How to eat healthy when you dont have time to cook??

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  • krickeyuu
    krickeyuu Posts: 344 Member
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    Buty a rotisserie chicken and some lean ground beef. On your day off--cook two beef patties and cook the rest as crumbles. Cook up about 2 cups of brown rice and pre-cook a bunch of veggies in the microwave--spinach, peppers and onions, broccoli and a sweet potato. Have in the pantry some whole wheat pasta, some canned tomatoes and canned black beans. Add a bag of salad greens and make yourself a viniagrette dressing with olive oil, vinegar and mustard. Now you have all of the fixings for healthy lunch or dinner for a week. Add the peppers and onions to two eggs for an omlette. Add the crumbled beef to some canned tomatoes and cook up some whole wheat pasta. Eat some chicken with a sweet potato. Eat the beans with some of the rice. Hamburger patty and salad or broccoli.
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    Thanks, I see many great ideas!! Are there any types of meals that freeze well in particular?

    Stews and soups usually freeze very well. You can portion them out into single or double servings in a quart size freezer bag and freeze almost indefinitely.
  • want2belean
    want2belean Posts: 124 Member
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    Everything I cook is less than 30 min, if that is still too time consuming you can make healthy choices with less time. How about a veggie pasta salad with grilled chicken.

    1 box of veggie pasta,
    Tyson already cooked chicken, diced, strips...breast
    Add whatever extras you want like tomatoes, black olive, and feta cheese
    And your salad dressing.
    Takes less than 15 minutes

    Pita pockets

    Tyson chicken (again whatever kind you prefer) diced, strips....
    Multi grain pita pocket...100 calories
    Put the chicken in the pita pocket and again
    add your own extras cucumber, tomatoes whatever...

    These are just a few ideas, hope it helped..

    Hey, if you are on the run, Wendy’s has a great salad and subway and it’s under 350 calories
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    Oh hey I just saw you live near me - if you have a convenient fresh and easy, they have some awesome prepared foods that range in calories and deliciousness. Also have little vegetable side dishes and stuff that you just cook. We eat a LOT of Fresh and Easy stuff. (I didn't mention it before because its not that widespread in the country but there are TONS of them in OC)
  • _Wits_
    _Wits_ Posts: 1,286 Member
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    No way except to make time.

    I work full time and pt, and I get one day a week off and I have to block out 2-3 hours just for food prep... Granted, I use my lunch hours and a little bit of time when I'm unwinding before bed to write down meal plans and such..

    But I make lots of things...soups, entrees (lasagna, casseroles and then freeze them in portioned sizes), chicken for salads, snacks, chicken salad...boil eggs...

    I also cut veggies and snacks and portion them all out so I can just grab them int he morning. I bought a big lunch bag and some ice packs and fill her up and I'm off!

    Also....I agree...crockpots are excellent to make just about anything.
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
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    I have this problem as well, I work full time and go to school, by the time I get out of the gym some nights it's already 8:30. I try to just cook stuff that is fast, like someone said above, Kroger has pre-cooked chicken breasts, sometimes with a little seasoning on them that are good, just toss it in the over for a few and steam some veggies or get a head of lettuce/bag of salad and eat that with the chicken.

    On the nights I don't get home till a lot later (8:30 or so) I'll just open a can of tuna and eat a tuna sandwich or just the tuna alone.

    It'd be a lot easier to leave the gym at 8:30 and stop by Taco Bell, but then I'd be disappointed with myself so it's a give and take.
  • StormyGal8
    StormyGal8 Posts: 184 Member
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    . For instance, if I make buffalo chicken lasagna and plan to eat it Tuesday & Wednesday, he will make sure I still have two servings left.


    BUFFALO CHICKEN LASAGNA??? OMG!!!!!! The 2 best foods in the world combined? I must find a recipe! Best part is, no one else in my house would eat it!
  • hello77kitty
    hello77kitty Posts: 260 Member
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    Oh hey I just saw you live near me - if you have a convenient fresh and easy, they have some awesome prepared foods that range in calories and deliciousness. Also have little vegetable side dishes and stuff that you just cook. We eat a LOT of Fresh and Easy stuff. (I didn't mention it before because its not that widespread in the country but there are TONS of them in OC)

    Yes, I live around the corner from a fresh n easy! I love them lol.
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    Oh hey I just saw you live near me - if you have a convenient fresh and easy, they have some awesome prepared foods that range in calories and deliciousness. Also have little vegetable side dishes and stuff that you just cook. We eat a LOT of Fresh and Easy stuff. (I didn't mention it before because its not that widespread in the country but there are TONS of them in OC)

    Yes, I live around the corner from a fresh n easy! I love them lol.

    Yes! So check out their prepared stuff in the fridge - you do have to watch calories, not everything is good, but like last night I got the Pollo Asado bowl (340 calories, 56 carbs, 26 protein) and snacked on some salami from there. (um and then ate some brie and mini toasts and grapes - I eat big meals)
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    I live alone and I'm not much of a cook. Dinner is always simple. I keep stuff like eggs, turkey breast, chicken breast, greek yogurt, fresh fruit and veggies, brown rice, cottage cheese and yes I admit it lean cuisines on hand so I can throw something quick together. The trick is to be prepared ahead of time and have decent options at home so you're not going through the McD's drive through at the last minute:flowerforyou:
  • puckers82
    puckers82 Posts: 200 Member
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    Jamie Oliver doesn't believe in not having the time to cook, if you have time to watch the telly or be on the internet you have time.

