Budget Friendly Meal Prep to Help You Save Money

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  • Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
  • If you are a college student and looking for some budget friendly meals to help get you through the school week, here are 3 that can work. Meal prep helped me save tons of money while I was in college. Cooking your meals at home instead of eating out is probably the number one way people can save on personal food cost.
    Chicken Bowls with Rice & Lentils: mealprepmanual.com/chicken-bo...
    Sweet Potato & Ham Egg Bake: mealprepmanual.com/sweet-pota...
    Carrots & Hummus: mealprepmanual.com/carrots-an...
    Amazon Store with Products I Use: www.amazon.com/shop/joshcorti...
    Knives and Cutting Boards: www.zwilling.com/us/the-meal-...
    On my website there are hundreds of meal prep, snack, and macro friendly dessert recipes that I have developed over the years. There are no targeted ads, no pointless life stories and endless scrolling to get to the ingredient list, just the recipes. I have a subscription based model where Gold Members have access to every recipe on the site, which is under $5/month with annual memberships. If that's not your thing, there is also a Silver level membership that is free for life, still ad free, and you get access to more than 40% of the recipes. Registering to become a member, whether that is a Gold or Silver (free) member, is the best way you can help support what I do. I appreciate all of you more than you know 😎
    www.mealprepmanual.com
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    Links included on this page are part of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and CJ Affiliate Program.
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 112

  • @SzaboB33
    @SzaboB33 10 місяців тому +187

    I am against physical violence. I asked the chicken breasts nicely to please have the same thickness but it did not work so I used beating as well and it worked out quite nicely. Now, after 20 years I get my parents motivations.

    • @Endrence801
      @Endrence801 10 місяців тому +8

      now i understand why my mom was always yelling in the kitchen xD

    • @Crokto
      @Crokto 10 місяців тому +7

      you could also try cutting the bastards

    • @samrahyousuf6532
      @samrahyousuf6532 10 місяців тому +4

      @@WhiteLivesMatter-Copeyour comment made my day 😂😂😂 hilarious

    • @garbageflowers
      @garbageflowers 10 місяців тому +5

      "the beatings will continue until morale improves" me @ my chicken

  • @joebob390
    @joebob390 10 місяців тому +5

    Definitely worth the subscription to the website. I really appreciate the variety. I've really enjoyed the hambulker helper recipe. Since it's good, and clean up is super easy.

  • @TwoyBwoy
    @TwoyBwoy 10 місяців тому +23

    Definitely going to make the egg bake. That looks really good (along with everything else).

  • @kurtttttttt
    @kurtttttttt 10 місяців тому +1

    Really dig your sense of humor and your recipes!

  • @MrKim-kv2vv
    @MrKim-kv2vv 10 місяців тому +3

    Thank you. The breakfast looks like it would fulfill my mornings needs!
    🙋🏼

  • @Elii_vibes
    @Elii_vibes 9 місяців тому

    Hey, thanks for the video and all the effort...you did it in soo high quality and in so easy way ❤

  • @djskywalkerr
    @djskywalkerr 10 місяців тому

    You are legendary man. Saving lives

  • @cptbaker
    @cptbaker 10 місяців тому

    Would you be able to create a playlist splitting breakfast and lunch up as well? Your videos are absolute perfection for any gym cycle on a budget or not.

  • @TheMechafreezer
    @TheMechafreezer 10 місяців тому +1

    Try putting some greek yoghurt into this. Like one small cup, 150g (~5.3 oz). it makes the whole dish much creamier on the inside without adding "bad" calories.

  • @JustinKoenigSilica
    @JustinKoenigSilica 10 місяців тому +28

    When using a blender / immersion blender to make hummus, make sure to do it on the LOWEST SETTING and add the oil at the VERY END or it will come out bitter!

  • @rssmith289
    @rssmith289 3 місяці тому

    What I like about your intro is that the cost for Chickfila is absolutely crazy. We live in CA,. Starting 4/1 the minimum wage for fast food workers is $20 an hour! It's so much healthier and more friendlier on our wallet. Thank you for a well made video!

