Overwhelmed by Prep - Convenience(bad food) wins again!

jgnatca

I suggest going slowly too. Look at it this way. Every meal you prepped yourself is saving your wallet. What you are doing now isn't working so something has to give. Start out a couple a meals a week, then four, then more.

Prep your veggies at the time of day that you have your most energy. For me, that's the morning. Stir fry is very fast if everything is prepped already.

One slow cooker meal a week, on your busiest night.

I buy small amounts of fresh veggies on sale and in season, then go find a recipe to match. I keep a variety of meats in the freezer to pair up with them.

Here's a pattern I do once in a while. Buy a roast bigger than you can eat; cook on Sunday. Package the leftovers for several meals during the week including stir-fry, stew, casserole, and soup. This works really good for chicken too.

AlabasterVerve

healthyhairdresser wrote: »

They do taste better -.-; I grew up on hamburger helper and lots of processed foods, refined sugars, take out, cheap not very nutritious foods. My palate loves those things.

How about a homemade hamburger helper then?

Spices:
2 tsp Paprika
2 tsp Onion Powder
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper

Brown a pound of 80% ground beef (don't drain the fat). Add in the spice mix and let the meat and spices cook for a minute or two and then add a 1/2 cup of cream and a package of frozen broccoli (or any vegetables you like) to the meat. Cover and cook on a medium heat until the broccoli is tender. Mix in a cup of grated cheddar cheese at the end.

It's really delicious, nutritious and affordable. And while I don't eat gluten free I do eat low carb and I've found that anything I can put in a sandwich I can put on top of vegetables. You might have luck looking for low carb recipes (like the one above) since they'll typically be gluten free but full fat and satisfying.

Hang in there, it can be done. Just take it one meal at a time until you have a bunch of favorites you honestly enjoy eating.

KylaDenay

As for OP, I am so on the same page as you. I do the same thing. I get more excited at the fact that I am going to prepare meals and eat better for my health. I buy all the meat, veggies, whole grains and etc, but I end up not cooking anything. Panera, Chipotle, pizza hut mini pizzas and whatever else have become my quick go to.

I know it can be overwhelming. I am a full time student and work a full time job. I am not a lazy person at all, but since school started I just do not have much time and do not want to prepare my meals. I know that it is something I have to do and well worth a few hours of my time weekly. Mind you I haven't been doing this, but I am going to make sure I do sooner than later.

There is a lot of great advice here.

Need2Exerc1se

healthyhairdresser wrote: »

They do taste better -.-; I grew up on hamburger helper and lots of processed foods, refined sugars, take out, cheap not very nutritious foods. My palate loves those things.

Palates can easily be changed. It's mostly familiarity. I also grew up on those things but I doubt I'd even like them now.

How does one get around the cost of pre-prepped stuff? Frozen veggies aside (we already use them a lot) our budget for 2 for a mouth is $200 to $250 and prepped stuff just seems out of the realm of possibility mostly.

How does one get around the cost of fast food?

Dinners are so so, I cook mostly he does one to two nights a week. I always do one crockpot meal a week.
Breakfast and lunches are always a mess. My husband takes leftovers but I normally do not have the time or desire to heat up a casserole or some such and eat it. I need eating on the fly foods that don't require effort (microwaving, prepping) -.-; I also have to eat gluten free (medical) and so my former go-to sandwhiches and wraps are out the door.

You could use corn tortillas to make sandwich wraps. Or wrap your sandwich ingredients in a large lettuce or cabbage leaf.

dawnmcneil10

Honestly I think you're simply overthinking the process or looking for an excuse to not eat healthy.

If chopping vegetables takes you that long consider buying a small food chopper or processor.

Need breakfast on the go cook up a breakfast casserole, like a giant omelet just toss everything into a lightly greased baking dish and bake. While that's in the oven baking take a shower and start getting ready for work. When it's done you can cut it up and put it right into individual containers or leave it in the baking dish. You can also use muffin tins and then they're already individual size.

Buy baby carrots or sliced carrots, get the little baby potatoes for roasted potatoes instead of chopping up potatoes.
Leafy greens I clean and rip apart then toss into the fridge in a large bowl of ice water, keeps them fresh and all you do is pull out some and drain it as needed.

Keep a few items in your freezer than can be cooked from the frozen state for nights you forget to take something out to thaw and when you're in the freezer grab tomorrow nights dinner item and place in the fridge.

You should be able to toss an entire meal in the crock pot in under 10 minutes and flip the switch, baby carrots, baby potatoes, stew beef or roast, onion soup mix and you have a meal with very little work or time.

jgnatca

I saw a comment on here about adding white beans to pasta and thought I'd give it a try. I always have dry beans on hand for when I feel like cooking, and they last so well. So I soaked them overnight, cooked them for twenty minutes the next day, and added them to my portion of pasta (husband says yuck, so his is without beans). Now I had spare beans left over, and I recalled people talking about "White chili" on the board here. So I looked up a recipe this morning and made up a slow cooker chili with cream of chicken soup stock, chicken, corn, the beans, and peppers. It will be ready when I get home tonight.

