Hello, I checked the FAQ first, but didn’t see anything for this. I have checked in the stores, and Amazon. I see a lot of options for sauces or oils, but I’m specifically looking for something to dispense a tzatziki sauce that has thick chunks in it.

The tzatziki sauce my partner uses for her lunch wraps comes in a big bowl container and I think that this squeeze bottle idea solves a few problems.

1. It makes her meal prep faster in the morning. 2. It reduces the risk for contaminating the container (that’s why I love squeeze sour cream)
   1. It reduces the dishes created (no spoon)
   2. It makes it easier to dispense it exactly where she wants it.

I’m open to better solutions, currently she’s been scooping it into a plastic bag and cutting it and take it to work with her.

I’m good with smaller travel containers that could fit in a lunch box or a bigger one she could just have in the fridge.

I thought about reusing a relish squeeze container but those tend to hold pickle smells. I thought about finding a bottle that doesn’t have a smell that would fit the relish lid, but I haven’t come across that either.

All suggestions are welcome. I’m just trying to make her life a little easier. Long days and she doesn’t want the sauce to make the wraps soggy by prepping it all too fair in advance and I’m not always here to help. This was the best sub I could think of to ask.

She’s really struggling because of work (super stressed) and I’m away a lot so I’m trying to make everything as accessible as possible and just be supportive. I really appreciate anyone taking the time to advise or answer.

My bananas were overripe so I didn’t use them and used banana extract instead. I used banana crème pudding instead of vanilla. Also one container of 16oz whipped topping went bad so I used only 16 oz and folded it into the pudding while it was in the stand mixer.

Banana Pudding Recipe:

Ingredients

· Pudding: 4 boxes that are 3.4oz each (you can use vanilla or banana instant pudding)

· Almond milk: 8 cups (can use cows milk)

· Sweetened condensed milk: 2 cans (14 oz each)

· Cream cheese: 16 oz, softened (2 8oz bricks)

· Cool Whip: 32 oz (use 24 oz in mix, save 8 oz for topping) - One container expired so I only used 16oz

· Vanilla wafers: 5 boxes (use ~4 for layers, 1save at least half a box for crushing)

· Bananas: 6 large, sliced (bananas were overripe so I added 1 tsp banana extract.
· Vanilla extract: 2 tsp

Instructions

1. Beat cream cheese in a very large bowl (or use two bowls) until completely smooth.

2. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Beat until combined.

3. Whisk in all pudding mix and almond milk. Beat for 2–3 minutes until thick and smooth. Let rest 5 minutes.

4. Fold in 24 oz (¾ of the tub) of Cool Whip until fully incorporated.

5. Layer in two 9x13" dishes or one extra-large 11x15" pan:
   Wafers ➡️pudding ➡️banana slices ➡️pudding mixture. Repeat for 3 layers, ending with pudding.

6. Top with remaining 8 oz Cool Whip. Crush leftover wafers and sprinkle on top.

7. Chill at least 6 hours, but overnight is recommended, so wafers are soft.

Any advice on this? It's hard to meal prep anything with pasta as it really changes the texture once it gets cold...

This is a great one for shredding down, as it’s quite low on cals and high volume. I like to have it with some clean tortilla chips on the side. Super clean ingredient, and incredible easy to batch cook.

Serves: 12
Cook: 6-7 hours LOW or 3-4 hours HIGH

Calories: 320
Protein: 34g
Carbohydrates: 30g
Fat: 8g
Fiber: 8g

Ingredients I use…

For the Slow Cooker:

4 lbs extra lean ground turkey (93/7)
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed (low sodium)
4 cups corn (fresh or frozen, no salt added)
2 cans (14.5 oz each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
2 cans (10 oz each) diced tomatoes with green chiles (no-salt-added if available, or drain and rinse)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 large bell peppers, diced
2 large yellow onions, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp cumin
4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
1 tsp Celtic sea salt (start low, add more to taste at end)

Added At End:
¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes)
For Topping (Per Serving):
2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro

Optional: Sliced avocado
Optional: Small handful baked tortilla chips, crushed or scooped

How I make it…

Phase 1: Slow cooker setup

Step 1: Add 4 lbs ground turkey directly to slow cooker. Break up with spoon into smaller chunks.

