How Do You Plan Your Meals?

[Alex Brecher 10,515]

Meal planning can be an important factor in success after weight loss surgery. You need to get enough Protein and other nutrients and limit your calories while you stick to the allowed food choices on your weight loss surgery diet. Meal planning can be challenging, though. How do you plan your meals?

Select the answer that best describes you, and tell us about it in the discussion below!

[PdxMan 4,292]

Every Sunday I go to the store buying what I need for a large batch of something nutritious and delicious. I try to buy local ingredients and keep the recipes very simple. I detail my plan here in this thread:

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/300695-discouraged-with-planning-meals/?p=3397701

Mason jars are the key to my success.

[Recycled 2,182]

So far I will go to the store an buy a large variety of different foods along with various fresh vegetables and fruits and then during the week I find I just can't eat everything and end up with quite a bit going to waste. (especially the fresh stuff).

I eat primarily meats, eggs, and dairy for Protein, which means there is little to no room for fruits or veggies. I end up throwing out most of what I bought of these items each week.

It appears it will be a continual learning curve.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Recycled

[HHHappy 225]

I voted that I sit down on weekends and plan the week. That's what I've always done and what I will continue to do. However, I'm only 6 weeks out and not everything tastes "right" so my menu planning is on hold for now for myself (but I plan for others in household). I do buy a variety of Protein and eat what sounds good or what I can tolerate.

[StephanieRR 131]

Since I plan my meals the evening prior, I keep a drawer in my refrigerator stocked with 8-10 4oz cups of high Protein foods that I can grab easily for on the go if a wrench gets thrown into my plans. Cottage cheese, yogurt, tuna, chicken, etc.. I find that works best for me personally with my work schedule.

[JeanZ_RN 378]

I live alone, so I only have to plan for me. Each day I eat 4 meals - 8am, noon, 4pm and 8pm.

• I always have a Quest bar for Breakfast, so the only planning needed for that is to keep the flavors I like in stock, and choose one on my way out the door for work.
• M-F I eat lunch out, and I usually don't decide which restaurant until I get in the car. No matter where I go, I order dense Protein - usually salmon, steak or chicken, once in a while tuna salad - and I order the dinner portion so I'll have plenty to take home. I order whatever side item they have that I like - carrots or coleslaw are favs, or once in a while a baked potato - and I can only eat a few bites of it anyway. The leftovers I eat for weekend lunches, and if the side is a starch I usually throw away most of it..
• I almost always have a Quest bar for my 4 PM "feeding," so I just make sure I have a good selection of them at work.
• My 8 PM meal is sometimes a Quest bar, sometimes leftovers from lunches. I don't have to decide until it's time to eat.

So I don't plan specifically in detail what I'm going to eat, but I know what I need to keep in stock and I do plan ahead for that.

[CDP1965 18]

I don't plan at all. But I am just two weeks post op. so not much to plan with protien shakes and Water Man I cant wait to go to pureed foods so I can have some flavor. I feel like I am easting sweets all the time now. Glad I do have Unjury chicken flavord drink so I can at least have somthing other then sweet.

[Iambeautiful 100]

I am still on the pureed food stage. I keep plenty of ready to eat individual containers of greek yoghurt in the fridge and low fat cottage cheese for those times when i feel so empty that i can just grab something that's ready to eat. I am glad that you posted this though because now i will start thinking about planning my meals when I go to stage 3 which will be coming soon....... I am going to read all the posts here to get an idea now what to do.

[lsereno 2,525]

I stock the house with healthy on-plan foods and Snacks. Before each meal, I select from what I have on hand. I eat around a general plan:

Breakfast: 1 non-fat dairy or soy milk, 1 whole grain starch, 2 oz. lean Protein, 1 fruit

Lunch: 2-3 oz. lean Protein, 1 whole grain starch, non-starchy vegetables

Dinner: 3-4 oz. lean protein, 1 whole grain starch, non-starchy vegetables

I have another serving of fruit as a snack sometime during the day and a treat in the evening before bed.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I am a creature of habit. I eat the same thing every day (with the exception of dinner) because that works for me. It makes shopping pretty straight forward as well.

Here is my typical food distribution throughout the day:

6 am- premier shake and 1 cup Fiber one

9 am: 4 oz chicken and 1/2 cup red bell pepper

12 pm: 4 oz chicken and 1/2 cup red bell pepper

2 pm: 1/2 cup steel oats, 1 scoop chocolate Protein powder and 1/2 cup Fiber one - all mixed together. It is yummy!

4 pm : work out

5:30 pm: 2 scoops Protein Powder mixed with scoop super food powder (green vibrance). Sort of nasty, but it helps nutritionally.

7:30 pm: wife prepares. Usually a chicken dish like chicken garlic, or chicken picatta, etc and 2 oz of cooked brocolli.

9:30: 3 scoop casein powder (I like it thick like pudding).

And that is it. I do not include dairy products, bread products, sweets, and most of the time, fruit, in my diet. Sometimes I will make a Protein Shake with a banana. There may be some exceptions if we eat out or are otherwise not at home, but habits are easiest to stick to.

[pinksjo1 137]

My weekends are for preparing different dishes and freezing them. I like to have a good variety in the freezer. During the week, I open the freezer and pick something out and let it thaw in the fridge, when I get home from work, I just pop it in the microwave. My fav dish is a zuchhini lasagna. YUMMERS!

[lark60 431]

My routine is usually the same everyday. AM: Protein shake. I have over 15 different flavors and have added fruit to several for a change. I try to add fruit 3 times a week.

Lunch: 1/2 cup of "food" Protein first (min 25 gms) and then add veggies. Usually a Soup or stew. Occasionally a salad with meat, egg and cheese.

3 PM: snack of yogurt with cottage cheese or a cheese stick.

Dinner: Protein Shake.

I usually get 900 calories, 65 gm of protein.

[Kindle 8,667]

So far I will go to the store an buy a large variety of different foods along with various fresh vegetables and fruits and then during the week I find I just can't eat everything and end up with quite a bit going to waste. (especially the fresh stuff).

I eat primarily meats, eggs, and dairy for Protein, which means there is little to no room for fruits or veggies. I end up throwing out most of what I bought of these items each week.

It appears it will be a continual learning curve.

I pretty much do the same thing. I pick up what looks good at the time sticking with mostly Proteins. But I always buy too much and have a lot of leftover stuff. But at the point between when I know I won't eat it but before it goes bad, I give it to the dogs. They LOVE my new lifestyle.

[Danni-doinit4me 140]

I make large batches if Soups or stews ( beef stew, chili, chicken taco Soup, etc. ). Then I measure out 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup portions and freeze. Then I just pull it out and put it on my lunch bag. I also use cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Quest bars. And I have one Protein Shake daily. I have given up on slot of fresh fruits and veggies at this point. They usually go to waste. Do I use frozen and canned.

[lsereno 2,525]

I pretty much do the same thing. I pick up what looks good at the time sticking with mostly Proteins. But I always buy too much and have a lot of leftover stuff. But at the point between when I know I won't eat it but before it goes bad, I give it to the dogs. They LOVE my new lifestyle.

I freeze leftovers in sandwich baggies. Easy to thaw and I add frozen to soups..

Lynda