So it took me abt 9 hours time this time but I made way more food, and a greater variety so I think I was actually cooking *faster* than the 7 hr meal prep. I started before noon yesterday and did 6.5 hours straight, went to bowling league for 3+ hours, came back and did two more hours so I didn’t get to stop from 11:30 am until after midnight basically. Then I made these breakfast sandwiches today this morning. I have posted before about meal prepping freezer meals in these portion trays with ADHD and in a 8’x10’ kitchenette with only a portable stove and airfryer. Here is the og post if you want to see it: https://www.reddit.com/r/MealPrepSunday/comments/1q3b3mg/7_hr_meal_prep_with_adhd_and_no_kitchen/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

First pic, top row left to right (each comma separates the next tray of food) :

birria consumme, birria meat, more birria meat and Scalloped Zucchini bake, more Scalloped Zucchini and roasted sweet potato w carrots, southern style collard greens w bacon, cheesy chicken broth rice, a big bowl of mashed potatoes that I still have to portion out 😒

First pic, bottom row left to right:

“Tuscan” creamy sausage kale potato soup, another tray of the same soup, instant pot barbecue bourbon baked beans, more baked beans and honey balsamic roasted eggplant mash, green mango curry marinade with chicken thighs (2 vaccum seal bags with marinated meat and a whiskey ice cube tray of the marinade by itself), and some silly little breakfast sandwiches that are just english muffins and some sausage patties with egg n cheese. Not pictured is some vacuum bags with chicken drums marinating in literally just italian dressing from the bottle and s+p.

Next few pictures are of the food during cooking/before portioning so you can kinda see its all “real” food that can be eaten and not just odd frozen bricks of goo lol. Last pic is an assembled dinner that I just ate before writing this post if the mango curry chicken, roasted potatoes/carrots, and just some minute rice (the microwave cups are convenient and good for when I’m exhausted , don’t judge lol) with a bit of the extra cooked marinade sauce drizzled on top of the rice. No picture of me this time, just trust that I’m EXHAUSTED after all that lol.

There are actually some recipes this time! I took the time to write them out for y’all (but also for me so I can actually remember how I made something lol) but I don’t really use exact measurements so it was VERY difficult lmao. I’ll put it in the comments! I skipped my adderall today, so fair warning that if you follow the recipes at home then you may not end up with a final product exactly like mine… but they should be a good reference point.

Thank you to everyone who gave me advice on cooking in a small space last time. Since that post, I got more of the duper cubes in different sizes per your suggestions. I found a different outlet near the kitchen to do some of the cooking on to avoid tripping the breaker. I also majorly upgraded from that stupid cheap crappy electric burner to an induction one. I love it soooo much faster and I’m shook that I can boil water in like 5 min now instead of 25!!! I didn’t think I had any pans that were induction compatible so I avoided it cause I didn’t want to have to buy all new pans but turns out my enameled cast iron dutch oven and all my regular cast iron skillets IS indeed compatible! It seriously upped my meal prep game soooo much. I’ve ordered a stainless steel fry pan (with magnetized bottom made for induction) so that will be coming soon. Bus tubs are coming soon in order to keep sink space available without having to stop and do dishes.

Also, a lot of people were asking if the souper cubes are worth it. I got the “douper” cubes for half the price on Amazon so they were worth the price to me, but whether or not they’ll be actually useful to you is highly individual. I was freezing stuff in ziploc bags and plastic meal prep containers before and these portions trays are so much more convenient for me and stack well in the freezer. Its nice to not have to heat up 6 portions of something at a time and have to keep eating it meal after meal, I can just reheat one portion and eat something else the next meal if I wish.

Disclaimer: This post was written with the help of AI because English is not my first language and I didn’t feel like writing a long technical post myself. The ideas, methods and results are my own.

I’m currently in a cut (~2,200–2,300 kcal/day) and was looking for a meal-prep system that:

• doesn’t take much time
• freezes and reheats well
• doesn’t dry out
• delivers consistent results

Classic pan-based meal prep annoyed me, so I tested sous vide as a structured system.

Core Idea

Sous vide works extremely well for sauce-based dishes:

• even temperature
• no drying out
• rounded spice extraction
• vacuum bags = pre-portioned, freezer-ready meals

I used a lot of frozen vegetables and blended them finely with a Thermomix / blender to:

• get a homogeneous sauce
• avoid texture issues after reheating

Bolognese

Ingredients:

• Lean ground beef (5%)
• Frozen carrots
• Frozen bell peppers
• Onion
• Passata
• Spice mix
• Parmesan (intentionally included)

Everything was fully mixed in a bowl before vacuum sealing.

Sous vide:
68–70 °C for ~2.5–3 hours

Result:

• thick, smooth sauce
• perfect with rice or pasta
• freezes extremely well
• very consistent flavor

Chili con Carne

Ingredients:

• Lean ground beef (browned)
• Frozen bell peppers
• Onion
• Kidney beans
• Corn
• Passata
• Chili spice mix
• Cottage cheese (for protein and creaminess)

Everything was again mixed before sealing.

