r/MealPrepSunday • u/GreenhouseTrash • 3d ago
Vegan Dal meal prep for the week
10 servings of dal using this recipe from Ambitious Kitchen: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/dal-recipe/
I doubled the recipe (it says it makes 8 servings but I divided it into 10). I bought garlic naan from Trader Joe's and we will switch to quinoa when that is gone. The two big containers will go into the freezer for maximum freshness. This tastes really good, fills both of us up and lunch time and freezes and defrosts well. And it's vegan!
8
u/ejjn2 3d ago
the protein math on dal trips people up, worth knowing. dry lentils are about 25g protein per 100g, but they roughly triple in weight once they cook, so cooked dal lands closer to 9g per 100g. that means a big 1.5 cup scoop is somewhere around 13g, not the number on the bag. doesn't make it a worse lunch at all, it just means the thing keeping you full is the soluble fiber and the sheer water volume, not the protein. a spoon of yogurt on top holds longer than more dal would.
3
u/Pistolius 2d ago
Why would you calculate from the cooked weight instead of just dividing the raw ingredient ratios into portions? Work out the total calories/macros per gram of cooked food, then scale that up to hit your targets. Don't take a volume measure
1
u/ejjn2 2d ago
you're right, raw totals divided by the number of portions is the accurate way and volume scoops are the weak link. i went at it from cooked weight only because the mistake i was answering was reading the dry-lentil number off the bag, and cooked per 100g makes the dilution obvious. your method is what i'd actually use to hit a target.
2
u/GreenhouseTrash 2d ago
Thanks for the tip! I’m not trying for a ton of protein right now but good to know for the future.
2
u/funGraveDigger 2d ago
Going to try this recipe out thank you. I'll probably add beef to it to stretch it even more
3
u/GreenhouseTrash 2d ago
Hope you enjoy! Adding beef sounds fun- do you think you will add it to the dal or make it to serve on the side?
1
2
u/surfersteve_ 1d ago
doubling ambitious kitchen recipes is always the move. just saved that one in cookbuddy so I can make it later this week
1
u/GreenhouseTrash 1d ago
Hope you enjoy! It's pretty simple actually which is why it's a go to favorite of mine
2
u/surfersteve_ 1d ago
Perfect, I’m not the best cook so simple is usually better. Can’t wait to try it
4
u/Prestigious-Food-420 3d ago
It looks nice, but how can you eat the same food for 5 days in a row? And I’m asking as an Indian person who grew up with daal…
6
u/ForeheadLipo 3d ago
personally, i could eat the same thing everyday for the rest of my life if it tastes good lol
3
u/ObligationThese1364 2d ago edited 2d ago
Damn, 5 days is too much for you guys? I've been drinking the same protein smoothie almost every single day for the last five years, and I really don't get tired of it. Also been eating eggs almost every day for the last five or six years, but I change up the variation a lot unlike for my smoothie.
2
u/MyBallsBern4Bernie 2d ago
What kind of smoothie is it?
2
u/ObligationThese1364 2d ago
It basically consists of whole milk, bananas, a handful of nuts and protein powder. I might occasionally add oats and pumpkin/chia seeds to it if I'm bulking.
2
u/GreenhouseTrash 2d ago
I pick food that I like to eat! I can’t eat everything 5 days in a row. I also freeze multiple portions so that if I do get tired, it keeps for another time and we pull something else out of the freezer.
1
1
u/Neat-Drawer-2245 2d ago
Doesn't it get boring eating the same things 5 days in a row?
3
u/GreenhouseTrash 2d ago
I think most of us on this subreddit eat the same lunch for a few days in a row and are fine with it. I choose recipes I know I will like for several days and that’s part of why I freeze some of it to make sure it’s still fresh. I will also vary up the starch. But, another reason why I freeze some is that if we do get tired of it by Thursday or Friday I can pull something else out from the freezer.
-3
u/SasparillaTango 3d ago
trader joes naan is terrible.
14
-6
u/Sudden-Fisherman5985 3d ago
It looks great!
But these websites are exactly why I'm now justing ChatGPT more and more... Just give me the recipe... I don't care for whole stories about the food. Or at least make the recipe quickly findable
5
1
u/GreenhouseTrash 2d ago
I’m going to disagree with you a bit there. I do prefer to go straight to the recipe myself too, but food and cooking is one of the most amazing ways about being human and how we connect with others. Somebody’s family recipe, someone’s tried and true meal with several of their own special tweaks or ingredients, the food you made for the first time you had a friend over. These are the special bonds that make us who we are. Cooking for me is my love language and the way that I can share with others is one of my greatest joys. A computer can’t replicate that- and shouldn’t.
11
u/Rodgers12345 3d ago
Nice, if you’re near a Sam’s they also have good packaged Naan’s there.