Anyone eat like this?

Ruby11222

Does anyone else find they don't really eat meals or even home cooked things often? I realised yesterday that most days I eat all cans and tubs and packets. Mostly do this to be accurate about calories plus it is easier! Cooking for one isn't great, so much wastage.

megz4987

Left overs are great

SergeantSunshine_reused

Yea left overs are great :] not a fan of packaged/processed food for the most part

juliapurpletoes

ok! so for your sweet tooth....and other teeth too


http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/



give this a read...lots of great from scratch recipes ideas ......... for ONE!!!!!

eat well

maryd523

It's easier to count calories that way, but much worse on your body and overall health. Food that comes in cans, tubs, and packets tends to be highly processed and full of bad stuff.

Jade_Butterfly

Not here.. I love fresh fruits and veggies.. I use a food scale to be accurate about what I eat. . I use canned items and such as little as possible. . If I use them. . I get no salt added varieties~

MIMITIME

Actually I am the opposite of you. Before MFP, I was eating out of cans and other prepared meals. Since joining MFP, I actually have started cooking again and actually like it. I do have to freeze a lot of stuff or eat the same thing a couple of days a week but it is still good.

Elizabeth_C34

I hated cooking for a long time, but since my husband and I decided to get healthy, cooking together has become a nice relaxing and kinda romantic thing we do every evening. If you learn how to cook for just one or two, you can eliminate wasteful cooking. We waste almost nothing when we cook now, and we've gotten good enough to make a lot of more ornate meals that you'd spend a fortune on at a gourmet restaurant at home for 1/4 the price.

amanda6262005

Since I joined MFP I have started coking and love it ! It's harder to count yes, but a lot healthier!

alex063287

I used to eat microwave dinners frequently and it helped me lose weight. Yes it has more carbs and sodium in it but it does the trick.

Tisha247

No I don't eat like this, I cook for a family. Everytime is prepared from fresh raw produce mainly, I aim for four serves of vegetables each and every day. I've actually deleted some American contacts because they ate nothing but pre packaged heavily processed foods and nothing fresh. I couldn't eat like that, how do you go to the toilet?

putnam80

most of the time i am cooking for myself and i almost never use packaged stuff. either i make enough just for me, or yeah, have leftovers! love em for lunch

seal57

Does anyone else find they don't really eat meals or even home cooked things often? I realised yesterday that most days I eat all cans and tubs and packets. Mostly do this to be accurate about calories plus it is easier! Cooking for one isn't great, so much wastage.

Yes, but I have just started using my slow cooker again.....Just chuck in the ingredients and wait a few hours and a beautiful meal......I divide it into containers and freeze......I use the recipe creator here and it gives you how many cals per serve....

CaptainMFP

There are really great creative ways to use leftovers. One of my current faves is to do turkey burgers for dinner. Now granted, I'm cooking for four but this can easily adapted to just one. Anyway, my kids won't eat burgers, so I make one for me, one for my wife, and the rest get cut up for salads at lunchtime. A half turkey burger with some shredded Swiss cheese, possibly sunflower seeds, and some diced tomato, cucumber, and avocado over a mix of baby Romaine and spinach...no dressing needed! Thus, one meal starting with a lb. of ground turkey becomes 3 - 5 meals easily. I know the whole cooking for one thing...but if you're willing to be creative you can really use leftovers as a means of breaking free from the packets and cans. Is it a challenge? To be sure it is, but it can be done and is worth the effort!

ChangingTami

No, I cook all the time. I have an occasional organic bar or open a can of organic chicken to use in my recipe but for the most part I cook all the time and love it.

Elizabeth_C34

Does anyone else find they don't really eat meals or even home cooked things often? I realised yesterday that most days I eat all cans and tubs and packets. Mostly do this to be accurate about calories plus it is easier! Cooking for one isn't great, so much wastage.

Yes, but I have just started using my slow cooker again.....Just chuck in the ingredients and wait a few hours and a beautiful meal......I divide it into containers and freeze......I use the recipe creator here and it gives you how many cals per serve....

Crock pots are amazing. This is a really good cookbook for slow cookers: http://www.amazon.com/Crockpot-Original-Slow-Cooker-Books/dp/1412729734/ref=pd_sim_b3

We got it as a wedding gift, and it's been wonderful.

Raf702

75% of my meals are all home cooked, unless I go to Fresh N Easy to buy a prepared meal like a sandwich or something small.

Healthyby30

I cook everyday! I try not to eat too much prepackaged food. You can even freeze leftovers to reheat on busier days or for work lunches, etc. I usually eat salads for lunch...they're quick, easy and healthy if you don't load them up with junk.

foodluver27

The freezer can be your best friend! Just cook and whatever you have left over..freeze it and that is one day you don't have to worry about cooking

swimmchick87

I'm the same way. I'm getting better about cooking something for dinner, but mostly eat pre-packaged things for lunch at work. I also am only cooking for one. I simply don't like leftovers- I don't know I've always been that way. Food just doesn't taste good once it's been re-heated, refrigerated, sitting out, etc. I don't want to waste my calories on eating something I don't want too, but I don't want to waste as you said. I search for either really small recipes or things I can just make one serving of by cutting down the recipe. Devin Alekksander has some great low-calorie recipes that only make 1 or 2 servings, and they're very easy if you're not much of a cook. I make a lot of stuff from her books regularly.

Ruby11222

Thanks for the replies. I know how unhealthy this is and how many additives and chemicals I'm eating, I hate that.

I do cook, just not often enough because I find it more expensive and plans change and I end up going out for 3 days straight and the food goes to waste, etc. Most of what I cook is not great to freeze.