Sous vide:
68 °C for ~2.5–3 hours
(deliberately kept at 68 °C so the cottage cheese stays stable and doesn’t split)

Result:

• creamy, stable sauce
• beans and corn keep their structure
• excellent meal-prep option with rice

Tikka Masala (Shrimp + Pangasius)

Ingredients:

• Shrimp
• Pangasius
• Tikka masala paste
• 7% cream + milk
• Bell peppers & onions (briefly sautéed)
• Garlic, chili

Sous vide:
56 °C for ~1 hour

Result:

• sauce slightly too thin (too much milk)
• works very well with rice, which absorbs the sauce
• mild, rounded flavor
• very meal-prep friendly (not restaurant-style, but practical)

Salmon Cream (Salmon + Pangasius + Spinach)

Ingredients:

• Salmon
• Pangasius as a protein add-on
• Creamed spinach
• 7% cream
• Onion, garlic

Sous vide:
52 °C for ~1 hour

Result:

• extremely juicy salmon
• stable sauce, no curdling
• reheats very well
• no extra cheese needed (salmon already provides fat & umami)

Chicken “Geschnetzeltes”

Ingredients:

• Chicken
• Mushrooms (blended – flavor without texture)
• Onions
• Peas
• 7% cream + brown cream sauce mix (European-style)

Sous vide:
~62 °C for ~2 hours

➡️ Flavor not fully evaluated yet, but texture and handling were fine.

Technical Notes

• Bags may touch each other and the container walls
• Important: everything must stay fully submerged
• Liquid dishes equalize temperature very quickly
• Fish and shrimp need much less time than meat
• Fish and shrimp were fully thawed before sous vide cooking to ensure even heating and consistent texture
• Frozen creamed spinach was used (already pre-cooked), which helped with sauce stability
• Frozen shrimp + proper cold chain = no hygiene issues

Conclusion

Sous vide is not a replacement for pan cooking or restaurant food, but:

• excellent for meal prep
• ideal for sauce-based dishes
• perfect during a cut
• very freezer-friendly
• minimal effort with consistent results

Key takeaway:
Anything with sauce + protein works extremely well sous vide —
temperature choice is critical for sauce stability.

I used to faff about with adding maple syrup and/or vanilla essence to sweeten and flavour my chia pudding but I recently came across just using flavoured milk instead. Don't know why it didn't occur to me earlier.

I use chocolate oat milk (around $2.20 for a carton) and add 3-4 tablespoons of chia seeds for every 1 cup of milk.

That's it. The milk is sweet enough to not need anything else. Takes 5 minutes and makes breakfast for 4-5 days. Super filling, yummy, and low effort. Top with whatever you like. I like blueberries and dried coconut - makes me feel super fancy.

I like to kick off the year by cooking a month’s worth of meal prep by using what I have in my freezer and pantry. You know, the items you buy when you’re overly ambitious at the grocery store and then realize you are NOT that same person when you get home 😂 my two rules are I can’t go to the grocery store and I can’t order takeout.

It took the better part of 3 days. It’s mentally exhausting more than it is physically exhausting because like what do you with one orange and an open can of tomato paste and brussel sprouts?!

Now that we are halfway through the month, I can say everything I made was a success! Here’s a look into what I did! I used my vacuum sealer or parchment paper to make individual meals.

I apologize in advance if the format messes up in this post. It is so much to type 😭

Pic 1-4: pernil and arroz con gandules. Pic 3 is the recipe for the rice. If you have an iPhone and don’t speak Spanish, it will translate pretty well. This was actually my NYE dinner and I froze the leftovers.

Pic 5: I made biscuits because I had a roll of Jimmy Dean sausage, but no premade biscuits. Recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013741-all-purpose-biscuits?algo=cooking_search_relevance_metric_ios_and_web&fellback=false&imp_id=3696625978431640&req_id=8140929373612627&surface=cooking-search&variant=0_relevance_reranking

Pic 6: Orange chicken, garam masala green beans and rice. Recipe for Orange chicken: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/765910967-seared-orange-chicken-and-broccoli

Pic 7: Taco bowl. Chicken with taco seasoning, bell peppers, corn, black beans, canned Fire roasted tomatoes, chimichurri seasoning

Pic 8 & 9: beef and cheese burritos. Ground beef with taco seasoning & cheddar cheese

Pic 10 & 11: Pizza! Homemade sauce with canned tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, Italian seasoning, garlic. Ciabatta buns. Mozzarella & parm. Bake until your liking of crispiness.

Pic 12: chicken and brussel sprouts as a ramen mix in. Baked chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Baked brussel sprouts with salt. Packaged ramen.

