Take out help

oualum26

Ok, I don't cook. Ever. I can't do it. I burn scrambled eggs and over cook pasta. I try to cut bread and put massive holes through it. I am kitchen stupid and I also am a work a holic whose hours usually span 11 am to 2am on a daily basis. Therefore, I don't cook.

Any recommendations of places to go? The people at subway know my name and start making my order when I walk in. Just looking for some options to mix up my menu.

edennew

Can you heat up food at work? Progresso has a couple of soups that are considered 0 points on Weight Watchers- very low cal. They are high in sodium, but so is a lot of take-out food. I often stock up on soups at work because they are satisfying and usually inexpensive. Also, protein bars (natural, like Quest Bars) are a great work option for one meal replacement.

oualum26

Ya, I have a whole desk drawer filled with soup. They don't fill me though. And apparently I have a sodium issue (I eat too much) but with my lifestyle it's hard to cut down!

Sabine_Stroehm

You sound a lot like me.
I gave up and learned to cook a few things.
It was a great decision.

oualum26

I have tried and failed miserably. It's quite pathetic how bad I am.

AllTehBeers

I can cook, I just don't like to. Therefore I eat a lot of sandwiches. I use to eat at subway every day too, but that was costing more then I liked so I just bought a loaf of bread and a container of lunch meat. I also eat a ton of salad. Some days for lunch, I dump a whole bag of salad mix, some croutons, olives, presliced mushrooms and dressing in a giant mixing bowl just because I'm too lazy to cook. I buy a bunch of cans of chicken breast (like tuna, but I'm tired of tuna), put it on bread with buffalo sauce and that's it.

Maybe you could try doing the crockpot thing. In the meat section they have a whole kit with meat, potatoes and carrots you just put in with some salt and pepper, turn it on and wait 6-8 hours. I don't see how you could mess that up.

writemusic4him

if I have to eat at a fast food restaurant I try to go grilled - McD's grilled chicken sandwich or grilled chicken ceasar salad. French Fries, nuggets & fish patties are all fried. At Taco bell - chicken fresco something or other.

If I dine somewhere in then dressing and condiments on the side so I can put an appropriate amount on. And stick to grilled options as well.

I try to make sure all meals have a protein, veggie/fruit and carb balance in them. So I'll order pot roast and carrots & baked potatoe before I'll order lasanga. I do the same with any microwave meals. I make sure they have all 3 and not just buy one that has chicken & potatoes, but one that also has the vegetable too.

Currently I do a lot of pre- on-line research before I go to a restaurant and look up the nutritional facts before I order. So I can find something that will fit in as close to the amount of calories I have designated for that particular meal. The fast food restaurants often have their nutritional data on printed brochures in their restaurant too.

And then there are always options like Jamba Juice You could add protein powder, etc.

Firefox7275

I don't actually think eggs or pasta are the easiest foods for beginners - they are not forgiving of over or under cooking at all. Get a slow cooker/ crock pot and a beginner's or children's recipe book or three, everyone can learn to cook something with the right gadgets and some practice. All you do is throw in raw meat, raw chopped veggies, some stock or wine, dried herbs or spice blend, switch on and leave totally alone for many hours and you have several meals. It's humanly impossible to burn, if you overcook it all just falls to bits but still tastes good. Mine also makes perfect steamed rice: you just add a cup or two of rice, a little salt if you wish, water up to the marked line and switch on, the gadget turns itself to 'keep warm' when the rice has absorbed all the water, no timing or stirring. I've been using a rice cooker since I was an incompetent child it's that easy.

Fast food is stuffed with salt even if not sugar, fat and white refined carbs, often low in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre you won't ever be healthy eating that. There are also tons of things you can heat in the microwave without wrecking or prepare and eat cold/ raw/ defrosted. Soup alone won't fill you up, you need some protein and healthy fats.

issyfit

Call ahead and order to go from real restaurants, like Applebees, that have some healthy choices rather than stopping for fast food, Study the menu ahead of time online.

clarkeje1

Raw fruits and vegs, nutrients with no cooking involved! Sandwiches too, try tuna with avocado/cucumbers/tomato on whole wheat or peanut butter banana sandwiches. Just watch the sodium on lunch meats.

trogalicious

Ok, I don't cook. Ever. I can't do it. I burn scrambled eggs and over cook pasta. I try to cut bread and put massive holes through it. I am kitchen stupid and I also am a work a holic whose hours usually span 11 am to 2am on a daily basis. Therefore, I don't cook.

Unless you work those hours 7 days a week, you can learn how to cook.. and just a lot of it at a single go. Figure out how to bake chicken. Buy an entire package of boneless skinless chicken breasts. Bake them off on your day off. Pre-portion and go.

Canned tuna packed in water works as well.

It just sounds like excuses are easier.

bbgughj

Learn how to cook because dieting and eating out will not work out too good . Good luck .

cfregon

Why not eat things that don't require cooking? In about 5 minutes I can fill a big tupperware with lettuce, cut bell pepper, tomato, broccoli (slivered nuts, cheese, boiled egg) and it makes a huge satisfying lunch. You can get premade dressings, salsa, or mix one (I get ranch packets, put it in my shaker bottle with some skim milk and light sour cream and call it good- directions on the box are pretty fool-proof). What about some sandwiches? Whole wheat organic breads, any number of veggie combos on there (I like sprouts, avocado, cream cheese and tomato) and maybe some tuna or low sodium deli cuts. You don't have to cook to eat well and eat fast. Also, crock pot cooking isn't too challenging. You throw the ingredients in, turn on low, walk away. It's hard to burn unless it runs out of liquid (for mine you'd have to leave it unattended for 24 hours if it starts filled to the top with water) before it gets dry enough to burn.