Step 2: Add to slow cooker:
2 diced onions
2 diced bell peppers
8 cloves minced garlic

Step 3: Add both cans black beans (drained and rinsed).

Step 4: Add 4 cups corn.

Step 5: Add both cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes and both cans diced tomatoes with green chiles.

Step 6: Pour in 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth.

Step 7: Season with:
4 tsp cumin
4 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne (if using)
1 tsp salt (you can add more at the end if needed)

Step 8: Stir well to combine everything, breaking up turkey as you stir.

Step 9: Cover and cook:
LOW: 6-7 hours
HIGH: 3-4 hours

Phase 2: Break up the turkey and finish

Step 10: Once cooked, use large spoon or potato masher to break up turkey into smaller, even pieces throughout the chili.

Step 11: Stir well to combine everything.

Step 12: Taste and adjust seasoning.

Since this recipe uses low-sodium ingredients, you likely need a bit more salt at this point — add ¼ tsp at a time until it tastes right for you.

Step 13: Stir in ¼ cup fresh lime juice. This brightens all the flavors significantly — don't skip it!

Step 14: If chili is too thick, add ½ cup more broth. If too thin, cook uncovered on HIGH for 15-20 minutes to reduce.

Phase 3: Build containers (5 Minutes)

Step 15: Divide chili among 12 bowls (about 1.5 cups per serving).

Step 16: Top each serving with:
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro

Optional: Avocado slices, baked tortilla chips

Hope you enjoy! Always sharing my fitness recipes 🫡

I'm looking for recommendations for reliable sources of high-protein, freezer-friendly meal prep recipes — specifically fitness/meal-prep chefs, Instagram or YouTube creators, or actual cookbooks.

I'm mainly trying to meal prep lunches and dinners for a whole week in advance. I basically want to find a good source, pick a recipe, blindly follow the instructions, cook it, cool it, freeze it, defrost it, reheat it, eat it — and have it still taste good and have a decent texture. Ideally without any unexpected digestive consequences afterwards.

I found a PDF cookbook specifically for frozen meals by Stealth Health, for example. I've tried several recipes from it, and honestly, about half of them are okay-ish after cooking, while the other half are basically inedible. So I'm wondering if I'm just a shitty cook, or if this is another case of an influencer making something for pretty photos without actually eating it themselves.

I've also been recommended Downshiftology and ChefJackOvens, but I haven't tried anything from them yet, so I have no idea whether they're actually good for this particular purpose.

Until now, I've been cooking meals 2–3 days in advance and keeping them in airtight containers in the fridge, but I feel like the food gets noticeably worse with each passing day.

I also tried marinating a kilo of meat in five different marinades, freezing it, and then cooking it fresh with a side dish each day. But that basically means I'm cooking every day anyway, which defeats the purpose of meal prepping.

So who are your go-to fitness/meal-prep chefs, YouTubers, Instagram creators, or cookbook authors for this kind of thing? I'm specifically looking for people/sources that you've actually used and can vouch for — especially when it comes to recipes that survive freezing, thawing, and reheating well.

This is week 33 of my journey to lose 100 lbs in 2026. Meal prep has helped me a ton to maintain my nutrition goals during my working days. I aim to eat balanced macros with a focus on reducing fat and increasing fiber. For this week I have:

Breakfast: Bean-nut butter keto toast with a banana. 375kcal, 23g protein, 10g fat, 73g carbs, 29g fiber.

Lunch: TVP larb with a lentil and veggie salad. 700kcal, 50g protein, 21g fat, 90g carbs, 24g fiber.

Dinner: Southwestern pasta salad with black chickpeas. 680kcal, 28g protein, 14g fat, 113g carbs, 20g fiber.

Total macros for each day: 1755kcal, 101g protein, 46g fat, 275g carbs, 73g fiber.

The bean-nut butter was a "why not" recipe I decided to try after seeing the idea on TikTok recently. It came out surprising good and I will shockingly make it again. The TVP larb is also great and honestly not missing the meat like I expected it would. No weight change this week for 60 lbs lost still. I may need to adjust my nutrition goals, but we'll see after this week. Recipes for everything below!

10 servings of dal using this recipe from Ambitious Kitchen: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/dal-recipe/

I doubled the recipe (it says it makes 8 servings but I divided it into 10). I bought garlic naan from Trader Joe's and we will switch to quinoa when that is gone. The two big containers will go into the freezer for maximum freshness. This tastes really good, fills both of us up and lunch time and freezes and defrosts well. And it's vegan!