  • @lurklingX
    @lurklingX 10 місяців тому

    i made this (1st one!) this week and it helped me out a LOT!!! *one thing i did diff partway thru was lighter on the dressing and added a little feta.* (feta dust lol), optional add dry italian seasoning. the egg bake is sooooooo good. i put it in muffin tins which worked well, auto portioned. it was still a bit salty (though REALLY good) and i wondered if i added cauliflower in there for bulk if it would lighten up the intensity. otherwise i'd maybe do less ham.
    my hummus came out kinda runny but it could be 2 things. ONE - the tahini paste brand i had was the runny kind, so i could prob skip the bean water. TWO - if you add ice to the food processor, somehow it makes it more fluffy so maybe that ended up making it less dry too. still tasted great tho. i actively wanted to eat it, and it made me realize i just hate storebought hummus right now. last few times i bought it, i couldn't bear to even open it. (when you're *really* hungry, sometimes raw vegetables are incensing.)
    so, yeah. i'd totally make this again.
    i didn't have the right pan for the egg bake so i had the muffin tin AND an 8x8. prob rather do 2 tins. BUT, i could see where popping it as a bottom layer in a single pan would be easier.
    i used olive oil spray as the nonstick and................ everything stuck really bad. :/ might have to buy pam or some garbage, because this was so much effort to clean up after. or butter, i guess. idk. we'll see on round 2. now to find what i'm making for next week. (this really took a load off, to have 2 solid meals and a snack. thanks!!)
    *i did portion the meat into only 4 meals, and only did 1/2c of the rice/lentil. this fit my macros better. saved the rest of the bean/lentil in the freezer.

  • @project1003
    @project1003 10 місяців тому +37

    I'm finding that the quality of chicken breast is really hit-or-miss lately and have been using chicken thighs instead. It has a bit more fat & calories and a bit less protein for the same serving size. But it's also cheaper and seems like it doesn't dry out like the breast meat can after a few days in the fridge and reheating in the microwave.
    Thanks for all your recipes & content! Keep it coming!

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому +9

      I'm in the same boat but I am starting to come around on meal prepping breasts more and more in the right applications

    • @milesparris4045
      @milesparris4045 10 місяців тому

      I prefer chicken breast to thigh meat, but the latter is way more forgiving and very hard to mess up. It also microwaves better without getting tough and dry.

    • @adrianaline_rush
      @adrianaline_rush 10 місяців тому

      If you don't mind shelling out a couple extra bucks, it can be really worth it to buy an immersion circulator for this. You can bulk sous-vide chicken breast and set it to 150 degrees so that it stays moist even when it's cold or a few days old

    • @milesparris4045
      @milesparris4045 10 місяців тому

      @@adrianaline_rush I've had sous vide chicken breast. It's like eating raw chicken.

  • @jacobgreen7907
    @jacobgreen7907 10 місяців тому

    This is great, please make more

  • @christophermartin7973
    @christophermartin7973 10 місяців тому

    Very cool I want to try the hummus that would be a deadly snack.

  • @ryandeans85
    @ryandeans85 10 місяців тому +7

    Your channel and website has been a massive help to me! Would love to see more where two meals are paired together so have lunch and dinner for the week. Could do with some advice as to how to plan meals for the weekend as well as I cook on Sunday, eat one portion on Sunday and the rest lasts until Thursday. So I then have nothing for the weekend.

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому +3

      i'm not a huge fan of prepping every meal because it leaves no room for flexibility in case one day you want to eat something else. The way that I have usually done is that is prep on a running schedule instead of once a week. When I run out of meals, I'll do a midweek prep. Or when I prep on Sunday's I'll do 5 days worth and when I have more time on the weekends, I'll throw together easy meals on an as needed basis

  • @manbearwall
    @manbearwall 10 місяців тому +4

    HEB has a bulk seasoning section. You can go buy the seasoning in bulk and refill your empty shakers. I've also had good success removing the printed labels so you know what you put in shaker.

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому +1

      That’s a good idea 👍

    • @msjkramey
      @msjkramey 10 місяців тому

      Remove the labels to know what's in it? What?

    • @manbearwall
      @manbearwall 10 місяців тому +1

      @@msjkramey Remove the printed label from the bulk spice bag, and stick it to the reused shaker.

