Addicted to fast food

flcaoh

Help me!!!

I know fast food is bad for me. But between working lots of hours, going to school full time, spending hours at the library, and living alone... the last thing I want to do when I finally get home after a reeeeeeeally long day is cook a meal for one (I also don't have a microwave... so I have to actually COOK a meal) So, fast food is extremely convenient and tempting.

Does anyone have any suggestions for some quick healthy meals I can take with me to school (I have no fridge and no microwave at school) or for when I get home late at night exhausted?

flcaoh

Help me!!!

I know fast food is bad for me. But between working lots of hours, going to school full time, spending hours at the library, and living alone... the last thing I want to do when I finally get home after a reeeeeeeally long day is cook a meal for one (I also don't have a microwave... so I have to actually COOK a meal) So, fast food is extremely convenient and tempting.

Does anyone have any suggestions for some quick healthy meals I can take with me to school (I have no fridge and no microwave at school) or for when I get home late at night exhausted?

ChubbyBunny

Ever cook in advance?
Like cook a whole bunch and freeze it?
My family sometimes does this... my dad especially.
He'll actually make individual plates worht (he's a little odd).

But mass cooking chicken, beef, etc
Then that's one step done in advance.
Toss in some seasonings, sauces, veggies...
You've got lots of meal options that you can heat up right on the stove.

Chellekk

sammiches. Turkey sandwich with ALL the veggies you can get on it.

PS. Don't eat fast food for a few days/week and you'd probably have enough money to buy a brand new microwave. You should really do this, so you can eat canned soups, stews, frozen meals, ect. Easy and better for you.

laughingdani

If you cooked a few servings of skinless chicken tenders or breasts you could keep them in the fridge and throw some in a salad when you got home. I do that a lot for lunch when I am really busy. You don't even have to reheat the chicken if its in a salad it tastes fine cold.

heather0mc

i am single and was on a fast food train for ever. i like to make sandwiches to bring to work but i also like to use frozen dinners.
at night, i love to bake chicken or make a lean burger.
sounds like you REALLY need to pick up a microwave. i have an extra one - too bad i cant just give it to you!

aasta

Wrap it up! I keep wheat tortillas on hand. It is easy to throw on some; grilled chicken, sliced turkey, tuna, vegi's or anything else you have in the fridge. It makes it easy to eat on the go! I also like to cut up and peel oranges or apples throw them in a baggie for an easy to eat side item with your wrap.

mrsyac2

get a microwave- You would save so much money and calories if you cut fast food out. The only fast food I get is chik-fil-a and its the grilled chicken sandwich on wheat bun - no condiments no fries and def no drink..

when you are short on time a microwave is the best option for something healthy. at your school is there a cafeteria (usually a microwave is there) try hitting up the thrift store to get a cheap used one.

brown bag it with some sandwiches - and cut up fresh veggies or fruit. just put it in a storage container. there are plenty of options. that are healthier than fast food and much more cheaper

MattySparky

Getting into shape and eating right isn't easy. My wife and I both work full time and we have a 16 month old girl and a dog to take care of at home... trust me, nothing about this is easy. However what does make it easier is cooking ahead of time... I dont know what to tell you about the lack of fridge or microwave at school, that seems pretty lame to me that they dont have a cafeteria equipped with at least a microwave. Other than that you'll just have to buckle down and force yourself to cook, I hate to say it, but that's just life unfortunately and good things like this dont come easy! Good luck!

MisdemeanorM

Quick easy fix - go on craigslist or a garage sale or goodwill and get yourself a $10 microwave!

I live and die by Healthy Choice meals when they go on sale for $2 or less for the large ones. Quick, easy, relatively healthy...

Other non-microwave choices - cereal, grilled cheese with whole wheat bread (high on the carbs but you still do need carbs, and the cheese is a good use of calories especially if you get the kind with calcium). I use cooking spray or just sear the bread instead of using butter - or I just make it in the toaster! The butter is the worst part of the meal health wise!

Yogurt with granola (buy it seperately and in tubs not individual packets to save a lot).