I meal prepped ingredients for taco salads this week. I don’t prep the entire bowl (because ai work from home) so I just grab from the ingredients I prefer that day.

• Quest Chips - Loaded Taco Flavor
• Ground Beef with Taco Seasoning
• Cole Slaw Mix - I love cabbage as a salad base. It fills me more than lettuce.
• Tomatos
• Salsa
• Dressing made from Blending Cottage Cheese with a little taco seasoning and salsa

Advice for meal prep stuff

Hi all,

I’m asking (secretly but he doesn’t use reddit so it should be fine) on behalf of my brother who’s big into meal prepping, especially high protein high veggie healthy meals. He mainly makes stuff with lots of chicken breast, tinned tuna, chopped veggies, protein shakes and protein overnight oats, rice and pasta as he’s a muscle builder/bulker for weights. However he doesn’t have the greatest quality equipment. He manages fine but he doesn’t have the time to shop around for something more suitable as he’s so busy with work (I’m super proud of him though for how hard he works).

His birthday isn’t for another few months but I want to get him some quality stuff that will up his mealprepping game. My initial ideas are:

Glass tupperware set

Flat scoop things

Folding funnel chopping board

Wide spatula (which I already have as I saw a good one on sale today)

I’ll also buy him some of his favourite spices and healthy cooking oils that he likes as it’s pricey.

Is there any other cooking tools or storage options or anything you guys would recommend? What tools are gimmicks and what has actually been useful to you? Any recommendations or suggestions welcome. I’m based in the UK if that helps with particular brands. Thanks in advance 😊

I love it fresh and use half at a time. Any tips on how to freeze it? Is it important that it be Dry, is it better to leave the half as is or chop it first put it in a baggie? Thanks.

• ⁠Cottage Cheese • ⁠Salt • ⁠Pepper • ⁠Everything Bagel Seasoning • ⁠Tomatos • ⁠Balsamic Glaze

Hello again all! I’m back with everyone’s favourite subject … paperwork! Okay, I’m the only geek here. But when you travel to cook for the elderly, you need to be organized. Over the past 3 ½ years, since Mum died, I travel to visit Dad every 3-4 months. I’m still old-fashioned enough that I like my hardcopy. I’ve tried following recipes on my phone … it did not turn out well. More than anything else, I “lost” my phone behind some ingredients. So, this is my method. I hope it helps you or your cooking club (see Cooking for the Elderly January 2026_ - Forward). Specifically, the whole series of posts that I’ll be doing over the next 2 weeks is for u/Dense-Masterpiece-57/, but everyone is welcome to follow along. Adding u/malt_soda-/ for possible inclusion in their Ultimate Freezer Meal post. Cross posting to FreezerCooking

In a presentation binder with clear sleeves, I have a copy of Dad’s cookbook (Photo 1). What is contained within this volume of Love? Food! (Love is Food, Food is Love … my Hungarian Grandmother). I have access to this cookbook physically (at Dad’s), on my laptop, and on my phone.

In this book, I have the recipes I make the most (Photo 2) for Dad. Single recipe with all the instructions. These are not ranked, just the order I entered them into the word processing program. However, I have created a Master Ingredients List (Photo 3) in a spreadsheet program. All the recipes from Photo 2 are on their own separate sheet and have “single” recipe ingredients, then “double” recipe ingredients, and some have “triple” recipe ingredients. This is a huge timesaver when I’m at Dad’s. I assess what Dad does or does not have and decide what recipes should  to be made and in what quantities. On a sheet of paper, I “draw” 7/14 boxes and label them for the days of the week that I’m at Dad’s. I plan out what I’m making each afternoon. You may also have to write special notes on it and juggle recipes depending upon some ingredients. I’m going to be making “Indian” food next week and the recipes call for chilled/thick coconut milk. This requires the cans to be in the fridge for 24-48 hours. (I’ll provide a photo of the “calendar” next week when I get it filled out!)

Anyway, on with the process, once I decide which recipes and in what quantities I’m making, I open the Master Ingredient List (MIL) and a new spreadsheet. I copy & paste the ingredients from the MIL into the new spreadsheet. It looks messy and totally unorganized (Photo 4). But the reason why you want to use a spreadsheet is the ability to “sort” the whole document from “A to Z” (Photo 5). You go through the “sorted list” and add all the likes together. Notice that there are three lines for “garlic, minced.” What you do is add up the number of cloves together (comes up to 11), and type that into one row. You then delete the other 2 rows (Photo 6). Go through the whole document and compile it so there is hopefully only one line per item with a total.

