When did you stop seeing fast food as an option?
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autumnblade75 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »autumnblade75 wrote: »With regards to multi-tasking while cooking: there's a French term; mise en place. If you prep and measure your ingredients before you start applying the heat, you'll burn fewer things because you won't have all the distraction of chopping while you're supposed to be stirring.
I definitely mise en place for stir fries. For most other things, I turn down the heat so I can cook the onions while chopping everything else that has shorter cooking times.
Sure, after you've got the hang of noticing which steps might need to be done in advance, maybe you don't need 35 ramekins for each ingredient. I tend to pile up the veggies on the cutting board. Nobody needs that many dirty dishes. But it's a great idea to have at least read the full recipe all the way through, so you know that just as the butter is burning that's not the time to *start* dicing 6 lbs. of potatoes.
Oh yes, definitely be familiar with the recipe before starting! Including ensuring you're not missing crucial ingredients.
I had three different plans for dinner the other night and each fell through. One because I thought I had more of a critical ingredient than I did and one because we were out of gas for the grill. By the time the third option fell through I was so hungry we got take out. Pizza and salad.2 -
Several keto moons ago!
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I stopped eating almost all fast food when I was a teenager, in the same way that some teenagers decide to become vegetarian or vegan. It more or less stuck with very few examples (I will sometimes but almost never go to local chains and I'll eat doner kebab when I'm in areas of the world where I can get it).
With regards to cooking and things seeming complicated or using lots of herbs, I second the suggestion of finding a cookbook that caters to people who are new to cooking. Dried herbs and spices can also last for a while (I prefer to throw them away after a year or two, but plenty of people leave them for longer). Also if you're able to buy dried herbs and spices from bulk bins, you'll be able control how much you get. That takes away the whole "there how will I use this whole container!?" issue. The other thing that will make it easier is having a stocked pantry. You said you live with your parents, so you probably already do.
If I were to sum it up, the biggest thing is that you simply need to learn how to become confident in the kitchen. Cooking something doesn't need to take hours, it can, but there are plenty of meals that you can make that take less than an hour from start to finish, including prep time. I made a chicken larb in less than 35 minutes and it was fairly inexpensive. Another thing would be stir fry. Check out websites like Simply Recipes Also if you're able to, go to a bookstore and look at a cookbook before you buy it. Thumb through it and see what you think would taste good to you. Don't necessarily go with "would I cook this" at this stage in the game, but rather "does this sound good" - especially assuming it's a cookbook aimed at people who want to learn how to cook or who are children (who, again, are learning how to cook).1 -
I sit down with hubby and we plan out the menu for the week before I go shopping. Cabbage, kale, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, and onion are frequently on the list. If he wants loaded baked potato, I have a sweet potato with plain yogurt. Cabbage stri fry is super easy and can be spiced up with garlic ginger, and Sriracha. I make kale salad for lunch most days. Pico de Gallo is one of my favorite"condiments". I also make pickled vegetables (frozen mixed veg and chopped onion in a sweet and spicy vinaigrette) to go in my salad.1
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I have a belief that most people know the answers to their own questions...and you answered yourself in your post.
I am overspending on fattening fast food and spending money beyond my budget and means. Answer? I shouldn't be spending money on fast food when I can't afford it, it is also keeping me overweight.
I make three recipes all the time, and I am sick of eating the same things? Answer? I need to learn how to make more varied healthy so I can stay on my diet and keep within my financial goals.
...so meal prep.... think ahead and go grocery shopping. Invest in a good portable small cooler or lunch bag so you always have your food and snacks with you in the car. If you have your food with you.. you won't be tempted to go through fast food and blow your goals.
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If you can read and follow instructions. If you have access to the Internet; you have access to unlimited recipes. It sounds like you are making excuses. Sure it's easier to run out and grab some "flavorful" fast food, but how's that working out for you?
$12K/year isn't a bad amount of income for someone not paying a full mortgage, utilities, and other expenses related to owning a home. I don't know what financial obligations you have, but it seems that since you live at home and depend on fast food for meals that you have a lot of discretionary income. Use some of the money to buy the things online that you can't find locally.
Feeding yourself delicious and nutritious food is not rocket science but it is as simple or as complicated as you choose to make it.
Oh, as for fast food--I never eat it. I grew up in a town with no fast food restaurants and my parents didn't believe children should go to restaurants--so I never developed a taste for fast food or restaurant food. Thank goodness!
