No Cook Meal Prepping

[bigbassin]

Looking for a little variety on meal prep ideas while staying in hotels for work, seeing what y’all’s favorites are. Scenario is that I’m typically gone 2 weeks at a time, first week is easy because I can cook at the house then just throw it in a cooler. Starting Friday of the first week when I run out of cooked food, until the end of the following week is tough since I have no way to cook.

Currently eating the following during the weekend & second week:

- Protein bar and a banana for breakfast
- Pepperoni/Salami and a Clif bar for snack
- Bag of 90 second rice, 2 tuna creation packs, and 2 apples for lunch
- Summer Sausage for snack
- Blueberries for a snack before lifting
- Bag of 90 second rice, can of chicken, protein shake for dinner after working out


Any other ideas for the no cook week? What I’m currently doing is quick (basically no prep involved at all), about half the price of eating out, and certainly better for me than getting fast food 3 meals a day. But 7 days of canned chicken for dinner gets old quick.

 

[def90]

If you are bringing a cooler full of food you must be driving? Maybe buy a hot plate and a pot or two and cook in your hotel room?

 

[rayporter]

next year can your deer then you can take a quart with you to eat over noodles or rice or in soup.

 

[elkliver]

Throw in a Coleman stove and a tailgate BBQ... Even if you have to make a grocery run, easy enough to cook. Freeze some precooked meals like enchiladas, or Fajitas, etc no reason to eat. Depending on your cooler limitations, You can keep frozen food longer than a week. No way i would be eating backpacking food if i had a vehicle. If you do need to go minimalist... Tortillas, cheese, canned chicken and a bag of lettuce will all keep and you have instant tacos..

 

[DuckDogDr]

Following this thread.
I am fortunate.. we have a tech where I work at. Everyone on night shift pitches in $50 to the cause and she likes to cook so she’ll meal prep for us.
2 including myself are on carnivore and one is on keto so not too much finagling there.

She sees it as a win win… she doesn’t want to eat out, and gets paid to cook . Donated two elk roasts to the cause

 

[insanelupus]

I know you asked for no cook. This ain't that, exactly, but maybe it expands options.

I prioritize quality over convenience. Otherwise, I feel like garbage (several food intolerances to start with) and run the risk of illness. I rarely eat out at home and I'm VERY selective of where I go and what I order. That said, I can almost always find something with a little imagination.

I enjoy cooking and the challenge of preparing decent meals, even with simple supplies.

A microwave and mini fridge suffice for 1 week stays. Longer? I typically want at minimum a larger fridge, hopefully with freezer and an outside grill. More common than you think.

I usually fly. If I've got wheels, cool. If not, Uber or grocery delivery. Always a grocery run.

Short stays of a week?

I pack oatmeal, protein powders, coffe, and pre- workout for breakfast and buy, hard boiled eggs, spinach, yogurt and berries. That's breakfast.

I pack pouch tuna and chicken and buy carrots and apples and have ziplocks for spinach. That's lunch. Always buy bottled water too.

Supper/ dinner, usually a sensible meal out with colleagues that meets dietary needs and revolves around ordering at minimum 8-10 oz of meat (even if that is a 2x or 3x order of extra meat, depending on dish) and veggies. All else fails, cobb salads are the easy button. If near the coast, often seafood, fresh salmon or sushi! Down south? Quail might be on the menu. Specialty area, how's the axis deer? Quality over convenience with allowances for extra to experience something new or not frequently consumed.

More than a week. Grill at the hotel/ motel with groceries like at home.

All else fails, even with a mini fridge and microwave, grocery store more often, but buy fajita meat and microwave on paper plates with veggies. It works, but not as pleasant, but quality of nutrition over convenience.

Two meals in the room and supper out is the easiest balance button and you can still get quality.

By the way, "saving money" buying/eating"fast food", not my style. Saving money eating highly processed "cheap"food. Not my style. Been there, done that, got sick, multiple times, it sucks.

Feeling good and enjoying the day and experience worth it for me. YMMV.

 

[Jpsmith1]

I immediately went to a kitchen tool I love for meal prep

My sous vide

Working away from home, im gonna *assume* you’re in a hotel/motel.

Sous vide meat of your choice and it’s food safe and pasteurized. It can remain under 40° for 30 days with no problems.

Another option might be to make a meal like a lasagna, portion it and vacuum seal it, then warm it in your room.

 

[Steve300xcw]

When I was doing the outta town stuff. I would pick up a broaster chicken and sometimes a small ham. Bag or two of premade salad, hit the frozen aisle for some small bags of stir fry/broccoli or whatever looked good. A guy can doctor up a can or two of soup as well..

Got pretty good at making decent food in those shitty lil microwaves

That said, back then I didnt know about pizza cookers. I would have had one stashed under the truck seat if I had known. Pretty much a mini oven/hot plate. It would have seen a lot of use

Amazon.com

 

[adamm88]

Get something to boil water and freeze meals in vacuum bags, boil bag in water, from a propane setup to hot plate really or even a suie vide in a pot you could make this work pretty easy. Randy newberg did a video on this for hunts a few years back.

 

[TXHunt]

Would staying in an extended stay hotel be an option? Those have cook top, full size refrigerator, and are stocked with pots and pans.

 

[LongWayAround]

I would just take a jetboil and eat Peak and oatmeal.

 

[camping1601]

I only spend a night or two and week in a motel but I've been thinking about a small air fryer.

 

[Jimmy]

Small tailgate BBQ in the parking lot. Burgers, steaks, Could put a pan on it an make stir fry or something.