Quick, filling food-No cooking

MoreBean13

Get one of these:



And you can make tons of food in 15 mins. I eat a lot of 3 minute quesadillas.

ecanales52

A lot of great ideas here. My go to easy meals are PBJ on whole wheat, cottage cheese with avocado ,or yogurt with fruit. I always make a big pot of soup once a week, then throw half in the freezer to use when I'm pushed for time.

MzManiak

Get a crockpot.

Throw everything in it in the morning.

Come home to dinner ready and the house smelling yummy.

Divide what you don't eat into portions & freeze for later.

BAM! You've just made about 4 meals, depending, and assuming you are only cooking for yourself.

Do that enough times, and you'll have plenty to save you in a pinch and can cut back to only "cooking" a couple times per week.

ecanales52

A lot of great ideas here. My go to easy meals are PBJ on whole wheat, cottage cheese with avocado ,or yogurt with fruit. I always make a big pot of soup once a week, then throw half in the freezer to use when I'm pushed for time.

Confuzzled4ever

Honestly.. you're going to have to make the time to cook. Even if it's once a week on whatever day you have some time and then freeze it for the week..

Look at my blog, tons of recipes, most of them quick and easy

I recommend crock pot recipes. Throw everything in there in the morning, turn it on (i have forgotten this step numerous times!!) go to work. When you come home, dinner is ready.

Boil eggs. Eat tuna salad. Get protein bars (think thin bars are really yummy with 20g of protein and little fat. Also like simple truth nutrition bars) Toast a portabella mushroom fry and egg. Put egg over the mushroom and add cheese and whatever veggie you want (i put hot sauce too lol) and its' a yummy breakfast. Carrots.. i eat regular carrots, but baby ones work too. Oatmeal is quick and easy. Or plain greek yogurt and cut up fruit. I make smoothies everyday pretty much too. And you can put almost anything in those. (mine today was 2 kiwi, 1 banana, spinach, almond milk, flax seed and water) I cut up or shred chicken breast and saute with garlic, onion, ginger, soy sauce and wrap in a lettuce leaf or in a wrap. Top with chili paste. so good!


ETA
I just read your work schedule post.. besides the fact I think you need to quit one job for the sake of your sanity.. i amend my statement to say do the crock pot thing on your day off while you are sleeping. I mix my tuna with avocado, spinach, peppers and onions and eat with lettuce. I'll do the same to the hard boiled eggs. Omelets are a quick and easy dinner too.

amandammmq

Your work schedule sounds brutal!

I have been brainstorming while reading this thread. I think if you could put aside ONE HOUR ONLY on one of your days off, you could get pretty far. Put some eggs on to boil, grill/sautee/bake some chicken breasts, and chop up a TON of veggies to toss into salads or eat as snacks. Look into doing overnight refrigerator oatmeal (little to no prep) for some of your breakfasts. Load up on fresh fruit, single serve yogurt, almonds, cheese sticks, some peanut butter or almond butter, and some healthy crackers or something.

Refrigerator oatmeal or boiled egg with fruit for breakfast (or cereal with milk and fruit)
salad with a blob of tuna or some of your chicken for lunch... or yogurt with fruit and peanut butter with crackers
chicken with veggies for dinner

It's a start. I do think you'll have to suck it up and do a LITTLE prep, but you don't have to cook big fancy meals if you are that pressed for time.

I do a double batch of smoothies every other morning and it is pretty quick. dump everything in the blender, whiz for 45 seconds, rinse out the blender. refrigerate the second serving for the next day.

I wish you luck in paying down some of your bills, socking away some money for the future, and figuring out a meal routine that works for you.

tiffanyalther

I was going to suggest what Victoria said, boil a dozen eggs and refridgerate, you have a ready to go snack all the time. Also, deli meat like pepper ham, turkey, etc.