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When making curries I use the generic grocery store spice mix AND put in a tablespoon or two of curry paste. You can generally find red and green curry pastes in the international aisle of the regular grocery store, and it bumps up the flavor and heat. Also a vegetarian, and I tend to do this a lot with whatever veggies I have on hand, full-fat coconut milk and canned chickpeas for protein.2
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Honestly, fast food quit becoming an option when I discovered I could make or buy better food myself. I keep a few ready-made vegetarian foods (nuggets, veggie dogs, and either chick'n strips or turk'y cutlets) on hand for when I'm tired and don't want to cook. They cost more than homemade, but not as much as takeout would. I also make 2-3 meals a week, which last me for multiple meals. Those usually consist of a chili/soup, a casserole and a 'loaf'-style food or fritter.
As for recipes, Pinterest is a great resource and so are sites like BudgetBytes, which have easy, affordable recipes.
Grocery shopping can be tricky at first, especially if you're not used to vegetarian food, but that's okay. You don't have to buy tofu, tempeh, or seitan (I've been veg for nearly 6 months and still haven't learned how to cook them well). Instead, pick one new vegetable (frozen, canned, or fresh) to learn how to make each week. Zucchini, potatoes, and spinach are all pretty forgiving and can be used in a lot of beginner-friendly recipes. One thing that will help your grocery bill is buying bulk items, such as beans, rice, and lentils, all of which are just as easy to cook from 'raw' as the instant varieties.
A few things that might be helpful to invest in are a slow cooker and food processor. Slow cooking is actually the way that I learned how to cook! It gets rid of the stress of chopping and stirring at the same time (a skill I haven't mastered in 10+ years of cooking ;p) It's also very hands-off and can be the perfect thing for when you just want to come home and have a meal ready.
Please feel free to add me and check out my diary. I'm always happy to share recipes!1 -
fast food has never been my thing. I didn't grow up eating it so never really got it.
Cooking for yourself isn't hard or complicated, but it can take a while to gain experience. I find it quicker to make something at home than go to the take away to fetch a meal. Most things I do can be made in 20 minutes.
Try googling 20 minute meals, and you should find some inspiration. And good luck, persist with it.0 -
There are a lot of easy and quick "semi-homemade" things you can make from the grocery store. Tacos with premade seasoning. Spaghetti with premade sauce. Premade marinades for meat that you put in the oven or grill. Pre-chopped veggies. Precooked beans. Precooked rice. Premade sauces and dips. Hummus. Crockpot meals where you dump some meat and a few cans of something - like chicken plus salsa then shredded makes a good taco filling. Premade salsa, guacamole, pico. Lots of options for each throw together meals.
Also, fast food is fine sometimes as long as you know the calories.3 -
I never ate out much to begin with, but if I am out and about or traveling, it IS an option. I just pay attention to the calories on the menu and work it into my calorie allowance for the day.1
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Relying on fast food for lunches or when I don’t want to cook or when I’m tired and want a motivation to get out of the house on time is one of my absolute worst habits for both my wallet and my weight/health. I didn’t always see it as an option. I used to never spend money on food when I was young, and it just never occurred to me to go into these places. University changed that and I’m finding it harder to go back to “boring” home foods like sandwiches from the freezer or spice-less curry lentils (the grocery store curry powder is just such a sad bland spice). I’m no cook and a “simple” meal can often mean hours of work because I make mistakes and can’t seem to do 2 things at once (like stir and chop). It makes me feel dumb, then I avoid it. Which is even more dumb.
I really want to cook vegan or vegetarian meals (mainly because my access to refrigeration during the day is inconsistent and I want to avoid poisoning myself - but also ethical reasons). But everything seems so complicated! I don’t even know where to buy setein (spelling?) let alone cook it.
But I’m living on ~$12,000/year trying to make my income go to school to reduce debt (also living at home). I can’t keep overspending on eating out, but buying strange ingredients I don’t know how to use is also intimidating.
I can make 3 meals: (bland) curry lentils & uncle Ben rice, white beans & quinoa, and a black bean and quinoa soup. The spices I use are: garlic, chipotle peppers, and (bland grocery store) curry powder. The cookbooks I have are confusing and require so many ingredients I can’t find. I also need to be able to freeze whatever I make for a week+ of use (I can really Only cook once a week because it takes like 4h for me to do simple things). But I am so sick of these 3 recipes!