  • @darren1139
    @darren1139 10 місяців тому +19

    2lb of chicken for $8?! Jealous. Literally 2-2.5x that cost in Canada

    • @landendanyluk
      @landendanyluk 10 місяців тому +5

      Try 4x. I'm looking at $17 per kilogram at my nearest grocery store

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому +5

      it is the bottom of the barrel chicken so the quality isn't great but it is cheap. The better quality stuff is about 7 or 8 dollars per pound

    • @Thee-_-Outlier
      @Thee-_-Outlier 10 місяців тому +2

      Canada serves as a stark reminder to never vote for liberal politicians.
      The funny thing is chicken is even cheaper for me than the guy in this video. To me $4 per lb is high. I pay $1.99 per lb for boneless breasts. Now I'm a thigh guy, so I don't buy breast meat, but I just wanted you to get an idea of the price. Occasionally it's even 1.79 per lb. I live near, not in, a major northeast city.
      I want to clarify something, it isn't worth buying no antibiotic, no hormones etc in chicken. Even regular old Perdue chicken and factory farmed chicken doesn't generally use antibiotics or anything on poultry because life span is so short. If you're buying stuff labeled as suck you're wasting money. If you have the means financially however it would be nice to buy chickens that are free ranged. The problem is that standard is low and not really a standard so you can't trust that a chicken had a good life because the package says free range. I buy organic grass fed beef, but there is no point for some animals and poultry is such an animal.
      Btw, I can get shrimp cheaper than you get chicken lol. Right now 21-30 count raw ez peel shrimp are $5.49 per lb at my local store.

    • @sstrick47
      @sstrick47 10 місяців тому

      I live in Virginia and at Aldi I can get a 3-4/bs pack of chicken breasts for like 2.50 a pound.

    • @turtleman190
      @turtleman190 10 місяців тому

      Australia its $11 a kg for chicken breast and $17 a kg for thigh this is bottom of the barrel chicken also

  • @tiznik2250
    @tiznik2250 10 місяців тому

    More of these!!!

  • @justalurkr
    @justalurkr 10 місяців тому +3

    About the "blank slate" rice + lentils: when I first pondered going vegetarian, I thought I was going to have to become a salad chef. No. Plant based without starving most of the time means figuring out how to make starch taste good. (Or taste like anything.) The vegetarian thing didn't last long at all, so I'm interested in lean protein meal prep for sure. Thank you!

  • @BorisGTech
    @BorisGTech 10 місяців тому

    Man, I love your recipes

  • @BigBossMan538
    @BigBossMan538 10 місяців тому

    I’ll give these a shot. 😊

  • @Joshmelque
    @Joshmelque 8 місяців тому

    You nailed it!!!

  • @marshal1808
    @marshal1808 10 місяців тому

    Nice, thank you 👍.

  • @Meedup
    @Meedup 10 місяців тому +3

    I was looking for ways to make chicken breast in the oven, and this is very helpful. I live in a small apartment and often pan-frying meats makes too much smoke.

    • @milesparris4045
      @milesparris4045 10 місяців тому

      I prefer to split the chicken breasts and cook them in a pan with olive oil on medium heat. They cook really fast so they don't dry out.

    • @TheMechafreezer
      @TheMechafreezer 10 місяців тому

      If you don't care for browning you can actually butterfly the chicken breasts and gently cook them in water. It's the most gentle way to cook a chicken breast. I have never done it because I think it takes a lot of the flavor away, but if you compensate with sauces it's probably fine. There are a couple decent videos on UA-cam that show you how to do it. Since you don't really have to boil the water for that in some methods it also doesn't produce much steam at all.

    • @SweetKingTanner
      @SweetKingTanner 10 місяців тому

      You could try pan cooking on the stove at a lower temperature with a cover
      The trick to keeping them moist is less about how you cook them and more about how long you cook them.

    • @milesparris4045
      @milesparris4045 10 місяців тому

      @@SweetKingTanner That's how you make rubber chicken.

  • @omarcortes5754
    @omarcortes5754 10 місяців тому

    I do my grocery shopping and cook at home. When it comes to food I'm never cheap.

  • @manolismoforis1375
    @manolismoforis1375 10 місяців тому

    Amazing recipes!
    I was wondering though:
    Is there something we could use instead of ham and still have a bearable taste iyo?
    (I've seen online claims that processed meats are type 1 carcinogens)
    Keep up the amazing work and have a nice day! Love your content

  • @footjuice
    @footjuice 10 місяців тому +5

    Not a student, just broke! Still works for me

  • @craptor1234
    @craptor1234 10 місяців тому +3

    eating out is just insane right now. its 30-50$ no matter where you go.