We're not big mushroom fans around here but I'm adventuring in to new recipes. I don't like going out to get one ingredient that I'm missing. And the fresh would go bad before I'd ever get around to making anything. So I bought a big bag of dehydrated porcini mushrooms in the specialty aisle and they've been ready when I wanted to try something.

MrCoolGrim

healthyhairdresser wrote: »

Eating out is really not the best choice for me or our wallet. I want to feel better and not just get by as I have been.

My wife and I prep our food for our selves on Sunday for the week. I am a plain Jane and its rice and chicken with spices for lunch for me every day and I mix up my snacks. My wife on the other hand likes variety. So it takes her a little longer then me but after all is said and done we don't have to worry about it till Next Sunday. Oh, and we do our shopping on Saturday's. Things will work out just keep a positive spin on it.

We also alternate on making dinner. Who ever gets home first has the honor.

WinoGelato

You've gotten really good advice about trying to make small changes slowly so that they become habit. I also concur with meal prepping in bulk so that you can save time during the week. On Sundays a lot of times I will cook chicken breasts in the crockpot which get shredded and saved for other meals, and also cook 4-5 lbs of ground beef or turkey on the stovetop which I divide into 1 lb portions in ziplock bags then freeze. These are great for throwing together tacos, chili, spaghetti, or even hamburger helper on a busy weeknight. If I make something that freezes well I always make two or more of them (lasagna, enchiladas, chili, etc) so that we eat one then and have one for later.

You've mentioned being concerned about the expense of the pre chopped veggies and stuff but it has to be cheaper than wasting the food and buying fast food or eating out because you're too tired to cook what you purchased. You also want on the go stuff for lunches, I take leftovers from my other meals and those are ready in 3 minutes or less in the microwave. How much quicker do you need it?

healthyhairdresser

my breaks are in between appointments so I get 5 to 10 minutes to scarf down something - normally what happens is I don't eat at all for long periods of time and grab something (drivethru) that can be eaten in the car while running errands for work. Normally microwaved lunches end up in the microwave...and never coming out as I rush to the next thing. -.-;

WinoGelato

healthyhairdresser wrote: »

my breaks are in between appointments so I get 5 to 10 minutes to scarf down something - normally what happens is I don't eat at all for long periods of time and grab something (drivethru) that can be eaten in the car while running errands for work. Normally microwaved lunches end up in the microwave...and never coming out as I rush to the next thing. -.-;

Banana, protein bar, bag of almonds, greek yogurt, string cheese, turkey wrapped around string cheese, baby carrots and hummus. Try to fit in a bunch of large "snacks" throughout the day.

healthyhairdresser

I only get one full day off a week to do all of my household chores, paperwork, personal errands, and grocery shopping so dedicating a large sum of time to meal prep is daunting.
I already meal plan but perhaps I am being too ambitious with wanting to make this big change.
I feel like I am failing constantly at this lifestyle change business.

Need2Exerc1se

healthyhairdresser wrote: »

my breaks are in between appointments so I get 5 to 10 minutes to scarf down something - normally what happens is I don't eat at all for long periods of time and grab something (drivethru) that can be eaten in the car while running errands for work. Normally microwaved lunches end up in the microwave...and never coming out as I rush to the next thing. -.-;

Think of the time you could save by having food already in the car, instead of having to sit in a drive-thru line.

Steff46

Start out a bit slower and try to prep just for two dinners. I often have lettuce tacos a few nights a week. Here are the easy prep steps for Sunday. Cook a pound of ground turkey adding a packet of McCormick's Taco Seasoning. Store it in a tupperware bowl. Cut up an onion, store it in another tupperware bowl. Wash and cut the ends off of a head of Romaine lettce. Store in a tupperware bowl. Come Monday night time to eat, take a Romaine Lettuce leaf, add warmed up turkey, add some onion, add a few spoonfuls of salsa, add a pinch of cheese and it is heaven! Very easy. You can also make a tuna salad, egg salad, or just luncheon meat on the lettuce for lunches. Have fun and try not to get overwhemled

WinoGelato

healthyhairdresser wrote: »

I only get one full day off a week to do all of my household chores, paperwork, personal errands, and grocery shopping so dedicating a large sum of time to meal prep is daunting.
I already meal plan but perhaps I am being too ambitious with wanting to make this big change.
I feel like I am failing constantly at this lifestyle change business.

