# Cooking multiple dinners



## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

I'm on Atkins so I'm having to make myself a separate dinner each night from the rest of the family. I been thinking of preparing all my meals a week at a time. Anyone else do this? What vegetables keep best after being cooked?


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## Elffriend (Mar 2, 2003)

Keep in the fridge for a few days or freeze? 

I have found after years of doing Atkins/eating generally low carb that trying to have a variation of what everyone else is having works better for me than trying to make a separate meal each night. I plan a lot more "meat, veg, starch" meals and just leave the starch off my plate.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Our daughter does this but I don't know the details. It did get me started cooking and freezing large amounts of things like pancakes, chilli, etc.
Making bulk meals makes it easier to avoid the temptation of just grabbing whatever processed meal you can zap on nights when you are tired.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

Elffriend said:


> Keep in the fridge for a few days or freeze?
> 
> I have found after years of doing Atkins/eating generally low carb that trying to have a variation of what everyone else is having works better for me than trying to make a separate meal each night. I plan a lot more "meat, veg, starch" meals and just leave the starch off my plate.


I guess a little bit of both. I took your advice and tonight made chicken Alfredo but instead of pasta I had sauteed green beans


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

GTX63 said:


> Our daughter does this but I don't know the details. It did get me started cooking and freezing large amounts of things like pancakes, chilli, etc.
> Making bulk meals makes it easier to avoid the temptation of just grabbing whatever processed meal you can zap on nights when you are tired.


Yes bull meals can be a life saver


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

Meant bulk lol


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

I am a vegetarian and my husband is an omnivore. I have basically been preparing two slightly different or very different meals for 40 years. I always make extra large amounts of everything and freeze these individual meals. 

For instance if I am making stew or chilli or soup I make the basic recipe in one big pot while preparing his meat in another. Part way through the cooking process I fill his meat pan with the basic recipe and then each of us will have our own veggie stew or meat stew. etc. 

I have found that dividing many dishes (especially the one pan kind) into canning jars - pint size for me and quart for him - is a great way to have very hand meals and the contents are visible and the jars take up little but very regimented space. They store extremely well in both the fridge and freezer (just make sure to leave about an inch and a half of head space in the jar if freezing so as to avoid expansion explosions of the jars. Especially important with soups.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

emdeengee said:


> I am a vegetarian and my husband is an omnivore. I have basically been preparing two slightly different or very different meals for 40 years. I always make extra large amounts of everything and freeze these individual meals.
> 
> For instance if I am making stew or chilli or soup I make the basic recipe in one big pot while preparing his meat in another. Part way through the cooking process I fill his meat pan with the basic recipe and then each of us will have our own veggie stew or meat stew. etc.
> 
> I have found that dividing many dishes (especially the one pan kind) into canning jars - pint size for me and quart for him - is a great way to have very hand meals and the contents are visible and the jars take up little but very regimented space. They store extremely well in both the fridge and freezer (just make sure to leave about an inch and a half of head space in the jar if freezing so as to avoid expansion explosions of the jars. Especially important with soups.


Great tips thank you. Love the idea of making big portions and freezing some


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## mzgarden (Mar 16, 2012)

@emdeengee, what great tips!


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## danil54grl (Mar 10, 2014)

Oregon1986 said:


> I guess a little bit of both. I took your advice and tonight made chicken Alfredo but instead of pasta I had sauteed green beans


Spaghetti squash is a good alternative to pasta and easy to make. Prick with fork, throw in a pot of boiling water for about 20 minutes and scrape out. I love this stuff dried with a little salt added. I eat them instead of potato chips.

I try to watch my weight as much as possible now. I've lost all the weight I wanted to, but don't want to put it back on. Nights that I cook a meal that has too many calories I just make a big salad for me and load it up with all the good stuff like Turkey, a couple pickled eggs sliced, a little cheese and whatever veggie I have out in the garden that can be added in. Other nights I will sautee up some squash, eggplant, onions & Jalaps in some bacon grease with a little salt and pepper.

I didn't follow any " diet", but ended up losing about 65 lbs in a few months. Leveled out for about 3 months to just give myself a break than lost 20 more lbs. I have a certain weight that I refuse to go over and when I get close is when I really watch what I eat.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

danil54grl said:


> Spaghetti squash is a good alternative to pasta and easy to make. Prick with fork, throw in a pot of boiling water for about 20 minutes and scrape out. I love this stuff dried with a little salt added. I eat them instead of potato chips.
> 
> I try to watch my weight as much as possible now. I've lost all the weight I wanted to, but don't want to put it back on. Nights that I cook a meal that has too many calories I just make a big salad for me and load it up with all the good stuff like Turkey, a couple pickled eggs sliced, a little cheese and whatever veggie I have out in the garden that can be added in. Other nights I will sautee up some squash, eggplant, onions & Jalaps in some bacon grease with a little salt and pepper.
> 
> I didn't follow any " diet", but ended up losing about 65 lbs in a few months. Leveled out for about 3 months to just give myself a break than lost 20 more lbs. I have a certain weight that I refuse to go over and when I get close is when I really watch what I eat.


Congrats on the weight loss


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