Meal/diet replacements

Sallyann1Fuller

Hi, need a little help.

You read so much about the best diets and shakes and calculating your macros but I'm pretty clueless if I'm honest.
I'm extremely busy (I work full time in a demanding stressful job) and so have very little time to prep during the week and I have two young boys so at weekends I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen all the time (I already feel like I spend all my time doing house work or working as it is! lol)
I wanted advice - when I'm stressed I eat and I eat convenience foods, sweets, fizzy pop and just rubbish! I feel rubbish afterwards and it doesn't fill me up so I know it's no good.

Does anyway use protein shakes (MyProtein) or Slim fast or the bars between meals during the week and have a proper breakfast and dinner in the evening.
I'm thinking of going back on the women fat loss MyProtein route. A series of capsules to reduce carb absorption, to speed up fat burn, shakes to keep you full and quick snack bars for when you just need something.
I could if I get organised have a 'normal' breakfast also and then a proper evening dinner.
Does anyone else do this and how are you finding it?

Thanks Sal x

LivingtheLeanDream

I know you might not want to hear this but it really doesn't take that long each day to prepare your meals ahead of time I find, most of my meals can be prepared in 10 mins. We eat a lot of salads/casseroles/curries/bolognese's.

I realise its harder when the kids are small and need so much of our attention.

Forget about the capsules, I would be sceptical of anything like that. But protein shakes for during the day isn't so bad an idea and will keep you feeling full.

It would be all too easy to grab convenience foods when you have no alternative, I get that, but you could make a start with stocking your fridge up with fruit - they could be your go to snack. Also nuts although high in calories they are a good go to and are filling.

How about making up a pack lunch the night before? literally it takes a few minutes to do that.

As for dinner - I take it you'll want to make something the whole family can eat too? that's the way to save time. How about using a slow cooker/crock pot? you could have casseroles cooking while you're at work. To give you ideas for quick meals if you check out Jamie Oliver's 15 and 30 mins meals, he did a great series a few years back with lots of quick and easy meal ideas.

Eating properly will help you feel more energised

Hope you find something that works for you

misskarne

You do not need those junk scamwoo things. The pills, the shakes it's all scams. You protest about convenience foods being "rubbish" but you seem happy enough to buy into these scamwoos? wut?

How young are the young boys? You could totally get them involved with your meal prep. It could be valuable family bonding time, Sunday Cooking Time or something, and it would teach them valuable skills too!

Jeyradan

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

As for dinner - I take it you'll want to make something the whole family can eat too? that's the way to save time. How about using a slow cooker/crock pot? you could have casseroles cooking while you're at work. To give you ideas for quick meals if you check out Jamie Oliver's 15 and 30 mins meals, he did a great series a few years back with lots of quick and easy meal ideas.

Eating properly will help you feel more energised

Hope you find something that works for you

Seconding the slow-cooker! You can prepare a meal in ten minutes (or even buy pre-packed bags of slow-cooker meal ingredients at the shops) and then leave it to cook all day. Dinner takes almost no work, is ready when you want it, and makes your house smell amazing!

Depending on your calorie allowance, you might be able to fill up on quick foods like:
- nuts (make a great and satisfying snack)
- complex carbohydrates (cold cereals with low sugar/fat, Weetabix, oats, anything whole-grain)
- steamed vegetables (take very little time and you can prepare loads in advance and refrigerate or freeze)
- legumes (you can soak dried beans or lentils overnight and then leave them to simmer while doing other things, or simply cook tinned beans if that works better for you)
- sandwiches (simple ones like low-fat cooked meats, light soft cheese, or vegetables on wholemeal bread should hopefully not take too long to prepare)
- granola or muesli bars (there are some healthy commercial ones, or you can make a big batch yourself; it does take up time once, but then you have bars for ages)

For the record, although I don't really do meal replacement shakes, I do occasionally have a Tesco brand one because I'm in a rush or need it as a pre/post-workout supplement. There are certainly healthier ones (these are high in sugar and don't have as much protein as I'd like), but I have to say, the Tesco ones do keep me full.

marm1962

As a meal replacement a good nutritional shake is not a scam, pre-made ones however can contain a lot of sugar so take a little time to do some research so that if your out and about and in a time crunch you can just grab and go. Convenience stores around here carry bananas, apples, string cheese, bags of peanuts, cashews, mixed nuts, we even have one that carries hard boiled eggs and cut up fruit (real, not prepacked)...there are healthy choices out there you just have to look. Crock pots and slow cookers are a working person's dream, you can make so many different kinds of meals in them and just add an ingredient or two when you get home if need be

dmariet116

Personally I have never been able to have any luck with the meal replacement/shake options. They contain sugars which is a trigger for me. I start to crave more sweets and BOOM!!!! I am eating everything in sight. I work 12 hour rotating shifts so i crack a few eggs into a container, add a T of organic butter and microwave it at work. This keeps me full til lunch which is usually something else quick thrown into a bowl to microwave later like some spinach, cheese and leftovers or eggs yolks and butter or olive oil. I literally throw together my meals in less than 5 minutes before rushing out the door. IMO it's not so much prep work, it's the shopping before hand that is key.