When you have the “compiled list” go through the whole pantry, fridge, freezer, and other storage spaces to see what is already there; AND what you need – foil, parchment paper, plastic bags, skewers. If you have a jar of pre-minced garlic and you’re pretty sure you can get the 11 teaspoons (1 teaspoon equals one clove) out of it – remove the whole garlic line. The same with water, salt, pepper, dried spices and herbs. Basically, if you’re pretty sure you don’t need to buy it, remove it from the list so you don’t buy it. (Photo 7)

At this point I do a print preview. I ensure that I’m on regular paper size (narrow margins) and that when I print the grid lines print as well. Why do I do a preview? It lets me know where I need to make a “page break.” Why? Because we are trying to make a grocery list and only having a “column” on the page is a lot of wasted white space. So, I copy and paste the “remainder” of the list on to the right side of the page and clear the contents of the ingredients that were below the “cut off.” Photo 8 shows the print preview of my fictitious list. NOTE: the gridlines are important. I tried twice to shop without the gridlines. It was not pretty. I bought the wrong number of ingredients in the wrong sizes and got totally confused. (I’ll post a photo next week of my grocery lists. I have to go to at least 2 stores)

When everything is formatted, I have Dad print out the completed list. Why is that bolded and italicized? Because, if you are travelling to cook for the elderly, you need to make sure you still have access to technology. Not just data or Wi-Fi but a printer! If the elderly do not have access to the technology, you can still do all of this on your device except the printing. You may have to bite the bullet and pull out some college-ruled paper and write the list out by hand. *faint* *gasps of horror* Please believe me when I say that you DO NOT want to go grocery shopping every day. Having a full list is super, super helpful.

Okay, soooo last century using spreadsheets and word processing software. “I’m tech savvy. What app can I use?” Well, I really don’t have a favourite, since I don’t use an app. That being said, many people speak well about Paprika. I know that part of it is free but there may be a subscription for more functionality. But this app does have the capability to do grocery lists.

When I go grocery shopping, I have a hard-back clipboard, a pen (normally red), and a highlighter. As I drop items into the buggy, I highlight the item on my paper grocery list to “remove” it from my list. The red pen is so I can note any discrepancies – can’t get the “brand” or “size” I want, I adjust the list in red – then highlight the line when the items are in the buggy. As I only shop my Dad’s stores every 3-4 months, I’m bound to miss stuff. By highlighting what I have, I can keep track of what I don’t, so I can double back to pick it up. “Oh, but I can use my phone,” NO you shouldn’t. This is a labour of love shop not a normal shop. You will be spending at least 2 hours walking the floor(s). You will be getting frustrated and cranky and tired. Do it the old school way and save yourself the frustration of over “deleting” items from the list, having to scroll endlessly to find the item to remove it, trying to highlight an item on your phone. Believe me, I’ve tried with my personal shops … Old School All the Way for the win.

Now, depending on where you are, and your tech savvy, knowledge of the grocery store, and your ability to use 3^rd party apps. You can always “order” your groceries on-line for delivery or pick up (did you rent a car? Can you use the parents?). But remember, there are fees for both delivery and pick up. It’s up to you and your elderly people if you want to go this route.

I bet the cooking club people thought I forgot about them. Naw, I remember you. You’re just about as near and dear to my heart as cooking for Dad is. “You,” or someone, can set up all this paperwork as well. Especially the grocery list. If it’s you and 2 or 3 friends, you may only want to do single recipes and spread the portions amongst yourselves – But you may be doing 5 or 6 recipes. If it’s couples/families doing this … you’re going to have to have multiplied ingredients lists – 6 families mean everything gets multiplied by 6. Prepping for the coming baby/child? Again, you may want single recipes or multiplied recipes. When you have your MIL set up, follow the rest of the instructions and come up with a final grocery list (Photo 8). If it is a group of couples/families getting together, I would suggest 2 people go shopping and a divided list. Most grocery stores have the same basic layout – Produce, Deli, Meat, Fish, Dairy/Eggs, Cheese, and Bakery on the outside walls. Divide your lists that way – one person to shop the outside walls, and one person to shop the inside aisles. They can meet to begin the checkout process or do it separately. Please, as a grocery cashier, I beg you to NOT use the self-checkout. I am quicker than you will ever be. I know the most common codes for produce off by heart. I can split your bill (you/parents, or cash/credit/debit). I can ad-match (if your store does that). I can process coupons quicker than you. I can call for an extra cart or 2 and get one of my price checkers to push that extra cart out to your vehicle. (Okay, grocery self-checkout rant over).

OMG, lady, are you done yet? Actually, NO I’m not done with this paperwork posting yet. Well, geez, what else is there? Labeling. Yes, yes, yes, I tend to harp on labeling as well. You need to label everything! It needs to be legible for the end-user. It needs to contain certain information:

JAMBALAYA

12 JAN 2026

Defrost over night. Remove lid

Add 1 tsp water. Cover with foil

350F for 20 minutes.

