A REAL look at a persons food?

sf8813
sf8813 Posts: 4 Member
edited December 20 in Food and Nutrition
I've been doing my thing for about 3 months, lost 10lbs so far. I just want to know a REAL persons diet. Not this salmon, kale, quinoa stuff. I'm talking someone like me who has a full time job, a household and children. Someone who doesn't have the time or energy to plan and prep every meal who has to rely on frozen, pre-prepped or even fast food sometimes. What are your meals like?
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Replies

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    You can look at my diary--it's open to the public. I don't know if it'll help you much because I live in Italy and most of it is in Italian. However, I 'm what you're looking for. I cook normally for my family--pasta, risotto, vegetables, and my husband is always buying desert. He and my 3 grown sons are all thin. I have to watch it, so, control my portions and eat more vegetables and fruit and try to eat less of the desserts. We go out for pizza every Friday evening, and Saturday too, although I order a salad and he gives me a third of his pizza. You'll learn to make this work, because you have to. It'll take a bit more planning. Good luck.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    I eat a wide variety of things, some prepackaged, some not. I eat frozen dinners, canned soups, frozen vegetables, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, tons of different types of snacks, some healthier than others. You can check my diary if you want, but be warned it's a bit messy, lol.

    I also batch cook. So I make a huge salad and usually a family-sized entree and portion them out in individual plastic containers for the week. If I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll do the same with my snacks (cut up fruit, etc)
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,142 Member
    edited April 2019
    You're welcome to add me and look through my diary (not currently logging this month but there is 2 years of diary there from end of March back), I do meal prep (but also have takeaway occasionally, ready meals, frozen foods and eat out), but for exactly the reasons you say you don't: time and energy - if I don't prep ahead I would overeat out of laziness because I would just order takeaway or eat out - meal prep doesn't have to all be from scratch or time consuming and as mentioned above by @asliceofjackie even just planning meals ahead can help, it only takes about 5 minutes and not only can it save you time, help you manage your calories, but it can also save you a lot of money.

    I don't have a family but I do have a full time job, a part time business, run a 300 member strong social club and Row competitively/ active member of my Rowing Clubs committee so I don't have a whole lot of free time after trying to do my housework.

    This is my meal planner:
    https://instagram.com/p/Bv9-F9nBkOQ/embed/

    I don't always fill out every meal, I don't always stick to it 100% but it helps me plan my shopping, cut down on waste and buy only what I need.

    My meal prep for the week takes about an hour/90 minutes twice per week and that usually takes care of workday lunches and 3-4 evening meals.

    Breakfast is usually Weetabix or Overnight Oats with whatever fruit I have lying around and some dark chocolate chips.

    Lunch is usually Soup & Roll/Mini Naan breads (Supermarket Soup that does 2 servings) or mason jar salads now that the sun is starting to make an appearance again - my salads are not like a few leaves with half a chicken breast though, they are 800-1000 calories and are usually something like Tuna Mayo Pasta Salad with shredded mozzarella as well as the salad and veg or Marinated Chicken with Noodles and veg.