    He has done a tv series and has a book out called 30 min meals and now he is doing 15 minute meals, the show is on in the UK atm, there is a book out too.

    I know he got some stick over the 30 minute meals not being done in 30 mins by 'normal' people but it might be worth looking at for some ideas for quick healthy meals.

    15 min meals book: http://www.amazon.com/Jamies-15-Minute-Meals-Jamie-Oliver/dp/071815780X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352141993&sr=8-1&keywords=15+minute+meals

    30 min meals book: http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Olivers-Meals-Minutes-Revolutionary/dp/1401324428/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352142034&sr=8-2&keywords=30+minute+meals
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I don't think anything I cook ever takes longer than 30 minutes. Maybe 40, max, with prep time for something more complex.

    Most of what I have is chicken breast, chopped into bite size pieces, with some kind of sauce or marinade, frozen vegetables, and some kind of pasta or rice, all sauteed in one big skillet. Quick, easy and low mess.

    Not good for the people with the kind of OCD who don't like their different food groups to touch, though.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    I make my meals on sunday night.

    I cook up 5 boneless chicken breasts. I also cook up 5 servings of Quinoa in my rice cooker. When it's all cooked and cooled, I throw a serving of chicken, quinoa and throw a couple handfuls of frozen broccoli in a reusable container. Freeze.

    For my breakfasts I throw 1/3 cup rolled oats into 5 containers. Add 1/8 cup craisins to each. Put on the counter.

    Put 1/2 cup of greek yogurt in 5 containers. Add 1 cup of frozen fruit. Freeze.

    First thing in the morning, I throw one of each in my lunch bag, add a banana and an orange and i'm off.

    Yes, I eat the same thing almost every day during the day. I leave the exciting stuff for dinners and weekends.
  • desiree7hanson
    desiree7hanson Posts: 31 Member
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    I am a person that if it requires a lot (any!!) cooking, I probably won't do it! I just have some go-to meals, and most of them require no cooking. I know this is a personal taste. Plus all my meals are vegetarian.

    For breakfast I usually do sugar free maple oatmeal (1 packet) thrown in bowl with water and microwaved for 1.5 min, and I cut up a banana to put in it. To get more protein & dairy, I freeze leftover coffee and use the ice cubes with vanilla silk, it's a tastey treat to start off the morning!

    For lunch I usually do a dannon light & fit greek yogurt (the types with fruit on the bottom I like best), an extra fruit or veggie (today I'm having four small peppers (yellow & red), 7 multigrain wheat thins, and .5-1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter to spread on them. Another lunch I do a lot is 1 cup lowfat cottage cheese with 1/2-1 cup fruit (I like canned peaches no sugar added or canned pineapplie chunks) and the wheat thins & PB again.

    For dinner my fav is 2/3 cup egg white with 1/8 cup chopped spinach (I use frozen), 1/8-1/4 cup shredded part skim mozzerella-fry that up and then put it on a toasted wheat english muffin. Very little cooking (2 min or so) and tastey!

    If I want to splurge, I'll do a vegetarian sub no mayo from jimmy johns. Also, I like the eggplant parmesan from Olive Garden, but I split the meal in half or in thirds and enjoy some the next day. I take time that I do have one day and look at menus and collect nutrition info so if I am going to eat out I can make wise choices. At least know the calories in a meal so I know if I can eat it all at once or if I should split it in half.
  • sbr016
    sbr016 Posts: 3 Member
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    healthy snake bars low in sugar
  • stgmanitoba
    stgmanitoba Posts: 32
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    I agree plan ahead and crockpot meals to freeze! Some of my favorite crockpot meals are on skinnytaste.com. You can make anything in the crockpot from salsa chicken, chili, spaghetti sauce or meatballs, pork tenderloin. I have recently changed my diary so everything I make is quick.. In the morning i have oatmeal (takes 2 minuets in the microwave), quinoa salad or other salad for dinner (prep everything at the beginning of the week then takes 5 minuets to put together). Egg white omlettes are filling and speedy to make. Also making shredded chicken in the crockpot to use during the week on salads is great! Also chopping up veggies to snack on at the beginning of the week makes them convenient
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    Use lots of fresh fruits and vegetables; no cooking required.
  • Derpina7
    Derpina7 Posts: 552 Member
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    Meal prep, and buying fresh produce as snacks - best thing about snacking on fresh fruits and veggies is you can generally eat a good volume and is still relatively low cal (especially veggies). Every Sunday I plan out my meals for the week - I make my lunches then and sometimes dinner meals as well depending what I plan to cook.
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. I make sandwiches and cut up fruit/veggies for to-go containers ahead of time. My crock pot is a lifesaver too. I can make enough meals to last a week in that thing because it's huge. I've been known to sit in the kitchen with a book while other things are cooking too. It's all about adjusting your schedule and figuring out where you can do two things at once.
  • NeedANewFocus
    NeedANewFocus Posts: 898 Member
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    I'm experiencing a smiliar situation lately in terms of "no time". You're commited to a succesful healthy life. That's great! Make time on your "off" days (I know, I know....hardly exists) to do some prep work. Also, the crock pot was an amazing and wonderful invention. Good luck! I look forward to reading more about your success!

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