motivation killer, but a quesadilla like this is fast, tasty, and super budget-friendly. Recipes like this helped me hit my calorie and protein targets consistently without stressing over the price of every meal. If you’ve got a tight budget or a busy schedule, give this a shot—it’s a meal prep lifesaver. submitted by /u/Beartrap125 to r/weightgain [link] [comments]

Hey, y'all! I moved out on my own a month ago to pursue my university education, and I've begun really caring a lot about my budget, as I don't have a job right now, which means I lose money off my account. I have a lot saved up, so it's not like I don't have any money. I just want to get as much for my bucks as possible, so I can lose less, and then not have to work too much during summer break to earn for the whole winter period. My tactic right now is to look for discounts and to buy in bulk. I've also switched over to having a lot of beans for extra protein to reach a higher protein intake every day. Air-fried kidney beans are delicious! I just think I could use some tips and tricks on easy-budget meals, that aren't just chicken, eggs, rice, frozen vegetable mixes, etc. You know... The basics everyone knows about. I live by myself with my very own kitchen, so I'm able to cook and meal-prep all the meals I want by myself. I've been cooking for years (am 20 now, and begun cooking at the age of 16), so I know how to cook well. I have a fridge with a small built-in freezer, so the fridge and frozen meals can be made! Also have an Air Fryer, microwave, and stovetop! So... What are the go-to protein sources you put into your cart whenever you go to the grocery store, and what are some go-to meals you always make, which are easy, low-cost, and high-protein? I'm from Denmark if that makes a difference. I know some foods are cheaper in some countries. Here carrots and potatoes are quite cheap, as potatoes are often used throughout the typical Danish diet. submitted by /u/Ditz3n to r/EatCheapAndHealthy [link] [comments]

Hi All, big fan of this sub. Wanted to share what I cook every week for my workweek meals. Its a Mediterranean inspired grain and veggie bowl that is easy to make, cheap, and super healthy! Pics: https://imgur.com/gallery/OAvxxfH Makes 5 servings. Costs estimated, frequently find things on sale where possible. Standard meal is Vegan but will explain how to adjust below. Roughly 5 minutes of prep time (depending on your chopping skills) and 20 minutes to cook. Minimal time commitment for 5 days of meals. Ingredients: 1 & 1/2 cups of brown rice ($1.20) 1/2 cup red Quinoa ($1.20) 16oz Brussel Sprouts ($3.09) 16 oz white button mushrooms ($6.15) 16 oz Grape Tomatoes ($3.00) 2 cups diced red cabbage ($0.60) 2 cups small diced carrots ($1.00) 1/3 cup olive oil 1 tsp soy sauce (applied at eating) Black pepper Red chili pepper powder (highly optional, I make homemade and love spicy) Total Cost: $16.24, $3.25 per meal. Directions: Bring water to a boil Add Brown rice and Quinoa Return to boil Reduce to simmer 20 minutes ​ Chop all veggies and combine in a large bowl Hand-mix in 1/3 cup of olive oil Spread out on baking sheet Sprinkle spices over the top Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes ​ Portion all ingredients into 5 serving containers Refrigerate When ready to eat, simply microwave for 3 1/2 minutes and add soy sauce Pro Tip: if you prep your veggies first and get the water heated, you can cook both the grains and veggies at the same time for the same amount of time! Variations: Swap out any of the veggies for seasonal or preferred options Every few weeks or so I'll swap the tomatoes for bell peppers Swap out sweet potato for the carrots Swap brussels's for asparagus Get creative! 90% of veggies will cook fine in the 20 minute 400 degree range Got some hummus laying around? Mix in a spoonful or two! Need more bulk? Split a can of black beans into the containers after everything is cooked. Not vegan? Want more protein? Place a 4-6oz salmon filet on top. Delicious! Place a fried egg or two on top Power move: fry the whole concoction in oil then mix in two eggs. makes a super tasty breakfast egg bowl. Add sliced grilled chicken breast submitted by /u/snorkleface to r/EatCheapAndHealthy [link] [comments]

My soon to be roommate and I are about to embark on our “ramen noodle time” for the next couple months after signing this lease 😂 Instead of the cliche ramen noodles type of meals, what are the best high protein options for a super mega meal prep budget? submitted by /u/mgk23 to r/EatCheapAndHealthy [link] [comments]

