Anyone with a long commute to work?

LBxLB

What/How do you plan for dinner? My day usally starts 4:30 am and I'm home by 7:30 pm and honestly don't feel like cooking when I get home. Anyone in a similar situation, do you cook daily or one batch a week? And what are you cooking? My dinner usually blows my cals and/or sodium because I just grab whatever is already cooked or quick.

Thanks!
-Chantel

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

I also commute from office to home but on mornings I go along with my Dad on his car but still I have to get up 5:30am, leave home at 6:30am then get home at 7:00pm. What I do is once I get home, I go straight to our fridge to find something in the freezer & immediately soak the frozen fish or chicken in a big bowl with water to thaw it fast & at the same time I prepare other ingredients while waiting for the main ingredient to thaw. Afterwards I just either steam the fish or stir fry the chicken, veggies plus a few marinade sauces. Only takes me 15 minutes

njgal35

cook on Sunday. And have healthy meals ready like chicken fish, fruit that is already cut up, cool water drinks.

Also I keep apples and nuts in the car so i am not famished by the time I get home

smurlene

I have a one hour commute one way, so I hear you.

I keep apples and nuts in the car, too, and for dinner I prep ahead of time. I make sure that I have cans of tuna and salmon in the cabinet, along with beans and cut up fresh veg.

A typical dinner for me might take five minutes to prepare. I open a pouch of salmon, add it to a cup of black beans, some greens, and zap for 1 min. 30 seconds. It's fast and good.

jutymo

I always have something that can be used for "dinner" in my freezer. leftovers, stuff I cooked on the weekend knowing I'll need it later in the week, healthy frozen foods (i.e. Amy's cheese pizza in there right now). I label all the containers in my freezer so I can see what I have and I usually take something out of the freezer and put it into the fridge before I leave for work so it's partially or fully thawed by the time I get home. Works pretty well for me.

wantstolooseweight

Yep! I get up at 4.30 and get home between 7.30 and 8pm so pretty much the same as you.... weekends I cook and freeze portions of soup/pasta sauces/stews then its a lucky dip into the freezer for dinner

Crock pot gets used a lot and left on all day Chicken breasts with chopped tomatoes herbs = quick to throw in and endless possibilities

If i've nothing in the freezer and couldnt be bothered to throw things in the crock pot then its cook something quick like a stir fry, or a salad

framingthewheels

Do you have a crockpot? They are miracle workers. I swear by mine. I don't have such a long commute, thankfully, but I do leave at 7, get home at 6 and then typically go straight into my workout. Since I've started using the crockpot, I have saved moneya nd time. I put the ingredients in the night before, turn it on that morning and it's ready when I get home. Some of the nicer crockpots have programmable settings so, after your designated cooking time, it will automatically switch to "warm" and not continue cooking. They make a huge difference in my life!

FitnFabMichelle

I have a 1-hour commute each way too so I feel your pain. Dinner is the worst for me. I come home and I'm starving and I grab whatever I can get my hands on. Not good. And it's only worse when the kids have sports stuff we need to go to right after I get home. BUT I'm bound to change this and I plan to start using my crock-pot more and batch cooking on the weekends.

CouchSpud

I am usually not home before 6/7 often 8 or 9 pm... when I am really late I just have an omelette with vegetable and cheese or ham. I also always have food in the freezer that can easily be defrostet (self cooked bolognaise, soup etc) so all I need to do when coming home is putting some pasta on.
I also eat Pizza occasionally or take aways, just make sure it fits into the calories for the day

mrmanmeat

What/How do you plan for dinner? My day usally starts 4:30 am and I'm home by 7:30 pm and honestly don't feel like cooking when I get home. Anyone in a similar situation, do you cook daily or one batch a week? And what are you cooking? My dinner usually blows my cals and/or sodium because I just grab whatever is already cooked or quick.

