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

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I work full time and have also started part time school this year. I was doing great and losing..until September when Istarted school. I have no time to work out, no time to cook anything healthy. I've already gained like 15 lbs :( I cannot undo my hard work any more!
I usually end up eating frozen dinners/ramen/fast food now.
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Replies

  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
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    May the crock pot be your best friend, cooks itself, and has plenty of leftovers.
  • kshiraakshara
    kshiraakshara Posts: 119 Member
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    Prepare basic healthy stuff in advance on a day off (or at least a slightly less busy day), like chicken breast, chopped veggies, etc. It might not get you through every meal of the entire week, but it will at least help you cut down on the junk.
  • blackbeauty43
    blackbeauty43 Posts: 21 Member
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    the crockpot indeed! and if you are already eating frozen dinners pic the ones that have lower calories...also you can never go wrong with some weight watchers soups :)
  • theskinnylist
    theskinnylist Posts: 286 Member
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    I always prep my meals on Sunday for the week (M-F)....
  • momtobe06
    momtobe06 Posts: 81 Member
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    I like to get ready cooked chickens and a bag of salad-


    first night is hot chicken breast with a salad on the side

    then I make chicken salad or chicken soup with the leftovers.

    crock pot is also good

    most fast food places have healthier options as well
  • katekrise
    katekrise Posts: 178 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. Full time work and part time grad school. I cook a lot of things and then freeze them in individual servings. I also get a lot of fruits and nuts.
  • cruzcrzyMarie
    cruzcrzyMarie Posts: 251 Member
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    What about doing a lot of cooking on the weekend for the week ahead? Instead of top ramen, what about 1 whole egg with 3 egg whites scrambled(171 calories). You can add fresh fruit/vegetables to the meal. I DO think with some planning you can avoid the fast food, and save yourself some calories and money. The tuna packs are also convenient, and pack a lot of protein, 80 calories, in water, and you can have these while at school. What about using a small cooler you can keep in your car...string cheese, almonds, fast healthy. Planning is KEY. DO IT. You are worth it :).
  • the_kirks08
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    I agree. Crockpot recipes are no hassle. I think it would work well for someone with a busy schedule like yourself. Or, if you have a day off make healthy homemade freezer dinners ahead. Just pop them in the microwave when you're ready to eat!
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Crockpot is a good suggestion. Use 30 minutes on a weekend to make a large pot of soup or healthy chili or some kind of salad type dish that will last you for a few days at least.

    I can make flounder fillets with steamed broccoli and rice in less than ten minutes total. There are lots of recipes that you can make in under 30 minutes
  • IronTitaness
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    You can try to plan/cook/prepare your meals in advance. When you are in a hurry you just have to grab and go. Prepare meals in advance and freeze them. Nuts and seeds are healthy snacks. When you buy them divide them in one or two servings and pack in bags or in small tupperware. Grab and go for when you need a snack on the go.

    :flowerforyou:
  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    CROCKPOT!!! chicken thighs/breasts with la victoria salsa cooked on low 9 hours.Flour tortillas, chicken thigh/breast, cheese/ salad with chicken thigh/breast on taco shells / plain chicken with sweet tato, salad, bread/ Chicken sandwiches for work etc.!!!!!
  • YoungDoc2B
    YoungDoc2B Posts: 1,593 Member
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    How/why don't you have time? I think the first step is that you need to organize your time better. I work full-time and go to school (part time this semester), and still have time to prepare meals & exercise. I know everyone is different, but you have to put in some type of effort instead of relying on frozen meals. Simply not "having time" doesn't fly as an excuse. Aside from that, like others have said, invest in a crockpot and/or a george foreman grill.
  • sarahisme18
    sarahisme18 Posts: 574 Member
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    ^ Yep, crockpot!

    You can make stuff in the crockpot on a weekend day and package it up into individual servings during the week. You could even find a used smaller crockpot from the thrift store or a garage sale so you can make two or three different dishes in less time—if you get bored, I know I do!!

    If you center your meals around veggies, I find it makes them a lot quicker to prepare. For example.... a pasta salad is going to take 1/3 of the time to prepare as, say, a lasagna or something. Boil the noodles, toss with the veggies you cut up during the boil, and add a yummy dressing and feta cheese. Done!

    I have found things to make that are just as quick as a frozen meal to make on nights I don't have time to cook... like a microwaved baked sweet potato with black beans, or beans and leftover rice, or a salad with fried egg and avocado, etc. How about those boxed soups from Trader Joe's? Tomato basil, black bean, etc. Just heat and eat! You could make a quick sandwich to go with it.

