General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk? Rss Feed  
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2014-08-12 8:13 PM


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Subject: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
I'm looking for suggestions and/or recipes of healthy meals that can be made in bulk. I want to make more meals to pack for lunches throughout the week. What options do you use?


2014-08-13 7:15 AM
in reply to: zballinger

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105
100
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
We use emeals.com standard plan. There are two of us, the recipes generally portion for 4. So we eat dinner together, and then I have my next two lunches. We will cross off two meals or so from the plan every week, otherwise we would overload our fridge with leftovers, plus some of the meals are just a little too Southern

They have healthier meal plans as well, but I haven't looked at them.
2014-08-13 7:28 AM
in reply to: zballinger

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Champion
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the alamo city, Texas
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?

Easiest solution for breakfast:

cook 1 pound of meat (i use spicy ground sausage, use what you like)

scramble 10 eggs.  add tons of chopped veggies.  (usually bell pepper and onion, and whatever i have in the fridge that needs to be used up.  broccoli, carrots, whatever).  add cooked meat.

pour into 13x9 baking dish.

bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

no brainer quiches for the week!

2014-08-13 8:51 AM
in reply to: mehaner

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Deep in the Heart of Texas
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?

Originally posted by mehaner

Easiest solution for breakfast:

cook 1 pound of meat (i use spicy ground sausage, use what you like)

scramble 10 eggs.  add tons of chopped veggies.  (usually bell pepper and onion, and whatever i have in the fridge that needs to be used up.  broccoli, carrots, whatever).  add cooked meat.

pour into 13x9 baking dish.

bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

no brainer quiches for the week!

My wife makes a similar recipe, but makes individual servings by pouring the mixture into silicon muffin dishes (too hard to get out of regular muffin pans).

2014-08-13 9:07 AM
in reply to: Mtnwesttri

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Expert
1111
1000100
Albuquerque, NM
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
I make my lunches for the week on Sunday.

I simply just cook/grill enough of whatever meat I want and some Quinoa or rice.
While those are cooking, I chop up some of whatever vegetables I want.

Finally, I portion it all out into five of these:
http://www.shopworldkitchen.com/3-cup-rectangular-dish-w%2F-blue-li...

2014-08-13 9:26 AM
in reply to: RockTractor

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Elite
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Spokane, WA
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?

I know many people don't consider pasta as "healthy", but for me it sure beats fast food. So I love a big batch of spaghetti, and eating off that for a few days.



2014-08-13 10:01 AM
in reply to: 0

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Alpharetta, Georgia
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Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?

I know in the summer people don't like to think about soup (I'm weird, I made a batch last night!), but it's a wonderful option with so many ways to mix it up. Traditional chili, white chicken chili, veggie chili, chicken/rice soup, chicken tortilla soup, white bean/ham soup, corn chowder, loaded potato chowder, tomato/rice soup, butternut squash soup, black bean soup - yum.

Most soup recipes are fairly healthy or can be modified to your healthy standards. I like broth based soups with loads of veggies.

Make a huge crock pot full on the weekend and portion out individually. Super easy to freeze as well.



Edited by lisac957 2014-08-13 10:01 AM
2014-08-13 10:10 AM
in reply to: lisac957

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Champion
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Chicago, Illinois
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
I like the egg bake idea. I been thinking of changing things from my normal Bob Evans biscuit sandwich I eat every morning. Sounds like a good change.
2014-08-13 1:05 PM
in reply to: #5038794


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Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
Thanks for the great ideas!
2014-08-13 1:40 PM
in reply to: zballinger

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Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?

To add to the soup idea, I've had good success with making a large batch of soup, say vegetable, quinoa, chili, mulligatawny, or squash (zuchinni lately, LOL) and  freezing the majority in the small, round, Ziploc containers you can buy at the supermarket, like 7 to a pack.  They are the perfect size for a lunch and are invaluable at saving time - just grab one out of the freezer and it is partially thawed by lunch, it just takes a little extra time in the microwave.  I love being able to have something quick, easy and good for me at the ready.

2014-08-13 1:42 PM
in reply to: melbo55

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Champion
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the alamo city, Texas
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?

my other easiest go to is salsa chicken.

put chicken in crock pot.  dump in jar of salsa.  cook on low all day.  at end of day shred up chicken.

with this you can do whatever - sometimes i add beans, serve it as taco fillers, serve it with rice, etc etc etc.



2014-08-13 2:05 PM
in reply to: mehaner

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Expert
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1000100
Albuquerque, NM
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
Originally posted by mehaner

my other easiest go to is salsa chicken.

put chicken in crock pot.  dump in jar of salsa.  cook on low all day.  at end of day shred up chicken.

with this you can do whatever - sometimes i add beans, serve it as taco fillers, serve it with rice, etc etc etc.




I might have to try that.... sounds good!
2014-08-13 2:08 PM
in reply to: zballinger

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Regular
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Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
http://www.soylent.me/

Soylent

(It's not people)
2014-08-13 2:45 PM
in reply to: Swimbikeron

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Deep in the Heart of Texas
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?

I keep lunch meat, cheese, spinach, whole wheat tortillas and cottage cheese in the frig at work.  M/W/F, usually after swimming, I make a wrap and eat some cottage cheese.  Quick, easy, and relatively healthful.

2014-08-13 2:54 PM
in reply to: zballinger


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Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
once every few months we make a ton of "freezer meals". we chop all the veggies and prepare the meats as necessary then put it all in a gallon bag and freeze it. Then we grab them out of the freezer in the morning when we know neither of us will have time to cook and throw it in the crock pot for dinner. we always make our dinners for four people, there are three of us, i take the extra helping for lunch the next.

I can ask my wife where she got these recipes, i think the book was called something like "fix n freeze" or maybe "freeze it then eat it" something like that.
2014-08-13 5:28 PM
in reply to: #5039052


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Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
Depends on what you consider healthy, but I've been taking leftovers to work for years. Also done the 10 crockpot meals in advance thing. There are tons of websites devoted to make ahead recipes, but I got mine from an America's Test Kitchen crockpot cookbook. I doubled the recipes, divided into thirds (because my family is 2 adults and a toddler), and froze in gallon bags. It's also a good idea to make double recipes of meatloaf, lasagna, or any casserole and freeze one - usually no more work than only making one.

I also keep a mental list of foods that travel well to work, reheat decently, and that I can eat with plastic ware. Pastas, stir fry or leftover fajitas with rice, curries, thick soups, shepherds pie, and pot pies all work wonderfully. Basically anything that is meant to be cooked and/or eaten in one dish. I always make more than we need, put a couple of gladware dishes in the fridge, and freeze a few more. I buy lunch maybe twice a year.



2014-08-13 5:48 PM
in reply to: MMW37

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Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
How about snacks? I do fine with meals, but I always end up snacking on less than stellar options between meals and after dinner. Any ideas on whole food snacks you can make in bulk and go to over the course of a week?
2014-08-13 9:18 PM
in reply to: japewang

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Durham, North Carolina
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
Originally posted by japewang

How about snacks? I do fine with meals, but I always end up snacking on less than stellar options between meals and after dinner. Any ideas on whole food snacks you can make in bulk and go to over the course of a week?


An interesting one I was just told about are hard boiled eggs. If you just eat the white its under 20 cal's per egg.
2014-08-13 9:40 PM
in reply to: zballinger

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Austin, Texas
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?

Alright get ready for a weird answer...

When I start working a lot of overtime, I'll prepare a week's supply of something called "hoosh"

What is hoosh you ask? Back in the old days of the first arctic explorers, they'd just throw a bunch of high calorie whatevers from here and there into a pot, and cook it. Taste was of no concern, as caloric intake was the biggest issue. On the rare occasion that there were leftovers, they'd be frozen, and the next day another ingredient, whatever was on hand, would get thrown into the mix. "Hoosh" is also the term for "mixed food rations for ponies and mules." So anyway, that's what I eat. It's all healthy of course. Mainly vegetable based, with lots of quinoa, potatoes, beans, etc. and some fruit here and there to give it a little bit of sweet. I guess you could liken it to some kind of casserole? In the end, when people see a pile of this stuff on my plate at lunch time, I get a lot of weird looks, and a belly full of goodness. People ask me for the recipe, but the beauty is that there is no real recipe! Every batch is a new adventure!