Thanks!
-Chantel

I'd suck it up and cook. It's best for you.

murpcm08

I commute 45 mins to an hour commute one way, usually home by 7 pm. I just have found that I enjoy cooking, so I have plenty of 30 min meals to make when I get home. Plus, I always try to have a veggie frozen pizza in case I don't feel like cooking

theresmynapkin

I don't have a long commute, I'm just lazy. But I get Great Value frozen stir frys. They take like 12 minutes max to make, are under 200 calories per bag and I can put spices like basil, oregano, etc on them to mix up the flavaaahhh

ashlielinn

My commute's about an hour and a half, and with going to the gym after work, I leave my house at 7am and don't get home until about 8:30/9pm. I usually keep a bunch of Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers in the freezer and just eat a bag for dinner. You can have the whole bag of veggies for under 200 calories! I stick them in the microwave, hope in the shower, and they're finished and ready to eat by the time I get out

NurseCarolyn2014

My commute is not really that long but my day is. So yes, I can't wait until I get home to decide what I'm making for dinner. Part of what I do on the weekends is plan my meals for the week. It takes a bit of time but it saves time throughout the week so it balances things out. I cook on the weekends and freeze the dinners in glass caserole dishes or I have dinners that I can put in the crockpot for the day.
Planning ahead of time is the key for me.

mrsvatitagain

Sounds like my day! You hve to plan in advance, cook the meat for the week on Sunday freeze it all and on each morning take out the meat so that all you have to do is heat and serve when you get in. DInner done and eating by 9 you are golden! It really just takes planning but it can be done. Good luck!

evlipford

I have a long way to commute home as well. My schedule is from 10 am to 7 pm so I leave about 8:50 am to drop my son off from daycare and to get to work on time by 10 am and then by time i get home from work and getting my son at daycare from his grandparents its about 8:00pm so it's hard to get a workout in, clean, and cook. Im really trying to find answers on how to balance my schedule out so I can't fit everything in without being overwhelmed???



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dsjohndrow

I prepare lots of stuff on weekends. I can cook 12 eggs with sausage or salmon in a muffin tin. Then freeze them. I toast a bagel and I am done for breakfast. I grill lots of steak,chicken and center cut pork chops. Then I cut them up and freeze with broccoli, snow peas, beans that steam when I microwave them. You can also add pasta or rice (I don't.) You can also use the grilled chicken and add it to bagged salad. Then there is the fruit salad which is a sliced apple and some mixed frozen berries with 0% Greek yogurt and walnuts. I can get 2 weeks done in about an hour, and my prep time for the day is 3-4 minutes.

The trick is a bunch of 2 cup plastic tubs that stack.

angraham2

I am home late too, but every night I figure out what we are eating the next day, I get the meat out of the freezer and put it in the fridge so it is thawed when I get home. We eat a lot of taco salad, either chicken, elk or beef, so you can cook that on the weekend. I chop vegies and stuff on the weekend too, that way all I have to do is cook it up and dinner for a family of 4 is done in 15 to 30 min.

dogacreek

I am up at 4:30 and then have an hour drive to work. I drink coffee during the ride to work, but drink a bottle of water on the drive to the gym after work. After working out or doing zumba for an hour, I'm home around 7pm. Most days I grill or eat something I've cooked on Sunday. Also, depending on calories for the week, we will eat pizza or even sandwiches (turkey). I have never kept food in the car but always try to have a bottle of water with me.

JillHoff

No so much a long commute as I am working two jobs so there are nights that I go from one straight to the other... so I have really got into the habit of planning and shopping once a week. I save so much money this way...(Everytime you go shopping you buy more than what you thought at least I do) I make a list. I now do not make a list as I know what I buy and stick to it... I know that sounds boring but I do pick a new recipe now and then and shop for it. Anyway... what I am trying to say is the nights that I do not work and I am able to cook. I cook for the next few days. Reusable lunch bags are my life... If you use that evil 4 letter word...PLAN! Then it works. It is not perfection as I don't always practice what I preach those are the days you see a meal bar on my diary... I keep those on hand too.

GOOD LUCK!

noirnatural

My husband or kids have usually cooked by the time I get home, I am a vegetarian so I don't eat what they eat and will usually make myself a salad or a veggie patty, on my late night I eat my dinner at work.