I'm looking for food that's convenient, that I can eat with minimal prep or no prep. Currently, this is my list: Frozen Fruits: Blueberries, Mango, Pineapple Bananas, Baby Carrots, Ramen, Microwaveables, Sardines in a can. I'm looking to expand on this list & I'm open to any suggestions to eat healthy with high convenience. submitted by /u/SuperAtmosphere to r/EatCheapAndHealthy [link] [comments]

Welcome! If you've been following my journey, you know that I highly advocate meal prepping. If you haven't been following me, Hi! I'm u/hxcjosh23 and I love meal prepping! Personal Background I'll keep this short and sweet. I've lost 122 lbs since March of 2016, all via CICO and using myfitnesspal to track. I've always loved cooking and the culinary arts. I've been meal prepping almost every weekend since March of 2016. I've been asked to write a guide on meal prepping by u/zebratoes3838 and here it is! Benefits Why do I advocate for meal prepping so much? Remember when I said I lost all my weight via tracking my calories. Loosing weight is simple. You eat less calories than you burn. It's not always easy to follow this simple concept though. Meal prep makes this task easier. Stick to your goals Let's say my daily calorie goal is 1800. For my Meal Prep this week, my breakfast comes out to 209 calories, and lunch comes out to 521. 2/3rds of my meals are prepped and prelogged for the day. No figuring out what fast food place to go to today. I have 1070 calories left I can do whatever I want with. Someone brings donuts to work? Awesome, I can have one because I already have my meals and calories planned for the day. I can have a huge supper, or snacks and a smaller supper. Sometimes I have done breakfast, lunch and dinner preps so all 3 meals are planned and prelogged, leaving room for snacks too! Saves Money Cooking your meals in bulk costs much less than eating out all day. Your not only saving the cost of the food, but the time and gas it would take to get there. Most of my preps are from 25-50 dollars a week to make. That's breakfast and lunch included. If you really wanted to get super cheap, you could get a giant bag of rice and a giant bag of beans (I'm talking like 3 month supply here). Buy whatever meat is on sale that week, season and add veggies. Boom there's your prep for the next 3 months or so. Removes stress You don't have to worry or think about where your getting food all day since it's premade and ready to go! TL:DR 1 - Easier to meet calorie goals, cheaper, stress free What do I make?!? This is probably the hardest part of meal prep. What the heck do you make? There are so many possibilities! This is a great list of common spices and ingredients to have on hand First, let me give you a few of my sources for ideas. Chef Josh with the hookup! I've done plenty of Meal Preps you can look at. Pictures with step by step instructions included! My personal favorites include Sweet and Sour Chicken, Chicken Satay, Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli! /r/MealPrepSunday /r/fitmeals /r/1500isplenty /r/1200isplenty /r/EatCheapAndHealthy And my favorite youtube channel with tons of easy and awesome meal preps - Fit Couple Cooks Budget Bytes is also great! Sometimes I just make it up on the fly right at the store. I start with a meat, since that's my favorite thing to eat. Do I want chicken, pork, steak, beef, fish or ham? Vegetarian? Beans and tofu are also great sources of protein. Once I decide on a protein, I'll think about what cuisine sounds good. Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Greek, BBQ? Next I select what veggies will complete the flavor profile. This is where you can get really creative, or just choose roasted broccoli since that's the best. For carbs, I typically stick to sweet potatos, brown rice, and quinoa as they are complex carbs and keep you fuller longer. I've even had preps where I take frozen lean cuisines, frozen steamed veggies, and frozen precooked, precut chicken strips. Cook the lean cusine, put the steamed veggies on top and add in some chicken. Boom Prep done!! Honestly, meal prep can be as easy or as hard as you make it. If I have a busy week, slow cooker or frozen prep it is. If I have some time, then I'll get a pinterest worth prep going. "But Josh, I just don't have time to prep, my life is just too busy" I hear that one a lot, and here is what I always say. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Right now, there is someone busier than you working out. I'm super busy. Last year while losing weight, I was raising a one year old, finishing school, working my full time job, doing a podcast, getting married, running the disc golf league in my town, traveling to tournaments..etc etc. Look. we are all busy, we all have stuff going on, and we all have time for meal prepping. It takes one hour out of your day. Maybe two or three if you do a super epic one, but most of mine range from 30 mins to an hour. Instead of finding excuses, find the time. It's there, and worth it. The Process The whole purpose of this guide! If you've already been prepping, this may help make the task easier for you! Alright, we got our recipe and we are ready to go! Here are some things I've learned a long the way to make meal prep faster and easier. Mise en place "(French pronunciation: ​[mi zɑ̃ ˈplas]) is a French culinary phrase which means "putting in place" or "everything in its place."" Some examples of it are here and here. LPT- It's super helpful to have a big bowl to store waste/garbage so your not running back and forth to the garbage can. I start by getting everything together, I premix my seasonings, premeasure oils/condiments if needed, and cut and weigh everything (writing down, IE: 160 Grams yellow onion, 200 Grams Bell peppers, etc) . Once I start cooking, I don't have to stop since everything is ready to go. Not only does it look pretty, it helps to stay organized and make the prep go by faster and easier! Once I have everything organized and my measurments written down, I open myfitnesspal on my phone. Hit the menu then choose Meals, Recipies & Foods. Click the Plus button at the top right. Name your meal, then scan and enter your ingredients into the app like so. As you can see, I put in the full ingredients used. Doesn't look useful for a simple recipie, but it certianly is for one that has more ingredients. Now when you go to add your meals for the day, you will click the meals tab, click the meal you made, and divide by your portions. Since my eggs made 6 portions , 100 divided by 6 comes out to 16%, and my lunches made 4 portions so thats .25. Let MFP do the math for you!. Making a prep for two people with different portion and calorie goals? Take the total weight of your food. Then take your portion out of the total. Weigh the food again, subtract and BAM! You've found your portion! Now you can start cooking. Since you followed mise en place, you have all your ingredients ready to go, your MFP dairy is ready for the week, and the fun begins! Follow your recpie, and if you have any downtime, use it for cleaning up! The more you do during the process, the less you have to do afterwards! Containers I use Fit Packer containers. Most people will swear by glass containers as they will last the longest. You can totally use whatever containers you have or find. The Fit Packer ones seem to be the best non glass ones I've come across. Storage Typically , I make 5 breakfasts and 4 lunches. I put my preps in the fridge and I've never had a problem with them spoiling or tasting off. I've tried freezing the ones I use later in the week and I didn't notice a difference so I stopped doing it. If your making preps for longer though, freezing certainly works as well. Conclusion Now you know everything there is to know! Meal Prep can seem daunting at first, but once you try it you'll find it fun and much easier than you think it is. I highly encourage you to give it a try. If you have any questions ask away! If you have preps you wanna show off, I wanna see em!! =) TL:DR 2 - Meal prep is awesome, easy, and anyone can do it. Combined with MFP it makes for a powerful tool to achieve your weight loss goals. submitted by /u/hxcjosh23 to r/loseit [link] [comments]