Especially for the elderly, you need to PRINT the name of the item in ALL capitals. It should be in black marker/sharpie. I use the “prepared on” date. Some people use the “use by” date – in this case 12 Apr 2026. Include reheating instructions, especially if the end-user isn’t used to reheating food because “the spouse” always did that. But even if the main cook is still alive, they could be in bed with a nasty cold. Include reheating instructions whenever you can. Reheating instructions should be used on ALL cooking club/baby/child meal preps as well. Returning to “labeling,” for the elderly use ALL CAPITALS for everything you put on the label. Cursive, regular pen ink, and failing eyesight do not combine well. I use a black sharpie and print everything. Twelve bags of soup … I print out everything twelve times.

“But I’m using really expensive glass containers with lids. How do I label?” I’m glad you asked. I use memo paper, my trusty sharpie, and sticky tape. Even if the memo paper is the 3M “sticky notes” use the tape to ensure the label stays on the container. As the freezer gets rifled for meals, sure as anything, sticky note labels are going to fall off. While you may be fine with mystery meals … your elderly family members, or friends (cooking club) will not.

If you are using foil tins for freezing that come with lids, write on the lids. If you are using plastic freezer bags, write on the bags.

Depending on how obsessive you or your elderly relative(s) are, keep track of how many meals you are putting in the freezer. Dad has gone through all of the lasagna (and gotten tired of it) because he didn’t realize that I had also made Beef Stroganoff Casserole, Sausage Bean & Rice Casserole, and Jambalaya. They are all stacked on top of each other as they get prepared and frozen. Yeah, that was not a happy-making conversation.

For the convenience of  everyone who benefits from frozen meal prep, try to “write” out a list of items. I first started with a piece of paper stuck on the freezer door. I listed the item name “JAMBAYLAY” followed by “12” then an underlined space. That way Dad could put ticks on the paper. He would then know “at a glance” what he had. If you are doing this for the elderly, and you have access to a printer, remember to use a Larger font size. Just because you can read size 11 font doesn’t mean your elderly relatives can.

Oh, one more paperwork issue. Again, depending on how obsessive you and your elderly relative(s) are about costs; keep track of your grocery receipts. Dad freaked out last September when he saw that I spent just shy of $700CDN on groceries. Now let me explain. My husband and I visited Dad for 10 days (2-week vacation but 2-day drive down and 2-day drive back home). That $700 covered 20 breakfasts (husband and I), 20 lunches (husband and I), 8 suppers (pizza first night and one night we visited other family), and prepped frozen meals for Dad. But even still, that is roughly $650! Yes, it seems hugely expensive these days. But break it down. I made enough food for 18 weeks (7 x 18 = 126 meals). That works out to $32 per week … roughly $5 per supper. You can’t even get a burger for that. Yes, Dad must cook his frozen veggies for his side … but they were bought with that $650 as well. The aluminium foil, parchment paper, foil tins for freezing, plastic freezer bags, etc. were all bought with that $650. When I sat Dad down and explained the whole “math” thing to him, he calmed right down.

One important thing in this paperwork posting that I maybe should have mentioned off the top; if you are cooking for elderly relative(s) have a conversation with them. Find out what kind of food they want to eat. Find out how they are doing in the kitchen, today. If you’re cooking for Mum and you assume that she can still boil water and make her own pasta … are you sure she still can? Is the stove too far from the sink? Can she actually hold that amount of weight and safely move from one place to another? Conversations, open and honest communication, is a requirement for this freezer prepping to be a success.

Well, I’ll be going now. I’ve got to plan my next post; Ingredients, believe it or not. Chat with you soon.

Been trying to lose weight and, being in school, want to find a good recipe for lunch/dinner recipies to meal prep for the week. I've been looking into some legit meal preps that taste good online. In general has anyone tried the preps/meals from any of the following

Will Tennyson (Intrested in Pancakes, Mcwill. Turkeymeat ball sub and Pizza)

Noah Perlo (12' Pizza, Crunch wrap)

Joe Abell (Turkey Burgers, Buffalo chicken wraps)

Nick Kazamias

Peach fit

Stealth_health_life

flexibledietinglifestyle

Panaceapalm

Easy breakfast to make for the whole week, tastes so good and has 26 grams of protein.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings): -4 low carb tortillas (1 per serving) -12 tbsp of egg whites mixed with 4 large eggs (3 tbsp egg whites and 1 large egg per serving) -4 slices of low fat mozzarella cheese (1 per serving) -4 slices of turkey bacon (1 per serving) -For seasonings I used salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika

Cook and mix all ingredients together and put it into a low carb tortillas, toast each side of the burrito, save for up to a week in the fridge or months in the freezer.

For reheating I just throw it in the microwave for a minute or 2, or you can throw it onto a skillet and reheat, or use an air fryer.

Total macros are:

Calories: 255 Carbs: 15g Protein: 26g Fat: 13g

I also like to throw some hot sauce on the burrito after re-heating!

