From time to time I glimpse at meal prepping videos on youtube , and 3 things never cease to amaze me:
#1: meal prepping for 4-5 days- using the same food.
For example- a pot of rice , a pot of beans,nuts, fruit and greens, are used in different combinations for lunch throughout 4-5 days.
Am I the only one that gets bored so easily?
Sorry people- can’t have the same kind of food day .after day.after day. after day.
Even if it is combined differently.
#2: the food is supposed to last in top condition though stored combined with other food, and contain ingredients that -even on their own- are not super resilient for 5 days in the fridge.
Did any of you actually try to eat beans or chickpeas after they were 5 days in the refrigerator??no. way.
How are you expected to eat greens that were sliced 5 days ago, and spent those days next to anything that is even remotely damp?
And buns-bread- focaccia- whatever -does it go stale and tasteless after 5 days only in my fridge?
#3: How are you supposed to heat your lunch when your container is combined with ingredients that are not supposed to be heated?
Are you supposed to eat cold lunches all the time? by the way the same question is relevant to meals in jars- could never understand that concept. if you add quinoa to greens and something that even remotely resembles a gravy or a sauce- in my experience the next day- you will have a very interesting jar of porridge. and a cold one too, since you are not supposed to heat the greens and the sauce.
In my experience, especially after starting intermittent fasting a few weeks ago, eating the same cold lunch for 5 days, as my main meal of the day- is going to make me feel super deprived and totally miserable.
No. way.
I love food. I love eating. I love thinking what I will eat on my next meal. I will not stick to any plan that will make me feel deprived.
So?
So simplify your meal prepping by batch cooking +freezing+labeling.
So simple. 3 steps only.
#1: batch cooking:
#2: freeze em:
#3: defrost and assemble any combination you like from the variety you have in your freezer.
Pack your lunch in different glass containers, cut your salad fresh at work- and add heated legumes on the side.
Think about it- this way the number of combinations is endless! green salad, vegetable salad, soups, stews, different kinds of grains, all kinds of legumes- each time you batch cook one of these -freeze and label separately -in small quantities so you can mix and match later as desired.
Enjoy- the cooliflower.
