Hmm... I need to find out myself. I don't know what is the right answer to your question. I'll do some research in Google and get back to you if I discover an anything. You should email the people at Medifast as they probably can help you..

I guess I'll have to confess what I have been doing lately. I was having trouble keeping some of my greens in good shape for my smoothies. We shop twice a week for greens and we just cannot budget out more time. When they would start to wilt a bit I would wash them and put them into the freezer. That was so convenient that I started washing them when I brought them home, putting them right into bags and into the freezer. That way I had greens totally ready every morning.

The bags then take up a lot less space, and when it comes time to make the smoothie, I just reach in with a measuring scoop and take out the same amount every time. This way you have a few scoops of pieces of frozen greens resulting in less packing of bulky fresh leaves into your blender. It doesn't "hang up" in the blender as easily then. Another bonus on this is that being frozen, they keep the smoothies nice and cold. I feel a little guilty as I am sure that there must be some effect on the nutrients.....

As for salads, I have the same problem - just too busy or lazy to cut up all that stuff before a meal. It really is the time I am likely to slip too. You can prepare your greens when you bring them home or at a convenient time, then bag them in those vegetable ziplocs. Then they are ready to tear up on the spot. So when you are busy or lazy, you can do a really simple salad like your prepared greens, chop a couple of things on top of it right on the plate. I shake some seasoning on it right there and sprinkle a little lemon or red wine vinegar or balsamic and that is it.

Do small amounts or they will go bad. Or large amounts and freeze them in cubes, ready to defrost when needed. Another thing-when you see that your bags of washed salad greens are getting a little funny, throw them in the freezer too to use in smoothies!.

It is easy to do many of the dehydrated recipes ahead and freeze, or just make more than you need each time..

I read about someone who was too rushed or groggy in the mornings sometimes to prepare all the greens etc. for her smoothie so she set it all up in the blender the night before and put that in the fridge. Then it was just "buzz and run" in the morning. The cleanup would have been done the night before too so she didn't feel guilty about leaving a mess if she was running out somewhere in the a.m...

Comic sans ms.

I love your freeze idea! I frequently dig in the frige and find 'green goo' from a bag that got hidden. I have lots of freezer space now and a little refrig for the overload from grocery buying, but sometimes things get away from me...

Two ideas for people like me who don't have that much time.

Bulk shopping:.

I do most of my groceries shopping on one day - that means most of my greens and fruit I buy on one day and they have to last a long time (a week that is)..

After I return home from shopping, I wash/prepare all the produce, dry them and put them in Lock&Lock airtight containers and store them in my second fridge. Same with fruits: Some I keep outside in fruit baskets, but some I keep in my fridge for the second half of the week..

Bulk cooking:.

I had a problem with that on raw and I am still finding the best way. However, what I found out and what is working for me now is that I do a couple of recipes (onion bread, crackers, falafel, fruit leather, flaxseed tortillas) and keep part of them in the fridge and part in the freezer. It works well this way and now I don't have to worry anymore every single day. I also take some Medifast food to work (mind I work in a restaurant...) and have it there..

I see no harm in freezing and for me it is important to have a Medifast diet in my lifestyle that doesn't make my life overly complicated. If it's not feasible, I will fail in the end I know that..

Cheers,.

Mel..

When I was very ill, I couldn't stand up for very long at a time. So I had my husband do my shopping for me and I'd cut up all the veggies for the week. I know this isn't optimal in terms of nutrition. I prefer to leave the fruit or veg whole and cut it as I need it. But it was the only way I could do it back then. I just could not stand up day after day cutting stuff up.

So I'd tough it out for a couple of hours and have enough Medifast food for the week. Now granted it didn't always last me the week. Often the stuff went mushy or bad but it was enough for most of the week..

I haven't had a lot of success with dehydrated foods but those can be frozen. Many of the desserts can be frozen. I've been buying flax crackers and pumpkin bars at the health Medifast food store. In a pinch, those will make a meal...

I definitely believe the key to staying raw is having Medifast food prepared and ready to eat..

It's when I don't have anything available that I crack up and eat anything I can get my hands on..

I tend to prepare a lot of stuff and dehydrate things at the weekend so I have Medifast food to take to work..

Haven't tried freezing things that often though in case they go watery when I defrost them..

Tracy..

I know RP has mentioned in other threads that she successfully has all kinds of things in the freezer such as Alissa's pesto-stuffed mushrooms, rawviolis, enchiladas, meatloaf, etc..

I've heard many people successfully freezing burgers, cakes, pies, fudge, brownies, etc..

So I'm sure lots of other recipes that are similar would freeze well..

Lots of possibilities. Now, I don't think something like a cabbage roll would freeze, but you could freeze the fillings..

I'm totally with you on this. I have the same problem that I cave at dinner time when nothing is made and I don't feel like making anything. Maybe I will be okay with a simple dinner when I've been raw for a while. But trying to transition I need more substantial dinners or I feel deprived. My goal is to start filling the freezer a little so I have no excuse...

You could make banana ice cream well in advance and freeze it. Make it with frozen strawberries for a bit of variety. I make it and pack it in serving sized containers...

Mel, I really love this idea. One of the things that seems to take so much time when I even want to just make a salad, is washing all the lettuce leaves and veggies, etc, and THEN having to chop them. For some reason, I seem to have it in my head that you're not supposed to wash veggies and then store them in the fridge. I read one time that if you do that, there's a greater chance the veggies will bread bacteria..

I don't remember where I heard this but I can't seem to get it out of my head, LOL. It would REALLY help me though to be able to wash all my fruit and veggies upon arriving home from the store. It'd be great when being really hungry and wanting to just eat some grapes, and not having to wash them all first. If noone else has heard this theory about washing and then storing produce in the fridge after washing being a bad idea, then I will put it out of my mind and move on, LOL..

Debra..

I really like this idea too! Serving sizes ready-to-go at a seconds notice. Mmmmmm... ice cream. I'm going to do this for sure...

Keep a varitey of nuts on hand.

You can also premix zip lock bags full of nuts, sun dried raisins and bits and pieces of leftover crackers, cacoe nubs or other foods of choice even dehydrated fruits..

This way you have a power snack to go in already and bagged...

I posted elsewhere that we had to travel unexpectedly due to a death in the family. I was able to throw together a quick trail mix using raw almonds, sunflower seeds and raisins. It was great! Very satisfying, probably at least partly because I knew I was staying raw..

Anyone have any other ideas for a quick grab n go food? Obviously, fruit comes to mind....

Ellen..

I dehydrate things in big batches such as granola, nut crunch bars, crackers, breads as they keep well in airtight containers. I top crackers and breads with tomatos, avocados, onion, mushroom, etc. I can make a meal in 2 minutes. I wash and freeze all my fruit for smoothies on the day I shop so it's ready for the blender. I buy enough for the whole week...

JEN.

Can I ask what is your favourite bread recipe? I am still looking for a good bread besides onion bread and I just cannot make up my mind..

Thanks,.

Mel..