I'm sorry but I'm struggling to see how your busy life is busier than anyone else's busy life. You have a whole day in which to run errands every week? What's that like, because in my world that would be like heaven!

I'm not trying to be harsh but every good suggestion you've gotten in here has been met with reasons it won't work for you or it's too hard. We are all adults on this site, or are supposed to be! Many people here balance work, families, fitness, assorted other responsibilities, and hobbies as well. I've yet to meet anyone on here that is independently wealthy although I'm sure some have tighter budgets than others. Everyone just has to find ways to make this work. A lifestyle change doesn't have to be a dramatic overnight transformation. Take small steps and before you know it you'll have a whole new set of healthy habits.

Good luck!

Francl27

Buy a George Foreman grill. Buy meat. Buy frozen veggies. Turn on the grill. While it heats, trim the meat. Once the grill is on, put the meat on the grill, and put frozen veggies in microwave.

I cook pork chops, chicken breasts, ham steaks, sausages all the time in the foreman. Or you can buy chicken legs or fish fillets and just bake them, or just put fresh veggies in boiling water for 5 minutes. If you like something else on the side, just bake, boil or roast some potatoes (ok, you have to peel them, so I guess it's a bit more prep) or make a big batch or rice you can use for a few days.

Start with simple things.

healthyhairdresser

@Kruggeri I didn't mean to sound like I am making excuses - I thanked people earlier for all the great suggestions and am definitely listening to them. I am just adding a glimpse into my life to get MORE helpful suggestions. Such as explaining my lunch situation, gave me the suggestion to do snacks throughout instead of a meal (wasn't that yours?) , which makes more sense to me and I honestly had not thought to do such.
Everyone situation is different and I understand that, hence letting people know where I am at so others can understand my situation with their suggestions.
Alot of the suggestions have been to slow down, make smaller changes my comment " I already meal plan but perhaps I am being too ambitious with wanting to make this big change." spoke to that and I feel like I am failing constantly because I am trying to make a huge overhaul eating wise.

mll58

Start a notebook of meals that you can prep in 30 minutes or less. I love Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Express and the Rachel Ray cookbooks are also a good bet.

Here's a few ideas from the list of instadinners that I can walk in and prepare (and, for the most part, all three of my kids will eat 'em) -- all I need is to have the ingredients available:

* Whole grain pasta with turkey meatballs and marinara sauce from a jar. Frozen green beans and sliced red peppers or carrots on the side.

* Burritos -- Soft wheat tortillas, a can of refried beans, salsa, frozen corn, cheese, jalapenos, fresh tomatoes, onions, and lettuce:
- Start the beans heating -- put them in a pan on low(ish) with about a 1/2 cup of salsa.
- While the beans are heating, grate the cheese, cut up a tomato and some onion, put stuff in bowls and set it out.
- Put the corn in a microwavable bowl and zap it.
- Right before serving, wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and zap them for 15 seconds per tortilla.
-- 15 minutes after you walk in the door, you can eat.

* Make a bunch of chili some cold weekend and freeze it in family dinner portions. Take one out of the freezer on your way out the door in the morning. Serve with quesadillas and veggies like baby carrots and cherry tomatoes.

* Mrs T's Pierogi (in your freezer section) -- Walk in the house, boil water and throw 'em in the pot. While they're cooking, you can do one of:
- Slice some cabbage and onions fairly thin (or start with coleslaw mix!), stirfry it, and add poppy seeds just before serving (put the cooked cabbage and onions in a big bowl, add pierogi, and serve).
- Heat up some tomato sauce, zap some frozen peas to go alongside.

* Trader Joe's dried tortellini -- in the winter, boil it up and serve with store-bought pesto sauce and roasted broccoli or cauliflower florets. In the summer (if it ever comes again), cook it early in the morning. Put some frozen peas in the colander before you drain in, and put the whole thing in a bowl with just a little bit of olive oil, and then put in the fridge. When you get home, add roasted red peppers from a jar, cubes of mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, some italian dressing, and whatever else sounds good.

I can have every single one of these meals on the table in less than 30 minutes -- with a little practice, you can too.

I tend to cook a lot from scratch, but some of the timesavers in my life:

* Broccoli slaw and coleslaw mix. You can make much better slaw than you can buy.
* Trader Joe's cornbread mix. Not lowfat, not healthy. But it's fast and easy and everyone likes it.
* Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough. Yeah -- you can make pizza or calzones for dinner fast.
* Chicken sausages. Because.
* Canned beans -- The chickpea burgers from Nava Atlas are fabulous -- Serve on whole wheat english muffins...

For lunch, I bring a salad almost every day -- you can now buy lettuce all packaged up and ready to go. Add a couple of other veggies (red pepper, last night's broccoli, even some frozen peas) and a protein (make a few hard-boiled eggs some evening or weekend -- when they are cool, write an H on the top and stick them back in the fridge) such as a hard boiled egg, leftover chicken, white beans (in the morning, open and drain a can of white beans, put a 1/2c in a leakproof container with a tablespoon of your favorite salad dressing. Let it marinate until lunch and dump it in your salad).

