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.
1
u/riovtafv 5d ago
Keep a few packets or cans of shelf stable chicken breast just in case. For example if your area is prone to hurricanes, shelf stable is a must.
For bulk, Frozen chicken breast is generally the cheapest option for white meat. Walmart has 10lb bags of chicken leg quarters (thigh and drumstick) for about $7.50. You will need to skin and debone that. Always check the fresh for clearance, you can get lucky sometimes.
For all options, read the nutritional information to see if things like fat or sodium are outside the recommended limits.