    Just find something that works for YOU. It might take some time, but it can be done! Get creative! :)
  • PennStateChick
    PennStateChick Posts: 327 Member
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    From someone that works full time with a few night meetings a week, goes to school part time for a graduate degree, and has a family-including an almost-4 year old--- Become friends with a slowcooker OR do all your cooking on the weekend. I have switched back and forth between the two options.

    Currently, I cook for 3 of us on Sat & Sun and then rely on leftovers to get us through the majority of the week. Also, I hang a calendar of my food in the kitchen so the boy knows how many more times I'm planning on eating each meal. 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.
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
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    make time to make good food.

    salads don't take much time at all, i make mine on autopilot now.

    base of spinach or lettuce if i have it, always have a roma tomato, good chunk of cucumber, 1-2 carrots, handful of mushrooms, some nuts if i have them, red bell pepper if i have it, chop it all up, dump it in a washed out clean yogurt container (yay greek gods yogurt!) and you're good to go. add in some cooked chicken or something if you want more protein.

    have a couple meals you can make easily, without complicated ingredients for days you don't want to think (happens to me a lot!). i have an easy chicken dish, easy burgers, easy fajitas or stirfry.

    i generally have the same snacks every day so my body knows what to begin chopping up or putting together before my brain's awake. i automatically reach for the aforementioned salad ingredients, my greek gods yogurt with ground flaxseed and berries added in, or a bread slice with almond butter, or apple, or all if i'm super hungry.
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    I always prep my meals on Sunday for the week (M-F)....

    I do the same thing. I cook for about an hour or two on Sunday and prep things like veggies and side items that can be just grab n' go for the week.

    Make time to cook. It only takes 15-30 minutes to prepare a healthy home-cooked meal. You can spare that time. I'm a full time Ph.D. student working 50+ hours a week now, and I do it every single week.

    I also second the crock-pot suggestion. Easy, delicious, and healthy!
  • babymama81
    babymama81 Posts: 12 Member
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    Actually since I've started my new healthier routine, I've been saving time AND money. I used to cook a meal every day for me and my husband. Hamburger Helper, burritos, spaghetti... but my husband and I decided to change this. Now we eat a lean cuisine or smart ones frozen meal for lunch and dinner, and for breakfast we'll have an egg beaters omelette with pre-diced up onions, bell peppers and soy chorizo, and fresh produce green smoothie for snacks and sometimes breakfast. My personal blender (NutriBullet) is SO easy to clean, I have something tasty to satisfy my cravings within minutes. The frozen meals actually taste pretty good, but they're only $2.50 a meal and only take 5 minutes to heat up. Frozen may not be the healthiest way to go, but it's healthier than Hamburger Helper!
  • hello77kitty
    hello77kitty Posts: 260 Member
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    Thanks, I see many great ideas!! Are there any types of meals that freeze well in particular?
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    i personally hate crockpot cooking because its too hard to make a tiny bit for just 1 or 2 people. So you end up eating the same thing for days. I also do not cook.

    For fast food I do - lots of chipotle bowls. Grilled chicken sandwiches at most fast food places are decent calorie wise, ask that they hold the mayo because that's what makes them really high cal. Chili at Wendy's. Mexican food of any stripe (I stick to high protein stuff and ditch the flour tortillas and cheese). Any kind of teriyaki place that uses lean meats - just don't eat all the rice. Sushi as well - bowl of miso soup + whatever doesn't include fried stuff and cream cheese.

    For at home stuff, I do a lot of deli meats and cheese, sandwiches if you like that, canned tuna and salsa. also Trader joes freezer section has some great stuff.

    Allllso.... I don't eat breakfast personally. Save my calories for lunch and dinner - makes it much more flexible with what I can eat at those times and how much. This doesn't work for everyone, some people do very well with it and some people just find that they are starving and then binge eat at lunch.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    Most of my food is fast food or processed and I can maintain a decent weight. I eat a lot of turkey dogs, use a veggie as a side to make the meal feel larger without as many calories. You can make a sandwich for not many calories with veggies, lunch meat and whole grain bread. I've learned how to microwave a fried egg and make a fried egg sandwich. If you buy the right TV dinner, it won't have that many calories in it. This week I bought a bag of salad, cheese, and sunflower seeds to make quick, easy salads to bring to work.

    So how healthy some of my food is is questionable... But I certainly won't gain 15 pounds eating an appropriate amount of it.