How do you cook meals with crazy work schedule?

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

Weekends.

I am at school 30-35+ hours a week, plus work 20ish a week as well, plus homework.
Tell me again about hectic?

Hang on. A 7 hour day or 20 hours week is hectic? When did that happen?

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!

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.

I plan a menu out for the week when I do my shopping, I know what I am going to have for each meal of the day.

Although my work schedule is hectic I don't have kids but do go to the gym as visit friends and family.

You need to visit websites likes bbc good food, they offer reipes that are quick and easy and don't alway take much cooking.
I also invested in a slow cooker and a george forman grill as cooking is easy then and quick, you can do a grilled chicken with salad in under 10 minutes.
easy!!!

When my daughter was home and we were transporting her to and from school where we lived out of district, I worked 50+ hours, on top of two music practices per week (2hrs each - my practices), the gym at 4:45am, and my commute to and from work was 45 minutes each day total - I did bulk cooking on either Saturday or Sunday.

3 Gal marinara
10# individual meatloaves
10# meatballs
10# seasoned burger patties (made my own, nothing boxed in my house - ever!)
3 Gal Chicken stock
3 Gal Beef stock
5 Gal homemade chicken vegetable soup
10# compound butter all different varieties per pound
I will purchase bulk meats on a quarterly basis and break them down myself - alot of work but the savings is so much more important:
1- 50# case of boneless skinless chicken breast
1- 40# case of Beef eye round
1- 40# case of pork tenderloin
1- 25# case of all natural pork belly - to make my own bacon
1- 25# case of whole roaster chickens and turkeys
Seafood was purchased the day we planned to consume it and it had to be a fresh shipment that-day, otherwise I will go elsewhere for my seafood purchase

I purchase alot of fresh produce: tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, rainbow bell peppers, white onions, white mushrooms, large portabella mushrooms, about 5# garlic (some for roasting, some for compound butter, some as is), about 10# butter, olive oil up the ying-yang, fresh herbs, dried herbs and seasonings, odds and ends like worcestershire sauce, kikkoman, and I always love me a good trip to the Asian market for my fresh ginger, lemongrass, mint leaves, scallions, mung beans, daikon, baby bok choy, shang hai celery, napa cabbage.... some of the vegetables gets prepped ahead while the rest remain whole.

During the week, I will take out a protein that I have previously seasoned to let it thaw in the fridge (most require a two-day thaw), by the time I get home, about 80% of everything is already prepped and ready to cook. Dinner is ready on average in 20-30 minutes.

20hrs is really nothing, even with kids to be honest.... that would feel like a vacation to me! LOL!

When my daughter was home and we were transporting her to and from school where we lived out of district, I worked 50+ hours, on top of two music practices per week (2hrs each - my practices), the gym at 4:45am, and my commute to and from work was 45 minutes each day total - I did bulk cooking on either Saturday or Sunday.

3 Gal marinara
10# individual meatloaves
10# meatballs
10# seasoned burger patties (made my own, nothing boxed in my house - ever!)
3 Gal Chicken stock
3 Gal Beef stock
5 Gal homemade chicken vegetable soup
10# compound butter all different varieties per pound
I will purchase bulk meats on a quarterly basis and break them down myself - alot of work but the savings is so much more important:
1- 50# case of boneless skinless chicken breast
1- 40# case of Beef eye round
1- 40# case of pork tenderloin
1- 25# case of all natural pork belly - to make my own bacon
1- 25# case of whole roaster chickens and turkeys
Seafood was purchased the day we planned to consume it and it had to be a fresh shipment that-day, otherwise I will go elsewhere for my seafood purchase

I purchase alot of fresh produce: tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, rainbow bell peppers, white onions, white mushrooms, large portabella mushrooms, about 5# garlic (some for roasting, some for compound butter, some as is), about 10# butter, olive oil up the ying-yang, fresh herbs, dried herbs and seasonings, odds and ends like worcestershire sauce, kikkoman, and I always love me a good trip to the Asian market for my fresh ginger, lemongrass, mint leaves, scallions, mung beans, daikon, baby bok choy, shang hai celery, napa cabbage.... some of the vegetables gets prepped ahead while the rest remain whole.

During the week, I will take out a protein that I have previously seasoned to let it thaw in the fridge (most require a two-day thaw), by the time I get home, about 80% of everything is already prepped and ready to cook. Dinner is ready on average in 20-30 minutes.

20hrs is really nothing, even with kids to be honest.... that would feel like a vacation to me! LOL!

I feel tired just reading that.

Nahhhhh.... its not done every weekend... meats are broken down quarterly. Soups, stocks and marinaras are probably done every month, give or take depending on my husband grabbing from the freezer.

I enjoy my time in the kitchen - I wont let my work schedule, my music practices or my gym time get in the way of always eating healthy....

My husband and I cook together on Sunday afternoon. Gives us some time together doing something we enjoy and we usually do that nights meal plus at least one meal for a night during the week (usually 2) while we are in the kitchen.

Plan ahead. You need to find a way to incorporate this into your lifestyle. Dont make this too complicated. It will be easiest if you find several things you like that you can take for lunches, and several meals you like to cook for dinners. Dont re-invent the wheel every night. Find what you like and rotate through 6-10 different options. Find meals that compliment each other. and yes to the cooking on the weekends. Cook some meals when you have the time and package them up to eat later.

Here are some of the combined meals that work for me

DINNER: grilled steak, chicken, or fish. If I have time in the morning I will throw a marinade on the meat. Grill when I get home, and make enough for leftovers. Eat the meat with a salad. I cut up other veggies for this, saving some for later
recycle the extra meat for a wrapfor LUNCH the next day. Meat, tortilla, lettuce from salad with the veggies (tom, onion, cuke, avocado, etc)

Stir fry. I have time and can use fresh veg. But if you dont have time use a bag of frozen veg made just for this. Cook some rice. Do an internet search to find an easy to make sauce, many will only have a few ingredients that can be made with items you already have. Make enough to have another portion for lunch for the next day or two.

Chicken sausage and sauerkraut with deli mustard. This takes less then 10 min! When I make this I will throw a spaghetti squash in the oven that night. I cook extra sausage and after Ive eaten dinner and the squash is done I make my lunch for the next day. (I dont eat pasta, but you could boil some noodles instead) For lunch I cut up the sausage and mix with a can of fresh tomatoes or a good jar of tomato sauce and eat on top of the spaghetti squash.

Chili. This can be made all from a can with the exception of a meat if you want it. I am lucky enough to have wild game meat from my husband (well I did, Im actually working a job away from home right now) I would brown some ground meat with garlic and onions, then open a can of beans and tomatoes. Throw it in the pot with some chili spices (my secret is oregano and basil...gives it a sweet flavor) Let it simmer while Im getting cozy for the night. Sure, some people want to cook chili all day, but I find its just fine if it only cooks 30 min. (sometimes less if im really hungry)

Crock pot is a great idea. I like my RICE COOKER with STEAMER even more. I will throw in some quinoa or rice to steam, and on the basket on top I load it with veg and fish. It takes 10 minutes to put it all together. While its cooking I have time to change my clothes, get settled in. 20-30 minutes later dinner is ready!

I will use extra quinoa to make a salad for lunches. I like to mix into it tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots, whatever i have handy. Some balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil and it done. Extra rice becomes filler for burritos, or used for stir fry later.

PLANNING AHEAD IS KEY! KNOW WHAT YOU WILL MAKE FOR DINNER BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE IN THE MORNING