School starting and no time to cook

blisser99 · August 2013

So now that school is started my calendar has pretty much thrown up all over me. Between girl scouts and choir and homework... I have no time or energy to cook anymore. I've been eating out because its convenient and fast. I know this is a no no. I work graveyards so it is super hard for me as it is. I come home from work to get the kids on the bus. My two year old son is there with me most days. I feed him and myself then we head to my bed. I feed him lunch then during his nap I sleep. I sleep til about 430 when the kids get home and then take them to their activities. We then come home and I get ready for work. I exercise on my days off and on the days that they don't have to go somewhere. Dinner is made by my husband and I hit a drive-thru on my way to work. I cant keep doing this. I need help planning meals that I can get ready in the morning so that I can have a quick fix. I have a slow cooker but not many recipes. The recipes I do have aren't the healthiest either. Any healthy fast recipes would be helpful. Thank you in advance.

thisismeraw · August 2013

For a slow cooker you can throw almost anything in there.

Throw in some broth, veggies, a can or two of beans (or better yet dried beans that were soaked and partially cooked) and set it on low all day.

Throw in a bunch of chicken breast.... add in some potatos and carrots and set to low. Dinner is ready and if you make enough you can keep leftovers for lunches or dinner the next night or two. I usually cook 10 chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Some is used for dinner that night. Some is sliced for a salad at lunch. Some is sliced for a stir fry the next night. The rest is sliced up and frozen in portions for wraps, sandwiches, future stir frys, soups, etc.

Pop a roast in with some veggies and set it low all day.

Cook in batches. I am going back to school next week so I went to the dollar store and got a ton of the smaller foil trays. I made some with chicken and veggies. Some with pork and veggies. One is a lasagna. One is a pasta bake. I made a lot of different things, labelled them and put them in the freezer. Sure it's a lot of stuff to do in one day but makes dinner so much easier. Take one out, pop it in the oven to heat up and eat. One day a week I also make a huge salad and have it in the fridge to grab. I also wash and cut up a lot of veggies for snacks along with fruits. Again, it's half a day in the kitchen but makes the rest of the week so quick and easy.

Why not eat the dinner your husband makes? Can he do the kid stuff one day so you can cook a few meals or prepare a few things? For lunch at work take leftovers... try to always make more than you need and than portion out right away and pop into the fridge. Take leftovers the following day so you don't have to eat the same thing twice... or make things that can be switched up.

redbev306 · August 2013

My favorite super easy recipe is crockpot salsa chicken. I make rice or quinoa ahead of time, & then throw as many chicken breasts as you'd like into the crockpot with a jar of your favorite salsa. The chicken doesn't even have to be thawed & it will still turn out great!! I cook it on low all day & it comes out as this awesome pull-apart tender chicken that I serve over the rice or quinoa. Yumm!!

creech6317 · August 2013

Great make ahead breakfast.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/08/23/5-ways-to-spice-up-eggs-and-bacon-and-a-request/

I tried the bacon and egg cups, and also made the mini omelettes this weekend. We made up 18 of them (9 bacon and egg cups and 9 omelettes) and put them in the fridge. Just heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds and it is a great breakfast.

carrieo888 · August 2013

Also look into freezer cooking. You cook one or two days a month and make dozens of meals to pop into your freezer. Thaw, heat & eat. It does require planning, but it's not too difficult. Also, whenever you just cook, think about doubling or tripling a recipe so you have meals ready to freeze (i.e. chili, chicken stew, meat loaf, ham & bean soup).

Google "freezer cooking" and/or "slow cooker recipes" and you'll find all kinds of good stuff.

Good luck!

pastryari · August 2013

blisser99 · August 2013

Thanks everybody. I dont eat what my husband fixes because I leave right when he gets home. Its hi honey, bye honey. He makes the meal after I have already left for work. I will look into the freezer meals for sure. How do you store them? Freezer bags?

twenty20tunnelvision · August 2013

Use one of your off days to do prep. That way everything you need is in the fridge and you can just heat it up. I make veggi pizzas with flat bread (veggi's are prepped before hand). I use the same veggi's for pasta, or when I make wraps. You can cook off pasta and freeze it. Then just use hot water to thaw in less than 5 mins. Or make large dishes of tuna salad, or soups. etc. Left overs are never a bad thing. Definitely keep track of calories, but remember that any effort is better than none. I mean, a home made meal is ALWAYS better then a trip to the drive through. As far as Calories < Nutrition, equation. Also check out skinnytaste.com I've heard good things, never used lit myself though. Ooo... Muffins... Make yourself a big ol' batch of muffins. For the mornings, fresh fruit is the fastest food I can think of. My kids is content with a big bowl of fresh fruit over cereal any day! (Warning, they will be hungry again in about an hour or so lol) I don't know if you let your kid in your fridge. I usually prep fruits and veggi's in the fridge that she's allowed to help herself to, anytime. Sorry for the jumble mess of my answer, things kept popping into my head. lol Good luck

sanndandi · August 2013

bump for checking out all those links!

NavyKnightAh13 · August 2013

bump

siyah · August 2013

Making sandwiches is about as easy as buying fast food but healthier. Try variations a few times a week, dif meats cheeses, wraps and breads.

Miss_Meliss86 · August 2013

Prep is key. I don't have children, so I can't speak from that side of experience, but I do work full-time, go to school full-time, am training for a 1/2 marathon, and going to the gym at least 3-4 times a week. I set aside about 2 hours on Sunday (or Saturday, depending on what's going on) and just prep as much as I can with regards to my food. This includes cutting up veggies that can be cut ahead of time, packaging them into containers or plastic baggies, getting my hummus and such ready, pre-weighing food for upcoming meals, etc.

Given your insanely crazy schedule, do you think it would be easier to have smaller, filling snacks, rather than a heavy meal for dinner? I find snacks are easier to take on the go, especially if you don't happen to have access to a fridge for a long period of time.

Best of luck!

carrieo888 · August 2013

Thanks everybody. I dont eat what my husband fixes because I leave right when he gets home. Its hi honey, bye honey. He makes the meal after I have already left for work. I will look into the freezer meals for sure. How do you store them? Freezer bags?

If I make casseroles for the freezer, I use the disposable foil casserole pans with foil lids OR I line a casserole dish with foil, freeze the casserole then pop it into a freezer bag (using this method, you want to put it back in a casserole dish when thawing).

Soups and stews I put in freezer bags, carefully bleed out the air, zip close and lay flat on a cookie sheet. One frozen, they are stackable and take up very little room in your freezer.

In all cases, I label the bags or foil casseroles with what it is, the date, and any additional instructions (cooking temp, time to cook, "sprinkle with cheddar" or anything else it needs).

When I mass freezer cook, I can do 15 meals in one day, which I supplement with double/triple recipes. We usually do "breakfast for dinner" every couple weeks, leftover night at least once a week, and maybe one night of take out (pizza, chinese) each week. So, 15-20 meals can last more than one month.

shannashannabobana · August 2013

Prep/Cook on the weekends when you have time. Eat leftovers/quick stuff during the week. This is by far the easiest system.

School starting and no time to cook

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