  • @bwagner4393
    @bwagner4393 10 місяців тому

    Go Chef Josh

  • @sunfuhr3r992
    @sunfuhr3r992 10 місяців тому

    I've done meal prep for years making some really nice meals for myself mostly for work but ive come to a bit of a realization is that all I want is a sandwich and some yogurt

  • @raditz9676
    @raditz9676 10 місяців тому +3

    Our grandparents & great grandparents (and before) didn't have options. Early morning to the market on weekend, some small stuff from the grocery store and cook & preserve for the winter (tomato sauce, halved peaches, jams...).
    As the economics is more crushing on the average Joe like you (I guess) and I, we need to get back to the roots and learn these skills again, instead of poppin' up at a nearby restaurant - which was almost the same money as cooking for a while, now it's ways more expensive...
    Not mentioning processed food maxed out the way it's borderline toxic, but definitely 50x more calories than whatever one cooks (IMO even with the same kcal values - if the body works less on processing that stuff it technically should be more nutritious).

  • @SweetKingTanner
    @SweetKingTanner 10 місяців тому

    Hey Josh can you make a protein ketchup?

  • @mason_woodruff
    @mason_woodruff 10 місяців тому

    Can you believe it’s been 2 years since you took an L on the squash court to a total beginner? Time flies!

  • @haddakon5420
    @haddakon5420 10 місяців тому

    i didnt do the math but quebec, where i live it'll probably cost something like $120-130 CAD so about $95-90 USD

  • @thirteenmoons13
    @thirteenmoons13 10 місяців тому

    Question about longevity: the internet says cooked chicken breast is good for 3-4 days in the fridge. I tend to agree-ish as the meat does change taste (I'm sensitive to meat taste!) after like day 3. How do you stretch out the life of your cooked meat? Generally my rule of thumb is 2 days post cook for chicken in the fridge before I would freeze it. I want to do these meal preps but I can't wrap my head around not being skeezed by the 4th/5th day meat. Suggestions?

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому +1

      If you can’t do more than 2 days then I wouldn’t prep more than 2 days. 5 days is my limit which is why I stop it there and not prep for the whole week. You could freeze meals but I personally don’t like doing that

  • @MrFunnyDad2024
    @MrFunnyDad2024 10 місяців тому

    Great video. Anyone recommend good tahini sauce (southern east coast location)?

  • @luzzguerrero
    @luzzguerrero 10 місяців тому

    Cries in NYC food prices 🥲

  • @timgleaves9496
    @timgleaves9496 10 місяців тому +1

    You are right. F'N Tacobell gives you the same fiery poops but you have to pay a premium for it now. Never again. I prefer my own food anyways.

  • @AFndjdj7373
    @AFndjdj7373 10 місяців тому +2

    I love how much, like me, you despise vegetables.
    We were probably separated at birth (I’m a late 30s guy in the UK so it completely tracks)

  • @agnosym
    @agnosym 10 місяців тому

    The chicken after "getting the business": 🤤🥵🥵

  • @Kamal_AL-Hinai
    @Kamal_AL-Hinai 10 місяців тому +1

    Hey Josh is any high calorie recipes on the way?

  • @Saihbreas28
    @Saihbreas28 10 місяців тому +1

    I wished I saw this live. Caught the last part. Always like seeing what you come up with. Love hummus. So stuck on oatmeal bake for breakfast. Definitely will try the egg bake. Some call it quiche. But I'll call it egg bake. I refuse to be a cry-ass about naming conventions. BTW thanks for adding cry-ass to my vocabulary. I'll figure out how to add grifting clown.

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому +1

      lol

    • @TheMechafreezer
      @TheMechafreezer 10 місяців тому

      Try adding a bit of Greek yoghurt, about 150g or ~5.3oz to make the egg bake much creamier inside if you'd like

  • @proboscideank.7069
    @proboscideank.7069 10 місяців тому +1

    2:25 I would like to suggest to everybody watching that you never spray the surface you use for food prep with Clorox.

