can't cook, don't eat fast food-- advice?

Polly758

For reasons I won't get into, my cooking situation has just become impossible. I'm going to give up on cooking for awhile.

So I was looking at Schwans and other food delivery services. Can anyone recommend something like this? I know it will be more expensive than cooking from scratch but I'm going to just suck it up and pay (to a certain point).

Otherwise there's always canned soups and TV dinners and such, and I'm not familiar with those either so if anyone's got any advice I'd really appreciate it. Reasonably healthy stuff; isn't there a Heathy Choice soup in a can? I'll check it out. Anything else?

I'm looking for microwave, 1-bowl stuff. I'm seriously going to be eating Ramen for breakfast and a can of chicken for lunch because I'm just SO DONE with the kitchen situation.

Thanks in advance.

Pebble321

There are lots of ready to eat meals in the freezer and soup section - just start reading labels and look for options that have the highest amount of actual food and the least amount of fillers (starches, sugars etc). It's worth keeping an eye on the sodium levels too.

Other suggestions if you don't want to cook but have a microwave:
- buy a ready to eat salad mix and have it with a sweet potato cooked in the microwave. Pay attention to how much dressing you add. Cottage cheese is a good addition too.
- buy ham or tuna or roasted chicken and have it with salad or veggies (you can buy them in a bag and just throw them in the microwave for a few minutes)
- baked beans on toast with some fruit on the side isn't bad lunch.
- sandwiches are great. Slices of avocado with tuna is really delicious. Or use up the rest of that chicken and add some sliced tomato or baby spinach.
- buy celery or carrot and dip it into hummus or other dip.
- buy a tub of yoghurt and toss a bit of muesli into it. Have some fruit on the side for a yummy breakfast.

I'm sure there are lots of other things in the supermarket that require no or minimal preparation. Good luck!

pinkyleigh83

Would you want to use a crockpot? Lots of easy meals to just throw in & you can make enough for future meals too. Soups & chilis especially.

Canned soups, Top Ramen & tv dinners are generally loaded with sodium so I stear clear for the most part.

Overnight oatmeals are WAY easy if you like oatmeal. You can play around with flavors, they are pretty forgiving, I even eat these for lunch sometimes.
http://www.theyummylife.com/8_muesli_flavors

PB&J is easy & very quick. Cut up a bunch of fruit & veggies ahead of time & store in 1 serving containers/baggies if you are on the go. Or by prepackaged ones already cut from the grocery store. Nuts are easy. Yogurts, simple sandwiches....those all can take less time than making Ramen!

loserbaby84

Honestly, the best advice I can give you is not to give up on cooking...

Do not substitute boxed foods for "real" foods! Processed = sodium = bad. If you absolutely can't cook look into prepared/cut veggies and low cal dressings, bagged salads etc.

But again, I encourage you to not give up on cooking .. You should make this a goal and fit it into your life change.

Good luck

zaph0d

even homeless people find ways to cook...

JenKillough

Can you deal with boiling water, using a microwave, using a toaster and opening a can? If so...

Boiled eggs
Frozen broccoli
Canned black beans
Jar of salsa
Quick cooking oats
Peanut Butter
Greek yogurt
Canned tuna
Whole grain sandwich thins

I eat the above often for breakfast & lunch.

erinkeely4

My favourite frozen meals are Organic Bistro's Wild Salmon and cranberry rice ( http://www.theorganicbistro.com/wild_alaskan_salmon.html ), Saffron Kitchen's Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Saag, and Glutino cheese pizza. I rarely have time to cook during the school year (when my work schedule is busiest), so these comprise many of my meals! In the colder season I love getting freshly made soup from Whole Foods. They have some really great low calorie ones (vegetable, chicken vegetable, carrot ginger, black bean).

anemoneprose

I think it`s going to be expensive and difficult, and might mean wasted food if you can`t get to a fridge. Illegal and dangerous alternate idea = cooking in your room (mini-fridge + hot plate & wok, or microwave/toaster oven). Plus you'll have to wash things at some point, unless you're going to use disposable cutlery & flatware *all the time*...

Also, eating *just* that stuff for every meal, all the time, would be kind of sickening...

(move out instead!)

but yeah, second Whole Foods. Good luck

musenchild

Absolute tastiest, healthiest prepared foods for the price are at Whole Foods

bizorra

I work 12 hour days in a job where I really can't leave my desk for too long and have stupid long commutes... I love to cook but just can't do it on my work days! my go to no-cook foods are:

- precooked chicken + pre cut salad. The chicken is pretty high in sodium, when I'm organized I grill a pile of it and portion it out for freezing, but I'm not always organized!
- Bean salads from canned beans - no cooking but still make a mess from rinsing the beans!
- Tuna, either the pre-seasoned stuff (read the labels, some brands are unnecessarily high in fat) or the plain stuff and I mix it with spicy mustard. I eat it on crackers.
- Dips- hummus, guacamole, salsa. I'll eat it with carrots or rice crackers.
- Oatmeal, I use minute oats and just add boiling water the way you would instant. No cooking, tasty texture.
Canned soups, read the labels, I accept that if I'm going for canned soup its going to be a very salty day.
- The only sorta-cooking thing I do on work days is boiling eggs, because it doesn't really dirty the pot, hah! They keep pretty long in the fridge after they're boiled.