Help??? 😞
So are you eating vegan-friendly fast food?
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texasredreb wrote: »If you can read and follow instructions. If you have access to the Internet; you have access to unlimited recipes. It sounds like you are making excuses. Sure it's easier to run out and grab some "flavorful" fast food, but how's that working out for you?
$12K/year isn't a bad amount of income for someone not paying a full mortgage, utilities, and other expenses related to owning a home. I don't know what financial obligations you have, but it seems that since you live at home and depend on fast food for meals that you have a lot of discretionary income. Use some of the money to buy the things online that you can't find locally.
Feeding yourself delicious and nutritious food is not rocket science but it is as simple or as complicated as you choose to make it.
Oh, as for fast food--I never eat it. I grew up in a town with no fast food restaurants and my parents didn't believe children should go to restaurants--so I never developed a taste for fast food or restaurant food. Thank goodness!
My grandmother used to say "If you can read, you can cook." I later learned she was quoting Julia Child.
That said, some recipes are definitely easier to follow than others. Since I learned on the Joy of Cooking (or perhaps because it is superior), I vastly prefer that format, which unfortunately is not very common.
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I like to say I'm a terrible cook but a master assembler. I'm also good at Googling. Instructions say to blanch and I don't know how? I look it up, and I actually get some tips along the way (like salting water for pasta, seems like a common thing to know but I didn't!). I would say I actually spend more time reading about techniques rather than reading the recipes.4
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@kiela64 the first time i logged it in MFP and saw trans fat!1
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I didn't. I'm already aware of not being "normal" and not being able to eat the same things as other people because of my weight and my diabetes. Fast food is still an option for me because I'm a regular person on a budget and cooking a meal from scratch isn't always an option. But almost every restaurant has healthy options! It's very easy to find grilled chicken options, salads, etc. You don't have to never eat out again. Just make good choices.1
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joshmobley wrote: »Relying on fast food for lunches or when I don’t want to cook or when I’m tired and want a motivation to get out of the house on time is one of my absolute worst habits for both my wallet and my weight/health. I didn’t always see it as an option. I used to never spend money on food when I was young, and it just never occurred to me to go into these places. University changed that and I’m finding it harder to go back to “boring” home foods like sandwiches from the freezer or spice-less curry lentils (the grocery store curry powder is just such a sad bland spice). I’m no cook and a “simple” meal can often mean hours of work because I make mistakes and can’t seem to do 2 things at once (like stir and chop). It makes me feel dumb, then I avoid it. Which is even more dumb.
I really want to cook vegan or vegetarian meals (mainly because my access to refrigeration during the day is inconsistent and I want to avoid poisoning myself - but also ethical reasons). But everything seems so complicated! I don’t even know where to buy setein (spelling?) let alone cook it.
But I’m living on ~$12,000/year trying to make my income go to school to reduce debt (also living at home). I can’t keep overspending on eating out, but buying strange ingredients I don’t know how to use is also intimidating.
I can make 3 meals: (bland) curry lentils & uncle Ben rice, white beans & quinoa, and a black bean and quinoa soup. The spices I use are: garlic, chipotle peppers, and (bland grocery store) curry powder. The cookbooks I have are confusing and require so many ingredients I can’t find. I also need to be able to freeze whatever I make for a week+ of use (I can really Only cook once a week because it takes like 4h for me to do simple things). But I am so sick of these 3 recipes!
Help??? 😞
So are you eating vegan-friendly fast food?
Nope. I want to work on being more vegetarian and incorporating more vegan things. Maybe I started too ambitiously?
But wow I’ve got so much good advice from most of the replies here thank you so much!!! I’m not on Pinterest and I thought it was mostly for fashion or decor and I’m not into that, I didn’t realize it was for recipes. I google stuff sometimes- that’s how I found my 3 recipes. But I couldn’t find anything different- I think I’ve got lots more suggestions here, especially with spicing. Indian spices are so delicious and the no name curry powder has been so sad. I’ll poke around the international aisle and other stuff!
I honestly feel intimidated by the crock pot! We have one but it seems easier to use a pot on the stove than try to figure out how all the pieces fit together and remember to take it out X number of hours later. Also maybe my parents need to use it and if I put something in it I’ve taken over idk I don’t want to be in the way! My partner has an insta pot that they aren’t using and offered to me so maybe I’ll take that up - at least then I’m not sharing and I don’t have to feel guilty if it’s in use or I need to soak it etc.