    • @Crokto
      @Crokto 10 місяців тому +1

      food safety recommendations for cleaning food prep surfaces include washing with soap and water, then sanitizing with a diluted bleach solution, and letting it dry. that being said, this particular spray appears to be higher concentration than the recommendation, and can have negative effects on wood surfaces

    • @KirbyFanDude
      @KirbyFanDude 5 місяців тому

      As long as you rinse it or let it air dry fully, it should be fine...

  • @ChefChrisDay
    @ChefChrisDay 10 місяців тому

    When you salt the onions you're making them cry instead for a change.

  • @SweetKingTanner
    @SweetKingTanner 10 місяців тому +5

    I’m not a student but I just got school’d

  • @noahbutler34
    @noahbutler34 10 місяців тому +1

    I’ve been really craving some salmon meal preps but I don’t want to be that guy microwaving fish at work. Is there a recipe where you don’t need to reheat salmon? It seems like it could be something cool and refreshing but I don’t know enough

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому

      I’m not a salmon guy so I don’t know

    • @thenumber1ofalltime
      @thenumber1ofalltime 10 місяців тому +2

      You never have to reheat salmon filets if you don't want to. I reheat salmon with broccoli almost every week at work because my health is more important than bothering some colleagues with the smell of my lunch...
      If you want you can leave your lunch outside the fridge for the 3-4h of work you have before eating it that way the content will be a room temperature.
      You can also try eating it raw in the form of tartare, for example.

  • @anushiladey7427
    @anushiladey7427 10 місяців тому

    I cant find the links to the recipes

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому

      try refreshing and seeing if they are there now

  • @mangethegamer
    @mangethegamer 10 місяців тому

    Still $60 is super cheap. The same ingredients would cost equivalent of $150 in Sweden.

  • @carruthers2915
    @carruthers2915 10 місяців тому

    A lot of these meal prep recipes use rice. Doesn't reheating rice carry a risk of food poisoning though?

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому +2

      Not if it’s stored correctly in the fridge. Just don’t leave it out over night

  • @JustCuteGirlz
    @JustCuteGirlz 10 місяців тому

    any chance for sodium amount for these dishes?

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому +1

      No. I recommend salting to taste so it will be different for everyone

  • @caydenh.4393
    @caydenh.4393 7 місяців тому

    Bro I can’t eat most fruits and vegetables raw because I’m “allergic” (oral allergy syndrome) to almost all of them, anyone have anymore cooked veggie recommendations?

  • @b3ntastic
    @b3ntastic 3 місяці тому

    I don't have enough space in my fridge for all of this :(((

  • @Sleyvas200
    @Sleyvas200 10 місяців тому

    Haha I'm watching this eating carrots with hummus. 😅

  • @gilesbrixton
    @gilesbrixton 10 місяців тому

    Dude, you got your chicken on 2 pieces of parchment, throw the parchment on the pan under the chicken, no cleanup…

  • @Yesica1993
    @Yesica1993 10 місяців тому

    HE'S EATING CARROTS?!

  • @user-fk8rb8ue5h
    @user-fk8rb8ue5h 10 місяців тому +1

    I have tried chicken rice and broccoli et cetera. It is absolute shite to eat on a regular basis. Talk about bland.

  • @mixmasta
    @mixmasta 10 місяців тому

    No college student is going to take the time to do this.

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому +1

      I meal prepped all the time when I was in college

    • @stusch1
      @stusch1 10 місяців тому

      what a cool comment

    • @Cobalt_11
      @Cobalt_11 10 місяців тому +1

      just graduated. spent most of my junior and senior year eating baked oats and meal prepping just like this. A little bit of time goes a long way - and you need all you can get in school.

  • @Fitcheffred
    @Fitcheffred 10 місяців тому

    12:02 I honestly don't like the way you acted... I agree that eating out is expensive but acting like that is just WRONG! You're the clown not the garcon!

    • @Crokto
      @Crokto 10 місяців тому

      im pretty sure that was fiction

    • @lindsaytoussaint
      @lindsaytoussaint 10 місяців тому

      Friend, that was for sure a joke. That’s his humor style.

  • @ballsackschrader218
    @ballsackschrader218 10 місяців тому

    How do you reheat the egg bake? I find that egg bakes like these get very soggy after microwaving.

    • @TheMealPrepManual
      @TheMealPrepManual  10 місяців тому

      I microwave it. It was fine for me for the entire week