See I really do alright snack wise. My favorite snacks are either carrots and peach greek yogurt, cold applesauce, or pretzels and ice water lol. And I also eat a small variety of other fruits and stuff for snacks. It was just meals I was concerned about. I felt that snacking on things, even healthy things, wouldn't give me the right amount of calories/fat/proteins that I need to stay healthy and lose weight properly.

skinnymalinkyscot

Assuming you own a microwave, cooker and a fridge: Cartons of 100% juice and cartons of skimmed milk. Eggs boiled, scrambled, poached or omelettes in one pan. Jacket potatos 10 minutes in the microwave with toppings of cottage cheese (fridge), baked beans from a can, laughing cow cheese triangles lite (fridge). Boiled potatos (1 pan) cooled, cubed and with low fat mayo turned into potato salad. Potatos cut into wedges with a red onion quartered and baked in the oven with olive oil. Microwave rice & chilli (uncle bens) microwave pasta and sauce (dolmio) plain pasta cooked (1 pan) drain and add 1 jar of pasta sauce (same pan) Wholemeal tortilla wraps, wholemeal bagels, wholemeal pitta bread filled with salad and any leftover meat (no cooking) Couscous (1pan) just add hot water then any scraps of vegetables, meat etc and can eat hot or cold. Homemade soup in a pan or tinned soup. Fresh raw fruit and veg, nuts and dried fruits (no cooking). Buy one heatproof dish as well as a saucepan and bake many things in that one dish, most meat can be cooked in the oven, chicken is the leanest, if you dont have a sauce then brush with olive oil or wrap in tin foil or cover with a lid so it doesnt dry out. If you are too shattered to cook then buy wholemeal bread and make different protein based sandwiches, grab a piece of fruit and a glass of milk

tiffanyalther

Your work schedule sounds brutal!

I have been brainstorming while reading this thread. I think if you could put aside ONE HOUR ONLY on one of your days off, you could get pretty far. Put some eggs on to boil, grill/sautee/bake some chicken breasts, and chop up a TON of veggies to toss into salads or eat as snacks. Look into doing overnight refrigerator oatmeal (little to no prep) for some of your breakfasts. Load up on fresh fruit, single serve yogurt, almonds, cheese sticks, some peanut butter or almond butter, and some healthy crackers or something.

Refrigerator oatmeal or boiled egg with fruit for breakfast (or cereal with milk and fruit)
salad with a blob of tuna or some of your chicken for lunch... or yogurt with fruit and peanut butter with crackers
chicken with veggies for dinner

It's a start. I do think you'll have to suck it up and do a LITTLE prep, but you don't have to cook big fancy meals if you are that pressed for time.

I do a double batch of smoothies every other morning and it is pretty quick. dump everything in the blender, whiz for 45 seconds, rinse out the blender. refrigerate the second serving for the next day.

I wish you luck in paying down some of your bills, socking away some money for the future, and figuring out a meal routine that works for you.

Thanks for the ideas Yea haha. I also feel like once I start losing weight I won't be so exhausted on my days off but right now its rough. And cooking itself is very easy but its all the time spent shopping, and preparing, and cleaning up that is rough. On top of all my work hours I also have drive time, time I need to get ready for work, basic home tasks like laundry, and errands to pay my bills. It is rough. I have a hard time balancing sleep into my schedule right now that's why its so hard for me to imagine trying to stuff and extra 4 hours a week in the kitchen!

tiffanyalther

Honestly.. you're going to have to make the time to cook. Even if it's once a week on whatever day you have some time and then freeze it for the week..

Look at my blog, tons of recipes, most of them quick and easy

I recommend crock pot recipes. Throw everything in there in the morning, turn it on (i have forgotten this step numerous times!!) go to work. When you come home, dinner is ready.

Boil eggs. Eat tuna salad. Get protein bars (think thin bars are really yummy with 20g of protein and little fat. Also like simple truth nutrition bars) Toast a portabella mushroom fry and egg. Put egg over the mushroom and add cheese and whatever veggie you want (i put hot sauce too lol) and its' a yummy breakfast. Carrots.. i eat regular carrots, but baby ones work too. Oatmeal is quick and easy. Or plain greek yogurt and cut up fruit. I make smoothies everyday pretty much too. And you can put almost anything in those. (mine today was 2 kiwi, 1 banana, spinach, almond milk, flax seed and water) I cut up or shred chicken breast and saute with garlic, onion, ginger, soy sauce and wrap in a lettuce leaf or in a wrap. Top with chili paste. so good!


