Meal Prep from Cuba

Meal Prep from Cuba.<br><br>My Husband, 28, and I, 30, are both IT engineers. We live in Cuba. He does meal prep on weekends. This is our food plan and his meal prep for this week:<br><br>* He buys food on Fridays or Saturdays; <br>* He preps food on Sundays morning.<br><br>**Step 1: Plan**<br><br>We have a full list of the available food at the open market. Everyday, we compare prices at multiple markets to ensure we buy the lowest price and highest quality; we choose meat and veggies first and do the rest accordingly.<br><br>We have about 9 markets in our neighborhood. So, it is a good idea to compare and choose the best.<br><br>**Step 2: Purchase**<br><br>On Fridays, he checks out prices and says when a product has higher quality and lower price. He buys food from 3-5 markets on Saturdays, so we have enough food for the week.<br><br>**Step 3: Meal Prep**<br><br>On Sundays, he does a full meal prep for the next 4-5 days.<br><br>Some days, we buy food in the evening, so that’s when he does meal prep (Sunday is not a rule, it is flexible according to the schedule and convenience).<br><br>**Step 4: Pack and Freeze**<br><br>He packs food in plastic bags and freezes everything, so it can last longer. <br><br>* We have ice cream buckets and plastic containers that we use.<br>* He labels and saves them (e.g., beef bucket, chicken bucket, tomato bucket, etc).<br><br>**Step 5: Microwave**<br><br>We take out the food we need for the day, put it on the microwave, and that’s it.<br><br>**Step 6: Eat**<br><br>We eat what we want. We can choose whatever food we want at any time, so we don’t get bored with food.<br><br>**Tips and Tricks:**<br><br>* Always compare prices and choose the lowest price and best quality food;<br>* Be flexible with the dates;<br>* You don’t need to meal prep all your food. I meal prep all my food, but my husband only meal preps 2 meals and snacks; he has a big lunch break, so he prefers to eat out;<br>* We spend about $50 per week. In Cuba, this is a lot of money for one person. We are happily married and have a good salary, but we have no idea how people can afford meal prep, so we try to be frugal;<br>* Meal prep is a great way to save money. If you buy food in bulk, it is cheaper;<br>* Meal prep saves time. We have to go to the market everyday to buy food, so meal prep is a great option. We have more free time and we don’t need to worry about food anymore;<br>* Meal prep is good for the environment. We use reusable containers and bags, so we don’t generate waste.<br><br>**Food Cost**<br><br>We spend $50 per week. That’s a lot of money in Cuba, but we have a good salary. Meal prep really saves us money, as we can buy food in bulk and use reusable containers and bags.<br><br>**Food**<br><br>* Meals: rice, lentils, chicken, beef, vegetables (we vary between all colors, e.g., carrots, peas, string beans, tomatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, broccoli, etc.)<br>* Snacks: fruits, nuts, crackers, cheese, etc.<br><br>**Plans**<br><br>We have been doing meal prep for 6 months now, and we are happy with it. We are planning to continue meal prep for a long time and explore more options as we go.<br><br>Our goal is to keep our diet healthy and balanced, with enough protein and calories to support our lifestyle.<br><br>We also want to explore new recipes and flavors, and we are open to changes as we go.<br><br>**Progress**<br><br>Our progress has been slow but steady. We have learned a lot and made changes accordingly. We are happy with the results and we can see the difference.<br><br>**Conclusion**<br><br>Meal prep works well for us. It saves time, money, and we eat healthy food all the time. It is not perfect, but it is a good solution for us.<br><br>We can choose whatever food we want at any time. We are happy with our meal prep and we are planning to continue.<br><br>I hope you find this helpful. Let me know if you have any questions.<br><br>TL;DR: Meal prep from Cuba. Planning, purchasing, meal prep, and reheating, tips and tricks, budget, meal prep details, and future plans.