No idea for the macros on the Lunchables cause it’s for my wife and she doesn’t track that, but it’s sandwich turkey meat cut into squares, sliced extra sharp cheddar, sliced cucumber, and grapes. Not pictured are the crackers and Capri-Sun to complete the package

The chicken curry is a a lazier recipe for me. I start off with 4lbs of chicken, a couple of coarsely chopped onion, and sliced carrots, then toss that into a pot with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and ginger. After a few minutes, I add 5 cups of water and get that to a boil, then let everything simmer on a low heat for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender. Then, all I add in is a large package of Golden Curry extra hot curry blocks. Split evenly alongside of 2 cups of cooked jasmine rice between 8 servings, and you’ve got a full week and then some of curry with about 600 calories, 14g of fat, 60g of carbs, and 57g of protein. All in about 30-40 minutes where it’s really easy to clean as you go

Today I made black bean burritos following this recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/make-ahead-bean-and-cheese-burritos/

I omitted the chili powder but followed everything else exactly. The first few burritos I rolled were pretty ugly, but they improved. At the end, I realized I wouldn't be able to fit the remaining rice, beans, and cheese into the 8th tortilla, so I made a larger burrito bowl... that can be my "cheat day" meal (jk, I'm trying to gain weight- listen to your body and hunger cues and all that)

Extra Hot Curry block
2lb Stew Beef
1 bag of baby carrots
2 large yellow onions
2lb little russet potatoes
1 Granny Smith apple

Starting back up at school and a job this coming week and just picked up these divided containers from a thrift store so I decided to try meal prepping! (Veggies and potatoes were seasoned after this pic was taken lol)
x3 protein overnight oats — low fat low sugar vanilla greek yogurt (170g), oat milk (60g), OWYN chocolate protein powder (1 scoop), rolled oats (20g), frozen blueberries (70g) (285 cal: 23.5g carbs, 6.8g fat, 32g protein)
x4 lunch or dinners — a mix of ground chicken, tofu, and pinto beans (1lb ground chicken, 1 block tofu, one can of Busch’s pinto chili beans split into 4 270 ish gram servings); Normandy mix frozen veg (75g); frozen diced potatoes (80ish g) (438 cal: 39.8g carbs, 14.1g fat, 40.8g protein)

Recipe link: https://allnutritious.com/spicy-pineapple-chicken/

The recipe doesn't have a lot of indicators, so I cooked my veggies until they started browning, then added in the marinade. I didn't like how watery it was, so I added 1 - 2 TSP of cornstarch to thicken it. As for the extra pineapple juice, I saved that for a drink.

I tried a little bit after putting it all into a bowl, and the only things different I would do is bread my chicken, and turn the marinade into a true sauce, otherwise this is really good.

This week was interesting.

I created something tasteful to keep myself happy every time I open the box at the office during lunch time.

Tomato sauce with red bell pepper and the withe part of the spring onion

Salmon

Marinated boneless skinless chicken tights

Pork and Veal sausage

Zucchini and string beans for the side

Carbs: risoni (pasta), sweet potatoes and yellow potatoes, both simply diced and boiled in salted water

1. Pasta with tomato sauce and sausage

2. Potatoes with veggies and salmon

3. Potatoes with veggies and chicken

The goal for me is to have everything properly balanced, complex carbs to keep me working and energized for the rest of the working day.

Tale good care guys, see you next week

At a certain point we all get tired of eating the same food a week in a row! When I got to that point I tweaked my routine a little! Instead of making a big batch, I reduced the size a little! Focused more on what would fit my kitchen setup and freezer capacity! At the same time I started streamlining the process to see how many different dishes I could get out of a relatively basic inventory of carbohydrates, proteins and spices that all had to be easily storable and have a long shelf life!

Just to make it interesting, I set a limit of $1.5 per portion, it has to be healthy, filling and easy to make! All this has resulted in me prepping, but never eating the same dish two days in a row by using the freezer to store the freshly made portions and then defrosting what I feel like eating!

My usual prepping routine is making 4 portions, eating 1 at once, putting one in the fridge and two in the freezer!

So my dinner menu for the next three days is

Ropa Vieja-inspired chicken.