Good luck -- it does take time to get the hang of it -- but you will.

Also -- if you need to, keep a notebook of what's easy and good. When you run out of ideas, you can look at your list.

WinoGelato

healthyhairdresser wrote: »

@Kruggeri I didn't mean to sound like I am making excuses - I thanked people earlier for all the great suggestions and am definitely listening to them. I am just adding a glimpse into my life to get MORE helpful suggestions. Such as explaining my lunch situation, gave me the suggestion to do snacks throughout instead of a meal (wasn't that yours?) , which makes more sense to me and I honestly had not thought to do such.
Everyone situation is different and I understand that, hence letting people know where I am at so others can understand my situation with their suggestions.
Alot of the suggestions have been to slow down, make smaller changes my comment " I already meal plan but perhaps I am being too ambitious with wanting to make this big change." spoke to that and I feel like I am failing constantly because I am trying to make a huge overhaul eating wise.

I get that. I think one of the most important factors in being successful with this is approaching it as a lifestyle change, but also understanding that you can't do everything at once. People come into this going balls to the walls saying I'm going to "eat clean" or "eliminate sugar" or "not exceed 1200 cals" and often the people who try to do too much too quickly get discouraged and end up giving up altogether. I see a lot of negative words in your posts, things like "I can't" or "I'm failing". I don't personally have problems with eating fast food or processed foods but if it's important to you to minimize these, even if you hit one less drive through in a week then it isn't a failure it's a success....

jgnatca

Kruggeri wrote: »

Banana, protein bar, bag of almonds, greek yogurt, string cheese, turkey wrapped around string cheese, baby carrots and hummus. Try to fit in a bunch of large "snacks" throughout the day.

Yes. I stash. First for when I had diabetes symptoms and now to cater to a smaller stomach due to surgery.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/mid-day-snacks-722504

stealthq

dawnmcneil10 wrote: »

Honestly I think you're simply overthinking the process or looking for an excuse to not eat healthy.

If chopping vegetables takes you that long consider buying a small food chopper or processor.

Need breakfast on the go cook up a breakfast casserole, like a giant omelet just toss everything into a lightly greased baking dish and bake. While that's in the oven baking take a shower and start getting ready for work. When it's done you can cut it up and put it right into individual containers or leave it in the baking dish. You can also use muffin tins and then they're already individual size.

Buy baby carrots or sliced carrots, get the little baby potatoes for roasted potatoes instead of chopping up potatoes.
Leafy greens I clean and rip apart then toss into the fridge in a large bowl of ice water, keeps them fresh and all you do is pull out some and drain it as needed.

Keep a few items in your freezer than can be cooked from the frozen state for nights you forget to take something out to thaw and when you're in the freezer grab tomorrow nights dinner item and place in the fridge.

You should be able to toss an entire meal in the crock pot in under 10 minutes and flip the switch, baby carrots, baby potatoes, stew beef or roast, onion soup mix and you have a meal with very little work or time.

Probably overthinking. Or maybe not that experienced with cooking? Prep takes newer cooks much longer than more experienced cooks.

I agree with other posters that OP should ease into it by cooking a meal or two a week, and increase as she gets used to it.

OP, some of the most delicious meals are super simple to make. A good rule is to pick one component that's requires some attention, and let the rest be very little effort. I usually take some time cooking a meat, steam or roast vegetables or prepare a tossed salad, then maybe prepare some rice in a rice cooker. Total time to dinner generally 30min or less. Including prep.

Some meat preps that don't take long (except for the slow cooker - but that's done overnight or while you're gone), and are very delicious:

Chicken thighs: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/perfect-pan-roasted-chicken-thighs

Slow cooker pulled pork: Put a trimmed pork butt (ask your butcher to do the trimming) in a slow cooker, cover about 1/4 with some kind of liquid - beer, apple cider, broth, even water will work. Cook for 8 hours on low. When it's done, pull the meat out and shred. It should be so tender that it pretty much falls apart on its own. Add some barbecue sauce to taste. This is good served as an entree, over a baked potato, or in a sandwich.

Pork chops: http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/03/the-food-lab-pork-chops-blah.html
The explanation is lengthy, but the technique is 1) dry brine the chops, 2) cook at 250F in the oven until the chops are at 110-120F, 3) sear in a pan on the stove top. Lamb chops can be done similarly.

Steaks: http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/12/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-pan-seared-steaks.html
Again, lengthy explanation. Simple actual process. Lots of basting and flipping of the steak, so it's hands-on, but doesn't take very long to do.