2014-08-14 5:35 AM
in reply to: 0

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Master
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Eugene, Oregon
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Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?

This reminds me of something called "Bergsteigeressen" (mountain climber food) that one finds in the mountain huts in Austria and Sudtirol in Italy. It's usually the cheapest thing on the menu, and a mix of mainly some kind of carb (potatoes, rice, or noodles, sometimes two of those), some protein (cold be meat, cheese, and/or eggs) and some veggies. You can get unlimited refills ( at least you could ten years ago). That became one of my favorite words in German after trekking all day and trying to stretch a limited Euro budget!

I need to do more bulk cooking, since slaving over a hot stove is pretty unappealing in the tropics and I'm often too tired to cook after a full day of work, coaching, and training. When I do manage to cook in bulk, it's usually a big pot of soup or ( often lentil soup or black bean chili) or pasta sauce that I freeze.

Edited by Hot Runner 2014-08-14 5:36 AM
2014-08-14 6:23 AM
in reply to: japewang

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Champion
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the alamo city, Texas
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?

Originally posted by japewang How about snacks? I do fine with meals, but I always end up snacking on less than stellar options between meals and after dinner. Any ideas on whole food snacks you can make in bulk and go to over the course of a week?

i snack on fruits, veggies, nuts.  already portable the way the come in nature and no cooking involved :-P



2014-08-14 7:02 AM
in reply to: mehaner

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Coach
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Stairway to Seven
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
Originally posted by mehaner

my other easiest go to is salsa chicken.

put chicken in crock pot.  dump in jar of salsa.  cook on low all day.  at end of day shred up chicken.

with this you can do whatever - sometimes i add beans, serve it as taco fillers, serve it with rice, etc etc etc.




Oh yeah...that's a great one!
2014-08-14 7:42 AM
in reply to: AdventureBear

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madison, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
I picked up a cookbook called "FeedZone Portables" which has some amazing recipes. Many of them are either egg based or sticky rice based. (I'm trying to figure out a way to make quinoa "sticky") They have both savory foods and sweet snacks in there. Might be worth a look.
2014-08-14 7:54 AM
in reply to: mehaner

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Pro
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Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?

Originally posted by mehaner

Easiest solution for breakfast:

cook 1 pound of meat (i use spicy ground sausage, use what you like)

scramble 10 eggs.  add tons of chopped veggies.  (usually bell pepper and onion, and whatever i have in the fridge that needs to be used up.  broccoli, carrots, whatever).  add cooked meat.

pour into 13x9 baking dish.

bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

no brainer quiches for the week!

I do this, only don't add any meat, and usually use whatever vegetables and starches are leftover from dinner Friday and Saturday night.  You'd be surprised what goes well into an egg bake - spinach, asparagus, kale, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.  Pretty much anything goes with eggs.  After baking, put into individual tupperware containers for the week.

Not homemade in advance, but another thing I do is keep a bunch of single serving Greek Yogurts (like Chobani or Fage)  in the fridge at my fitness studio.  They have long expiration dates, so I buy them whenever they're on sale.  They're even quicker and easier than microwaving single serving egg bake on those mornings when my first training session is 5 a.m.  

I also just got Feed Zone Portables yesterday.  I'm looking forward to getting more ideas from that.

 

2014-08-14 8:44 AM
in reply to: pwoolson

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Expert
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Albuquerque, NM
Subject: RE: Healthy meal options that can be made in bulk?
Originally posted by pwoolson
I picked up a cookbook called "FeedZone Portables" which has some amazing recipes. Many of them are either egg based or sticky rice based. (I'm trying to figure out a way to make quinoa "sticky") They have both savory foods and sweet snacks in there. Might be worth a look.


Great book. They have a Feed Zone Cookbook (for meals) that is equally as awesome!
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