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

2

Replies

  • puckers82
    puckers82 Posts: 200 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    healthy snake bars low in sugar
  • stgmanitoba
    stgmanitoba Posts: 32
    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
    Use lots of fresh fruits and vegetables; no cooking required.
  • Derpina7
    Derpina7 Posts: 552 Member
    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
    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
    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!
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    healthy snake bars low in sugar

    Do you shell out for real snake, or do you buy the cheap substitute that pops out of a can and scares you?
  • saverys_gal
    saverys_gal Posts: 808 Member
    Another vote for the crock pot-so easy!!

    Also, spending a couple of hours on the weekend prepping casseroles and freezing is great. Any leftovers you have can be portioned and individually frozen for later use. :smile:
  • Morgantam
    Morgantam Posts: 8
    I do the same. Except I try to make two different protein choices so my hubby and I have some variation in the week. But, yeah, plan and cook on an off night, or, sometimes I do partial meals, e.g. make the starch portion and freeze, then I only have to pan fry some fish filet to make a yummy nutritious meal. Save some time by prepping food in advance, e.g. cut up parsley and freeze, then voila instant garnish at dinner time.

    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.
  • EatClenTrenHard
    EatClenTrenHard Posts: 339 Member
    you dont need to "cook from scratch"
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    healthy snake bars low in sugar

    *shivers*
  • _Wits_
    _Wits_ Posts: 1,286 Member
    healthy snake bars low in sugar

    Do you shell out for real snake, or do you buy the cheap substitute that pops out of a can and scares you?

    :laugh:
  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
    I hate cooking!! I am the queen of assembly! I buy ready made salads, just need to toss and serve... steam in the bag broccoli or green beans....then I toss them with a bit of olive oil and crushed garlic, throw a few sweet potatoes in the oven on a sunday and they are good for a few days.... uncle ben's bistro brown rice...cooked chicken strips - heat and serve on salad, dice and saute with a bit of pesto on pasta...prime stuffed chicken breasts - place on pan and throw in oven! And don't forget about eggs for dinner! fast and easy!
  • BeSophisticate
    BeSophisticate Posts: 132
    Create your own "fast food" by cooking on the weekends (or whatever your days off) then freeze. I'm not offering more details on that one because I love love love to experiment with new techniques and recipes. If I can't try new things, I get bored and will revert back to convenience-food-Jane. So whatever I make on the weekend, I freeze or refrigerate for use during the week.

    Also, one of my favorite fast things is the stir-fry. A stir-fry, done correctly, only takes 6-8 minutes from start to finish (not including prep time to cut the meat and veggies). You can use frozen or canned veggies, if you like, but it's super easy to do all the veggie prep on the weekend and separate into "stir-fry" size containers. (I only cook for myself and don't make enough for left-overs when I'm cooking stir-fry, so "stir-fry" size for me means what I'll eat for one meal.) I usually wait until right before I start cooking to cut the meat, though. I'm not as comfortable having that sit around in my fridge. For help on how to stir-fry, a Google search yields a lot. You'll be cooking with the temp all the way up on high. Stir-fry is all about cooking fast at very high temps. Also, I would invest in a wok. They're designed for the purpose.

    (Those prepackaged frozen dinners are awful. Completely empty calories, so you're starving 5 minutes later.)
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    I don't eat a whole lot of heated food. I do just fine with yogurt and granola or a sandwich for dinner. Breakfast for dinner is also easy and can be healthy-eggs, pancakes with whole wheat mix, ect.
  • sbr016
    sbr016 Posts: 3 Member
    ah....snack :)
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
    I pre-cook for the week on Sundays. I make a breakfast, lunch and dinner dish for the week. Usually a casserole of some sort, quiches, soups, stews etc. work really well. I also grill up some chicken, pre-pack some salad, make snacksize baggies of trail mix ahead of time. It's about two hours of work on Sundays and leaves me free to do whatever during the week.
  • pullipgirl
    pullipgirl Posts: 767 Member
    crock pot recipes and mixed salad greens from the market
  • bbriscoe13
    bbriscoe13 Posts: 175 Member
    I make my breakfasts and lunches for the week on Sundays. I have time to make dinner at night, but if I don't I have a salad. I have the lettuce in a bag and mixed veggies in a bag and pre cooked steak strips. It is good and keeps me full for a while. I don't use the crock pot often because I wake up and give myself just enough time to get out the door and make it to work on time. I am not a morning person ha. I also keep light canned soups handy, just in case. Good luck. :)
  • MidsummerNightsDream
    MidsummerNightsDream Posts: 25
    I love to cook and cooking has been something I have enjoyed doing for friends and family my entire adult life. However, right now it just is not possible for me to feel motivated to cook due the stress of my husband's cancer and visiting nurses and hospice. The stress has lead me to cut my list of things to do. and food shopping and cooking were the first to go. I am insistant that my husband eat organic and healthy everything, and we are lucky to live in an area that has a wonderful meal delivery business. Here in Seattle we have 'Kitchen Door' and the meals are wonderful. Every Friday I order for the upcoming week and the meals are delivered to our door on Tuesday where I put them in the fridge or freezer, depending on what they are.

    I don't know if ordering meals is something you are even interested in doing, but it has been a wonderful for us.
  • alishacupcake
    alishacupcake Posts: 419 Member
    Bump this so I can read it later... I don't have time to read the post about not having time to cook.. what am i doing with my life?????
  • checkmatekingtwo
    checkmatekingtwo Posts: 118 Member
    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.

    They make mini crockpots. I live alone and use my mini. It's a great way to "cook" without really cooking. You just chop and toss it all together; put the lid on, and forget about it for a couple hours.
  • Ibelievenme2
    Ibelievenme2 Posts: 96 Member
    Crockpots are great. You name it and it can be done in the crockpot. I have put some white northern beans in a bowl to soak overnight. When my child goes to school, I will rinse and let them cook all day. I have three different sizes. While you are studying you can put food in crockpot and freeze later. Walmart carry the storage bag saver that you can hand pump the air out of your bags and then freeze.This is cheaper than buying the vacuum seal. Go online and research proper way to freeze meals and crockpot meals. Good luck and don't give up on your healthier eating habits.
    http://www.kraftrecipes.com
    http://www.preparedpantry.com
    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-slow-cooker-chicken/
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
    I just bought a nutribullet. LOVE IT !
  • gomisskellygo
    gomisskellygo Posts: 635 Member
    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.

    This is my life as well. Add multiple sports. I make it work. You have to learn to love your crockpot. And you need to make your health a priority. Excuses don't get in the way of priorities.
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
    Yogurt, nuts, veggies and hummus, fruit and cottage cheese, make sandwiches the night before, cook up a bunch of chicken on the weekends and have it ready to go for the week, tuna in the pouch, hard boil eggs and keep them on hand as a "grab and go" snack, frozen steam fresh bags of veggies ... All quick and easy ... Where the is a will there is a way ...

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