[SophieCormier]

I just found out about this a couple minutes ago and really feel like purchasing the cds. It's recipes where you cook all in one day and freeze them in containers so it's all cooked meals that take minutes to bake/prepare. When you purchase the cd, you can select the meals and it creates shopping lists and labels you can put on your containers. I emailed them to know if the nutritional value was written for each recipe but haven't gotten a response yet. Has anyone heard/tried this?

Edit: Forgot the link http://www.30mealsinoneday.com/

[Munchy]

I do this, but I don't use a program. I pick several recipes and cook them on weekends. I split them into containers and freeze them with calorie counts. No fancy program required.

Last weekend I made:
-zucchini/chicken/brown rice/monterey jack burritos (225 calories each),
-zucchini/turkey meatballs (35 cals each),
-squash/chicken nuggets (40 cals each),
-baked broccoli macaroni and cheese (315 cals each),
-spicy Puerto Rican style beans (220 cals each),
-split pea soup (175 cals each),
-curry lentil soup (175 cals each),
-cabbage/noodle/apple/apple chicken sausage (325 cals each), and
-cauliflower dal (225 cals each).

I pretty much have big cooking days 3-4 times a month. I now have all of these meals (most are 8 servings, the soups are about 12) so that I can pull out what I want to eat that day. Some of them I just cook up a little instant brown rice when I eat them, but that's it!

The meatballs and nuggets make feeding my daughter really easy since she loves them and she's getting some veggies mixed into her favorite meals, and all I need to do is microwave them for under a minute to warm them up.

Not counting the nuggets or meatballs, I have 57 meals done.

[kelleyb]

I did this once (no program though) and really got burned out on cooking in general. I cooked from 7am was not out of the kitchen until about 10 pm. After that, I didn't do it again, but do really like doing a big weekly cooking about once a week.

Good luck. I think you might want to try the concept and see if you can stand it before you buy all of the software and make that purchase.

[Munchy]

Originally Posted by kelleyb

I did this once (no program though) and really got burned out on cooking in general. I cooked from 7am was not out of the kitchen until about 10 pm. After that, I didn't do it again, but do really like doing a big weekly cooking about once a week.

Good luck. I think you might want to try the concept and see if you can stand it before you buy all of the software and make that purchase.

I agree. All those meals took me from 9am-5 both Saturday and Sunday. It's a lot of cooking and cleaning. I was exhausted by the end of both days, but I also cooked a vegetarian eggs Benedict breakfast and a pot roast dinner on Sunday, and had two children who wanted homemade stove top mac and cheese with their meals. I don't mind working really hard for two days so that we can all eat for the next three weeks and I don't have to cook after my long days of work.

If you look up some simple one-pot recipes with calorie counts (www.skinnytaste.com, www.cookinglight.com, www.eatingwell.com, and www.eatbetteramerica.com are my favorite sites), you can start immediately.

Cookinglight did a great 20 minute meal feature two issues ago. I made several of those meals and froze them into portions.

[hazyl]

I will take natural foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and variety of meats as long as it is nature and healthy. I'm not sure are frozen foods really healthy as I know many frozen meals do not provide enough fruits and vegetables to meet your daily nutritional requirements.

[Munchy]

Originally Posted by hazyl

I will take natural foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and variety of meats as long as it is nature and healthy. I'm not sure are frozen foods really healthy as I know many frozen meals do not provide enough fruits and vegetables to meet your daily nutritional requirements.

Exactly. Which is why the OP was suggesting making homemade meals, not buying pre-packaged processed foods. Simply freezing your meals doesn't change the nutritional properties.

[misski]

Wow, this sounds so great. I don't mind spending a day in the kitchen. It burns calories and I love cooking.