Meal Prep for WFH Lunches

dlockers

dlockers

dlockers

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21 Jan 2010
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Hi folk,

Does anyone have any idiots guide to meal prepping?

It is lunches where I am failing. I'm too busy to do anything more creative than beans on toast, which I don't mind, but come 5pm I am STARVING (h'angry).

I'm thinking of something rice based since I bought the zojirushi and have used it once - then what do folk do? Cook a load of chicken? Veg? Freeze it? Fridge it?

There are about ten billion articles on the net - I'm tempted to buy the good housekeeping meal prep book though?
 
I just have one of the hot Huel options for lunch most days.

Although there was a bit of chicken in the fridge today so I chucked it in a pitta with some lettuce and hot sauce.
 
Honesty whilst I'm WFH I just make some extra tea and heat it up for lunch the next day.

If I've had something like chicken breast / pork loin etc, I'll throw some rice in the rice cooker in the morning and have it with that and a bit salad.
 
Guess it depends on what you want. Generally i just make a huge pot of soup at the weekend and it's usually enough for the week for the 2 of us, maybe with egg on toast one day to break things up.

I'm surprised you're staving at 5pm though after having that for dinner, i wouldn't have thought much else would be more filling.
 
mid_gen said:
I just have one of the hot Huel options for lunch most days.

Although there was a bit of chicken in the fridge today so I chucked it in a pitta with some lettuce and hot sauce.
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I have got Huel but pretty sick of it now. I think the Mac & Cheese pushed me over the edge lol.

montymint said:
Honesty whilst I'm WFH I just make some extra tea and heat it up for lunch the next day.

If I've had something like chicken breast / pork loin etc, I'll throw some rice in the rice cooker in the morning and have it with that and a bit salad.
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Fair - however I have meal kits (Gousto) for meals so there isn't anything left as the portions are controlled :(.
Martynt74 said:
Guess it depends on what you want. Generally i just make a huge pot of soup at the weekend and it's usually enough for the week for the 2 of us, maybe with egg on toast one day to break things up.

I'm surprised you're staving at 5pm though after having that for dinner, i wouldn't have thought much else would be more filling.
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That's not a bad shout - is it easy enough to make and store?
 
I bulk cook toppings for pasta, rice, and breads. So lots of tomato sauce, bolognese, chili, various curries, stews. Then it's just a matter of making some rice/pasta to go with it and heating it up.

They all store well and are relatively cheap and easy to make.
 
scrambled eggs, more usually just ploughmans(decent bread n cheese), some fruit, piece of cake, pot of tea .... breakfast porridge gives long life carbs too

How many calories do you need at lunch time ?
 
Try bulk cooking macaroni at the weekend. Then bung a portion in the oven 40 mins before your lunch break. Add sausages or pie, or fry bacon or steak.
 
I don’t WFH but I am home every day. I just love soups. Nice thick chunky soups with plenty of meat and veg. I also buy the part baked baguettes so I can have warm crusty bread with it. So good during the winter.
 
just need to eat whatever makes you feel full - it's not the same for everyone, beans on toast with an egg for lunch would make me want to eat dinner later than usual

or eat some fruit/nuts/whatever between meals to tide you over, drinking coffee/tea/juice/water delays hunger setting in for me
 
builder22 said:
just need to eat whatever makes you feel full - it's not the same for everyone, beans on toast with an egg for lunch would make me want to eat dinner later than usual

or eat some fruit/nuts/whatever between meals to tide you over, drinking coffee/tea/juice/water delays hunger setting in for me
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I’m an absolute sucker for pistachios. Once I’ve started that’s it, empty bag within an hour.
 
dLockers said:
That's not a bad shout - is it easy enough to make and store?
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Yeah, assuming you have a hand blender, it's just a case of boiling a load of veg and blending it! With it being veg based i find the saucepan fits in the fridge and keeps for a week without any fuss.

Can bulk it out with lentils/beans too for extra filling-up-iness.

It can be a bit repetitive so not ideal if you're the kind of person who needs variety (although from your OP it sounds not :p)

Can serve with either bread and butter, or @{SAS}TB posted in the Now Eating thread, where you sprinkle some bread with olive oil and basil/herbs and bake for 10 minutes. Works as a good alternative.

Also these sprinkled on top is god level
https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/cooks-ingredients-crispy-fried-onions/876687-409052-409053
 
Ah not considered that. I got lucky last time i was in Waitrose. Think it was NYE and they had just reduced some olive and basil sourdough loaves from £2 to 50p, so i bought all 4 and shoved them in the freezer. They're doing brilliantly for croutons at the moment!

It's also depressing as this is exactly the kind of thing me and my sister used to mock my dad for :(
 
Make a little more at dinner time and put the spare in a dish for tomorrow. For example tonight we had chinese chicken with rice. my wife mixed the spare chicken with some mayo for me to have a Chicken Mayo sandwich for lunch tomorrow.
 
I cook a CrockPot full of food on a Sunday that lasts me all week.Last week was Veg Soup,this week was Chickpea Curry,next week is Chicken Supreme(with Veg and maybe a meat replacement instead of chicken)

@robfosters @builder22 A bag of Walnuts from aldi for me.
 
WFH meal prep is easier that the office as presumably your have access to a lot better appliances. We only have a microwave in work and I refuse to microwave soggy pastry. If at home I can make a pie/pasty for a few days then heat it up in the oven.
 
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