Linda916

My husband takes two trains to and from work. He leaves the house at 3:00 pm and returns the following morning at 11:30 am and does it all over again. Fortunately for him, I make his meals! Planning is the key. I pack his salads in quart sized mason jars and layer them: dressing on the bottom, followed by firm veggies like carrots, radishes, celery, broc, then softer veggies like mushrooms and tomatoes, and top it with the greens. Salad in a jar will keep for up to a week. I over-cook for dinners in order to pack him the left overs. I also pack fruit and yogurt for snacks.

My commute is only an hour. I bring my food to work on Mondays: salad fixings, healthy snacks, sandwich stuff, cereal & milk. And I also bring left overs from dinner.

planning, planning, planning.... you just have to decide to do it.... good luck!

lk27

I have a long commute too. I leave my house at 7:25 am and don't get home until almost 7:00 pm. I make my meals on Sunday so that everything is grab and go. I make egg muffins for breakfast so that I just pop them in the microwave for 1 minute then run out the door. I bring my lunches (usually salad or soup that I made on Sunday) and I'l make a big batch of soup, grill a whole package of chicken breasts, make a big batch of quinoa, veggies, salad, etc for dinner so that all I have to do is walk in the door and heat something healthy and homemade up. I rarely opt for something easy and on the way like pizza. I hate wasting food, so if I make it I like to eat it.

tlamarch

I drive an hour each way to work, so if I dont cook for the whole week on sunday I'll be bad and grab food on the way home

mjsunshine16

Crock-pot meals and cooking extra to have leftovers are the best bet.

elainecroft

With commute I am gone 12-14 hours per day, but I love to cook so found a variety of strategies works best:

1. At the grocery store, I buy with "meals" in mind - fresh stuff for about a week, then frozen stir fry, etc. to keep me going if I can't make it back to the store.

2. I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have plenty of frozen veggies, so even if I heat up frozen pizza or make pasta I can throw in a few servings of veggies.

3. I try to cook for at least two meals at once. So instead of making two pieces of chicken, I'll make a whole package and then eat it over several dinners. Or I'll make a whole cabbage into cole slaw. Note that sometimes this does get me in trouble though, as I sometimes struggle with portion sizes. I found that acknowledging portions "I am making 4 servings of chicken" helps because if I say it then I have mentally put the extra aside for another meal.

4. This all works better if you have a plan - even if it is done on the train/'car on the way home, plan out what you are going to make, and if you are me, what you are going to eat as a snack when you get home because you will not be able to keep away from the junk food if you don't eat something asap.

5. Share the load - whether with a significant other or getting together with friends, I try to have at least one "home cooked" meal a week that I don't make (and of course reciprocate by cooking for them!). Tonight, my sister and some friends are coming over so I'm already brainstorming what I can put together with the stuff in my fridge.

semeyer

I have a 40-60 minute commute one way. To keep me sane, and have a little fun, I usually make a weekly dinner menu ahead of time (I am a nerd and I having been making them movie themed lately, so one night we have date night and watch the movie with dinner...). I try to do my week's shopping sometime over the weekend to save time from having to go to the store after work every night as well. To cut back on time I spend on thinking about dinner, I also add up all the calories ahead of time and put them on the menu.This way I know how to allocate the calories the rest of my day and also if I'm having chicken the next night, take it out of the freezer and into the fridge to thaw the night before, etc.

I'm including a pic of my weekly menu below. Its not always the food greatest choices, but I am trying to get better! :drinker:

LBxLB

Thanks guys these are great ideas/suggestion even some tough love. I appreciate it all!

missySwanker

I spent a year commuting a minimum of five hours a day. Left house at 7am and got home at 9pm. Was really hard as I was hungry getting on train to come home at 7pm so would eat some nuts to get me through till I could eat proper dinner at home around 9.30pm. Then up at 6.15am to do it all again. Also because I was so tired all the time I craved more sugar. It's a different world now I'm working closer to home.

I find unsalted pistachios in their shells a great snack food. Only 4kcal each and having to open each one guards against eating too many without thinking about it.