Precooking for the entire week:

[kristianne35]

Does anyone spend one day a week and get everything ready that they will need and put it all in portions? I realize that you couldn't do this for every little thing. (like cooked eggs) I don't have a family... am single, so I think this would really help me and keep me from going out to eat- especially when school starts and I'll be having longer days!

So, I guess my question is: Do you do it? Does it help?

[garwil]

I work 12 hour shifts (either nights or days, 7-7) so I have to be well prepared. Whenever I buy meat in bulk I separate it into portions and freeze them so I can just grab a day's worth out of the freezer when I need to. Also, I quite often cook a huge chilli con carne and freeze individual portions. I'm gonna make a big batch of chicken soup later too

I've found that the only way I've been able to stick to this WOE is to be prepared!

[speedyturtle]

I boiled and shredded some chicken breasts in advanced and cooked up some ground hamburger that I could add picante sauce to or throw in a salad or just put some cheese on it and eat as was or or or I have not done that for a few weeks, I really need to do that again it made my week very easy when I did.

[kristianne35]

Great, I think that's what I am going to try. At least cook up the meats and portion some of the other things.

[TBW]

One thing that has helped me is measuring out my salad greens into baggies. I still have to measure, as I don't trust myself to eyeball it yet. I also cut up some peppers into strips and portion out some brocolli. I even measure out my salad dressing into little containers because it would be easy for me to overdo that. Every little bit helps, and I find when I don't have something measured out I'm more likely to just skip the veggies out of laziness. It can get a little tedious, but it's worth the effort for me.

Something else that has helped me is, thanks to the advice of some people here on the board, I got a little George Forman-type grill. It has made throwing something together really quick, especially if that meat's already portioned and ready to go.

[Oh.2.B.Fit]

I cook A LOT of the casseroles from Linda's site and freeze them so I an eat them during the week. My FAVORITES are the Spinach Lasagna and the Mexican Spinach Hamburger Casserole. They can be frozen so that helps a lot too. They're both under the Under Main Dishes in the Ground Beef section, AND they are both DIVINE!!! I could not have come this far with out Linda's WONDERFUL recipes. I make something from there a few times a week!!! It keeps me going

[Elizellen]

My latest 'cook ahead' dish is crustless quiches. I often make a quiche for a hot evening meal (we eat a third each and there are 2 x 1/6th slices for snacks ) and when I do I prepare and cook two instead of one. So I have 8 1/6th quiche slices I can have for breakfast or grab-n-go snack foods sitting in the fridge.
I usually add cooked veggies to my basic eggs/cheese/cream + cooked meat recipe so each slice has some veggies in it.

[Adena]

Kristi, I don't do this, but SHOULD. I think it will help you tremendously. Planning and being prepared makes a big difference on this way of eating. Helps you make the right choices, feel satisfied, and not grab for something you shouldn't. Let us know how it works out for you!

[apple]

I do preplan ahead on most things during the school year with making up soups, having veggies washed/cut/bagged, and leftovers handy. It's a great thing for saving time and standing in the kitchen saying, "Now what?"

Best wishes preplanning!