Or.....get spouse/significant other who cooks.

Molly_Maguire

Learn how to cook because dieting and eating out will not work out too good . Good luck .

If you want to eat healthy with low sodium, you pretty much HAVE to learn to cook. Long term, there just aren't any take out foods out there that will get you to your fitness goals. Prepared food will always hinder you, if that's all you're eating.

Start small, just make sandwiches. Then slowly try new things, AND DON'T GIVE UP IF IT FLOPS THE FIRST COUPLE TIMES. Keep at it, and work around the problem areas. If you burn eggs and overcook pasta, it sound like you just need to get your timing down. Timing has nothing to do with being a bad cook, it's just...well, timing! Set an alarm for the pasta and eggs, look on the box or online for exactly how long they need to be cooked, and over how much heat. As for cutting holes in bread, you just need to learn better technique. Anything you do "wrong" in the kitchen, there are a hundred Youtube tutorials showing you how to do it right.

Don't use "I can't cook" as an excuse! You could even invite a friend who is good at cooking over to give you some pointers, then sit down and have the meal together.

DavPul

But the Eat This, Not That book. There are several (all of them good) but make sure that you get the one for restaurants. They have all the popular places and give you choices of food that you'll actually want to eat instead of a bunch of salads or unseasoned chicken or something.

Seriously, that book turned my entire weight loss progress around. There's no way I would have been able to reach my goal weight if I had to keep eating chicken and rice for 6 months. I lost almost all my weight eating at fast food joints.

Learn how to cook because dieting and eating out will not work out too good . Good luck .

ignore this. Worked like gangbusters for me. And before someone says "but what about your (insert X health indicator), I turned 40 this year and had a second kid. That means I had a battery of tests done for everything both by my doctor and by my insurance company when I got additional life insurance. Not only are did all my tests come back normal I'm willing to bet they are better than most everyone here.

Natihilator

I try to cut bread and put massive holes through it.

NOW I know where this gif came from!

oualum26

Ok, I don't cook. Ever. I can't do it. I burn scrambled eggs and over cook pasta. I try to cut bread and put massive holes through it. I am kitchen stupid and I also am a work a holic whose hours usually span 11 am to 2am on a daily basis. Therefore, I don't cook.

Unless you work those hours 7 days a week, you can learn how to cook.. and just a lot of it at a single go. Figure out how to bake chicken. Buy an entire package of boneless skinless chicken breasts. Bake them off on your day off. Pre-portion and go.

Canned tuna packed in water works as well.

It just sounds like excuses are easier.

I do work those hours 7 days a week. No joke. I've tried baking chicken, it was way too dry and couldn't be ate.

oualum26

Thanks everyone for the help. And I'm not making excuses, but here's a serious question/problem. Don't you guys get sick of the same thing over and over again? Raw veggies and sandwiches get boring after awhile. And that's the one thing even I can't mess up. But after day after day eating them, I can't even look at them, then go grab a whopper.

Does anyone else feel this way or am I a freak?

trogalicious

Thanks everyone for the help. And I'm not making excuses, but here's a serious question/problem. Don't you guys get sick of the same thing over and over again? Raw veggies and sandwiches get boring after awhile. And that's the one thing even I can't mess up. But after day after day eating them, I can't even look at them, then go grab a whopper.

I don't get sick of eating healthier every day. It makes the moments when I don't eat super healthy even more satisfying. After 150lbs lost, I can't think of a single thing that is as tasty as the satisfaction of knowing that I'm this much healthier and in control of my own life.

If you want to cook, youtube can help. If you can't find time to took, make time. You found enough time to post and reply to the thread here on MFP. In that time, you could've found a few recipes on skinnytaste and practiced. It takes time and practice to learn how to cook. Crockpots are a great start as many people have recommended. You don't HAVE to eat fast food and you don't HAVE to believe that you can't cook. It just sounds like you're approaching the kitchen with a very defeatist attitude.

Molly_Maguire

This:

You found enough time to post and reply to the thread here on MFP. In that time, you could've found a few recipes on skinnytaste and practiced. It takes time and practice to learn how to cook.

and this:

It just sounds like you're approaching the kitchen with a very defeatist attitude.

oualum26

Thanks everyone for the help. And I'm not making excuses, but here's a serious question/problem. Don't you guys get sick of the same thing over and over again? Raw veggies and sandwiches get boring after awhile. And that's the one thing even I can't mess up. But after day after day eating them, I can't even look at them, then go grab a whopper.

I don't get sick of eating healthier every day. It makes the moments when I don't eat super healthy even more satisfying. After 150lbs lost, I can't think of a single thing that is as tasty as the satisfaction of knowing that I'm this much healthier and in control of my own life.

If you want to cook, youtube can help. If you can't find time to took, make time. You found enough time to post and reply to the thread here on MFP. In that time, you could've found a few recipes on skinnytaste and practiced. It takes time and practice to learn how to cook. Crockpots are a great start as many people have recommended. You don't HAVE to eat fast food and you don't HAVE to believe that you can't cook. It just sounds like you're approaching the kitchen with a very defeatist attitude.

Sorry that I apparently I suck. I'm posting this at work, on my break. You know, cause I'm working 12 hours today, I'm allowed to take a few breaks. And I've tried. Many times. None have worked. I've wasted hundreds of dollars on food that has been ruined by my hands.

So defeatist? Probably cause I've been defeated. This post hasn't helped me either.