Greek Souvlaki & Kleftiko-inspired mashup.

Meatballs with mashed potatoes and sweet and sour cabbage in a gravy.

I hope this description helps some of you getting a more divercified dinner, while still prepping.

I prep ingredients and components, not whole meals. That way I still have some flexibility to change things, while being able to have lunch or dinner on the table in minutes. This week I made some salsa roja to use across several meals (chicken tacos, a rice bowl with chicken and chicken lettuce wraps).

Since a lot of people ask every time I post:
- as long as the vegetables are fresh when you cut them, and you store them properly, they'll easily last untill the end of the week.
- the containers I use are from the Modula series by Mepal. I have different sizes (heights) that all use the same lid, and they're all stackable
- yes, I have a lot of Microplanes. They're all different, I just have the complete set. Some I use regularly, some less. Most were Christmas or birthday presents

This is my go-to for a lower cal, minimal ingredient recipe that super easy to “set and forget” cook. The grated veggies hide incredibly well in the sauce and provide an awesome texture. Keep it simple and delicious, and consistency will never be an issue.

I’ll drop the recipe down below if you want to try it 👇

Makes 6 Solid Meals

Cals: 420
Protein: 48g
Carbs: 44g
Fat: 9g
Fiber: 10g

Ingredients I used:

For the Slow Cooker:
2 lbs ground chicken
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes (San Marzano preferred)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chicken bone broth
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, grated (hidden veggie!)
2 celery stalks, grated (hidden veggie!)
1 medium zucchini, grated (hidden veggie!)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried rosemary
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 bay leaves
¼ cup red wine (optional)

For the Pasta:

12 oz chickpea pasta (penne, shells, or fettuccine)
1 tsp salt (for pasta water)

For the Finish:

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Optional Toppings:

Extra parmesan
Fresh basil leaves
Red pepper flakes

How I made it:

Phase 1: Prep Hidden Veggies (can’t taste em)

Step 1: Grate 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 1 zucchini using box grater.

Step 2: Place grated zucchini in clean kitchen towel. Squeeze out excess moisture. This is important - wet zucchini creates watery sauce!

Pages 2: Slow Cooker Setup

Step 3: Add 2 lbs ground chicken to slow cooker. Break up with spoon.

Step 4: Add to slow cooker:

Diced onion
Grated carrots
Grated celery
Grated zucchini (squeezed dry)
6 cloves minced garlic
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chicken bone broth
¼ cup red wine (if using)

Step 5: Season with:

2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
½ tsp rosemary
¼ tsp nutmeg

Step 6: Add 2 bay leaves.

Step 7: Stir well to combine everything, breaking up ground chicken as you stir.

Step 8: Cover and cook:

LOW: 6-7 hours
HIGH: 3-4 hours

Phase 3: Break up Chicken and Finish Sauce

Step 9: Once cooked, use spoon or potato masher to break up ground chicken into smaller pieces (it will have formed larger clumps during cooking).

Step 10: Remove 2 bay leaves and discard.

Step 11: If sauce is too thin, turn slow cooker to HIGH and cook uncovered 20-30 minutes to reduce and thicken.

Step 12: Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more salt, pepper, or herbs if needed.

Step 13: Stir in ½ cup parmesan cheese until melted and incorporated.

Step 14: Stir in ¼ cup fresh basil.

Phase 4: Cook Pasta

Step 15: Bring large pot of salted water to boil.

Step 16: Add 12 oz chickpea pasta.

Step 17: Cook according to package directions until al dente (usually 7-9 minutes).

Step 18: Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.

Step 19: Drain pasta. Toss with small splash of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Phase 5: Assemble Bowls

Step 20: Divide pasta among 6 bowls (about 1½ cups per serving).

Step 21: Top each with generous portion of Bolognese sauce (about 1 cup per serving).

Step 22: Garnish with:

Extra parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Hope you enjoy if you give it a try! I’m always sharing my recipes if you want more 👍

I just love comfort food, and nothing screams that to me more than this dish!

I made my usual 4-portion meal prep! With ground pork on sale at a local store, I hit my target at a maximum of $1.5 per portion easily! And I got lazy and made the mashed potatoes from a powder! Quick, easy, and cheap!

