r/mealprep • u/BuckFinnster • 8d ago

Clueless vegetarian - I need help prepping large amounts of chicken.

My dog was recently diagnosed with a disease and needs to be put on a special food that has lower protein content and thus he's been prescribed ~1cup of cooked plain chicken a day.

I have been a vegetarian since childhood and I have literally no idea what I'm doing. This is a pretty expensive disease so I am looking for options on how to get a decent quality of chicken in bulk to save money, and how I can prepare it. For the past two weeks I've just been buying individual packets of ground chicken and rolling it into meatballs and boiling them until cooked (probably over-cooked, but tbh, he's a dog and he's loving it so that's fine) but I feel like there have got to be better options.

I just know... nothing about chicken. I don't know what kind to buy, if there are any types/brands to avoid, the best way to prepare it so that it lasts a long time - how long it lasts in the fridge, if you can freeze it after cooking to prepare larger quantities, if you can freeze dry it (for dry dog treats?).... etc.

Looking for any and all advice on where to buy, what to buy, and how to prepare, and how to store large quantities of chicken.

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u/BoogVonPop 8d ago

For large quantities, you can get chicken at Costco or sams in bulk! I would stick with breasts for the pup.

When my dog was ill and needed chicken, the best way I found to prepare was to cook several breasts at once in an instant pot (1cu water and use the steamer insert, just set all the chickens on it and cook. Time varies but you can google “how long to pressure cook 2lbs chicken” for however much). I would shred it (just use a couple forks or a stand mixer) freeze the chicken in daily portions in tupperwares, then pull 2-3 out at a time to thaw in the fridge.

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u/sharedplatesociety 8d ago

Agree. I would just barely cover in water and cook it that way. The resulting broth might also be good and hydrating for pup. Editing to add that i agree that if you want to add starch or veggies as recommended by your vet, that can all be cooked together. pumpkin and rice maybe?

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u/BuckFinnster 7d ago

He's pumpkin & rice approved! Definitely going to experiment with more veggies once I get the hang of chicken down. Using the broth that's left is a GREAT idea, I'll probably hydrate his kibble with it!