- Aug 14, 2018
- 720
- 188
- 63
The nutrition research is clear that total protein and total calories do most of the work — the practical problem is executing that on a Tuesday when you get home hungry at 6 pm. This is the system that solves it for me: one slow cooker, three rotating bases, about ninety minutes of hands-on time on a Sunday. Approximate macros are per generous serving and will vary with your exact ingredients; treat them as planning numbers, not lab results.
**1. Salsa chicken (the default).** Chicken breast (or a breast/thigh mix), a jar of salsa, a packet's worth of taco seasoning — or your own chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt. Four to six hours on low. Shred with two forks in the cooking liquid. Roughly 40–45 g protein per 250 g serving depending on the cut. Goes into wraps, rice bowls, or on top of potatoes all week without tasting like "meal prep."
**2. Beef and barley stew.** Stewing beef, pearl barley, carrots, onion, celery, beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf. Six to eight hours on low; the barley cooks in the broth and makes it a complete bowl — protein, slow carbs, fibre, and the vegetables people otherwise skip. Roughly 35–40 g protein per big bowl. This is the winter-training special: it reheats perfectly and somehow tastes better on day three.
**3. Lentil and sausage soup.** Red lentils (no soaking, they dissolve and thicken), sliced smoked sausage in modest amounts, onion, garlic, stock, a tin of chopped tomatoes, cumin and smoked paprika. Three to four hours on high. The lentils quietly deliver plant protein and a lot of fibre alongside the sausage — roughly 25–30 g protein per bowl. Cheapest of the three by a wide margin.
Storage rules that keep this safe and edible: fridge portions within two hours of cooking, eat fridge portions within three to four days, freeze the rest in single servings. Rice and potatoes get cooked fresh in batches twice a week rather than stored all week. Rotate the bases so you never eat the same lunch five days straight — the best meal-prep plan is the one you haven't started dreading by Thursday.
What are your repeatable staples? I'm always looking for a fourth base — bonus points if it's cheap, freezes well, and doesn't involve another week of plain chicken and rice.
**1. Salsa chicken (the default).** Chicken breast (or a breast/thigh mix), a jar of salsa, a packet's worth of taco seasoning — or your own chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt. Four to six hours on low. Shred with two forks in the cooking liquid. Roughly 40–45 g protein per 250 g serving depending on the cut. Goes into wraps, rice bowls, or on top of potatoes all week without tasting like "meal prep."
**2. Beef and barley stew.** Stewing beef, pearl barley, carrots, onion, celery, beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf. Six to eight hours on low; the barley cooks in the broth and makes it a complete bowl — protein, slow carbs, fibre, and the vegetables people otherwise skip. Roughly 35–40 g protein per big bowl. This is the winter-training special: it reheats perfectly and somehow tastes better on day three.
**3. Lentil and sausage soup.** Red lentils (no soaking, they dissolve and thicken), sliced smoked sausage in modest amounts, onion, garlic, stock, a tin of chopped tomatoes, cumin and smoked paprika. Three to four hours on high. The lentils quietly deliver plant protein and a lot of fibre alongside the sausage — roughly 25–30 g protein per bowl. Cheapest of the three by a wide margin.
Storage rules that keep this safe and edible: fridge portions within two hours of cooking, eat fridge portions within three to four days, freeze the rest in single servings. Rice and potatoes get cooked fresh in batches twice a week rather than stored all week. Rotate the bases so you never eat the same lunch five days straight — the best meal-prep plan is the one you haven't started dreading by Thursday.
What are your repeatable staples? I'm always looking for a fourth base — bonus points if it's cheap, freezes well, and doesn't involve another week of plain chicken and rice.