Preparing Food in Advance for Phase 2 and Phase 3

Most of the recipes in this blog are for a single meal, but many can be made in larger batches and then divided up into multiples meals that will be ready to heat and eat.

Phase 2 is often one of the more challenging times since your portions and ingredients are so restricted that you are probably cooking your own food and then may also be cooking for your family.


You can go ahead and mix up a pound of ground beef into meatballs, and then either cook them all and save them to be reheated, or freeze them raw and then bake them until done for a meal.  The same goes for meatloaf.  I made a batch of chicken soup and saved enough for three more meals.  Chili would work well for that, and even the sauce for zucchini spaghetti.

One of my favorite time-savers is to portion out my meat ahead of time so I can just cook it up without having to weigh it out.

Ground beef is great because you can get a package of it and weight it out, form it into balls or patties and freeze it for later use.  Then take out a couple at a time and put them in the fridge to thaw so they're redy to go when you're ready to cook.

I have also cooked a roast, then shredded it up while still hot so the fat separates easily, and portioned it into containers for individual meals.  The same idea works well for chicken breasts.

I have a hard time getting motivated to make myself a salad - when not on P2 and restricting how many/much goes in, I want a really hearty salad with lots of different things. I like to chop up lots of veggies, but it's time-consuming to get them all out, chop, etc. I don't usually want to do it just for myself. BUT if I can make a bunch of salads at once, it's totally worth it. I saw this idea on pinterest one day and loved it. It works great for me and the salads easily last at least a week in my fridge.

What have you made ahead or in larger portions?

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P3 Chicken Parm Bites

The chicken parm recipe may be our family's most often-revisited recipe from this blog. It just tastes so good you'd have no idea it was low-carb if someone didn't tell you. I love to make spaghetti sauce, noodle up some zucchini with my awesome spirooli slicer, and have this with it. Delicious.

We started cutting the chicken into chunks to make them all about the same size to aid in cooking, and then our kids started calling them chicken nuggets, and eating them. I don't know why they aren't as into chicken strips but whatever works!

Chicken Parmesan Bites

~1 lb Chicken Breast tenders (I used nine) cut into bite-size chunks
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/4 cup Almond Meal
1/2 Tbsp Oregano
1/2 Tbsp Basil
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 Egg, beaten
3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl, and beat egg in a separate bowl. Dip chicken pieces in egg, and then into breading. Set onto baking sheet while oil heats. Heat olive oil to about medium high. Brown breaded chicken on both sides in hot oil, then place in a baking dish. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.

The trick to the zucchini noodles is this amazing spirooli slicer.  You don't have to peel the zucchini first but I prefer it peeled.  Stick it in the slicer with the smallest blade inserted, and spin!

Awesome zucchini noodles!  I slice my zucchini vertically, about halfway through so I get a bunch of half-curls.  Spoon hot sauce over them and you almost forget you aren't eating pasta.

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P3 Stir Fry Chicken and Veggies

This is one of those meals that makes me forget I'm trying to any sort of low carb diet! It's so tasty and filling. And with the cauliflower "rice" I don't even miss the white rice my family is eating.

Mix the following sauce in a glass bowl:
2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Oil
4 Tbsp Bragg's, Tamari or Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Cut up chicken breast into bite-sized pieces - I use about 5-6 chicken tenders - mix with the sauce and let it marinate while you prepare the other stuff.

Heat 3 Tbsp oil in wok or large pan on medium high. (I like to use sesame oil but whatever kind is fine.)  Stir fry veggies -I like to do onion, bell pepper and broccoli.  Remove veggies to a separate bowl. Stir fry the marinated chicken in the pan until the chicken is done. Throw the veggies back in and stir to coat with sauce.  Serve over cauliflower rice.

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Cauliflower "Rice"

This is such a good alternative to rice! I love it with stir-fry and don't even miss my once-beloved white rice when I have that meal.

Grate or finely chop a whole head of cauliflower - a food processor comes in very handy for this job, but you can also use a manual grater.

Saute for 4-5 minutes in a wok with a bit of olive oil and garlic. Serve.

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Salad Jars

Salads are a roller coaster for me. I love them, especially with lots of veggies cut up and a delicious homemade dressing. But they are so much work! I hate having to get out a bunch of different vegetables and the cutting board and knives just to make one salad. Enter pinterest and the Salad Jar. My life is forever changed! I can spend the time ONCE and have salads for the week. I feel better eating this good food and my time was spent efficiently. Win!

I recommend chopping lettuce and putting it in first, filling most of the jar. Then add whatever you like - bell peppers, red onion, cucumber, celery, grated cheese, raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds, etc. I love it all (except for the celery, ha).

For carrots and zucchini, the spirooli slicer comes in handy! 

I don't recommend chopping tomato and putting it in the salad jars, because they tend to get too wet for me and I don't like wet salad. If you don't care about your salad being wet, then go for it. A better option, in my opinion, is using grape tomatoes.

When it's time to eat, dump the jar into a big salad bowl, add dressing, and eat. If you need to take it with you to work or school, bring your dressing in a small container so it doesn't make a mess of your salad before you're ready to eat.

If you're on P2, you can do this idea too, just be sure to keep it P2 Friendly!

If you try this idea, please leave me a comment to let me know! What do you put in your salads?

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P3 Citrus Vinaigrette

This dressing is really good on a salad, and I think it would make a great marinade for chicken too.

Citrus Vinaigrette

3/4 cup Orange Juice
1/4 tsp Orange Zest
4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp EVOO

1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Liquid Stevia to taste

Mix all ingredients well, and shake before each use. When adding stevia, put about 10 drops and taste, and then add a drop or two at a time, mixing and tasting, until it's just right.

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P3 5-minute Strawberry Ice Cream

I make this when my kids are having ice cream and I want my own treat. Often I just make this for them too since they love it and it's healthier than regular sugary ice cream. So easy, I always have the ingredients on hand, and it takes no time at all in my Vitamix!

Quick Strawberry Ice Cream

1 10oz pkg frozen Strawberries
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
Liquid Stevia to taste

Blend frozen strawberries with yogurt. Add stevia to taste - start with about 10 drops and taste, adding 1 drop at a time, mixing and tasting until it's just right.

I think you could sneak this one in on P2 if you used your milk allowance for the day and 1 serving of strawberries! 

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