    Dinner is usually either some fish or meat with steamed veg (normally frozen stuff thrown in my microwave steamer) and potato/rice. Sometimes I'll prep the Chicken ahead of time on the weekend and marinate a bunch of chicken legs/breasts with something quick like Crunchy Peanut Butter, Oil & Chilli or Honey/Lemon/Black Pepper and then refrigerate/freeze them until needed and reheat.
  • Sunshine_And_Sand
    Sunshine_And_Sand Posts: 1,320 Member
    edited April 2019
    I'm a real person. I work full time as well, and my current calendar has one or both of my children having an activity that keeps us out every night this week except for Friday. I also don't even like kale. When we were eating fast food a lot, I tried to stick with subway or salads as much as possible. Just be careful with the salads because if you get the fried chicken salads with a higher calorie dressing, you might as well get the burger...
    Now, however we are on a stricter budget than usual due to both remodeling and staying on track to get the house paid off early so that makes fast food not as much of an option.
    I did spend about an hour yesterday pre-assembling, pre-making, and pre-chopping what I can. Here's what this week's dinners look like to give you and idea:
    -Butternut squash enchiladas - already assembled and ready to pop in the oven. I used the old El Paso chicken enchilada dinner kit and subbed the chicken for butternut squash and red onion, otherwise followed the directions the same. Will probably serve these with the steam in bag microwaveable corn
    -chicken tacos. Put chicken in crockpot with salsa in am and shred it with a fork when ready for the tacos. Using pre-shredded lettuce and veggies are already chopped
    -pancakes already made for a breakfast for dinner
    -frozen pizza one night
    -chicken and zucchini in a casserole dish, pour on about a cup of FF Italian dressing, then cover with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and bake.
  • HeyMa_65
    HeyMa_65 Posts: 5 Member
    Hey @sf8813 , sorry about your rehabilitation, I so understand the full time job of getting well as I've had multiple surgeries.
    So I joined WW last year, down almost 50#. One of the things I learned was meal prep is a necessity. Put things in your house that are easy and tasty. If you like shrimp, it comes already cooked frozen for you. Cook up a bunch of chicken breast and keep in the fridge (you can add sauces to change it up each day). Veggie steam packages are great, bagged salads and let's not forget desserts. Yes, everyone likes sweets. My two favorites are fat free plain yogurt mixed with sugar free instant pudding. The cheesecake one with strawberries or the chocolate with banana sliced is a full dessert.
    Hope this helps 🤗
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited April 2019
    Here is what I had in the past 3 days, most of them (other than the okra stew, which someone else cooked) took 1-10 minutes to prepare or were store bought because I've been feeling the last few days. The last screenshot is for today, I haven't had dinner yet and I don't even know what I will have, so no prep here, but I'm feeling like a falafel sandwich so I might buy one for dinner. I did pre-log my dinner on day 1 to accommodate the heavy lunch.

    Yes. I do have kale and quinoa sometimes when I feel like having kale and quinoa. Just to show you that no special effort is needed to diet, just eat what you find appropriate that day, and that the typically "diet foods" (salmon and kale, as you call it) are just foods that some people like and you don't need to be a "fake" person to have them (I snacked on lettuce because I like it, not because it's the rabbit food that you need to eat on a diet).

    Day 1:

    cfxb6u7j37z6.png



    Day 2:

    yw9a1zagszjj.png



    Today:

    ypu6epka8arx.png

  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    I definitely don’t plan, prep, and batch cook every single meal! I eat out a fair amount. But I definitely eat mindfully and plan/prep all my weekday breakfasts and lunches, and I’m trying to get better with dinners. And for sure, I always have a plan before going into a restaurant or ordering takeout (eat a little less that morning or previous days, see what items look delicious and that I can either fit in my calories or split into two meals, see what items are going to most satisfy me and not break the bank, and I pretty much never order alcohol or appetizers or desserts because I’m trying to make eating out more about the socializing with friends rather than an EATING EXTRAVAGANZA 😂 and I’ve taught myself to enjoy one plate and not be jealous of others who order appetizers, drinks, entrees, sides, and desserts all in the same meal).

    My diary is public; take a look! My weekday breakfasts are always almonds/edamame, lunches are always prepped and cooked on Sunday and I try new recipes every week, and dinners are whatever I feel like. Also I always have a dessert, recently two tbsp of peanut butter with some chocolate. Weekends are more free, so I might have eggs for breakfast, or skip breakfast and go right to a big lunch; whatever the social calendar has planned for us that day.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    I eat Subway twice a week usually. ;) My diary is open.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    edited April 2019
    Yes to ordering a pizza and eating it for every meal thereafter until it is gone! :laugh:

    Yesterday I had pizza, yellow curry, and half a pint of Ben & Jerry's. I don't eat that way every day, but once in a while it happens and I don't stress over it. Most of the time breakfast is either skipped or something like yogurt or a protein bar. Lunch is a frozen meal, maybe with extra veggies, or leftovers. Dinner is just regular food - whatever the rest of the family is eating. Snacks are protein bars, string cheese, fruit, popcorn, whatever. But I don't log anymore so you'll have to take my word for it.

    ETA example dinners: spaghetti and meat sauce, tacos or taco salad, grilled meat with potatoes and a veggie, pot roast with carrots and potatoes, chicken noodle soup (homemade), etc

    ETA again, we eat takeout for dinner at least once a week, sometime 2 or 3 times depending on how crazy everyone's schedule is. Not saying that's ideal or that we shouldn't try harder to eat at home. Just saying that's my life, and I'm not here to pretend to be perfect.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    sf8813 wrote: »
    I've been doing my thing for about 3 months, lost 10lbs so far. I just want to know a REAL persons diet. Not this salmon, kale, quinoa stuff. I'm talking someone like me who has a full time job, a household and children. Someone who doesn't have the time or energy to plan and prep every meal who has to rely on frozen, pre-prepped or even fast food sometimes. What are your meals like?

