eating clean...in a hurry! is it possible?

bsinno

I'm very interested in clean eating. I enjoy cooking for myself and my family and have figured out a ton of ways to put together tasty & healthy meals in a hurry. HOWEVER, this usually means using some "unclean" foods. Not terrible stuff but still. Boca burgers for lunch, frozen peas for the baby, bagel thins, etc.

i dont have a surplus of time to spend cooking...

my question for all you clean eaters out there - is it possible to "eat clean" but eat FAST too?

id love some thoughts....

bsinno

also...having fresh produce and freshly ground meat around 24/7 seems impossible-ish without going to the grocery store every other day or having to visit multiple stores to get what you need (the butcher, the farmers market...)

fiveohmike

For me, I will usually cook once or twice a week. I make extra on purpose for leftovers to use as quick lunches, quick snacks ect.

mommamuscles

Most definitely! I find it works best for me to do some preparation over the weekend when I have more time. I might make Jamie Eason turkey muffins, grill some chicken breast, make a casserole or two or turkey chili, homemade protein balls/bars, and then package everything up. As a family, we are trying to wean ourselves off the "organic junk food", lol since we just found out my son has a few food allergies.
I also buy veggies that are precut and salad mixes, etc. It really does not have to be that complicated! Have you looked at the recipe thread? There are some great ideas on there.
Feel free to check out my diary, I try to keep things pretty simple but there are usually quite a few treats in there as well. (eek...)

pammbroo

For me, I will usually cook once or twice a week. I make extra on purpose for leftovers to use as quick lunches, quick snacks ect.

^This. I find that a little planning and a cooking extra servings for later make a huge difference in how I eat during the week. Good luck!

bsinno

i feel like our lives are so manic! my fiber one bars and canned tomatoes make everything a smidge easier LOL!

maybe reading a good book on the subject will motivate me more to MAKE the time. any book suggestions?

holleysings

I actually pre-cut vegetables on Saturday or Sunday when I have time. That way they are ready for me to use during the week and I'm motivated to use them so they won't go to waste! And I still use some frozen veggies if they don't have additives and are cheaper than the fresh version.

I would just start small with eating cleanly. It's tricky to go all in and if you feel overwhelmed, you'll quit! I am still slowly moving towards fully clean eating. I still have some canned items in my pantry and frozen veggie burgers that I plan on using and switching to something cleaner when I run out.

fiveohmike

i feel like our lives are so manic! my fiber one bars and canned tomatoes make everything a smidge easier LOL!

maybe reading a good book on the subject will motivate me more to MAKE the time. any book suggestions?

Whats wrong with canned tomatoes? lol.

I use them all the time *shrug*

mommamuscles

i feel like our lives are so manic! my fiber one bars and canned tomatoes make everything a smidge easier LOL!

maybe reading a good book on the subject will motivate me more to MAKE the time. any book suggestions?

Whats wrong with canned tomatoes? lol.

I use them all the time *shrug*

I agree...if thats your worst concern I think you're ok...although look for BPA free cans.

evansrabbitranch

I bought a triple crockpot so I can make 3 meals at once. If I need to.

cramernh

There should be no reason to purchase enough fresh produce for at least four-to-five days worth and have it fresh in the fridge unless your fridge does not have appropriate cold-air circulating, or people going in and out of the fridge constantly when they cant make up their mind on what they want, etc.

IMHO-realistically, fast would be you spending double the money for foods that have been prepped ahead of time. Thats just rediculous but hey, if you have that kind of cash, all the power to you.... lol!!!!!


If you can commit to wanting to eat healthy, commit to exercising, commit to taking care of things, etc... then you can definitely find the time to prep foods ahead, perhaps do some bulk cooking ahead of time, etc.

And - mind you, it should not be ****just you**** manning the ship.... I dont know what your family dynamics are but, if the other half is at home, there is no reason that he/she cant pitch in to contribute to help out too.

Saturday is my grocery shopping day. That is also my meal planning day for bulk cooking.

Sunday is the day I prep everything and get a whole bunch of meals planned out and prepared. I prep my own meats and preseason them for meal-portions. I cut up my vegetables at two-days worth at a time if they are water-based (lettuce, peppers, mushrooms, etc) For those that are more hardier like carrots and celery, they can be prepped ahead and stored in an air-tight container with water and put in the fridge. Things like onions should be prepped as you go as they are highly porous.

Things like zucchini, summer squash, butternut squash, etc - they can be prepped for two-to-three days ahead. The butternut squash will last almost a week in an air-tight container with water in the fridge.

You can prep potatoes (if you are consuming them) ahead of time in an air-tight container filled with water, etc.

Alot of these suggestions are downsized from what I used to do in restaurants. We did bulk prep but it went really fast. The same rule applies within the home.

Make meatloaf mixes ahead of time, freeze in loaf-portions. Take out a package, and form it up into a pan to bake off completely.

Meatballs can be made ahead of time and baked ahead of time as well - freeze into freezer bags and lay flat in the fridge to optimize space.

Fresh made marinara is easily accomplished...

the ideas are endless but the dedication is up to you to make happen. This bulk cooking day-thing, I still do despite my 50hr week job, my two nights-per-week music practice with two symphonic bands, my tending to the house cleaning with my husband, etc. I commute on average 10 hours per week on top of everything else.... and during the week, meal making is so much easier to do thanks to using my weekends for bulk prep and cooking.

twinmomtwice4

Absolutely, it is possible! I have 4 young children and I don't have a lot of time to spend cooking healthy meals. I use my crockpot a lot but I also try to do some prep on the weekends to make life easier. Like cutting up veggies ahead of time and putting them in containers so they're ready to go when I need to cook them.

I also sometimes double recipes so I can freeze half of a meal for the following week.

Oh and I also keep a huge container of ready-made salad so I can easily serve that with dinner or lunch. After I do my grocery shopping, I just prepare all the veggies and put it in a huge container. I also make my own salad dressing and that stays good for an entire week. So all I add to the salads when we're ready to eat them are beans, sunflower seeds and/or some kind of other protein like chicken or shrimp.