Fitness from a Desk Jockey
One of the things I love most about meal prep is whipping up some Trader Joe’s Kung Pao Chicken and Chicken Fried Rice. Let’s take a look at how I set this up as a freezer meal and why it’s my favorite.
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Trader Joe’s is a great place to shop, even if you’re on a budget. I can usually stick close to my $2 per meal budget by portioning out the food correctly. For instance, it doesn’t cost much more than a can of Progress Soup to eat some mandarin chicken and chicken fried rice for lunch. Read More
I was turned on to Trader Joe’s when living in Los Angeles for six months. I’ve never heard of it before, but apparently is a pretty big chain. As I was trying to lose weight, it was the closest store in walking distance…about two miles round trip. After comparing prices and food quantity, it’s easily become one of my favorite store chains. Read More
This is one of the many dishes I love to whip up from Trader Joe’s. It’s honey walnut shrimp with chicken fried rice. As I cut the suggested portions in half for both of these, it turns out to be 310 calories.
It’s pretty close to some of the Lean Cuisines and Progresso soups I usually have in terms of both nutrition as well as price. The only down side is that crusted shrimp often doesn’t keep for very long without going a bit soggy.
To make sure everything is always properly portioned, I cook the bags of shrimp and rice and place them into large Tupperware containers. Then, I measure out a half serving of both in to smaller sealable Tupperware so I can put them in the freezer.
Essentially, I am making my own frozen dinners and lunches. Later, when I want to eat, I simply toss the frozen foods into the microwave for about two minutes. Although it’s not as good as when I cook it fresh, it’s still an incredible meal throughout the week.
I only wish companies would stay more true to what they print on the label. In this case, it’s the “Number of Servings” portion. The manufacture may say “About 4” when in reality you have three or maybe two and a half.
I understand that it is impractical to hire someone to measure out every single portion of every product on your assembly line. But can’t you at least calibrate your bots and sensors a bit better? Or is it because you want to save money by short-changing the consumer?