How do you cook meals with crazy work schedule?

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lovinmamaxo
lovinmamaxo Posts: 368 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My work schedule is so hectic and my hours are not constant like they should be! Therefor i have little time to cook or plan meals these days. My husband sometimes cooks but he gets lazy from being tired too 3rd shift. So like tonight there was no dinner for me anyway and after working 7 hours and coming home exhausted i just didn't cook so it was a frozen lean cuisine meal. I've been relying on them more and more lately. For those that work 20+ hours a week and with kids how do you do it?
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Replies

  • lisamarie2181
    lisamarie2181 Posts: 560 Member
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    A crockpot can be your new best friend! Super easy, done when you get home. Also, when you have a free day pr a few hours durin the week, cook things ahead of time so they are easy to grab. I usually take my sundays and get my food ready for the week. Make some grilled chicken, maybe a big pot of soup or chili, precutting some veggies and putting them in servings. I know with your schedule it may b tough, but if you could get a few hours to set aside for this, the rest of your week will be a breeze and you will have foods right at hand :)
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Plan ahead - I find that if I take about 15 mins on the weekend (choose whatever day works best for you) and make a plan of the meals I want to cook and then make a shopping list, I am much better equipped to make it through the week without running out of ideas or energy to cook.
    I usually cook at least one thing on the weekend that will make a few dinners and lunches (spaghetti bolognaise, soup, lasagne, roast meat and veggies for example). I also try to have a few leftover meals in the freezer than I can grab for a quick dinner or lunch if I'm really busy.
  • RainHoward
    RainHoward Posts: 1,599 Member
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    Crock pot, ziplock products and a small chest freezer.
  • SmartWhatever
    SmartWhatever Posts: 718 Member
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    I cook or at least prep all my meals for home and work for the week on the weekend. Then I just have to heat them up!
  • JennyLisT
    JennyLisT Posts: 402 Member
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    Find some meals where you can put things together ahead of time (morning of, night before, etc). Saves time.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    I cook things ahead of time, sometimes for the week. I bake a bunch of chicken or put things in the crock pot. I package things up in the fridge as togo bags.
  • GeekyGoddess
    GeekyGoddess Posts: 119
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    What? Lean cuisines not cutting it? Lol, I eat one almost every day for lunch at work. For dinners I use my crock pot a lot. Or, I cook big batches on weekends and freeze in portion size servings for busy nights. I'm a pretty busy lady, I run three health clinics and I'm a single mom and we almost never eat at restaurants so if I can do it with a little bit of planning ahead and routine and fit in working out and a social life, anyone can ;)
  • lynz4589
    lynz4589 Posts: 389 Member
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    Try working a 55 hour week and then gym after that! I leave the house at 6.30am and dont get home until 8 - 8.30pm most evenings. I bought a George Foreman grill and its saved my life! it take roughly 7 mins for chicken breasts (x2) to grill which leaves enough time to cut and steam veggies. Stuff like sweet potato that takes longer to cook I do so at weekends and make a big batch, put them in freezer bags and then just reheat when I want them. I had a full roast chicken dinner last night cooked in 10 mins!

    Meals that take longer I make on a Sunday and freeze them until I need to cook them. Planning things at the weekend will be the best thing you do. Its a habbit you have to get into, it didnt always come naturally to me but you will also see that your food idary benefits too because you can log meals in advance and know how many extra cals you have to play with each day!
  • starkitty78
    starkitty78 Posts: 48
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    I'm in the same boat as you, minus kids. I work 32-40 hours (soon to be steady 40), all on night shift. My boyfriend has a 9-5 type business but sometimes he doesn't come home until after I have gone to work, so we are all messed up. I just started dieting again, and I am going to go the crockpot and make and freeze route. Prep before work, toss it in the cooker when I get home at 8:30 and dinner when I get up around 5. :-)
  • Off10h8ed
    Off10h8ed Posts: 282 Member
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    I have been doing salads with a lot of different things as far as meat, fresh fruits, nuts and such when I am in a jam on time.
    Also, I have been experimenting with omelets made from eggbeaters using different veggies and low fat cheeses.
    I wouldn't eat either 24/7 but it may fill in a night or two when your in a hurry. Crock pots are great and pre-cooking is always a plus. I am glad someone posted about the airwave cooker because I actually was just looking at one of those. Imma grab me one now.

    I only work 2-3 nights a week generally here, on midnight shift. My hubby is also a day worker (6am-4pm) but is working two hours from home. He isn't much of a house dad and most of the cooking/cleaning is up to me. I also take care of a girl scout troop and have very active kids that have to be ran all over the green earth so my time, although I don't work full time, is very limited on most days also. I hope you find that something that clicks for you soon!
  • Rachlmale
    Rachlmale Posts: 640 Member
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    Sorry but working 20+ hours a week is not a 'crazy' or 'hectic' work pattern. You are too tired after 7 hours to cook meals? I understand that you have children so this is tiring as well but it is not too much at all.

    I work from 8:30am until 6:00pm all week - I then take my puppy out for an hour and a half so usually don't get home until 7:30 / 8:00pm depending on where I take him.

    I still manage to have decent breakfast before I leave, decent lunch and make myself a tea. Sometimes when I'm tired I do just do a ready meal but I always make veg and stuff for with it...

    You aren't that busy. Life is never too busy that you can't sort out a healthy diet.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    It's called planning and millions of people do it.

    Plan your menu for the week, buy the necessary ingredients. Prepare the food during the weekend and freeze it

    Keep lots of fresh fruits and vegetables on hand so you can prepare a salad or steamed vegetables while reheating the entree. Healthier and a lot less expensive but does require a little more effort.
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
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    Batch cooking or making sure I've got stuff in to do quick meals (even if its just beans on toast or something - which is a dinner of champions IMO).
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
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    Weekends.

    I am at school 30-35+ hours a week, plus work 20ish a week as well, plus homework.
    Tell me again about hectic?
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
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    Hang on. A 7 hour day or 20 hours week is hectic? When did that happen?
  • Cal28
    Cal28 Posts: 514 Member
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    Hang on. A 7 hour day or 20 hours week is hectic? When did that happen?

    :smile:
  • Illona88
    Illona88 Posts: 903 Member
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    I know a couple of people who cook a week worth of food on Sundays and then freeze it.
  • LindseySprake
    LindseySprake Posts: 333 Member
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    Planning is the key.
    Make a list a what you need, what you plan to make, when you're going to make it etc.

    I work a 40 hour week and manage 2 hours at the gym 6 days a week.
    I prep most of the coming weeks food (lunches and dinners) on a Sunday and freeze some of it, the rest keeps in an air tight container in the fridge for the first 2-3 days.
    I prep batches of soup, pasta, roast chicken or lean beef and steam my veggies as I need them.
    I do make a fresh breakfast every morning though (usually involving eggs :-D ) I just make sure I'm sorted in the evening to get up early enough!
  • sunshine2212677
    sunshine2212677 Posts: 88 Member
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    A crockpot can be your new best friend! Super easy, done when you get home. Also, when you have a free day pr a few hours durin the week, cook things ahead of time so they are easy to grab. I usually take my sundays and get my food ready for the week. Make some grilled chicken, maybe a big pot of soup or chili, precutting some veggies and putting them in servings. I know with your schedule it may b tough, but if you could get a few hours to set aside for this, the rest of your week will be a breeze and you will have foods right at hand :)

    i adore mine!
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,574 Member
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    Crockpot meals are great for this.
    Casseroles are good too. Just put a couple pans together on your next day off and freeze them. Then you can bake them when you need a dinner and have no time.

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