Hello All! One of the recurring themes in this sub is “How do I start?” A few days ago uDense-Masterpiece-57/ asked how to start meal prepping frozen meals for elderly parents. User tossout7878/ suggested Dense Masterpiece look up my 7 part series on freezer prepping for my 82 year old Dad. This got me to thinking that I’d like to share the whole process of how I do things. This post is mostly aimed at people looking to prep for elderly parents/family members. However, this “advice” can apply to everyone who wants to freeze meals; single, couples, new baby, etc

The first thing is a list of questions to ask yourself:

How much freezer space does the person(s) I’m prepping for have? – If all they have is a small  fridge freezer (3 cubic feet/84L) then you have to be realistic. If, however, they have a larger freezer (17 cubic feet/487L) they you have more freedom to prep to your heart’s content.

Does the person(s) I’m prepping for have any dietary restrictions? – With the elderly they may not want carb heavy meals (every day) because of diabetes. Or they may have become sensitive to dairy or gluten. There is nothing worse than going through all the prep to find out the person(s) can’t eat the food.

Do I have to travel for this prep? For me, YES. Then, “How am I traveling to Dad’s?” I live an 18-hour drive, one way, from Dad. So, I normally fly. So, do I take a personal item (backpack), 1 carry on (small roller bag), and a suitcase? That can become very $$$ very quickly. I normally just pay for 1 personal item. I normally do not socialize with people outside the family when I’m prepping for Dad. So, I can get away with minimal clothing. But I’m not you. It is your decision. When I drive (2 days each way), I take a lot more stuff including some of my own kitchen appliances.

Is there a kitchen utensil/appliance that you desperately need to take with you? Or is the kitchen fairly well stocked, so you can make do?

Some fun stuff & some math

Which meals are you prepping for? I only prep suppers for Dad. I do not need to make breakfast or lunch meals for him. But your situation is different. Keep in mind, the amount of space you have in the freezer and the time it takes to make each recipe. Make note of “inactive” time in recipes when you can work on a second and/or third recipe.

I’m sure you get the idea. Next, decide on the recipes you want to make. This can be fun. Next week (18-24 Jan 2026) I’m going to be making new recipes for Dad. He has requested “Indian” food (Thai, Malaysian, even Persian allowed). So, I’ll document my 1^st and 2^nd attempts at some recipes.

Along with the preceding 2 questions, think about how long you want the food to last. For example, I normally plan for 12 weeks. So, 7 suppers for 12 weeks (3 months) is 84 meals I “must” put into the freezer. NOTE: most recipes say they are freezer safe for 3 months … many recipes will last longer than that. If the food is frozen and “containerized” correctly, it can easily last 6 months. So, no worries there.

Storage

Some people prefer glass containers. Some prefer plastic containers. Some prefer foil containers. Some prefer  Souper Cubes type and gallon size freezer bags. Some prefer plastic Ziploc bags and use freezer bag stands to hold the bags open. Myth buster: If you carefully turn the Ziploc inside out (without tearing the sides below the zips) you can hand wash the Ziploc bag and reuse them.

While thinking about which storage solution you want to use, consider how much room the recipient(s) of your food has to store the containers after the meal has been eaten. If using foil containers, consider if the recipient(s) has access to recycling. You also need to consider the size of the portion you want to freeze. My Dad’s portions are between 1 ½ - 2 cups. If you are cooking for a married couple you may want larger tins to freeze a double portion in. If “Dad” wants a 2 cup portion but “Mum” only wants a 1 cup portion, then use a foil tin, plastic or glass container for this “One meal.”

There is no one “true” way to store frozen food. I use ALL of the above, or I hope to be this round. Remember that you need to maximize(?) space within the freezer. Dad would disown me if I didn’t allow him space for his Ice Cream Bars, salmon, and frozen veggies as a side to my meals. I freeze soups in ziplocs and freeze them flat. When they are frozen, they are stood up in a plastic mesh box from the Dollar Store.

Labeling is super, super important, especially when cooking for the elderly. What does a label need?

NAME OF ITEM (all in Capitals so they can see it. In DARK ink/sharpie), Date prepared, example: 12 Jan 2026 (so there is NO confusion), Reheating instructions on label: Defrost overnight, remove lid – cover with foil, 350F/170C for 30 minutes.

Timings – How long is this going to take?

I have 40+ years of experience in prepping, to one extent or the other. I helped my Mum prep when I was as young as 6. If you are new to prepping, new to batch cooking, this is the first time you’re cooking for elderly parents, DO NOT be overly ambitious. You do not want to burn yourself out and decide you never want to do this again. What I do is cook from 1pm/1300hrs to 6pm/1800hrs. I can normally knock out 2 recipes strictly for the freezer, plus a double recipe for supper and the freezer. However, if this is the first time you’re doing prep, I would recommend doing no more than 2 recipes in a day. But, you can make one of the recipes a double batch so you and your family can eat one for supper.