When I cook, I eat the same thing at least 4 times I have no problem eating left overs except the whole being out for meals thing.

Does anyone have any quick, healthy recipes for one they want to share??

Rachaelluvszipped

Actually I am the opposite of you. Before MFP, I was eating out of cans and other prepared meals. Since joining MFP, I actually have started cooking again and actually like it. I do have to freeze a lot of stuff or eat the same thing a couple of days a week but it is still good.

I also cook mainly for one...as my family members don't always want to eat what I am making..so I make it and I eat one serving and put the rest in single serving portions and freeze them for another date..that way all I have to do is microwave it and its done..and I have it saved in memory base for a later date...

If you make a recipe for yourself..MFP will do the math for you and calculate per serving of what it is..so you don't have to do the math! I love it! It also calculates the nutrition for you as well! ;-)

gsenriquez

Hmmmm, I've been eating home cooked corned beef for several days now. Then Friday I made grilled tri tip, so I just switched it back and forth until I finish it. I just reward myself with yummy low carb dessert.

Elizabeth_C34

Thanks for the replies. I know how unhealthy this is and how many additives and chemicals I'm eating, I hate that.

I do cook, just not often enough because I find it more expensive and plans change and I end up going out for 3 days straight and the food goes to waste, etc. Most of what I cook is not great to freeze.

Does anyone have any quick, healthy recipes for one they want to share??

I made some really good haddock in the pan with some steamed broccoli tonight for. It's only about 200 calories for an entire plate too.

Recipe:

1 3 oz. haddock loin (boneless, skinless, thawed or frozen)
1 roma tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp McCormick no-salt Garlic Pepper seasoning
1 tbsp lemon juice (Realemon works fine)
1 tbsp canola oil

Line a large pan with canola oil and heat to medium. Put in frozen or thawed haddock filet. Top with everything else. Cover and cook for 10 minutes (frozen) or 7 minutes (thawed). Serve with 1/2 bag of microwave steamed broccoli (Birdseye makes great veggies with nearly no sodium that you can just stick in the microwave and eat).

With broccoli, the whole thing is about 200 calories. It's very filling, very lean (mostly fat free), and very rich in protein (21 grams). If you go to the seafood section of a grocery store, you can usually find haddock or other fish filets individually wrapped and frozen. These make great staples that can be cooked quickly.

If you don't feel like chopping stuff, you can use Pace chunky mild salsa instead of the tomatoes, garlic, an onion. It adds qutie a bit of sodium though.

Ruby11222

I think my main issue is my stomach stapling, many complications, often can't eat for days, so going to the effort of cooking meals and then not being able to eat them drives me nuts. There are a lot of things I can't eat so finding recipes that aren't boring can be a challenge too.

marzahl68

Because of the accurate calorie count, I've been eating a lot of fozen meals and canned soup. I simply don't trust that I could cook something and come up with a correct calorie count.
Hubby made 3.5 gallons of chili yesterday. We drained and rinsed the beef and I wrote down and calculated calories for everything that went in there. Came up to 177 cals per cup. It took me 3 hours and re-calculating everything a bunch of times before I was finally able to eat 1 cup. I would have been happier with a can of chili with an exact calorie count.
At the same time, I'm getting very tired of all the pre-packaged stuff.

Mommawarrior

I would barf if I ate only pre packaged things. The only prepackaged things I eat normally are clif bars. Pretty much everything else is made at my house. I hate fastfood and prepackaged.

Ruby11222

When I say prepackaged I mean canned baked beans in tomato sauce, canned tuna, oatmeal/barley sachets with no added sugar or flavours, fiber bars, yoghurt, salsa, hommus and vita weat crackers, unsalted cashews, dried fruit straps - no sugar, fiber cereals, muesli, etc. I know it's still bad but I figure they are the healthiest prepackaged foods.

I would barf if I ate only pre packaged things. The only prepackaged things I eat normally are clif bars. Pretty much everything else is made at my house. I hate fastfood and prepackaged.

stefchica

i cant....i make food at home all the time mainly because i grew up on home cooked meals. but realizing how much crap is in those canned/processed/frozen/ready eat meals is just gross. UNLESS i'm absolutely starving, there is nothing left to eat and i dont have any groceries to whip up a meal, then i will, but i dont really even keep that stuff in my pantry. as far as i go is canned tomatoes and vegetables but even that is not a lot. if you can afford it, fresh groceries are your best bet. if i make a meal i add in all my ingredients in to the recipe calculator on here and then i see how much each portion is, thats been helping me a lot. its also helping me masure out things since i never do when i cook, its all by smell, taste and the way it looks so in a way its helping me actually trakc my recipes and the amount that goes into them.

granted, ,not everything on the shelf is horrible for you but just watch the sodium in these things and the preservatives, its kinda scary. but as long as you are picking the best choices thats good. but its always best to can things yourself or freeze meals if you have the room and spac\e in your home.

thin1dayplease

I have to admit I am very much the same purely for the reason you know exactly the calories, fat, carb content etc. I eat pre-packaged sandwichs and salads, mircowave meals, tinned soups etc I know its not the best for you, but I prefer to know exactly the cal content and it seems to work for me!

carrie1128

I've realized that one of the reasons I don't log much here (especially my dinner) is because I don't eat any canned, boxed or packaged foods. Everything I make is home cooked and it's a huge pain to enter it all in. I do know roughly what my calories are though. You should try www.skinnytaste.com
She has great healthy recipes that even I can follow (I'm not a good cook!) and all the nutritional info to go with it. I do believe that living a healthy lifestyle and learning how to cook yourself some decent meals go hand in hand.