    Well I don't know if I am a real person or not (some days it's hard to tell)...

    I am not that busy (retired) but I don't want to spend every day in the kitchen (mainly because I don't like cleaning). When I cook I usually double the recipes. It really doesn't take much longer to do a double batch. That way I have multiple meals and I go ahead and portion it out. Then on other days it is easy to go pull something out for lunch or dinner.

    I also use an instant pot and looked for recipes that you just throw everything in and turn it on. I then walk away and when I come back I have multiple meals cooked.

    This all works if your family doesn't mind leftovers. If you truly want to lose weight and are willing to spend a little time searching for recipes then you can make it work. Your family will learn to adjust.

    Another thing that I do is keep frozen dinners in the freezer that way if I am in a bind (or too lazy to cook) I have something that I can eat without blowing my calories.
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    edited April 2019
    You can look at my diary, but with the caveat that I make meal planning a priority even though I have a crazy busy schedule. Instead of buying packaged foods, I cook in bulk and freeze the leftovers for later. That doesn't mean I don't ever eat out or make not-so-great-for-me choices, but I do my best because I made the decision to prioritize our diet.

    Signed - Mom of 5 who works 40 hrs during the week, commutes 2.5hrs a day, works 8 hrs on the weekend, and has kids sport and school events 5 days a week.

    ETA: dinner plan for the week

    Sunday: Chuck Roast with green beans (I cooked 3lbs of beans, used some for dinner, froze the rest)
    Monday: eating out
    Tuesday: spaghetti and meat sauce (spaghetti squash for me because I limit carbs)
    Wednesday: Cheese burgers on the grill
    Thursday: Grilled Chicken with sauteed Zoodles
    Friday: Grilled NY Strip Steak with sauteed mushrooms. Not sure what veggie, probably green beans again

    None of those things take a lot of time to prep or cook. I'm home from work by 5-5:15 and we usually sit down to eat between 5:30-6.
  • Faith4eva31
    Faith4eva31 Posts: 98 Member
    I am with you. I still eat my sweets and everything. I track everything I eat, most of the time. Smile. My diary is open feel free to add.
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    I'm a real person. I eat a lot of "easy" foods. I usually only cook full meals on the weekends, and thats usually grilling or instant pot. During the week I eat a lot of tuna, raw veggies with greek yogurt ranch dip, apples with PB, and almost every weeknight my dinner is bacon and eggs. I fill in the gaps with protein powder.

    "Meal prep" is as simple or as complicated as you make it. My "take to work" foods are mostly prepped for me. Just try to keep an open mind and try new things. Not everything packaged is a bad choice, you just have to figure out how to make it all fit into the puzzle that is your life! I don't really meal prep, but I definitely meal PLAN.
  • gearhead426hemi
    gearhead426hemi Posts: 919 Member
    I work 12 hour rotating shifts, two high school kids and a small farm. I try to meal prep as much as I can but life happens. When I do meal prep I will cook a weeks worth of meals in one sitting. I prep breakfast, lunch and snacks so I can just grab them from the fridge or freezer and go to work. I keep my ingredients simple, Meat, veggies with rice or whole wheat noodles for lunch or dinner. Breakfast is either oats or eggs with fruit. Snacks are carrots or some sort of fruit. Keep it simple when you meal prep. Something else we have started doing is get your kids involved in cooking. I have taught my son an daughter how to cook on the grill and help with making dinners. Make meal prepping is a family affair. Have your kids get out and workout with you as well. Kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, whatever. Teach them to eat and live a healthy lifestyle when they are young so it will hopefully stick with them. Best of luck and stay focused. Feel free to send friends request. I post family adventures and farm photos and videos and recipes.
  • kbmnurse1
    kbmnurse1 Posts: 316 Member
    I do plan and prep during the work week. On weekends it is a different story. I eat healthy 80% of the time. The other 20% I eat what I want and don't log on weekends. This works for me. I m able to maintain.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited April 2019
    sf8813 wrote: »
    I've been doing my thing for about 3 months, lost 10lbs so far. I just want to know a REAL persons diet. Not this salmon, kale, quinoa stuff. I'm talking someone like me who has a full time job, a household and children. Someone who doesn't have the time or energy to plan and prep every meal who has to rely on frozen, pre-prepped or even fast food sometimes. What are your meals like?

