This May Be The Laziest Meal Prep We have Ever Seen — And It is Not Half Dangerous

For those who’re busy or detest determining what to eat for dinner each night time, you in all probability already know that meal prepping is vital for making your week much less annoying. However when it comes time to truly do it, it’s simple to sink deeper into the sofa and need another person might care for it for you. As useful as it’s, meal prepping remains to be a chore and time-suck.

You need in on a serious meal prep hack profitable persons are utilizing to make their weekday meals a breeze? They’re letting eating places do the cooking for them, utilizing family-style meals or catering menus for his or her core meal prepping meals. One TikTok video reveals how a $100 platter of rooster, greens and mashed potatoes can be utilized for meals all through the week and highlighted Chipotle as a well-liked go-to for meal prep. One other TikTok video reveals use meals from Outback Steakhouse for per week of meals costing lower than $10 per meal.

Letting eating places do the cooking for you undoubtedly saves time, however are you sacrificing dietary worth and cash? We spoke with registered dietitians and budgeting consultants about this widespread meal prep development, they usually undoubtedly had some ideas.

Robert Buckman personally makes use of family-style meals from eating places to meal prep and has been sharing his recommendations on TikTok. He’s meal prepped utilizing meals from PF Chang’s, Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Cracker Barrel, to call a number of.

Buckman instructed HuffPost that one in every of his private favourite eating places to make use of for meal prepping is Panera Bread. “My favorite lunch meal prep would be Panera because they have a deal where you can get a full salad, soup and four sandwich halves for roughly $40 and that can easily be split into five lunches,” he shared. As for dinner? Buckman recommends Panda Categorical as a result of the portion sizes are massive and their grilled rooster can be utilized in a wide range of methods. On TikTok, different restaurant favorites for meal prepping embrace Texas Roadhouse, Olive Backyard and Bonefish Grill.

When determining what to order, Buckman shared that he appears for platters made to serve 4 or 5 individuals. “If the menu says that a dish serves four to five people, then I can get five regularly portioned meals or four bigger portion meals,” Buckman mentioned. He additionally recommends selecting meals which can be solely evenly flavored so the components are extra versatile and to keep away from meals which can be breaded, which don’t style nice reheated.

Buckman mentioned utilizing restaurant meals to meal prep saves him each money and time. In a mean week, he shared, this meal prep hack saves him about two hours of time a day. As an alternative of cooking all of the meals he buys himself, Buckman mentioned, it solely takes him three minutes to microwave them or 10 minutes to air fry. He added that it takes him about 10 minutes to choose up the meals from the restaurant and 20 minutes to portion out into containers for the week. “They definitely save me money too because usually each meal comes out to roughly $10 a portion, and you can go to a fast-food restaurant and spend $13 for a combo and not a healthy option,” he added.

In response to budgeting consultants we talked to, utilizing restaurant meals to meal prep can be value efficient, however it isn’t at all times. It will depend on what you order and what you’ll have been shopping for to eat in any other case.

“When you’re comparing the cost of catering trays to frequent takeout or dining out, you’re almost always getting a better price per meal. The key is buying food that stretches — catering portions are designed for groups, so you get more servings for your money. That said, it’s not always cheaper than cooking at home, but the time it saves can make it worthwhile,” Smart Greenback Mother blogger Claudia Valladares instructed HuffPost.

Valladares shared that utilizing restaurant meals to meal prep generally is a good possibility for busy households, single individuals who don’t need to cook dinner each night time however nonetheless need selection or for anybody who tends to overspend on takeout. To be as cost-effective as doable, Harris Monetary Teaching proprietor Annette Harris recommends specializing in proteins, which are sometimes probably the most time consuming a part of a meal to cook dinner. “If you don’t have the opportunity to thaw and cook items like ribs or sirloin, purchasing these items in large quantities can save you both time and money. Proteins are very filling and can last for several meals,” she mentioned.

Harris additionally recommends selecting platters that permit for simple mixing and matching all through the week versus selecting meals like lasagna that, whereas massive, don’t permit for a lot versatility. Valladares really useful this too, saying rice is a superb restaurant menu merchandise to go for as a result of it may be utilized in many various methods.

Okay, so utilizing restaurant meals to meal prep undoubtedly saves time and can prevent cash. However are you sacrificing vitamin within the course of? Not in the event you’re good about it.

“When using restaurant catering for meal prep, the key is balance — prioritize lean proteins like grilled chicken, turkey or fish, along with steamed or roasted vegetables and high-fiber starches like brown rice, sweet potatoes or quinoa. These foods are versatile, nutrient-dense and easy to portion for nutritious meals,” mentioned registered dietitian Alyssa Simpson.

Kalyn True, a registered dietitian at Memorial Hermann Health System, additionally instructed HuffPost that the hot button is to give attention to lean proteins, complete grains and veggies — simply as you’ll in the event you had been making nutritionally balanced meals from scratch. When choosing your proteins, True recommends selecting grilled or roasted rooster, fish or lean cuts of beef. “As for whole grains, I’d look at options like brown rice, quinoa or whole-wheat pasta over refined grains because the whole grains offer more fiber and nutrients. When looking at vegetables, prioritize foods like broccoli, carrots, bell peppers or spinach. Even pre-made salads have great nutrient density to them too,” she added.

It’s additionally useful to know what restaurant meals to keep away from ordering if you wish to maintain your meals all through the week wholesome. Registered dietitian Stephanie Magill recommends avoiding meals which can be fried, creamy or tacky. Not solely are a lot of these meals greater in energy and fewer wholesome, they don’t style nearly as good when reheated both.

To maintain meals tasting completely different all through the week, Simpson instructed HuffPost that the hot button is utilizing sauces, seasonings or dressings. “Get creative by repurposing the same base ingredients into different meals. For example, grilled chicken can be used in salads, wraps, tacos or stir-fries, while roasted veggies and quinoa can make a hearty grain bowl or a filling soup,” she mentioned.

Magill echoed this recommendation. “With a few additions from your fridge or pantry, you can shake up the flavors and options. One night you could have a burrito or wrap stuffed with grilled chicken, rice, veggies, hummus and feta. Another night make a burrito bowl with brown rice, protein, salsa and guac. Then make a plate of tacos the next night,” she mentioned.

It’s additionally necessary to retailer your restaurant meals appropriately to keep away from foodborne sicknesses. “Store food in airtight containers and refrigerate promptly to maintain freshness, and don’t forget to reheat food thoroughly to kill any bacteria,” True mentioned.

So long as you retain all of the following tips in thoughts, incorporating restaurant meals into your meal prepping can save each money and time, with out sacrificing the dietary density of your meal. Whether or not you’re cooking for one or a complete household, it’s a method to make your week simpler. On this case, it actually does pay to have another person do the cooking.