I'm starting a new gig and will be taking lunch on a regular basis. One to save money but really to control my portions and eat healthier. So I've been doing some research on meal prep and it seems like there are tons of options. With all those options it can be overwhelming. So what are your go-to recipes?

Also, do you do any overnight oatmeal or muesli for breakfast?

I usually cook chicken on Sunday on the grill

Pack with a salad

Overnight oats are really tasty best to use froz fruit
Veru easy and portable bkfst

I've noticed I'm a lot more likely to enjoy my lunch if it's warm and not just a salad or leftovers so I've been doing vegetable beef soup filled with tons of veggies and also a paleo (ish) chicken tortilla soup.

For breakfast I like to make a big batch of steel cut oats and portion them out. They reheat really well. Baked oatmeal and boiled eggs work great too.

kjcAg said:

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For breakfast I like to make a big batch of steel cut oats and portion them out. They reheat really well. Baked oatmeal and boiled eggs work great too.

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You have any recipes to share? I had a baked oatmeal from a coffeehouse a few weeks ago and it blew me away.

Matsui said:

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Just make extra every time you cook and make yourself a to-go portion for the following day.

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This is what I do. Pretty much everything can be taken to work and eaten as left overs. About the only exception is seafood (hate to be the d**k who stinks up the whole office by nuking fish). I have even found taken a steak works great. Cook an extra steak the night before, refrigerate, heat on the dash of my car in the morning and its perfectly warm (and not dried out) come lunch time.

I make veggie burrito bowls. I cook a pot of beans, brown rice and roasted sweet potatoes over the weekend. I then divide them into 1 1/2 cup portions (1/2 cup of each ingredient). I mix in a couple of torn corn tortillas, hot sauce, microwave and top with diced avocado.

Made some crock pot chicken last night:

3 lbs chicken breast
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can beans of your choice
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar salsa of your choice
1 large jalapeno (keep the seeds for extra heat)
1 cup (dry 90g) rice - added towards the end
+ whatever other seasonings you have around
+ squirt of sriracha (if you're into that)

Cook on high 3-4 hrs or low 8 hrs and then shred chicken and you have lunch for a week.

I did this last night and divided it into 5 containers for lunch. Each serving roughly 530 calories, 58g protein, 47g carb, 11 fat.

Great to eat by itself, over salad, in tortillas, etc..
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I also do chicken & rice bowls every week - think Chipotle.

Just cook everything in large quantities. Chicken, rice, veggies, beans, cheese, etc... Add some of each to each container and mix it all together. I usually bring an avacado & some salsa or sriracha to add after i heat it up, put your lid back on and shake it all up to mix it in. Bring a greek yogurt and a banana or handful of almonds and you have a solid lunch that is also healthy.

If you are going low low carb get rid of the rice and add over salad/spinach.

I like to do fried rice or a stir fry. You can either make your own rice or get those little microwave rice bowls. Just make sure not to over cook the vegetables or rice or they will turn to mush when reheating.

Breakfast casserole/quiche-

12 eggs, scrambled
1ea red & green bell pepper, diced
1/2 med. onion, diced
1# breakfast sausage, chorizo, or bacon (cooked)
6oz shredded cheese

Optional:
cilantro
poblano (sub for some of the bell peppers)
jalapenos
diced tomates/halved cherry tomatoes
mushrooms

Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9x13 glass Pyrex. Saute vegetables. Toss with whatever meat you want. Stir in eggs. Pour in to Pyrex, top with cheese. Bake for ~30 minutes, or until the center is not jiggly.

Let cool completely & cut in to 6 pieces before refrigerating.


Go-to lunches are:
Grilled meats (pork loin, steak, chicken) with steamed vegetables
Fajitas or tacos- corn tortillas, salsa, cheese, guac
Chicken or tuna salad lettuce wraps
Chili & cornbread
Beef or venison stew
Chicken tortillas soup

Snacks:
Laughing cow cheese wedges with celery, carrots, cucumbers
string cheese
cottage cheese
hard salami / summer sausage

Do you drain the beans, corn, tomatoes?

LWKnight said:

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Do you drain the beans, corn, tomatoes?

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FWIW, I tried this recipe over the weekend - used black beans, salsa verde, and frozen corn instead of canned - and didn't drain the beans or tomatoes. I did up the amount of rice to about 3/4 cup, and it absorbed all of the liquid, so you end up with a chicken and rice dish that is close to casserole consistency. The result isn't fancy, but it is simple and tasty.