    I don't really eat kale, but we cook most of our meals at home from whole foods or minimally processed foods. We have salmon once or twice per week. We also grill a lot of chicken thighs...eat tons of veggies, etc. For our work week dinners, we keep it pretty basic...some kind of protein marinated or seasoned and put on the grill...some kind of veg side...sometimes a grain or starch. I spend no more than 30 minutes cooking, and it's usually less than that. My wife also makes these frozen Instantpot meals over the weekend and if we don't feel like cooking some night, we just pull one out of the freezer and pop it in the Instantpot.

    I alternate between eggs and oats for breakfast. Lunch is often leftovers as I usually grill enough meat for dinner for us to take for lunches and my wife makes a big batch of quinoa over the weekend and then we just throw in some veggies to steam. I don't do frozen meals namely because I don't like them and you don't get very much food. I have a frozen breakfast burrito once in awhile when I'm in a rush.

    We usually have pizza on Friday nights and we go out once or twice on the weekend to a restaurant.

    I work full time as does my wife and I have a one hour each way commute 3 days per week. We have two boys 6 and 9, a home to tend to and an acre of property to tend to. I consider myself and my wife to be "real" people.
  • Doodlepoodlemfp
    Doodlepoodlemfp Posts: 41 Member
    Where are you from? I’m UK, my diary is open but might not mean too much if your elsewhere in the world. I definitely agree with meal planning. I tend to eat the same breakfast of granola, tinned fruit and yoghurt and the same dinner most days usually a salad of some sort; tuna,ham or frittata.
    Evening meal I tend to join in the family meals maybe 2 nights and just eat a smaller portion, 3 evenings I’ll be at work till after kids have gone to bed so tend to eat main meal at lunchtime at work and just have the salad when I get home. The other nights I’ll cook for myself and kids will eat different. It tends to be plenty of salad, veg and small amount of protein. I will have things like rice, pasta, potato and bread but mainly on days I’m at work as 12 hour shifts and kinda need the energy.
    Hope that helps x
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited April 2019
    Breakfast - usually eggs and bacon on a tortilla. Or oatmeal. I try not to eat bagels or cereals because they don't stick very long for me.

    Lunch - Usually a turkey and salami sandwich with something on the side like cottage cheese and sliced cucumber/tomatoes. Although this week I'm branching out and doing salads (with rotisserie chicken and veges)

    Dinner - different things. Off the top of my head: Steak tacos, beef stew, breakfast for dinner, pork fried rice, chicken parm, spaghetti, lasagna/baked ziti, chicken fettucini alfredo, soup with sandwiches, hamburgers/brats, pot pie, quesadillas, nachos. Once a week I probably do some basic meal that consists of some type of meat with potatos (prepared in various ways), a vegetable and rolls.

    Snacks - usually I eat fruit (in the summer especially) but in the winter I might eat cheese and crackers or something like that.

    signed,
    a real person with a full time job and soon to be 3 children

  • NewMeSM75
    NewMeSM75 Posts: 971 Member
    I'm a mom to four. Two of my children are in college; two at home. One with autism. I work full time. Leave at 6 am; return at 6 pm. I'm married but my husband works nights so it feels like being a single parent.

    I cook most of our meals because it cost effective and I enjoy cooking but it's nothing elegant or time consuming. On the weekends, I prep breakfast and lunch for the workweek. This week it was boiled eggs for breakfast; bought yogurt as snacks and tuna pasta for lunch. That makes my work days and mornings easier. Open fridge, throw in lunch bag and go.

    For dinner, it's normally something easy. A protein baked, grilled or pan fried. Some type of vegetable. Last night I had leftover chicken with roasted vegetables. I only had one piece of chicken left so I threw some general tso's frozen chicken kit in oven. All was cooked on a sheet pan. Line baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.

    Cooking doesn't have to be complicated. People tend to make it complicated. A little olive oil, herbs and a hot oven does wonders.
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