At the end of last year, I read a book titled Living with a Seal, where the author had a Navy Seal move him with him and his family for 31 days. His reason for doing this: I felt like I was drifting on autopilot in my life. Wake up, go to work, go to the gym — repeat. I wanted to shake things up. I wanted to get better. That really resonated with me. I’m sure a ton of other people in here feel the same exact way. We get stuck in the same routines in life, and in the gym. So I knew that I wanted to find a fitness challenge this year. At the same time, I remember reading about The Rock’s workout and nutrition program in Muscle & Fitness last spring. I was fascinated that he was able to do that. We all sort of write it off like “oh, but he has trainers and a private chef or takes illegal substances” but at the end of the day, that’s a ton of commitment and dedication. And he has done is while his career absolutely exploded over the last few years. I decided to see if I could do the same thing, see how I measure up. This isn’t about following a fitness and eating plan that’s optimized for me. It seemed like too much food for a guy my size. It’s also not about using this plan for specific results. I have no desire to look like The Rock. It was just about “can I do this really hard thing this successful guy does while living a normal life?” The Eating Meal 1 – 10 oz cod, 2 whole eggs, 2 cups oatmeal Meal 2 – 8 oz cod, 12 oz sweet potato, 1 cup veggies Meal 3 – 8 oz chicken, 2 cups white rice, 1 cup veggies Meal 4 – 8 oz cod, 2 cups rice, 1 cup veggies, 1 tbsp fish oil Meal 5 – 8 oz steak, 12 oz baked potato, spinach salad Meal 6 – 10 oz cod, 2 cups rice, salad Meal 7 – 30 grams casein protein, 10 egg-white omelet, 1 cup veggies (onions, peppers, mushrooms), 1 tbsp fish oil Calories: 5390, Carbs: 533g, Fat: 97g, Protein: 430g The Training Monday – 50 minutes elliptical, Chest Workout Tuesday – 50 minutes elliptical, Legs Workout Wednesday – 50 minutes elliptical, Arms Workout Thursday – 50 minutes elliptical, Back Workout Friday – 50 minutes elliptical, Shoulders Workout Saturday – 50 minutes elliptical, Legs Workout (repeat) Sunday – Rest Chest Incline Barbell Bench Press 4x12/10/8/6 Flat Bench Dumbbell Press 4x12 Incline Hammer Strength Press 4x12 (Alt arms, start extended) Flat Bench DB Fly 3x12 Cable Crossover Superset w/ Dips 3x15/Failure Legs Leg Extension 4x25 Leg Press Superset w/Weighted Walking Lunges 4x50/40 Hack Squat Machine 4x20 Romanian Deadlift 4x12 Lying Leg Curls 4x12 Standing Calf Raise 5x75 Seated Calf Raise 5x50 Arms Biceps – Perform all 3 as a Tri Set, Rest One Preacher Curl w/ EZ Bar 4x12 Standing BB Curl w/ EZ Bar 4x12 Dumbbell Curl 4x12 Triceps – Perform all 3 as a Tri Set, Rest One Minute Between Rope Pushdown 4x12 Rope Overhead Tricep Extensions 4x12 Triceps Dips to Failure 4x12 Back Pullups (Wide Grip) 4xFailure One Arm DB Row 4x12/10/8/8 Hammer Strength Two Arm Row 4x10 Close Grip Pulldown 3x12 Cable Row (Double Drop Set) 3x12 Rope Pullover Super Set w/ Rope High Row 3x15/15 DB Shrugs 4x12 (15 sec hold end of each set) Shoulders Hammer Strength Shoulder Press 4x12/10/10/8 Seated DB Shoulder Press 3x10 Standing Side Lateral Raises 4x12 One Arm Cable Side Lateral Raise 3x20 Reverse Fly Machine 4x12 Bent Over Lateral Raise 4x10 I’ve made it more than half-way through already, and am currently on Day 17. It isn’t easy, all about just keeping the discipline and grinding through it. Things I’ve Learned The hardest part actually is the food prep: having to make 7 meals a day, every day, for month is hard to do with a full-time job and a family to take care of. if anyone is interested, I can share more details about this. Though I’m 6’3”/207lbs and The Rock is 6’5”/260lbs, I haven’t gained any weight eating 5,000 calories a day. I would have thought at this surplus it would have led to putting on some weight. But I’m noticeably building muscle while getting leaner. Podcasts and Audiobooks! This is how I spend 2+ hours in the gym 6 days a week. Music just doesn’t hold my focus for that amount of time. I also feel like I’m getting smarter and bettering myself in the process. I feel great. I’m 37, around the time when mysterious aches and pains pop up. Eating like this is preventing any muscle soreness or DOMS. And I’m lifting heavier than I had in awhile. Makes me realize I definitely haven’t been eating enough, and that sometimes your body needs high glycemic carbs (something I’ve avoided for years). Eating like The Rock isn’t cheap. It’s costing me about $42/day, putting this whole experiment at a monthly budget of almost $1300. It’s mostly the cod that gets you, that alone is $18/day. This experience has been eye-opening for me, especially how the nutrition is affecting my workout. Kind of blew apart some cutting/bulking views I had. Thought /Fitness would benefit from what I'm learning. Questions or comments? Fire away. (edited for formatting) submitted by /u/nycballer to r/Fitness [link] [comments]