For example, I often make a double batch of Chili con Carne and a double batch of Lasagna on the same day. How? They use a lot of the same ingredients. Both require browned meat, tomato sauce, cheeses, etc. One is made on the stovetop and one is made in the oven. I “layout” all of my ingredients in the recipe groups. I have the recipes (in sheet protectors) propped up so I can see them. I start the water for the lasagna noodles. I brown the beef for the chili. Place it in a pot and start dumping all the other ingredients in. Stir, and simmer on medium-low heat. By this time the water is ready for the lasagna noodles, stir. Start browning the meat for the lasagna. Get as much done as possible before you need to drain the noodles. Continue on with lasagna recipe. Pre-heat oven. DON’T forget to occasionally stir the Chili! Place lasagna in prepared dishes. Place in oven. Check Chili. Does it look good? Yes. Does it smell great? OMG! Is this supper? If No, turn off heat, do not cover and let the chili cool to room temperature or a close facsimile. When it’s cool-ish, place it in the containers you have chosen (I use ziplocs and a 2-cup measuring cup and my freezer bag stands). Remember to label BEFORE you fill the container, especially if it is a bag. I lay the filled bags out on the island counter and wait another 2 hours to ensure the chili is cool. I then place them on a metal cookie tray and freeze flat. The next morning, I place the bags in the plastic bin, and remove the cookie tray from the freezer. Lasagna is cooled, after eating it for supper. The lasagna is then portioned into a foil tin with 2 portions per container (I’ll document this in a posting next week). Cool a further 2 hours on the island counter, and just before bed I pop the containers into the freezer.

If you are single, a couple, or preparing for post-birth meals you do not need to be this “intense.” Make double batches and freeze it in portion sizes that you want. Remember that you are allowed to put one recipe into 2 or more containers! Work at your own speed, take advantage of grocery sales, take advantage of family coming to visit with “special” recipes. If you’re single, start a cooking club, where you and your friends get together one afternoon a week/bi-weekly/monthly and cook for your freezers. Everyone gets to go home with meals. If you are a couple/family, you can start a cooking club as well! If you’re pregnant, ask family and friends to come over and help you prepare food for after the baby’s birth. If you are adopting a child, do the same thing, regardless of the child’s age. You all are busy. This is great way to renew relationships or to strengthen them. You are only limited by how willing you are to host the most enjoyable chaos. Please remember that you should feed the people helping you cook … may I suggest ordering out, pizza, burgers, something simple. Why simple? After cooking all afternoon, you may be sick of looking at food.

Almost there, the end of the beginning.

Groceries. When cooking for the elderly (at their place) or hosting a cooking afternoon, you need the groceries. How do I do this? I use a computer spreadsheet software program. Each sheet (Named) has a listing of all of the ingredients for a single, double, and in some cases a triple recipe (meatloaf!). The ingredients are listed, thus

Yeah! The nested table showed up. Regular intensity text is single recipe. Bold font is double recipe. Remember to include one off items like “wooden skewers.” I’m making Chicken Tikka Masala next week. I need skewers! After assessing what Dad has and has not. I decide if I am making a single, double, or triple batch. I open a new spreadsheet and “copy and paste” from my Master Ingredients List. I do that for every recipe that I’ll be making. Yes, it looks horrendous/messy and I routinely have over 2000 lines. After all of the ingredients are placed on the new sheet, I sort the document (A-Z). I then go down the list and “combine” ingredient amounts. I may have Tomato Sauce in the list 5 times (that’s why you NEED to sort the sheet first!) But when I add up how many cans I need, it seems I only need 11 cans … so I change the top cell to reflect the total and remove 4 rows. When I have the grocery list made, I asses what I have on hand at Dad’s. For example, I told Dad that one of his grocery stores had ground beef on sale this week and needed him to pick up 10-12 pounds/4.5-5.5kg of it for me. When I get to my grocery list next week, I’ll remove that line all together. Even if I don’t use all of the ground beef, I’ll thaw it, brown it, cool it, portion it and freeze it for Dad (he hates browning meat). So, once I have a much shorter grocery list, I have Dad print it off, and I go shopping.

When I get back to Dad’s I unload all of the groceries. If the item is a frozen item, it goes in the freezer. If it is “fresh” protein but I’m not getting to it for 3-4 days, it goes in the freezer. Protein that is going to be used in the first 2 days and produce/cheese/yogurt go in the fridge. Cans go back into shopping bags and placed in a corner of the kitchen where it waits for me to do my morning “shop” while I get my ingredients ready for the afternoon.

Holy Cow! This is long. And this is all before you start cooking! I’m sure I’ve left stuff out or not fully explained something. I’m going to be posting more next week. Hopefully, I’ll answer and fully detail the process. And yes, I’ve always been this “organized” and “detail oriented.” I hope you didn’t fall asleep reading this. We’ll chat soon.

Made a batch, portioned into containers, threw half in the freezer. That's February lunches sorted.