Sallyann1Fuller

Thanks so much for the feedback - I think I need to plan my time better and put my health first. The evening meals are sorted to a degree, I always cook nutritious healthy foods for my boys (they're 7 and 5 years) and the evening meals are mostly salads, rice or pasta dishes. My boys love cooking so I do need to get them involved again. Maybe reduce my potions (and /or make a bit more) and save some for the next day?

I LOVE the ideas for snacks and the slow cooker/crock pot (I'll be running out the office to pick one up today!)
I will however do some research on shakes as I spend a lot of my day running from office to office for meetings so maybe during the day that would be a solution as well as left overs and healthy alternatives for snacks.

I'm sad to say that I can go from 5am till 3pm without eating anything, only drinking water, coffee and tea and then I'm so dizzy and ravenous I grab what I can from the machine and my insulin levels are up and down......
I'm slowing getting back into the gym (been on crutches for 8 weeks with a heel running injury) so I need to try fit gym trips and road/trail running back in.
It's awful how far I've slipped back!
Thank you again, I really appreciate the honestly

Lounmoun

I eat the same foods I always did just in appropriate portion sizes for my goal. I don't use meal replacement shakes. I cook dinner every day but breakfast, lunch and snacks are low prep or no prep foods. I prelog my whole day every morning so I know I am getting my calories and protein goal met.

Things I typically eat:
Breakfast- Greek yogurt, granola bars, cereal with milk, sandwich, dinner leftovers, fruit, cottage cheese
Lunch- sandwich, salad, or dinner leftovers
Dinner- something different every night of the month. I have soup once a week usually.
Snacks- things like fruit, chips, popcorn, pretzels, chocolate, cookies, granola bar, carrots, celery, broccoli, trail mix, nuts, deviled eggs, pickles, cottage cheese

When you cook, you could double the recipe and portion the leftovers out for breakfast or lunches. It doesn't take much more work or time really. Pack lunch at night when you are putting away dinner leftovers.
A sandwich takes just a few minutes to put together. There is nothing wrong with eating a sandwich.
A piece of fruit is as easy to grab as a bag of sweets. Sweets can fit in your calorie goal but won't do much for filling you up or meeting your nutritional needs.
Cook a bunch of hard boiled eggs. Have plain or add to sandwiches or salads.
Cook a bunch of chicken (or other meat) in a slow cooker. Cut up or shred the meat for sandwiches, salads, casseroles, tacos, soups, stir fry, pizza.
Eat a limited roating menu. You don't have to eat something different every single day.

Jeyradan

Slow-cookers are great! I have a 4.5L one that makes enough for 4-6 servings even without side dishes. Rice cookers can also make your life easier, if you've got the money, counter space, etc. for one (and they don't just do rice - I've done oatmeal, pancakes and more in mine).

For breakfasts, consider nutritious food that's quick. I mentioned a few options in my "complex carbohydrates" list, but there are plenty more; for instance, I'm a huge fan of overnight oats, which are porridge oats mixed with fat-free plain or Greek yoghurt and cut fruit and left to refrigerate overnight. Lots of people do well including a nut butter with their breakfasts, especially along with something like wholegrain toast or waffles, because nut butters have healthy fats and staying power (watch the sugars). Eggs are great - nutritionally complete little protein bombs that can be prepared in advance or fairly quickly when you want them.

Maybe you could get your boys involved in ahead-of-time food prep once a week and then benefit from it throughout the week!

megzchica23

One of the things I love to make cooking easier is I take a couple of the 5lb bags of frozen chicken breasts from Walmart. I split them up into freezer bags with different marinades in each. Takes like 10 min. Pop them back in freezer. Then just put them in fridge to thaw a day or two before I want to cook them. Then I also make tilliapa. You can buy those frozen too. They thaw pretty fast in under some water. Then I either pan sear them or I bake them in the oven for like 10 minutes with a bit of butter and some seasonings. Then while either is in the oven you just heat up some canned or frozen veggies. Takes me 20 min to make dinner every night. A great thing I have found for making for lunches and doesn't take long to whip up is burritos. You can make a bunch at once and then just wrap each one in foil and freeze them and pull them out for work everyday for the next 2 weeks.

cathipa

Preplanning is key. I do use protein powders for breakfast or lunch if I'm in a hurry, but typically I try to get my protein sources from food (chicken, fish, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, eggs, lean meat). Don't buy into "carb blockers" - its a waste of money. Have you calculated your macros and daily calorie goal?

Sallyann1Fuller

cathipa wrote: »

Preplanning is key. I do use protein powders for breakfast or lunch if I'm in a hurry, but typically I try to get my protein sources from food (chicken, fish, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, eggs, lean meat). Don't buy into "carb blockers" - its a waste of money. Have you calculated your macros and daily calorie goal?

No I haven't, I'm not sure where to start if I'm honest! Any guidance or where I can look to do this?
Thanks