I don't know what your situation is, but I've been in cohabitation situations that made entering the kitchen very unpleasant and it's just brutal to live that way. Good luck!

TeriLynnSpano

You can do this! I rarely cook food. For breakfast I often eat fiber one original bran cereal with blueberries and unsweetened almond milk. For lunch I often have oscar mayer deli fresh turkey slices with tomato slices and fresh baby spinach add some onions if you like, and the bread of your choice. This would also be good with cheese and avocado. For dinner I make a lot of salads. I use pre bagged lettuce and add all the different fresh vegis, depends on which ones I'm in the mood for. I also like to add canned garbanzo beans or red kidney beans. I also like to eat progresso soups, they have a lot of lite versions that are very low calorie and still yummy. I wish you lots of luck!!!!! I sent you a friend request!:flowerforyou:

Pedal_Pusher

Seriously?

meshashesha2012

get a crockpot. seriously you can make so much in that.

i am also learning to cook and before when i didnt even have a stove, i was able to use the crockpot. it's so easy to make stuff in there. i make chili, soups, and chicken.

JenKillough

get a crockpot. seriously you can make so much in that.

i am also learning to cook and before when i didnt even have a stove, i was able to use the crockpot. it's so easy to make stuff in there. i make chili, soups, and chicken.

Agreed. Crockpot may be your best bet. Lol. Good luck

huuxue

little easy tips and tricks that I use for nights I can't bring myself to cook:
Trader Joe's - Just Chicken (its literally just cooked chicken (I buy breast))
Veggie Platters - toss the dressing and sub for hummus or just eat raw! (or see my easy dressing recipe!)
Pre-sliced fruit - pop it in with your yogurt, eat it plain, you get the idea.

get some prebagged lettuce, toss in chopped carrots and broccoli (only firm veggies) then save for later use. that way its a quickie grab a handful and plop it in a bowl. dressing can be made with : 1 part mustard (dijon works nicely), 1/2 part balsamic, enough oil to get the consistency you want.

The less processed you eat the better ^_^ goodluck!

Polly758

Thanks for the advice! I really appreciate it.

I love to cook and I am good at it (if I may say so myself lol)-- it's not that.

Conveneice just went to the top of my priorities and the first things that came to mind were crap. I realize I can avoid that with some grocery store exploration and creativity :laugh:

I overreacted and I'm sure I can do this somewhat healthily. Thanks again for the suggestions.

I'm gonna try and do a once a month marathon this weekend and pack the freezer. That will help.

And I don't have a crockpot.

mandorla

bump

meshashesha2012

Thanks for the advice! I really appreciate it.

I love to cook and I am good at it (if I may say so myself lol)-- it's not that.

Conveneice just went to the top of my priorities and the first things that came to mind were crap. I realize I can avoid that with some grocery store exploration and creativity :laugh:

I overreacted and I'm sure I can do this somewhat healthily. Thanks again for the suggestions.

I'm gonna try and do a once a month marathon this weekend and pack the freezer. That will help.

And I don't have a crockpot.

i got mine really cheap at a store like marshall's. it was $5. it isnt like the fancier ones but the settings are high low and warm. what i do is put stuff in ther ein the morning before work, turn it on high for the 30-60 minutes it takes me to get ready for work. then turn it down on low. by the time i get home stuff is ready.


if you're making something like a soup with meat, potatoes and veggies. then put the meat and potatoes in during the day and leave the veggies (spinach, carrots, peppers etc) for when you get home so they dont overcook. if i do that then i'll just do whatever stuff i need to do for the evening like shower, read mail, feed my cat, etc and then by the time i'm ready to sit down to eat the soup and veggies are ready.

HealthyBodySickMind

I had to live out of a microwave for about two and a half months (internship, living in a dorm, didn't want to shell out what they wanted for dorm food, and the dorm didn't have a cooking area for student use). I basically lived on Tyson chicken wings. I don't recommend this.

It's much easier to do healthy and convenient from a crock pot. I've got two that were both garage sale finds for $0.50 a piece.

MissMormie

I've also lived in a dorm without cooking facilities and really no washing up facilities either besides the small fountain in the toilet to wash your hands. A plate barely fit. Lived there for 16 months with a 1 pit electric stove, and a microwave suspended above my bed as a 'kitchen area'.

But there's so many salads and things you can make easily without needing any fancy kitchen stuff. A knife, a chopping block and a bowl to put stuff in is enough.

Just don't give up on cooking, there's really enough options to make do.

ilovedeadlifts

crockpot.

lots of good stuff in the frozen section you can microwave. salmon burgers, veggies, etc.

canned tuna.
fresh veggies.
whey protein.


you can get by without cooking a lot. but if you aren't willing to cook, you can't expect great results. cooking is part of fitness rather you want it to be or not.

kingscrown

My whole foods has this beef salad roll in the sushi section that I just love. Fortunately I don't go often as I get one every time I'm there. Already prepared ready to eat.

OK_Girl

So, you don't have time to cook- you can make several healthy meals in a crock pot- but you don't have on.

GET one.

Problem solved.




ps we used to get schwann's their food is expensive, full of preservatives, and very high in sodium.

Molly_Maguire

What is this "cooking situation"? Maybe we can help! It would be better to fix that than pay through the nose for delivered meals or frozen dinners. Cooking really is the healthiest, cheapest way to go. I know TONS of really easy, fast recipes, if you are really just not good at cooking.