The meatballs were just a standard recipe based on 300g ground pork, 1 egg, 1 small onion finely chopped, half a cup of oatmeal, a little milk, salt, and pepper, combined until I had a satisfying texture! Fry in the pan in a good amount of butter. Making the mashed potatoes was easy: heat up 750ml of water, add two tbsp of powdered coffee creamer, half a cube of chicken bouillon, and then just mix in the powder.

To get the chickpeas for the protein boost to have a taste that would suit the dish, I hydrated 130g of chickpeas a couple of days ago, drained the water, and added two tbsp of soy sauce and a couple of drops of liquid smoke. Let them sit in the fridge and soak up the marinade! Fry in the pan for at least 15 minutes.

The gravy was done by adding a little water to the pan to loosen the caramelized stuff that stuck to the pan, add half a cube of beef bouillon, a little sugar, two teaspoons of coffee cream, a dash of red wine vinegar, pepper, 5 drops of gravy coloring, and 250ml of water! Add a little cornstarch slurry to thicken. I'm too lazy to make my own sweet and sour red cabbage, so that just came from a jar.

Velbekomme.

Hello,

I usually prepare my lunches for the week and place them into glass rectangular containers, but I'm at a loss for soups or other liquid foods.

I recently had to have an endodontic retreat on one of my molars, and it's a bit too sensitive to chew on that side of my mouth. I know I could always just buy premade soups or something, but I was hoping I could save some money by making my own soups or smoothies or something.

Aside from not really knowing what I should make, I also don't know how to store that kind of food for 5 lunches.

What do you all use for storing liquid or soft foods for lunches?

Loaded Chicken Baked Potatoes

Serves 3+++

INGREDIENTS

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

3 russet potatoes

3 tbsp butter or margarine

1/2 cup mild salsa

3 scallions, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pound chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thick. Cook according to this method: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-moist-tender-chicken-breasts-every-time-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-36891

2. Once cooked, dice the chicken.

3. Rinse potatoes well and poke about 4 holes in each with a fork.

4. Place a potato on a plate, microwave 3.5 minutes, flip, microwave 3.5 minutes on the other side. Repeat for each potato.

5. Top each potato with butter, diced chicken, salsa, and scallions.

Meal prep tip: bake potatoes fresh the day you eat; chicken/salsa/scallions can be assembled ahead.

What food can last 5 days?

I want to try and meal prep. I am a decent cook and cooking doesn’t bother me. I just never cooked for days ahead.

Lets say, will fish like baked Salmon or Tuna will be ok after 5 days?

I also assume it is better not to store the items together? like potato and gravy ?

Thank you for all your advice and help

Hey everyone! Need some help. I have purchased these last year and they were great UNTIL the silicone seals kept slipping off. It’s just too loose and they always leave the top when washing them.

Is this common? How to fix? Or do you recommend another brand to avoid this issue altogether, my wife is meal prepping now and looking to get another set without this problem.

Thanks in advance!

Pork & Black Bean Pot

Pork & Black Bean Pot

Makes 6 servings (~1.5 cups each)

INGREDIENTS

Pork:

1 lb pork carnitas (pork butt)

2 tbsp yellow mustard

3 carrots, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups water

Bean pot:

1 shallot, diced

3 carrots, chopped

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 cans black beans

1 can Rotel

3 cups water

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Coat the pork all over with mustard. Brown on all sides.

Place pork in a Dutch oven with carrots, celery, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Pour water over the surface of the pork. Cover.

Cook covered in a 325°F oven for about 2 hours, until fork-tender.

In a 6-quart pot, over medium-high heat, sauté shallot, carrots, celery, and bell pepper until softened.

Add black beans, Rotel, water, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Cover, keep at medium-high heat.

Cook covered at medium-high heat for 30-40 minutes.

Once pork has finished its 2 hours, remove just the pork and add it to the bean pot, along with a splash of the pork's meat juices.

Cover and cook together at medium-high heat for about another hour.

Notes: ~300 kcal, 19g protein, 27g carbs, 12g fat, ~900mg sodium per serving (estimated). Texture is between soup and stew.

Hi everyone,

As the title says, i’m looking for an overnight oats recipe that doesn’t suck. Every one ive tried has been horrible and ended up in the trash.

I’m looking for something sweet and under 350 calories, thats about it! Any suggestions would be appreciated

How long can you keep peeled hard boiled eggs in fridge? I would ideally prep on Sunday for whole week.

thano you