Also a lot of people suggested eggs and stir fry - I was under the impression fresh veg was too expensive/would go to waste if I froze things or they would not freeze and microwave well? And I don’t know about eggs do they freeze?
I’m also not sure if even organic/free range are “ethical”? I’ve done reading but it seems complicated. I don’t want to start relying on stuff that isn’t sustainable. I don’t think I’ll ever manage to be 100% vegan but I figured at least with what I make I can do my best. But I seem to get overwhelmed really fast.
I did get the “everything vegetarian” cookbook ages ago but it’s so massive I get scared looking at it 😖 I guess I just keep getting super intimidated by all this and it’s not helping lol
Also re: the comments about my income being decent - it’s not disposable. I’m allowed to buy necessities but 80% at least should be going to paying for school. The fact I rely on buying food is a massive problem and could result in me graduating with way more debt than I should have. 😣 so it’s really not about weight even though it’s important I really have to get on top of this!2 -
Nope. I want to work on being more vegetarian and incorporating more vegan things. Maybe I started too ambitiously?
I think that's a fine long-term goal, and certainly you can strive to get there 100%, but if you're still on the journey of not faltering back to fast-food, I'd recommend just focus on eating whole, home-cooked foods.
Give yourself a pass from time to time to incorporate chicken thighs (budget friendly) or some other protein source that'll scratch the itch without resorting to all the other health-decreasing issues of fast food.4 -
joshmobley wrote: »Relying on fast food for lunches or when I don’t want to cook or when I’m tired and want a motivation to get out of the house on time is one of my absolute worst habits for both my wallet and my weight/health. I didn’t always see it as an option. I used to never spend money on food when I was young, and it just never occurred to me to go into these places. University changed that and I’m finding it harder to go back to “boring” home foods like sandwiches from the freezer or spice-less curry lentils (the grocery store curry powder is just such a sad bland spice). I’m no cook and a “simple” meal can often mean hours of work because I make mistakes and can’t seem to do 2 things at once (like stir and chop). It makes me feel dumb, then I avoid it. Which is even more dumb.
I really want to cook vegan or vegetarian meals (mainly because my access to refrigeration during the day is inconsistent and I want to avoid poisoning myself - but also ethical reasons). But everything seems so complicated! I don’t even know where to buy setein (spelling?) let alone cook it.
But I’m living on ~$12,000/year trying to make my income go to school to reduce debt (also living at home). I can’t keep overspending on eating out, but buying strange ingredients I don’t know how to use is also intimidating.
I can make 3 meals: (bland) curry lentils & uncle Ben rice, white beans & quinoa, and a black bean and quinoa soup. The spices I use are: garlic, chipotle peppers, and (bland grocery store) curry powder. The cookbooks I have are confusing and require so many ingredients I can’t find. I also need to be able to freeze whatever I make for a week+ of use (I can really Only cook once a week because it takes like 4h for me to do simple things). But I am so sick of these 3 recipes!
Help??? 😞
So are you eating vegan-friendly fast food?
Nope. I want to work on being more vegetarian and incorporating more vegan things. Maybe I started too ambitiously?
But wow I’ve got so much good advice from most of the replies here thank you so much!!! I’m not on Pinterest and I thought it was mostly for fashion or decor and I’m not into that, I didn’t realize it was for recipes. I google stuff sometimes- that’s how I found my 3 recipes. But I couldn’t find anything different- I think I’ve got lots more suggestions here, especially with spicing. Indian spices are so delicious and the no name curry powder has been so sad. I’ll poke around the international aisle and other stuff!
I honestly feel intimidated by the crock pot! We have one but it seems easier to use a pot on the stove than try to figure out how all the pieces fit together and remember to take it out X number of hours later. Also maybe my parents need to use it and if I put something in it I’ve taken over idk I don’t want to be in the way! My partner has an insta pot that they aren’t using and offered to me so maybe I’ll take that up - at least then I’m not sharing and I don’t have to feel guilty if it’s in use or I need to soak it etc.
Also a lot of people suggested eggs and stir fry - I was under the impression fresh veg was too expensive/would go to waste if I froze things or they would not freeze and microwave well? And I don’t know about eggs do they freeze?
I’m also not sure if even organic/free range are “ethical”? I’ve done reading but it seems complicated. I don’t want to start relying on stuff that isn’t sustainable. I don’t think I’ll ever manage to be 100% vegan but I figured at least with what I make I can do my best. But I seem to get overwhelmed really fast.
I did get the “everything vegetarian” cookbook ages ago but it’s so massive I get scared looking at it 😖 I guess I just keep getting super intimidated by all this and it’s not helping lol
Also re: the comments about my income being decent - it’s not disposable. I’m allowed to buy necessities but 80% at least should be going to paying for school. The fact I rely on buying food is a massive problem and could result in me graduating with way more debt than I should have. 😣 so it’s really not about weight even though it’s important I really have to get on top of this!
If you weren't able to find more than those three recipes then you simply weren't searching long or well enough. Additionally, if you're able to afford fast food on a regular basis, you should be able to easily buy vegetables and/or meat for a stir-fry. It sounds like you need to go to the grocery store and just look at what's there.
Some vegetables will freeze well and others really won't. Despite that, you don't need to buy enough vegetables that you'd have to freeze them. I am in a similar living situtation to the one that you're in, except I cook almost all of my own food. It is very rare that I have to freeze vegetables that I've gotten, I simply buy what I need for the week. There are also various websites with information on what does and doesn't freeze well and for how long.
I'll leave you to your own standards of what is or isn't ethical for you. That's a very personal decision and not one that I can help you with.
Honestly you a. need to cook despite it being intimidating and b. need to do more searching online. Even googling "vegetarian stir fry recipies" gets me 10 different recipes on the first page. You should also be able to find your slow cooker's/crock pot's instruction manual online if your parents don't have it anymore. I personally rarely use the slow cooker, but that's me.2 -
I love my Instant Pot!
Search for one-dish vegetarian or vegan meals, or pressure cooker meals, and you'll find lots of easy recipes.
In terms of organic - that has nothing to do with how animals are treated. Free range has very little meaning and cannot be relied upon in relation to treatment of animals. What that means to you, is obviously up to you.1 -
Personally, I still consider some fast food an option. I'm also in such a habit of pre-logging I very rarely get caught in a situation where I don't know what I'm eating and have been MFPing long enough to get a good feel for what I view as "good enough" and what fits decently with calories and macros when I'm eating out.1
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Bean Salad - Can use chickpea, kidney, white etc., open can, rinse, drain. Add your favorite salad dressing or red wine vinegar, a little EVOO if you want. Optional add in: sliced Bermuda onions, cherry tomatoes, cubed green peppers/cucumbers etc. Refrigerate. As someone mentioned above, there are healthier options at fast food though it would save money if you shopped and made the food at home. I just received an instapot. Apparently you can cook hard boiled eggs in it, brown/white rice and can saute right in it and then cook. I need to open the box.0
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I look at fast food as something I can have regularly but not daily. I usually eat in a restaurant 2-3 times a week, typically one of those is fast food. The rest of the time I eat at home. If I was going out for fast food every day for lunch that would be a problem for me. It's just full of salt and not always high quality so I think it's better to prepare food at home the majority of the time. I agree though w/ others who say fast food can absolutely fit into your calorie goals. I usually get an entree only, sometimes eat burgers/sandwiches with half bun and/or pick a healthier side (if I need more food for that meal). Drink water or black coffee.
As for cooking on a budget, I highly recommend a YouTuber named Kicki Yang Zhang. She doesn't really post these anymore but for several years she uploaded vegan "What I Eat in a Day". They lean more toward Asian food but not always. It is healthy food that is pretty fast & easy to prepare with "normal" ingredients or maybe things that you can buy cheaply in Asian markets...nothing she posted in her videos was crazy expensive. So many good simple meal ideas for anyone, vegan or not.
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Regarding becoming vegan/ vegetarian, this happened gradually for me.
Breakfast was pretty much always vegetarian, and lunches with salads or vegetable soups. I started making more vegetarian dinners, then stopped having dairy. So it was a small jump to vegan.
Personally, I have found vegan difficult to maintain long term, but can sustain vegetarian. These are very personal decisions.
Eggs, I don't know about freezing them, but there's not really a need. Eggs will live happily in a box for a couple of weeks, if you only buy 6 at a time it's easy to eat them before then. If you cook them they will keep for a few days in the fridge as well.
Do you have access to a library? I tend to get cookbooks from the library then think about if it's worth buying. I don't like long lists of ingredients either.