ETA
I just read your work schedule post.. besides the fact I think you need to quit one job for the sake of your sanity.. i amend my statement to say do the crock pot thing on your day off while you are sleeping. I mix my tuna with avocado, spinach, peppers and onions and eat with lettuce. I'll do the same to the hard boiled eggs. Omelets are a quick and easy dinner too.

I plan on cutting back in a couple months but right now I am in way over my head with money going out. I got into a bit of trouble with cash advances and right now I am spending 300+ a month on interest on them. So once I can get out of that circle of misery I will be able to quit one job. Maybe both depending on how things pick up with my full-time job.

WendyTerry420

You need a cooking day once a week to make meals for the next 6 days. Do that and you'll feel more organized, solve the problem and your odds at succeeding with get much better!

Best of luck to you!

More power to all the folks who actually do this! I have tried and found I (and the family) am *way* too ADHD to make this work. On Saturday, I may *think* we want dinners A, B, & C, but then come Monday, I'm like, "What was I thinking?" and head to the store to buy something I really want. :laugh:

WendyTerry420

Get one of these:



And you can make tons of food in 15 mins. I eat a lot of 3 minute quesadillas.

Sweet! I want one!

Brennablu

I am wickely busy too, but I FORCE myself to cook one day a week...I hate to be negative, but it is very difficult to loose eating pre-packaged & restaurant foods. If you MUST eat frozen meals, please do yourself a favor and stick with Amy's Organics or some other high quality brand. Even thoes have too much soduim and really should be used sparingly.

this is my Sunday routine:

I cook a pot of something green - sauteed zuchini, roasted broccoli & cauliflour, kale with bacon - etc - google for recipes
a dozen or so boiled eggs - cool and mix with non fat greek yogurt and salt, pepper, onion powder...amazing egg salad
one family size package of boneless, skinless chicken breast - cooked on the grill but you could easily bake it in the oven
4 turkey burgers or Turkey Italian sausage (or lean beef / pork - whatever is on sale)
4 salads - lettuce, cuke, bell pepper, celery - then i cut up chicken and add other things in - feta, berries, dressing at the time i eat it...i find that dry salad lasts about 4 days without getting gross.
after fixing all the food i section it out into plastic containers and mix and match my meals during the week.

it takes about 3 hours from start to finish, but having 6 lunches and 6 dinners at my fingertips is what keeps me on plan.

Good luck to you!!

Saving this! Thanks for posting!

ktsimons

I plan on cutting back in a couple months but right now I am in way over my head with money going out. I got into a bit of trouble with cash advances and right now I am spending 300+ a month on interest on them. So once I can get out of that circle of misery I will be able to quit one job. Maybe both depending on how things pick up with my full-time job.
[/quote]


Kudos girl...many folks would just throw up their hands and quit. I applaud you for trying so hard - really impressive. :flowerforyou:

robinso5

Get one of these:



And you can make tons of food in 15 mins. I eat a lot of 3 minute quesadillas.

Sweet! I want one!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE MINE! I am telling you, youo can cook EVERYTHINGon this!

emAZn

I always keep a couple low calorie frozen meals in the freezer along with frozen veggie blends and cans of soup and canned chicken and salmon in the pantry. Beefing up a lean cuisine with frozen veggies and more protein always fills me up for less calories.

bubblygoldfish

OP: For a filling "meal" instead of a snack, you should look into overnight oats. I am going to try these out, and I found both a great starter base, with tons of topping suggestions. NO COOKING INVOLVED. Say you get home from a 24 hour shift, throw the ingrediants into a small bowl and stick in the refridgerator... go to bed. In the morning, nuke it for 30 sec, add whatever you want on top. BAM! Filling breakfast, so easy I can do it in 2 min!

*Disclaimer: This is a version of oatmeal... so if you hate oatmeal, then this is probably a bad idea.

toutmonpossible

Good quality sardines like King Oscars in olive oil. (The ones in water don't have enough flavor). Sprinkle some fresh lemon juice, grind some fresh pepper and eat.

danasings

-Bag of pre made salad
-Tuna creations garlic and herb packet
-Spray on dressing
-string cheese
-piece of fruit

Quick, easy lunch with all of your essential needs. And filling.

l911jnt

bump