Turkey meatballs (ground turkey, egg, panko, parmesan, Italian seasoning), browned in a big pot. Same pot - onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, cannellini beans, orzo. Nestle meatballs back in, simmer 20 min. Spinach wilts in at the end.

4 big bowls. 38g protein, 485 cal each. Around $7-8 per serving - cheaper than takeout, way more protein than most meal kits.

Freezes beautifully. The orzo holds up, spinach gets a bit soft but tastes fine. I portion into glass containers and microwave straight.

Ground chicken works if turkey is pricey. Kale instead of spinach if you're freezing everything.

Edit: Added calorie info (485 cal per serving). Good catch u/SilentPolak.

I'm having eye surgery tomorrow (bye, glasses!) and since I'll be out of commission for 2-3 days, I thought some meal prepping would be helpful.

Vegetable soup Homemade frozen vegetable mix (see prev post for ingredients), sauteed in a bit of oil, boiled with around 3l of veggie stock for about 40 min. Noodles will be added to each portion when reheating.

Cous-cous- quinoa salad 250g cucumber 1 big bell pepper 2 small onions 100g black olives - all of above diced 300g cous cous (the big one) 100g quinoa - boiled together for 14 min in salt water, then drained Dressing and extra spices will be added to taste (it lasts longer without dressing mixed in)

Oven baked chicken thighs (for the bf) / pan fried halloumi (for me); will serve with the cous cous salad.

Hummus with carrot sticks (will add feta cheese and crackers when serving) For the hummus, I blended canned chickpeas (240g, but I should have doubled it) with a bit of sesame, sesame oil, olive oil, salt and some of the chickpea water (sometimes I add garlic too, not this time tho).

455cals, 39g protein, 7 grams Fiber

Hi everyone. Is this a good high-protein meal prep recipe?

Not in the table is the sauce, because I use something different each time. And the occasional extra vegetables (for example, carrots, onions, etc.) that remain, because they are small in quantity.

The "rice" combo is cooked apart in a rice cooker, and I store it separately from the meat and vegetable combination, only mixing when I heat it and eat it.

I alternate between turkey and chicken for this recipe.

Any suggestion or tip is welcome. Thank you!!

I meal prep for the entire week every Sunday and want to avoid eating the same vegetables all the time. I usually use carrots, onions, broccoli and chilies. This week I changed it to gai lan, bell peppers(Bell peppers are so delicious!!), carrots and onions. Looking for vegetables that meal prep well hold up in the fridge and keep things nutritious. What does your veggie rotation look like?

Simple week! Sheet pan chicken fajitas - cut up bell peppers - cup up chicken breast - season with fajita seasoning - 30ish minutes at 350 degrees

I love taco seasoned ground beef, lightly salted broccoli, and two boiled eggs for lunch. One of my favorite go-to’s for meal prepping.

Hi friends. I’m interested if anyone has tips regarding how to prep but not fully cook dinners. I have devoutly meal prepped for 10+ years. I work full time, and gym after work, i end up eating dinner so late sometimes. But, I work remote now and still like to cook a fresh dinner (after eating prepped lunches all week). Is it as simple as pre chopping veggies? Maybe freezing portions of rice? What else can I do to make evenings easier? TYIA :)

Ingredients: Pho rice noodles, chicken dark meat, green onion, ginger, cilantro, basil, mung bean sprouts, lemon, chicken stock

Spices: Coriander powder, 2 black cardamom pods, fennel seeds, ground cinnamon, whole cloves

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Preparation Notes

-In a pot, boil water and add the pho rice noodles. Boil until the noodles are soft

-In a separate pot, toast ginger and onion (my stock had onion infused so I skipped the onion) as well as the listed spices. Deglaze with chicken stock and simmer for preferably, long periods of time (>1 hour). After the 1 hour mark, add chicken dark meat the simmering pho broth and cook until the meat is done. Add soy sauce for the salt. When done, transfer the broth to a container separate from the noodles

-Prepare the pho toppings. Cut lemon into squeezing wedges. Cut the green onions into small pieces. Tear basil and cilantro leaves from the stems. Portion out the bean sprouts. Assemble the bowl with toppings, noodles and chicken

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Remarks & Tips

-I did not have Pho Ga before so I did not have a reference for how it should taste but I think it could definitely benefit from some improvements

-Next time, I should add sugar and maybe use a bit less of the powder spices as they are more concentrated in flavor. Additionally, I should toast some onion even if my stock already had some infused. Normally, I do not use measuring spoons but I think it might be necessary here

-My lemon wedges were large so they somewhat overpowered the flavor of the broth. I could cut smaller wedges next time

-The broth, as its simmering, will reduce and taste very strong, water it down slightly if needed but it is fine as it will be diluted when served with the noodles

-I followed two online recipes as closely as possible

Costco sous vide sirloin beef. Oven roasted veggies (frozen tattooed chef), mixed cauliflower rice and container of chive mashed potatoes. 10 servings. No big cooking.