Look for blogs, instagram, websites. Thug kitchen (Be warned, a bit sweary) Bosh, I like The Food medic (UK based may not be useful).
Don't get overwhelmed, look at magazines, watch you tube, buy a simple learn to cook book. Remember you're learning, your not just going to stop going to school because it gets tricky, same rules apply.
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There has been lots of good advice about cooking for beginners in this thread.
I am not a gourmet cook but I do cook most of our meals from scratch or 'semi scratch' - ie some are made at home but using premade ingredients like canned sauces.
However I think thread title is bit misleading - I wouldn't say I never see fast food as an option.
I do.
On average once a week or so.
It isn't an either / or scenario - one can make more meals at home but still have fast food at times.3 -
paperpudding wrote: »There has been lots of good advice about cooking for beginners in this thread.
I am not a gourmet cook but I do cook most of our meals from scratch or 'semi scratch' - ie some are made at home but using premade ingredients like canned sauces.
However I think thread title is bit misleading - I wouldn't say I never see fast food as an option.
I do.
On average once a week or so.
It isn't an either / or scenario - one can make more meals at home but still have fast food at times.
I’ve absolutely appreciated all the advice, and made lots of notes. Today I made a crock pot chili - before realizing we were out of chili powder....so a chili-less chili I guess? I’m still looking for more recipes. Next time I’ll do this properly. But I am not so afraid of the crock pot. 🙂
I’ll explain, I meant fast food as an option day to day, “oh I’ll just grab food” instead of putting in the work. Not date night/special occasions or a planned treat. That’s completely different!
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paperpudding wrote: »There has been lots of good advice about cooking for beginners in this thread.
I am not a gourmet cook but I do cook most of our meals from scratch or 'semi scratch' - ie some are made at home but using premade ingredients like canned sauces.
However I think thread title is bit misleading - I wouldn't say I never see fast food as an option.
I do.
On average once a week or so.
It isn't an either / or scenario - one can make more meals at home but still have fast food at times.
I’ve absolutely appreciated all the advice, and made lots of notes. Today I made a crock pot chili - before realizing we were out of chili powder....so a chili-less chili I guess? I’m still looking for more recipes. Next time I’ll do this properly. But I am not so afraid of the crock pot. 🙂
I’ll explain, I meant fast food as an option day to day, “oh I’ll just grab food” instead of putting in the work. Not date night/special occasions or a planned treat. That’s completely different!
chili powder is basically cumin, cayenne (ground red pepper), and a little oregano, so if you have those you can get a chili flavor. (You could substitute other ground hot peppers or hot sauce for the cayenne, and could probably substitute marjoram or an oregano-heavy Italian spice blend for oregano. I don't think there's much of anything that comes close to cumin.)2 -
joshmobley wrote: »Relying on fast food for lunches or when I don’t want to cook or when I’m tired and want a motivation to get out of the house on time is one of my absolute worst habits for both my wallet and my weight/health. I didn’t always see it as an option. I used to never spend money on food when I was young, and it just never occurred to me to go into these places. University changed that and I’m finding it harder to go back to “boring” home foods like sandwiches from the freezer or spice-less curry lentils (the grocery store curry powder is just such a sad bland spice). I’m no cook and a “simple” meal can often mean hours of work because I make mistakes and can’t seem to do 2 things at once (like stir and chop). It makes me feel dumb, then I avoid it. Which is even more dumb.
I really want to cook vegan or vegetarian meals (mainly because my access to refrigeration during the day is inconsistent and I want to avoid poisoning myself - but also ethical reasons). But everything seems so complicated! I don’t even know where to buy setein (spelling?) let alone cook it.
But I’m living on ~$12,000/year trying to make my income go to school to reduce debt (also living at home). I can’t keep overspending on eating out, but buying strange ingredients I don’t know how to use is also intimidating.
I can make 3 meals: (bland) curry lentils & uncle Ben rice, white beans & quinoa, and a black bean and quinoa soup. The spices I use are: garlic, chipotle peppers, and (bland grocery store) curry powder. The cookbooks I have are confusing and require so many ingredients I can’t find. I also need to be able to freeze whatever I make for a week+ of use (I can really Only cook once a week because it takes like 4h for me to do simple things). But I am so sick of these 3 recipes!
Help??? 😞
So are you eating vegan-friendly fast food?