I like lunchmeat and cheese and some onion heated on a tortilla and rolled up.

Lean healthy veggie pizza that you can put in the fridge and eat cold later?

Eggs. Easy to cook and great for protein. Takes about 5 minutes tops. Shorter than waiting in line at the drive through.

Tuna? - I like lowfat ritz mixed in with tuna and lemon juice. Takes about 1 minute to make.

Precut fruits (and/or veggies) and put them in like pyrex dishes as premeasured fruit salads in the fridge. Make a bunch and then you just open it up and you have your grapes, pinneaple, oranges, apples bananas ets already mixed together and ready to eat. Depending on the fruit you use you cannot go too far in advance though or it wont last! I know I am WAY more likely to eat something that is ready to go when I am home and tired! Even peeling an orange at the end of the day is too much work!

It is coming up on summer so a fruit smoothie is actually really easy to make and easy cleanup. These are good in winter too! I just wish fruit was not so expensive! But it is cheaper than fast food!

Another trick to fast food.... really think about what you are eating! Hopefully it will gross you out enough that the convenience will not be worth it! I eat it about 1-2 times a month if that and I cannot eat a fastfood burger because they gross me out too much! I have not had one in probably 2 years and the last one I had actually made me physically sick! If anything, take time one weekend to go online and really look at the menu and look up the calories online and when you DO have to get fast food make smart choices and get a salad or fruit side, or a baked potato not fries, and learn what sandwiches at which spots have the most fat and calories, skip the drink and get water, and get no mayo on the sandwich... Perhaps print off the calorie counts and put them in your car so you can make smart(er) choices from the menu?

Oh - side note for what to do for lunch AT school - 1) if you cut back on the fast food you might be able to afford a meal plan or a a-la-carte at the caf. 2) get to know the lunch lady or your teachers and find someone who will let you use their microwave. (even the caf might let you just pop in to warm something up if you make friends with the right person!) The buildings all have them! Your teachers will kinow where to find them! Then bring something canned that does not have to be in a fridge, or depending on when you eat lunch, something refrigerated or frozed will be defrosted in time to microwave for lunch. Or are there dorms near your buildings? Many have fridges and microwaves in their lobbies or common areas... You might be able to pop in and use theirs between classes. Hell, even the library lounge might have one that they could let you use if you promise to step back outside to actually eat... It's all about who you know!

And, at home - do you have any friendly neighbors? If you have similar schedules perhaps you can trade off who cooks what night? If you all eat around 9 maybe you can split dinner duties and only have to cook 2 or so times a week?

drewzaun

A microwave can cost as little as $30, or about 5 meals at Mc Donalds.

Cook a weeks worth of dinners on your day off and just reheat them. It takes the same amount of time to eat healthy as it does to eat like crap. The only difference is you need to think a little bit.

BTW after about 3 weeks you will start to lose your fast food cravings. I have not eaten a McDonalds meal or anything like it in 4 years now.

mjtwomail- if you are just making a smoothie then frozen fruit tastes fine. Just get the kind without added sugar.

MisdemeanorM

mjtwomail- if you are just making a smoothie then frozen fruit tastes fine. Just get the kind without added sugar.

I know. I stand wishfully in front of the frozen fruit every time I grocery shop wishing I could bring myself to shell out $7-9 for a bag of Strawberries or mixed fruit... I know over the course of BLANK smoothies that is not too much, but I eat on about $3-4 a day TOTAL with my current budget so it needs to be under about $1-2 for breakfast and lunch and snack to match my $2 Healthy Choice dinner!

flcaoh

WOW. Those are awesome suggestions!!! Thanks everyone!

Phoenix_Rising

Wrap it up! I keep wheat tortillas on hand. It is easy to throw on some; grilled chicken, sliced turkey, tuna, vegi's or anything else you have in the fridge. It makes it easy to eat on the go! I also like to cut up and peel oranges or apples throw them in a baggie for an easy to eat side item with your wrap.

ditto

take the fast food money you save and buy a microwave.
then the world of frozen dinners will open to you! :laugh: