Go to quick meals?

jakereef

Hello, I usually get off work pretty late and always struggle with figuring out a quick and healthy meal. I usually end up grabbing fast food. Does anyone have go-to meals that are easy to cook and don’t take a lot of time?

Corina1143

Thin pork chops cook fast. Veg in the microwave.

Put water on to boil for pasta before you change clothes, etc. Make double, save 1/2 for pasta salad tomorrow night.

Tv dinners can be cheaper and healthier than fast food.

Check menus and nutrients for fast food between work and home so that when you do get fast food, you can get healthier, lower calorie fast food.

claireychn074

Have you got a freezer? Packets of veg are great to microwave, and you can add them to to 2 min rice and scrambled egg to make a really quick egg fried rice (add in soy or chilli sauce etc). Or fish which can be cooked from frozen, again with frozen veg. I also batch cook when I have time, so my freezer is full of home made meals - all of which can be reheated quickly. It ensures I have tasty food to hand which meets my needs. Noodles or pasta with tinned fish is also a quick go-to meal for me - again using tinned or frozen veg if I’m short on fresh ingredients. Finally, I like omelettes for a quick and filling meal. You can throw cheese, veg, meat, or fish inside.

kmp9881

I prep a package of chicken breasts at the beginning of the week to grab, and one of my favorite go-tos is 3oz of chicken, half a cup of cottage cheese, and a package of steamed veg (whatever ends up being around 120 calories for a whole bag). Mix it up and add whatever seasonings you want. Ends up being around 350 calories (or less), it's super filling, and has 40-50g of protein. Also only takes as long as the steamed veggies take to cook.

COGypsy

I have what I call “scoop dinners”. I keep frozen precooked protein—chicken, beef, meatballs, shrimp on hand, along with bags of frozen vegetables. When it’s dinner time, I open a packages of precooked rice or pasta, add the desired “scoops” of protein and veg and top with some sort of sauce or seasoning. Microwave for a few minutes, dinner is ready and you probably only got one bowl dirty! It’s not gourmet, but it definitely cuts down on the misery of both cooking and doing dishes.

DiscusTank5

This isn't a sexy answer at all, but a crock pot is great for working late. Chili, roast and veg, chicken and dumplings, even a pot of beans can all slow cook all day. Sometimes I'll get it all in the crock pot the night before, store it in the fridge overnight, then take it out and plug in as I head to work.

Fast skillet meals are also a possibility: sausage, bell pepper, and onion are great. Or breakfast for dinner with bacon and eggs, fruit on the side.

yirara

Depends on what's available where you are. If I'm really not into cooking I open a tin of stew (peas, lentils, or chili con carne) and eat with a fresh bread roll. Some brands available here have a fairly ok amount of protein, and it's filling for me in every season.

If I want to cook a bit I marinate chicken or pork, cook, and put them with quickly sauteed veg into a wrap with whatever fits what I did. Might quickly whack tsatsiki together, use mango chutney, other yogurt sauces or a bit of peanut sauce.

or quick pasta is always an option.

SafariGalNYC

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48671790#Comment_48671790

crock pots are sexy! lol - I concur.. it’s easy and I love the no heat in summer!

westrich20940

My 'go-to' quick meal is parcooked rice (any brand - some are in bags or some in containers, usually take a couple min in the microwave), a protein, and a veggie if I can, and sauce.

Currently I've done this at work with rice, tinned fish, sauce, furikake. Or I get bags of Indian dishes (like lentil curry) that also just require a microwave. Rice, with lentil curry over is a fine meal. No veg - but I often will just eat raw veggies and ranch at home - like a large portion of raw veggies. Makes up for some of the time that my meal may not contain veg.

I also often may eat that same rice meal, with greek yogurt/fruit (usually raspberries). more protein and then fiber too.

Only downside of this is much is pre-packaged/processed….but when at home I cook more. And these are easy to log bc of being prepackaged.

AnnPT77

Planning ahead and keeping things on hand - freezer or pantry - is key, IMO.

• Higher protein pasta + jarred sauce + easy protein (if it's not meaty sauce)
• Hearty, more nutrient-dense canned/packaged soup or stew
• Frozen mixed veggies + easy protein (some frozen combos contain it) + optionally microwaveable rice packet
• Salad kit with canned tuna, canned chicken, or cottage cheese
• Decent-nutrition frozen dinner

That's just a few examples. They may be more expensive than from-scratch home cooking, but probably on a par or cheaper than fast food. Many of those items are shelf stable for a long time, or quick to pick up at a store on the way home rather than hitting a drive-through.

Another option, though: Put in some advance thought and identify manageable fast food choices. Make a list of options you could get at fast food places or restaurants near your route, maybe call ahead or order online and pick up. Even as a vegetarian, there are things I can pick up at Taco Bell, Panera, Subway, the local Mediterranean or Asian restaurants, or other spots that are calorie appropriate and have reasonable nutrition. It should be even easier if a person is an omnivore. The nutrient density matters more if it's a frequent thing, but I wouldn't sweat it too much if relatively infrequent as long as it's reasonable calories and filling enough.

sugaraddict4321

Chicken salad or tuna salad can be made without cooking if you use the canned versions, just watch the sodium content and probably opt for the ones in water instead of oil. Drain before mixing, of course. These "salads" keep in the fridge for several days, and you can make them into a sandwich or put on top of some lettuce, etc. Also hard-boiled eggs are great to have on hand when you're hungry.

Strudders67

I'm another who bulk preps. I've got a selection of different curries, bolognese, chilli, stirfries, tagines, fish pie, cottage pie and multiple chicken dishes in the freezer, all bagged or boxed as 1-portion serving. It's as easy to cook a huge curry (I do chicken, beef, lamb & seafood, bulked out with veg, to give variety to choose from) or chilli or bolognese (bulked out with lentils) that'll make 6-8 portions as it is to cook for one meal. It also tends to mean I get a more varied diet and less food waste from stuff in my fridge. There are plenty of 'easy' recipes online if you're not a confident cook. Jars of curry sauces or curry pastes are useful too - with many you just need to chop & fry onions, open a tin of tomatoes and add your chosen protein and/or veg to the pot with the sauce or paste and leave it to simmer for about 30 mins until everything is cooked.

If I have a day at home, I'll cook from scratch, if I'm going to be out all day (and I'm organised) I get something out of the freezer in the morning - and if I'm not organised I have an omelette with whatever salad or veg I have to hand.

Rice, potatoes and pasta can be cooked in advance and frozen too. Again, it's just as easy to throw in two or three portions of pasta or rice to a pot of water as it is to cook one portion. Mushrooms and onions can both be chopped and frozen, ready to fry (from frozen) for an omelette.

I also regularly make a huge salad bowl, to which I add some chicken, some ham and a couple of hard boiled eggs and that does me for 3 meals.

A roast chicken or tray bake of chicken pieces (with different seasonings on) with some veg or salad and rice, pasta or potatoes would be quick and easy for busy days too.

Assuming you don't work 7 days a week, could you do some bulk cooking (perhaps a couple of different dishes) on at least one day a week such that you make at least 5 spare portions per dish? Over a period of time, you'd have variety in your freezer and would need to bulk cook less frequently.