Nope. I want to work on being more vegetarian and incorporating more vegan things. Maybe I started too ambitiously?
But wow I’ve got so much good advice from most of the replies here thank you so much!!! I’m not on Pinterest and I thought it was mostly for fashion or decor and I’m not into that, I didn’t realize it was for recipes. I google stuff sometimes- that’s how I found my 3 recipes. But I couldn’t find anything different- I think I’ve got lots more suggestions here, especially with spicing. Indian spices are so delicious and the no name curry powder has been so sad. I’ll poke around the international aisle and other stuff!
I honestly feel intimidated by the crock pot! We have one but it seems easier to use a pot on the stove than try to figure out how all the pieces fit together and remember to take it out X number of hours later. Also maybe my parents need to use it and if I put something in it I’ve taken over idk I don’t want to be in the way! My partner has an insta pot that they aren’t using and offered to me so maybe I’ll take that up - at least then I’m not sharing and I don’t have to feel guilty if it’s in use or I need to soak it etc.
Also a lot of people suggested eggs and stir fry - I was under the impression fresh veg was too expensive/would go to waste if I froze things or they would not freeze and microwave well? And I don’t know about eggs do they freeze?
I’m also not sure if even organic/free range are “ethical”? I’ve done reading but it seems complicated. I don’t want to start relying on stuff that isn’t sustainable. I don’t think I’ll ever manage to be 100% vegan but I figured at least with what I make I can do my best. But I seem to get overwhelmed really fast.
I did get the “everything vegetarian” cookbook ages ago but it’s so massive I get scared looking at it 😖 I guess I just keep getting super intimidated by all this and it’s not helping lol
Also re: the comments about my income being decent - it’s not disposable. I’m allowed to buy necessities but 80% at least should be going to paying for school. The fact I rely on buying food is a massive problem and could result in me graduating with way more debt than I should have. 😣 so it’s really not about weight even though it’s important I really have to get on top of this!
The crock pot is honestly the least intimidating kitchen appliance because it's very, very hard to burn food in it Just don't let everything cook dry and be careful turning it on the highest setting until you know how hot your crock pot gets.
The best beginner crock pot application is dried beans. Throw them in the crock pot with plenty of water, and any seasonings you want. Turn on the crock pot. Walk away. A few hours later, you have plenty of beans that you can eat as is or put in other things, for much less than the cost of canned beans. You can freeze cooked beans if you won't eat them soon. Easy, cheap uses for your beans include bean soup, beans and rice, burritos, salad toppings, molletes (Mexican style beans and cheese on toast), bean enchiladas, bean and cheese pasta.
I also like to use my crock pot for spaghetti sauce and vegetarian chili, both of which also freeze nicely. If my freezer is empty, then I will cook pinto beans on day 1, black beans on day 2, and then throw some of each into chili on day 3.2 -
A thought. Start simple. One week, make a lot of rice. Freeze some. Put some in fridge.
First night, chop whatever veggies you have that sound good. Stir fry, starting with hardest veggies first, like onions, carrots, then add semi hard, like green peppers, celery, then add softer ones, like broccoli, tomatoes, etc. start with 2 or 3 veggies, add as you get braver and more familiar with how to cook them. Of course add salt and pepper.
Second night, add a can of your favorite beans to rice for rice and beans.
Third night, add a small can of spaghetti sauce, or tomato sauce with some spices.
Fourth night, use some different veggies than first night.
Fifth night, scramble an egg, add with peas and soy sauce to your rice for fried rice.
Of course you can also add meat if you like.
By the end of the week, you will be sick of rice, but these ideas are all quick, and you will really learn a lot quick about what veggies go well together, and what you like and can do quick and easy. And when you thaw and use the frozen rice, you will find out how well rice freezes.
Next week, beans. Same song, second verse.
Bean soup one night?
Chili powder, onions, tomatoes for vegetarian chili?
Third week, ???
Maybe quinoa
Quinoa salad?
Maybe lentils
5 -
I often cook Jamie Oliver 5 ingredient meals. There are a number of vegetarian recipes in his book. You can also find some of his recipes for free on his website https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/books/5-ingredients-quick-easy-food-recipes/
They all tell you how simple or difficult the dish is to cook and it gives you a calorie breakdown on each page which I find useful. As each recipes only have 5 ingredients you don't end up with lots of ingredients you will never use again.2
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